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I couldn't hold my breath for much longer, so I squinted my eyes in panic. I need air! Now! But my natural instinct, the instinct to survive, prevented me from breathing underwater.
"Myrina, you have to breathe! Do you hear me? Otherwise, you're going to faint!" Tanael's voice was urgent. "Breathe!"
"I ... can ... not!" The words came haltingly. "My ... body ... refuses ... refuses!"
"Trust me, Myrina. You can do it!"
I had no other choice if I didn't want to lose consciousness. My lungs were already burning. At least Edward had made it, and Aspasia didn't seem to have any problems either.
"Relax!" Tanael swam on the spot and was suddenly very close to me.
He carefully penetrated the bubble with his hand without letting a drop of water through. Then, with his surprisingly dry fingers, he gently stroked my cheek.
"Open your eyes," he whispered like a breeze in my mind. "Believe me, you won't regret it."
Although I knew I wouldn't be able to see anything in the darkness that prevailed here anyway, I did him a favor and was overwhelmed by what I did see.
Tiny points of light floated in the dark water like stars in the firmament and illuminated our faces.
His irises' gold matched these fireworks. They glittered liquidly just for me, and I couldn't help but stare at him in fascination.
His index finger tenderly traced my jawline until it was directly under my mouth. His gaze rested heavily on my eyes.
His finger slid gently up to my lower lip, floating light as a feather over it. His touch was so sensual, tingling my mouth and making my whole body tremble.
Caught up in the moment and the desire to feel his lips on mine, I opened my mouth and inhaled with a moan. His smile and the withdrawal of his hand brought me back to reality.
"Well done," murmured the angel. "Now, let's dive on quickly before you run out of oxygen."
All the lights went out entirely unexpectedly, and Tanael pulled me blindly through the water along the tunnel. What had happened? Only then did I realize it: I was breathing!
Nevertheless, I couldn't be happy, as I could still feel Tanael's finger on my lip. With all my might, I had to stop myself from trying to trace his mark on my mouth with my own index finger.
I had a massive problem in the form of an angel with golden irises. That was clear.
Tanael is the Dumah—don't forget that! The Angel of Death! I tried to remind myself, but my arguments faltered before my eyes. Where had the Angel of Death been when I stood before Hades? If this was really his job, then he should have been there.
It was pointless to think about it. Whether he was the Dumah or not, he loved another woman.
In an attempt to shut out any thoughts of him, I focused on my surroundings. The darkness enveloped me like in my dreams, comforting and calming. Like silk in the wind, I glided weightlessly through the water, which gently caressed my body.
The sound of the passing element lowered my pulse rate and allowed me to breathe calmly. It was so peaceful; I could have stayed here for hours.
At that moment, a faint glow appeared, and Tanael headed towards it—the end of the flooded section of the tunnel. Only now did I realize that we had been diving through a pipe with a diameter of no more than two meters the whole time. It was good I hadn't known this beforehand, and the exit was now visible.
Tanael was still clutching my hand, but as soon as we left the tunnel and swam up to the surface, I shook him off and left the water alone. The light came from Sam's torch, which he had taken with him and apparently re-lit with his flint. However, how he could keep it so dry was a mystery to me. Perhaps with the same magic that had kept my head from getting wet?
As I broke the surface, my bubble disappeared, and I took a deep breath. The air was not as fresh as it would have been on the surface, but despite the dampness and heaviness that clung to it, it was better than the air that had surrounded me for the last few minutes.
"Why did you let go of my hand," Tanael scolded behind me as I waded out of the water onto a bank. The others were already wringing out their clothes and putting their boots back on.
"We had arrived. I was safe and no longer needed your help," I growled, annoyed. The other members of the group, who were all safe and sound, acted as if they were too busy to see or even hear us.
"I thought I'd made myself clear, Myrina." Suddenly, he stood in front of me, hands on his hips, and his look would have been terrifying if he hadn't made me so angry.
"I can take care of myself and don't need to listen to you. I'm not one of your subjects from the underworld," I spat back. "You may not be used to someone not doing what you ask, but you've definitely come to the wrong place with me."
Sam groaned.
