“Defineokay.” I wave weakly toward the scrap of paper, the sand, the entire kingdom. “I’m hot, itchy, probably dehydrated…” I groan, swatting at another invisible assailant.
He snags my hand and extends my arm. “Have you looked at yourself recently?”
I glance down and register the horror show of angry, red welts dotting my exposed skin.
“Shit.” The word doesn’t cover it. My fingers hover over the inflamed bumps. “This is bad. They’re everywhere. I look like I was swarmed. What do you think Zephara and Solara will say if I go onstage like this?”
“I think they’ll say you were bitten by sand fleas.” He shrugs. “Got me once on a family holiday in St. Barts. Thought I was going to be scarred forever. Cried in an apothecary shop. My mother still brings it up at Thanksgiving.”
“I don’t really have the right to freak out about a rash right now.” I swallow, and then, softer, “How is she?”
“Celine let me talk to her. You were right about that.”
I give a weak smile. “I know a teen girl crush when I see one.”
“Yeah.” He exhales. “Nessa’s with the healer. Said she’ll be back to singing by the full moon.”
“She’s going to be okay?” My voice comes out thin, shaky.
He nods. “She’ll be fine.”
Relief loosens my shoulders. I breathe out, a short laugh slipping free. It’s a small reprieve, and I let it be one—just for a second—before guilt returns, sliding cold into the center of my chest.
“Come on,” Declan says, pulling me to my feet. “I want to take you somewhere.”
I collect my things and tuck them into my purse as I slide it over my shoulder. Brow raised, I ask warily, “Where exactly are you taking me?”
“That would ruin the surprise.”
Sand slips beneath our feet, sun-warmed and soft as we climb over dunes. By the time we crest the last hill, I’m out of breath. The air cools as we make our way down toward the lush, tree-filled hollow hidden from the camp. Palms cluster like guardians, and a spring-fed pool gleams at the center, rimmed in smooth black stone. The water glows blue where streaks of sunlight pierce the canopy overhead, and mist curls from the surface in diaphanous threads.
“The Everspring. How did you know where to find it?”
Declan smirks. “I have my ways.”
“Which involve Tarek.”
“You know me too well.”
I bite my lip. Barely a week ago, Declan Thorne was just a guy in my DMs. A flirt. A fantasy. A series of emojis and late-night sexts that never promised anything real. While I’ve learned he’s much more than that, I don’t know him yet. Not as well as I want to.
Declan drags a hand through his hair, raking it off his forehead as he toes off his sandals. He takes his time with his shirt. It clings to his shoulders, sweat-dark andstretched across muscle, and I swear time once again slows. The sun gilds the planes of him—broad chest narrowing to a lean waist, the sharp V of his hips disappearing into his pants.
Cool air brushes my bare stomach, goose bumps rising in a wave as I drop my bag and join him, shrugging out of my silk wrap dress until I’m down to a red linen bra that ties around my neck and back with matching panties secured in knots at my hips.
The pool glows pale blue in the slivers of sunlight. I step in first, shivering as the water wraps around my calves. It’s cool and refreshing in a way that makes me gasp, Slowly, I lower myself in. The sandy bottom is soft and warm in places where the sun still lingers.
Declan wades in after me and immediately hisses through his teeth. “It’s cold. Why is it cold?”
“Were you hoping for a tepid bathwater lagoon?”
He lunges like he’s going to splash me, and I shriek, ducking beneath the surface in a rush of bubbles. When I pop up, his back is turned. I don’t hesitate. With a triumphant yell, I leap forward, grab him around the shoulders, and yank him under.
We surface, breathless, and he shakes himself off like a wet dog and grins. “Oh, so that’s how we’re playing?”
I nod, mockingly solemn, and splash him directly in the face. “You started it.”
That’s all the invitation he needs.
