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For a moment, my lips didn’t move, shock freezing them in place. None of the other monsters had asked me. Something about giving him my name felt so personal, but it definitely would be better than being called “human.” I mean, sure, I’d been calling him A-Three, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Raine,” I finally said.
“R-ai-ne.” He said my name as if he was rolling it over on his tongue and tasting it. “Now, that is delightful.”
I swallowed, trying to ignore the strange fluttering in my stomach. “And yours?” I asked. It seemed only fair to get a name in return, though I doubted he would tell me.
“Darian,” he said without hesitation, surprising me. “But you can call me Dar.”
Darian.I nodded. I wasn’t about to call him by a nickname like we were close friends.
“Well, it’s my turn, Raine lovely. Ready?” he said and stepped to the side of the doorway, gesturing to the tunnel.
A burning sensation still pulled at my belly, and my gaze flicked to the door that led to the washroom. Turning back to the monster, I raised a brow. “No?”
“This test won’t be as bad as the last one. Trust me,” he said with a chuckle.
“Right, as if I’d trust you.”
Like the other monsters, he did nothing but smile at my blunt tongue, and his lips parted to show glistening white teeth. “You’re a smart one.”
Something about his words sent a chill skittering down my spine.
His head tipped toward the doorway. “Let’s go, lovely.”
I hesitated a moment longer, then stepped into the tunnel.I can hold it.No point delaying the inevitable.Just watch for your moment.
Thiscavernwasn’tatall like the last one. The space was huge, easily ten times the size of the one the horned demon had taken me to. And unlike that cavern, this one wasn’t empty. A huge mass of water spread across the floor like an underground lake. At the far end, water rushed down a rocky wall, sliding over large boulders that lay over one another and spraying into the lake. We stood in the shallows, the cool black water licking over my toes.
Instead of torches, thousands of amethyst crystals covered the top of the cavern, shining a dull purple over the water and making the black sparkle like the reflection of the night sky.
It was…breathtaking.Maybe Darian’s right and this won’t be as bad as the last one.I wanted to believe it. Hell, my throbbing fingers demanded it, but I knew better than to be so naive. There was something in the dammed ink-colored water, and unfortunately, I was about to find out what.
Mother Falia, I wish I had my dagger.I internally cursed A-Two for stealing it from me. Sure, I had stabbed him, but come on.
Darian reached down and pulled off his pants, throwing them near the door.What the?I turned my head, refusing to look at him. Refusing to lookdown.What the hell is he doing?
Before I could ask, he took a step further into the water, the black liquid rising just above his ankles. Then he turned back and held out his hand, his long, delicate fingers reaching toward me. “Come now, Raine. Let’s have some fun.”
I glared and ignored his hand. “I’m not going in there.”
He left his hand outstretched. “Not a fan of water?”
In fact, I loved water. I enjoyed swimming in the beaches around the island whenever I had a spare moment. We often needed the fish, and the times when I was weightless in the water were the only ones when I felt like my guilt about Cara wasn’t crushing me.
I eyed the lake suspiciously. “It’s not the water I’m wary of. Let me guess, as soon as I move, giant tentacles are going to launch from the depths and drag me under?”
He laughed, and the carefree sound vibrated in my bones. My gaze almost slid down his body, but I forced myself to keep staring at his face.
“Such dark expectations. I promise you, there’s no one here besides us. We’re going in there whether you like it or not. It’s up to you whether you walk in by yourself or I grab you and take you with me.” His lips twitched upward into an impish smile, and I narrowed my eyes in challenge. Unconsciously, my gaze trailed to his bare, muscular chest, and I snapped my attention back to his face.
Focus, Raine.I eyed his hand again. I didn’t doubt I would be forced into the water. Darian might not have had any obvious monster traits, but the power that pulsed from him still made my heart race. But if I had to go, I’d do it on my terms. I had some dignity.
Reluctantly, I placed my hand onto his. As our palms touched, energy zapped up my fingers, rushing up my arms. I gasped as agony seared through me, like my very blood was on fire, sizzling beneath my skin. It was exactly as it had felt when I’d come through the portal and when A-Two had touched me.
“What did you do?” I accused, pulling my hand back. Like it had with A-Two, the pain abruptly disappeared, and I sucked in a shuddering breath.
Darian blinked slowly, and his brow creased. “Did yo—” He stopped himself and stretched his fingers before clenching his fist and turning toward the water. “Follow me,” he said, all humor gone from his voice. “Don’t make me drag you in.”
