Page 180 of Sorrow & Strangers

He leads me across the beach to the trees, and while the heat of the sun no longer beats down on us, the air closes in, humid and wet. This is a forest, but the trees and bushes surrounding us are very different from those in Avalon. The flora here is lush and tropical, with vibrant flowers scattered throughout. Usually I would be fascinated and eager to explore, but I cannot enjoy this new environment because of my whirling thoughts.

I follow him along the path, trying to assess his mood just by staring at his back. He seems relaxed, but apart from that, I am not getting anything from him. Is this what he looks like? Is this him?

Suddenly, he stops walking and wraps his hands around my waist to lift me over a thick root in our path before setting me down again. His gaze lingers on my lips for a moment before he takes my hand again. He turns to continue down the path, but I dig my heels in.

“Stranger.”

He stops and turns to look at me, his head tilted. “Yes?”

I swallow, feeling sick with nerves, but I need to get this out. He deserves to hear the words. “About what I said last time we spoke . . .”

He watches me, waiting patiently. My throat works as I struggle to find words to express my remorse. When tears fill my eyes, he steps closer, placing his hands on my waist again. This time, he doesn’t lift me. He just brushes his thumbs along my skin, making me shiver.

“We’re almost at the cliff,” he says softly, brushing his lips against my forehead.

“But . . .”

He reaches behind me and plucks a bright pink flower from a bush. “Come on,” he says, tucking it behind my ear.

I nod. Clearly he doesn’t want to talk about this, and I guess I should respect that.

He keeps his hand in mine as we hike up the steep, seemingly endless hill. I am panting when we finally reach the peak, but the view is absolutely jaw-dropping. The crystal-clear water stretches to the horizon, blending with the sky. My eyes catch the flash of colors beneath the surface, and I step closer to the edge to try to get a better look.

Suddenly, I am swung off my feet, and the stranger’s arms wrap tightly around me. With no warning, he launches us off the cliff, and we’re plunging into the abyss.

Chapter Seventy-Eight

The Stranger

Her scream comes close to bursting my eardrum as we plummet from the cliff into the crystal-clear water below. She clings to me, squeezing me as if that will stave off the impact as we hit the water. I keep hold of her as we hit the water, our bodies sinking deep. With a power­ful kick, I propel us back to the surface.

“What the fuck!” she sputters as we breach, wiping her eyes.

“Did I scare you?” I ask with a chuckle.

She releases me to tread water and sends a splash of water my way, her lips twitching with mirth. Placing my hands on her waist, I pull her back to me. These last couple of weeks have been torture, and now that she is near, I am unwilling to let her go. Thankfully, she comes willingly, eagerly wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing close. Leaning in, I hover my lips over hers before moving my mouth to her ear.

“Hold your breath.”

She frowns but obeys.

I pull her under the water with me, drawing a rune on us to give us air around our mouths and noses as we sink down to the sea floor. Even at the bottom, the clear water allows light to penetrate the depths, illuminating the kaleidoscope of colors all around us. I release her, but I take her hand and point toward the glowing city in the distance. It’s one of the most popular outpost cities among the mere people and is normally strictly off-limits to others.

Her face lights up, and she squeezes my hand as we swim in silence. Her eyes constantly dart to me, checking on me. No doubt she’s still in disbelief that I’m here. Not as my avatar, but with a glamour. One that lets her touch me, explore me, taste me. I’ve worked tirelessly on this glamour since I last saw her, preparing for this moment. Paradis might be shielded from the prying eyes of those who constantly monitor me, but it is far from infallible. It’s a risk for me to be here, to show my hand, to hint at a weakness that could be exploited, but I couldn’t stay away.

We make it to the outskirts of the city, and though the mere immediately turn defensive, I hold up my hand, showing the crest of their queen on one of my fingers. They relax and even gesture for us to come closer, merchants scrambling to display their wares for the new and unusual visitors. They take the time to entice us, pulling us in with an explosion of color and textures, from jewels to algae to shells. Nestled against a natural sea formation, it blocks the currents from blowing through the marketplace. I know if we go farther and deeper into the next crevasse, we’d see the glowing crystal palace of the Mere Queen, but I have no interest in encountering her on this trip.

Summer’s gaze bounces around, trying to take in everything around her, her eyes glowing with the knowledge she’s gaining. I look forward to the day when I can travel the realms with her and see everything differently. There are so many places I want to take her. To see her joy as she takes them in for the first time.

“Would you like to shop?” I ask, the sound muted through the air bubbles but coherent.

She nods excitedly, releasing me to swim closer to the merchant stalls. I guide her to the first stall. They are selling various rare seaweeds. There are bundles large and small. Many are used in food. Some have medicinal uses. Others are useful for building. My lips twitch as I remember the last time we walked through a market in another realm. Though Hell and Atlantis could not be more different.

Summer and I could not be more different from how we were then.

The next stall offers bottles of algae, the locations from where they were harvested written in the Mermish language, a script composed mostly of dots and lines. Even when spoken out loud, the language is closer to a click of the tongue than others.

Summer stops at the next stall, pointing to a small pair of silver earrings that look like tiny pixies, no doubt salvaged from a shipwreck. The oceans of Atlantis connect to every body of water from every realm. The crushing darkness and pressure at the deepest depths create their own natural portals, drawing many things here. Some of the more powerful mere folk can even travel through these crushing abysses to other realms.