Page 85 of Desired for Her Blood
“Don’t be an asshole,” Ryker says. “That boulder is fucking huge. Several tons huge. It would have crushed him. Even if he hadn’t died, he could’ve been stuck under it. You try to move that thing, asshole.”
Zuben turns toward the boulder. “You do have a point, pirate. It would have taken a great effort for you and I to move that boulder from Axel’s body had it trapped him beneath it.”
My heart rate finally starts to slow down and the full weight of what just happens sinks in. Somehow, I shifted the trajectory of a massive boulder—midair.
“This certainly confirms that you have the power to wield magic,” Zuben says, “if you had any remaining doubts.”
Axe’s hands tighten on my arm, and tentatively, I look up into his eyes. My body floods with relief, because the main thing I see in his expression is gratitude, not fear—or worse hate—given how he feels about magic.
“If you can move boulders,” Zuben says. “Perhaps we should reconsider clearing the cave’s entrance.”
“I’m all for that,” Axe says.
“No fucking way.” Ryker shakes his head. “Even if wecouldget out of this cave, which could take months if not years, we’d still be in a bloody dungeon.”
Zuben nods. “The pirate, once again, makes a good point. I propose we now do the most important experiment of all.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Testing how far you can swim underwater.”
I pull off my t-shirt as I walk toward the pool. This should have been the first thing we tested. I’m still wiggling out of my jeans, when Axe and Ryker dash past me and into the water, Axe with a long dive, and Ryker with more of a cannonball entry.
I turn back to Zuben and smile. “You coming in for a swim too?”
He shakes his head and tugs his button-less shirt around him. “Someone has to keep track of how long you stay under.”
I shrug. I can’t really see why that can’t be measured from in the water, but he’s still clearly feeling detached from the rest of us, and I don’t want to push.
Axe and Ryker surface on the far side of the pool, well away from the thin stream of sunlight, and I dive into the water to join them.
The cold water excites my skin, but doesn’t give me the same icy shock as it did before. Opening my eyes underwater, I can see better than before too, and I’m able to make out the shapes of Ryker’s and Axe’s legs paddling in the distance.
Surfacing, I smile as we all swim toward each other.
“How do you do it?” I call out to them across the pool.
“Do what?” Axe responds.
“Breathe under water.”
With a hard stroke, Ryker is circling around me. “It’s not breathing underwater,” he says. “Not exactly. Definitely don’t try to inhale.” He shakes his head. “I don’t really think about it.”
Axe swims up beside me and nods. “I learned by instinct. No one even told me vampires could stay so long underwater. I discovered it.”
“It must have been so hard learning the ropes all on your own.” I stroke forward and kiss him.
Wrapping his arms around me, Axe deepens our kiss, and my entire body sings with delight.
“Hey,” Ryker tugs on my shoulder pulling me back from Axe. “Are we testing this swimming thing, or making out.” He grins. “Because I’m good with either option. Just saying.”
His hand slips between my legs and I exhale hard in response.
“Swimming test first.” Axe glides a few feet away from us. “But for the record. I’m good with either choice too.” He grins and the boyish look softens all his rugged edges.
“So, should I just try?” I look between the two men. “Just stay under as long as I can?”
“See how many times you can swim the length of the pool and back without coming up for air,” Zuben calls out from shore. “I will time you.”
