Page 184 of Volik

Our speed slows, and I look down.

Then I panic.

Volik tightens his hold on me, even though I’m already plastered to his front. “We are almost there.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Okay.”

He bumps his forehead against mine. “Why are you doing that?”

The sun has nearly set. The sky is mostly dark. But it’s not so dark that I can’t see the lake below us. “I… I can’t swim.” I admit part of the truth.

“Do not be embarrassed. I cannot either.”

I squeeze my legs around him as my panic increases, even though my heart rate doesn’t.

“Nix, we are flying. I can jump us out of any depth of water. I do not need to swim.”

“Oh.” I keep my eyes closed. “Right.”

“Dread is on the other side of this lake. We will be there soon.”

“Okay.” I tuck my face into Volik’s neck, breathing in his minty scent.

“Nix.” He slides a hand up and down my back.

“I’ll tell you later, okay?”

I can feel his desire to argue, but he doesn’t. “Da. Later.”

“Will you purr? Just for a moment?”

He answers me with the calming vibrations. And I melt into him.

I’ll tell Volik everything about my family. My childhood. But now is not the time.

Later.

A moment later, we change direction and lower toward the ground.

Trusting him, I keep my eyes closed until I feel his feet connect with the earth.

Volik flexes his arms around me, kisses my head, then lowers me.

I can hear the soft lapping of waves not too far off to the side, but since I’m no longer over the water, it doesn’t bring me stress.

“This way.” Volik grabs my hand, then leads me away from the water toward, surprise, more trees.

The sliver of sunset disappears as we step into the forest. But with my new night vision, I can see everything perfectly. Meaning I can see the tiny cabin we’re headed toward.

“Dread lives here?” Referring to the druid by name feels weird, but calling him the druid feels slightly weirder.

“I doubt he lives here. But it is one of his homes.”

I lift a brow. That’s cryptic.

We walk up to the front door of the seemingly abandoned one-room cabin.

There are no lights. No sign that anyone is here.