Page 37 of Hot Summer's Prey

“What? No. He’s one of my friends. A nudibranch.”

“A nude branch?”

“No, a… a sea slug.”

“No, that’s a dog. Unless you’re telling me sea slugs also have shapeshifter magic.”

“No, but the Lantern Witch—”

“Okay, you’re really going to have to explain about this Lantern Witch pretty soon because this is twice now and I really don’t want to imagine some giant octopus lady is in charge of all the magic, because that’s a little too close to fiction for me, thanks.”

“What? I mean, there are kraken ladies, though they hang out in the depths. Cirro is the only kraken who comes closer to the surface.”

“One of your friends?”

“Yes, but not the ones in the garden.”

“The garden.”

“Please, Teresa. The necklace. We can get to this later.”

I squint my eyes at him, then take a big breath and push off of him until I’m underwater. Very quickly, I decide I don’t like not being able to see, so I open my eyes. They sting a little, but it’s mostly because I’m not used to having them open underwater. It’s not as bad as chlorine. He’s kind of blurry, but I can make out Pacari’s eyes as they watch me. He taps his hand on my cheeks until I release the air there. Right. We’re trying to see if I can breathe, anyway.

So what do I do? Just take a breath? Oh boy. This is scary.

Figuring it’ll be easier to take a breath if I just breathe everything else out first, I expel everything. My nose gets tickled by the bubbles. When I’ve run out of breath, it’s hard to convince myself I can breathe in again.

I’m about to fucking drown myself.

I can tell Pacari sees the panic in my eyes. His expression shifts to one of worry, until his eyes shift downwards. I don’t know what he’s looking at, but in the next second we’re kissing.

Underwater.

I’m kissing a sea monster underwater. His teeth scrape along my lips, coaxing me to open wide. When I do, his tongue slides into my mouth and I’m filled with that impossible fullness again. Maybe his tongue is as long as whatever he had between his legs. It tickles my cheeks and tongue and lips. I suck in a breath as he slides his hand along my body, delighted by the feeling of slickness from the water. A moan escapes me, and then—I suck in another breath, a gasp.

I’m breathing.

I’m breathing.

I’m breathing underwater.

16

WHEN YOU MOVE, I MOVE

PACARI

Seeing Teresa underwater undoes me a little. Her features, already soft, look doubly so here. The light refracts in a way that emphasizes every one of her curves. With the darkness of the cave and the water, it gives me extra pleasure to know the only light she bathes in is mine.

Just as I want her to be mine.

“Your eyes,” she gasps.

Her voice sounds bubbly underwater. Humans aren’t made for this world, but it sounds so cute I don’t care. Teresa’s hands trace along my cheekbones as I try not to rush her along. My sifon pulses with unprecedented need for her—the taste of her in the water all-encompassing as her desire grows.

But this soft moment doesn’t last long.

There is something in the distance, a deep, low, ominous hum. I need to get her out from the water and on dry land. When she goes in for another kiss, she whines as I push her back.

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