It had to be around here somewhere. Lyvia had said to follow the river to the third bridge, and the trail would wind around to a small, backwater pond, where apparently the water was clean enough to swim in. She’d told me about it before she left for Kayj last year. Gods, had it really been almost a year since she’d been gone? It was where Aeriden had taught her to swim, and one ofthe few locations in Aedrialis that might feel more like Rivaner. More like home.
My heart clenched at the thought. Wherewashome? It wasn’t here, but after everything, I wasn’t sure I could ever return to the forest outside of Rivaner.
I also wasn’t sure why it’d taken ten months and a dead priest to finally get me motivated enough to find Lyvia’s pond. Perhaps it had something to do with not knowing her fate. I’d been so relieved to learn she, Tiberius, and Lord Astraeus had returned… but I wish she would returnhere.
A shiver racked up my spine despite the unseasonal heat of Sultiran autumn. The Death Scholars said Father Marcus had finally succumbed to the sickness in his mind, that he’d died of natural causes, but for some strange reason, the image of his face stretched in that silent scream was burned into my mind. Something evil was at work, and I felt vulnerable.
Marian had closed herself off, disappearing into her work with the Life Scholars, unwilling or unable to speak about her brother-in-law in the weeks since. Her distance left me lonelier than I had been before.
And it had been weeks since I’d seen Vander, not since overhearing his conversation with Ronan at the training pit. While the high steward’s words might have irritated me in the moment, I’d felt his concern for me was genuine, even if it pissed me off. Vander was only a few years my senior, and a little flirting never killed anyone. Besides, my birthday, quite possibly the most depressing one yet, had come and gone. And I… I missed Vander.
My chest constricted. Why hadn’t he come to find me? Had I imagined his flirting? Had he really only been interested in the history of Mount Telum and becoming a better archer?
Then again, his comments to Ronan left me jittery. Had he meant to threaten Ronan? I was probably reading into it. Icouldn’t see their faces, after all. I shoved the memory from my mind, along with the uncomfortable twisting that arrived any time it surfaced.
The trail finally yawned open, and I sighed. The calm pond lapped little waves up the stony shore.Found it.
A dark line of trees bordered the small backwater, and a blanket of tiny, pebbled stones stretched across the narrow shore. Another shadowed trail opened at the other end of the pond, but the entire space was empty. I smiled, a rare contentedness spreading in me. Aedrialis was loud. Even at night, men howled near taverns, and women whistled outside brothels. The noise never stopped.
I shucked my boots to the side, slipping my socks off and taking a careful step onto the smooth rocks. My hand slid into my pocket where my lucky arrowhead sat. I ran a thumb over the dull, jagged edges, its surface a bit softer than the shiny rocks I stood upon.
I tugged my tunic over my shoulders and shimmied out of my leathers, kicking the sticky pants onto a small boulder. The air felt glorious on my legs and bare torso, my nipples peaking beneath the tight bandeau strap holding my small breasts in place. My thumbs reached the band of my thin undershorts, and I paused.
Best keep these on.
Mum used to call it skinny dipping. I let myself smirk.
Gray clouds had moved in overhead. Our moons’ light strained to creep through the thick gathering of raindrops that formed. It did little to illuminate the small pond below, casting a dull gray, almost silvery reflection on the water.
I carefully waded in. The stones were slippery and sharp, and the brisk water left chill bumps along my thighs. I sucked in the muggy night air before pinching my eyes shut and diving.
The water stripped my skin free of the day’s grime and sweat as I swam. My arms and legs pumped in smooth, practiced movements until my lungs burned. Worries drifted away, and I pushed through three more strokes until my body demanded oxygen, and my face finally breached the surface at the center of the pond.
Thunder rumbled overhead, and I took a deep breath, tipping my head back and stilling my body as it floated to the surface. My braids drifted up as water lapped over my ears, the quiet submersion muffling the sky’s growl. I floated for several minutes, waving my hands in slow movements through the water as if I were petting a hound.
A single plop of rain kissed my forehead, and I blinked my eyes open. My brows furrowed as my private dip neared its end. I lifted my head and rotated my legs as I came upright to tread water. I scanned the stony shoreline, and my heart skipped into my throat as I spied a tall, dark figure standing at the opposite shore.
My hands flew to my thin bandeau, despite knowing the man couldn’t see me from where he stood. He raised an arm, and his hand flicked in a soft wave. My brows narrowed as I strained to make out his face.
I swam a couple strokes closer, and my stomach leaped as I made out Vander’s soft features. His cropped light hair was dull against the clouds, but his gray eyes were bright. Why was I surprised he was here? He and Lyvia probably swam here as children. His lips stretched into a wide grin as I dared a few more strokes.
Vander’s hands slipped to his waist, and his head cocked to the side as he watched me.
“Bit late for a dip,” he called, taking a step toward the water.
“I couldn’t resist,” I said, my breath becoming labored as I continued to tread water. “Not with this unseasonable heat. Lyvia told me where to find it.”
He dipped his head before giving a slow nod.
“Did you come here often with her?” I asked, daring to swim a bit closer.
Vander’s gaze cut to the bandeau strip across my chest. Something flickered in his eyes before he brought them up to my own. Warmth swarmed in my core despite the chill water.
“Often,” he answered. His eyes slid along my bare arms before darting to where my legs would be.
“There’s plenty of room,” I squeaked, nearly choking on my own audacity.
I bit the top of my lower lip, a sliver of appreciation rising for my bravery. A thick raindrop plopped against the top of my head. A deep rumble formed from above, and Vander’s eyes cut to the sky. I held my breath as I waited for him to tell me we should get to shelter.
