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The Three Lakes are more like an ocean, each of them bigger than any of the Great Lakes on Earth. The water is brackish—mingled salt and fresh water—and it smells like the sea, white sand barely visible off to our left as we coast along the city border. Eventually we leave the city behind, and then there’s nothing but open ocean in all directions—or, openlake, I guess.
It reminds me of home—of when my dad used to take me out for long fishing trips. When I glance over at Taraven on that leg of the trip, he’s got his eye closed and a lazy smile on his face.
Malix is not nearly as relaxed.
“You good?” I ask over comms. It’s hard to talk with the spray of water and bumpy waves buffeting us, so we keep it light—but a little communication is alright. Malix is silent for a moment, then I see him lift his wrist to his mouth to respond.
“This is awful,” he says.
“Breathe,” I laugh. “It’ll be over soon.”
Each lake takes a whole day to cross, and we find the isthmus between the Liatran Lake and the Skoroian as the sun begins to set. It’s a narrow strip of land boxed in on either side by the expansive lakes, crystal blue water on one side and water tinted green on the other. The isthmus is crisscrossed with areas where the lakes overlap one another, full to the brim.
There’s so much drought on Earth that I’ve never seen lakes so big or full. I have to sit on the white sand and take it in for a moment as Malix and Taraven grab their packs from theircaltan, joining me a moment later. There’s a makeshift shelter just up the beach, already outfitted with food and water to hold us over on the journey.
We’ve found a better ally in Jokahn than I could have imagined; I just hope he decides not to betray us in the end.
“What makes the water different colors?” I ask Taraven as he takes a seat beside me. Malix joins us, standing with his arms crossed on the opposite side of me.
“There’s a special kelp that grows in the Skoroian—deep emerald green that colors the water,” Taraven explains. “It’s used to make dye and can be distilled into a powerful liquor as well. I’ve considered adding some to my menagerie on Jaya.”
While all of this is fascinating, I realize I’m just putting off the inevitable. Malix’s foot scuffs at the sand, his pack still slung over his shoulder as he refuses to sit down. I have to admit—to myself at least—that I’ve wanted him since we got out of bed this morning.
I want both of them.
And I’m not sure if I’ll be able to wait when the heat between us is always simmering.
I glance back and exchange a look with Malix. His jaw is tight, a muscle ticking in his neck. He rolls his head and swallows hard, then looks back at the shelter up the beach.
“I’m going to go check out our bunks for the night,” he says. “Make sure it’s safe.”
“Thanks, Malix,” I mutter.
His footsteps crunch in the sand, getting further away. We sit in silence, and I twirl a stray curl around my finger as I watch the sun set.
“Taraven—” I start.
“I know.”
My eyes snap to his, finding him looking right at me. Myriad colors swirl in his eyes, making it hard to pinpoint exactly how he feels about the whole situation.
“You do?” I ask.
“If your scent this morning wasn’t enough to tell, I heard you in your room last night,” Taraven says. He smiles, but I can’t quite tell if the expression reaches the rest of his features—not his tail, which stays still in the sand, or his eyes, which continue to swirl. “And I am…happy for you. I’ll leave you to your privacy tonight if that’s what you wish.”
“Wow.” I shake my head. “I guess I just…wanted to explain what happened, after the other night.”
“You were frustrated and afraid,” he shrugs. “Sex is a good distraction.”
His tail twitches, sending some sand flying across the toes of my boots. I try to catch sight of his eyes, but he won’t look at me.
I frown. “You’re not angry?”
“Our ideas about intimacy differ,” he says. “Why not take pleasure where you can?”
My hand covers his despite myself, and his eyes suddenly turn a bright, burning magenta.
“You mean more than that to me, Taraven,” I say. “More to…both of us.”
