“I think I’ve got it.”
“Good. Then try again,” he says, without stepping back.
My hands make small circles in the water as I try the move again, orienting myself. I’m still not completely used to my new right arm, but it works well enough. It’s even got two small compartments on the forearm I can tuck odds and ends into. And it’s not enchanted to keep me from myself, which is the most important bit.
I opted to stay with metal, with a waterproof lining that allowsme to swim so long as I wash afterwards to get the salt off. It’s mostly Torain’s work, but Roiven used his practice as a swordsmith to add decorative scalloping on the shoulder and elbow joints.
When I served the Empire, my armor was decorated with feathered wings. Now, it’s waves, to represent the ocean that they tried to keep me from.
My legs kick. Roiven’s steady hands slowly inch away from my waist, until I’m treading water without his support or a flotation device.
“There!” I yell with a grin. I whirl my hands through the water, slowly turning myself around to face him. Roiven’s dark hair is pulled back low on his neck, and the water’s only up to his broad shoulders, even though it would be above my nose if I touched the bottom. He smiles lopsidedly at me.
Lines of white enchantment scar his shoulders, but the blue-black marks on his face remain. My fingers itch to take the rest of the enchantment from his skin. The only thing it may be preventing now is Roiven’s ability to lie, which he says he’s fine without—certainly, he still knows how to speak around the truth if the need takes him—but it’s still draining him.
Only, he won’t let me touch it until we finish freeing all 128 Enchanted we managed to save from the imperial ships. And that’s going to take a while, even if some of the witches are learning how to do it so they can help. Not everyone can manage it, but most of them have a better reaction than Nor did.
“Keep going,” Roiven says.
“But I’ve got it.” I scowl, but Roiven just feels amused in return.
“Yes, and the whole point is tokeepdoing it so you don’t drown.”
“Well, if I already know how…” my legs ache. Actually, my whole body does. For the past two weeks I feel like I’ve done nothing but pull the crystal marks from the Enchanted’s skin, then rest, then do it again. When Roiven suggested I need to take a real break this afternoon, I thought he’d mean doing something fun. Not physically grinding me down.
“You need to be able to hold it. It’s no good ‘not drowning’ if you only ‘not drown’ for a few strokes.”
He’s right, you know, Hafgúa says in my head.
“What, is one of you planning to let me drown?” I growl.
“Considering you insist on spending all your free time in the water,” Roiven says sternly.
“The cove’s not dangerous. And I’m with Hafgúa the rest of the time.”
“All water’s dangerous.”
He’s still right,Hafgúa says.You know my thoughts on this. I will not take you back out to the deep waters until you can swim without my help, should something happen.
I keep kicking even though my legs burn.
“Then how long are you going to make me do this for?” I ask Roiven.
“I give suggestions, not commands, your majesty,” Roiven teases.
“I already told you—” I can’t be the ruler of a place I’ve barely come to know, with people whose needs I don’t fully understand and a culture that I still feel like a stranger to.
“Take it up with Hafgúa for choosing you. I didn’t make the rules.”
I huff. My legs slow and I slip down, then grit my teeth and kick back up.
“I’m getting tired,” I snap.
Roiven’s hands reach out and grab my waist. I gratefully stop kicking. As he pulls me against him I wrap my exhausted legs around his hips, my muscles shivering from exertion. The tide drags at us, but Roiven’s hands slide around me until I’m held comfortably against him, no longer struggling to stay afloat. I rest the scarred right side of my head against his collar.
“You’re doing wonderfully,” he murmurs.
“Don’t tease me.”
