Page 36 of Hot Summer's Prey

“Do you just… Did you make this necklace with it?” I ask.

He shakes his head, takes my hand, and pulls me to the back of the cave cautiously.

“No, though I can collect some magic for myself, I can’t use it the way I need. If this necklace works… maybe I can share with you why, but I collect the magic to give to the Lantern Witch. And in turn, she keeps my friends alive.”

“That’s kind of fucked up she doesn’t do that of her own volition.”

He lets out a chuckle. “I’ve often felt the same way. But to her, there is an order to life and death. That the circle of life needs its victims.”

He presses me into place, making sure I don’t move. Once again, I hear that plop as he sinks into the water hole.

“Your friends, though? Who wouldn’t do anything to keep their friends alive?”

I gasp as his skin seems to glow in the dark at the comment. And also at what I can see of his body as it transforms from human skin to whatever kind of skin a yacunayi has.

“I’m sorry, you glow, too?” I shriek.

“Oh, ah, only when… Only when I’m happy,” he mumbles.

“Nngh, that’s so cute,” I squeal. “I make you happy!”

Now that he’s glowing, I can see his smile in the light. And the teeth. Sharp, sharp teeth. I guess I’m starting to understand why his kind need to shapeshift when they’re out of the water, but I also can’t deny I’m a little turned on by the fear.

“Yes,” he agrees. “And you’ll make me happier if you test out that necklace for me.”

For some reason, the way he says that has me a little more turned on. Maybe it’s because I’m thinking about him giving me another kind of pearl necklace. Oh god, I need to stop making everything horny. He’s right. I turn everything sexual. I just can’t help it around him. I wonder if that’s a yacunayi thing or if it’s a me-thing.

Using him as a nightlight, I step to the edge and sit down, hanging my feet over the edge of the hole.

“It’s a little scary, slipping down into water that looks like an abyss,” I say, realizing that I can’t see anything except for him. There’s no telling how deep this goes—although it has to go somewhere if he said it will lead us out.

“Do you want me to hold you?” he asks, putting out his hands.

Don’t have to ask me twice. “Yes.”

His hands settle on my sides, and already I feel the strange texture of his skin. Like scales, but not. A little bumpy. I can’t help myself as I feel his arms, how different they are from the roughness of his hands. His arms feel more like scales, so I make sure to only stroke them in one direction. When I trace my fingers along his fins, he lets out a low hum that does things to my insides. He clears his throat suddenly.

“C’mon,” he nudges, tugging lightly at my waist.

I take a big breath and put my hands to the edge of the hole. “Here goes.”

With one push off, I’m in. I feel him lightly treading water underneath as my thighs brush against his. The texture of his skin is much more pleasant underwater. I want to run my hands all over him to feel what it’s like in every place. He’s all sorts of interesting textures. And still, my mouth hasn’t gotten to feel any of it. I want to run my lips across him too. My tongue. My—

“Teresa,” he says sternly. “I need to warn you… Yacunayi release a… A pheromone that lures you in.”

“Does it now?” I ask, pressing my lips to his chin, to his neck, along his ear—oh, there’s fins here too.

“But we have to get out of this cave. You can take advantage of it later, but I need you to be firm for me.”

“Mmm… but I want you firm for me,” I say back, sliding my hand down his chest.

Along the outer edges of his abdomen there are—fins? Gills? I need light to really make sense of him. He makes another irresistible noise as I touch them, whatever they are. His breath hitches. My hand sneaks lower so I can feel whatever that is he has at his crotch until he grabs my wrist tightly.

“Concentrate, Teresa. I’m sorry I can’t control it. I wish I could. There’s so many things I wish I could do for you, but this is not the time.”

I take slow, slow breaths and try to center myself. I’m being ridiculous. Pacari just does this to me—although now I see why. But his actions now make me like him more, knowing what he is and why he’s done all that he has. Instead of being mad at him, now I’m rooting for him. I want to help him keep his friends alive, though I haven’t met them yet. All I can hope for is he’ll trust me enough to introduce us. Huh. Speaking of friends…

“Why did you get a dog? Is it that helpful for seducing people?” I ask.

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