Crickets chirruped and I heard the distanthoot of an owl from one of the trees across the way. The crispsmell of the water called to me, and I was about to strip whenKobal tugged on my hand and gestured toward a section of smallwillow trees hanging over the shoreline of the lake. They’d growntall enough that their limbs bent over and their leaves skimmed thesurface of the water to provide a natural, private canopy.
I followed him around the edge of the laketoward the trees. Looking at the shoreline, I didn’t see any signsof drought as the water lapped high against the banks the lake hadcarved into the land. Reaching the privacy of the willows, Ireleased Kobal’s hand to unbuckle the guns at my waist. I placedthem on the bank before setting my katana beside them and eagerlypulling my soiled clothing off. Kobal remained silent as hestripped beside me and tossed his clothes aside. I grabbed my barof lemon soap and small bottle of shampoo, before plunging into thewarm water.
A blissful sigh escaped me as the lake lappedand flowed around my skin. The water rose up high enough to covermy breasts before I ducked my head under the surface and came backup again. I scrubbed myself as I listened to the sounds of otherstrudging down to the lake from different points in the woods.
Kobal stayed by my side, his naked bodymoving to block mine if anyone ventured too close. They wouldn’t beable to see us beneath the willows anyway. My eyes skimmed over mybody, my brow furrowing as I realized that the numerous bruises I’dreceived from Azote were already fading. I should have had them forat least a week, probably two, but they looked as if they would begone tomorrow or the next day.
My hands fell into the lake as I turnedtoward Kobal. “My bruises are healing faster than normal.”
He tore his attention away from making sureno one came near us to focus on me. His eyes skimmed over me beforelanding on the faded bruise running down my left side. It had beenblack yesterday. Today it already had a yellowish tinge to it andwas more brown.
“Like me, you are healing faster,” hemurmured as he took a step toward me, rested his hands on myshoulders, and gently turned me before him to inspect the bruiseson my back.
“How is that possible?”
He was silent as he studied me before turningme to face him again. “Our bond has made you stronger and you’redrawing on the life around you more.”
“But I’m not.”
“You’re doing it without realizing it. Youalways have. But now that you’re using your ability more, it’sgrowing and it’s powering you more. It has helped to accelerateyour rate of healing.”
“Huh.” I had no other response for that as Imulled over his words.
“It’s a good thing,” he said quietly.
Tilting my head back, I smiled up at him. “Itis,” I agreed. “It’s just strange, but I’m okay with not being awalking bruise anymore, and maybe it will help heal broken bonesfaster too.”
He kissed my forehead before releasing myshoulders and taking a step back. “I’m sure it will, but I don’tintend for you to find out.”
“Me either.”
I returned to bathing while he kept an eye onthe woods. It was while I was washing the shampoo from my hair thatit hit me the feel ofeverythinghere was different. I stood up in the water and stared at theripples radiating out from me. Lifting my head, I spotted somepeople across the lake bathing close to each other. There were afew more a hundred or so feet to the left of them.
Beyond them, I studied the sickly lookingwoods as my fingers skimmed over the surface of the warm water. Ifelt a pulse within the lake, but it was more sluggish than what Iwas used to. The smell here was different, the trees not asvibrant. We were getting closer to the gateway to Hell and theworld was changing.
“It feels different here,” I murmured.
Kobal stepped in front of me and rested hishands on my shoulders again. The brush of his chest against minecaused my nipples to pucker as I moved closer to him. Beads ofwater slid over his body in rivulets I longed to follow with mytongue. I watched one trickle all the way down to where it drippedinto the water. I licked my lips as my fingers slid over the carvedmuscles of his abs.
“How does it feel different?” he asked, hisvoice husky as my hands dipped lower.
I bit my lip when the head of his thick shaftemerged above the water line, swelling before my eyes. Unable toresist, I slid my fingers over its silken tip, rubbing the beads ofwater over the sensitive flesh before stroking my hand over hislength. His breath rushed in, and his body jerked in my grasp. Ismiled when I lifted my head to take in the rapt expression on hisface as he watched my hand working over him.
“How is it different, River?” he prodded.
His hand caressing the underside of one of mybreasts made it difficult to recall what we’d been talking about.“The flow of life here, it’s not the same,” I said. “Before, theworld felt fluent and malleable. Now it feelsstuck,almost like in sap or… I don’t know how toexplain it.”
The look on his face made me realize he wascontemplating throwing me over his shoulder and dragging me out ofhere. I’d seen that same look a few times since we left the church.His hand stilled on me.
“We can’t leave,” I said before he couldspeak.
“I know,” he grated from between histeeth.
“We’re close to the gateway to Hell now. Theearth isn’t the same here. It makes sense that it wouldn’t be. Ijust hadn’t considered the possibility until now. We’ll get throughthis.”
“Mortal.” Theword was said in such a ragged, desperate tone of voice that ittore at my heart and my hand stopped moving on him. His eyes hadturned amber at the word; they blazed with life and the wildness ofthe hounds within him.
“I always have been.”
