Page 138 of Between Despair and Hope

“I won’t.” Confident in his words, he pressed a kiss to the crown of my head. “The tattoo was brilliant. Really. I’ve only had to look once, and it instantly helped. How did you think of it?”

“I always caught you looking at my collarbone like you wished I was naked, but not in a fun way.”

He laughed. “You naked is always fun.”

“Dewalt told me about his tattoos, and I didn’t think it was a bad idea.”

“How bad did it hurt? I’ve always been too chicken to get one.”

I blinked at him. “You? Chicken? I just assumed you didn’t want one.”

“No. I was scared to get one. Dewalt always whines so much, but you haven’t been nearly as dramatic.”

“The worst part was right after she finished the incantation, and I had to do that part twice.” I pouted and explained what I meant.

“It has to be strange to repress your healing like that.” He swiped his thumb over my lower lip as I nodded. “Has anyone else seen it yet?”

“No. Only you.”

“Good. I think I need a better look,” he said as he grabbed me around the waist, lifting me as he sank into the water. I wrapped my legs around him with a yelp, and he supported me with both hands cupping beneath me. Holding me close, he peered down at the ink on my shoulder.

“Lilacs, lavender, violets—what’s that one?”

“Delphinium.”

“Delphinium,” he repeated. “Is that in our garden?”

“I think so. It wouldn’t have bloomed yet, but I suspected. They were on that first dress you bought me though. The ruined one.”

“Keeva,” he growled before shaking his head. “You left the freckles.”

“I did, just in case. I wanted you to be able to see them.”

He pressed a soft kiss to my skin, a satisfied sound rumbling in his chest.

“Oh, look,” he said as he turned me to the side so I could see out to the lake, a tiny sliver of water and stars. I could just make out the glowing trail of moonfish swimming outward.

“I hope we don’t get them eaten. They don’t blend in, do they?”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my cheek as I stared out. “Gods, I love how your mind works. I think: beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime sight. You though, you think they’re going to be eaten, and it’s going to be our fault.”

“Well, it feels sacrilegious. We shooed them out of their god-touched pool.”

“I think shooing the fish out is the least sacrilegious thing happening here. I just made you cry out to the gods while you rode my face.”

I buried my head in his chest as his rumbling laughter rolled over my body, making my heart take notice and relax by a fraction. I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to be confident that he wasn’t going anywhere—that he wasn’t going to shut me out at any moment.

“If anything, I’m probably more god-touched than this cavern.”

“Ah, then the pool belongs to you.” I could hear his smile.

“Yes, I was just kind enough to share it. The fish knew we needed privacy.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” he said as he squeezed my bottom. “Well, we wouldn’t want to waste their consideration, would we?”

“It would be rude to waste it.” Lifting my head from his chest, I pressed my lips to his jaw, slow and open-mouthed, before asking, “Have you started taking the tonic again? We were fine last time, but with everything going on, I—not that I’m ruling it out, but—“

“I started taking it again when we came back to Astana. With the bond, I figured we’d—“

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