Page 56 of Emylia

Maalikai shot me a look that rendered me silent. “We should probably head back anyway; it’s going to get dark pretty damn quickly.”

“Mmm hmm.” I smirked at him and tried my own eyebrow raise athisexpense.

“It’s not because I’m afraid of the air jellies,” he rebuked, with an indignant glare.

“Sure, it’s not.” I nudged him with my elbow.

A spasm rolled through him, his body vibrating as it buckled with a fierce shock. His body hit the forest floor, writhing in pain. As abruptly as the attack started, it stopped, instantly returning to normal.

What. The. Heck?

In an instant, I was at his side. “Are you okay?”

Cerulean eyes pierced mine, as he scooted backwards, as though he was afraid of me. He shook his head as if to clear it.

“That fucking hurt.” He shook out his arms like he was trying to get feeling to return to his limbs.

“What was that?” I demanded, my body instantly ice cold.

“Isn’t it obvious? You electrocuted me.”

My eyes grew wide with horror. He couldn’t be serious. All I’d done was touch him. “I…I didn’t.”

His eyes passed over my entire body, examining me with a caress that left a shadow of his touch. “Not you. The jelly.”

I looked at my hand where the jellyfish was still wrapped around my fingers. Gently, I disentangled it, letting it float into the air. I offered him a hand.

“Are you ready to test your theory?” A wicked smile tipped my lips.

He winced but took my outstretched hand without objection.

Son of a bitch.

He was right. No electrocution.

Maalikai stood to his full height, towering over me. “You’re immune to their electric sting.”

“How?”

His eyes met mine, shaking his head. “Honestly, I don’t know. I never even knew they existed. But I imagine it has something to do with the sparks we saw on your skin when you touched the tree.”

An odd hum spread through me, pleasant warmth caressing my skin. There was something about me that wasactuallyspecial.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here before all the jellies start to attack,” I quipped.

A ghost of a smile sent my heart racing as he matched my pace. “I’m not afraid of the jellyfish.”

“Stay behind me; I’ll protect you.” I turned away from him, fully intending to walk through the jellies for him.

Before I made it more than a few steps, his chest pressed against my back, his arms wrapping tightly around my stomach. It wasn’t careful—it was instinctual, fierce, almost possessive.

He leaned in, his voice low and rough near my ear. “You’re insufferable.”

There was a pause.

A subtle shift in the air.

My breath caught, and for a second, I didn’t move. His presence was overwhelming—warm, steady.

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