Page 45 of Sustaining
Three dragon shifters narrow their eyes on the arrogant demon who only smiles mischievously back at them.
“Blood. That seems…dark. Can’t I just have a drop of…something else?” My lip curls, but it only makes Sin smirk a little more.
“Well, the only other drop of something you can have from me seems just slightly inappropriate, but I’m not going to tell you no.”
“Blood it is.” I nod to him, and despite getting all our supplies sorted out, I’m still incredibly nervous.
“What about the pain part?” Chaos asks.
“A part of pain that I caused,” I whisper the words out, but they hold more weight than they did before. Because I understand them now.
I open my palm, and there lies a small glass vial. A single drop of liquid is the only thing inside. I haven’t stopped holding and thinking about it since we sailed away from the shore.
“It’s my mother’s teardrop.” The pressing guilt in my chest makes my words hard to say, but at least I’m one hundred percent certain about this one. This is most definitely the pain I caused.
Kain pushes off from the spot he was leaning against, and his body surrounds mine in an instant. Big palms push down my arms so slowly he’s all I feel. The cold wind no longer exists, it seems. All that matters is the feel of his hands on my body. Slowly, his fingers wrap around that little vial, and he takes it from me and slips it away into his pocket without asking.
It’s strange how much easier it is to manage the emotions building inside my chest when he takes that little symbol of guilt and carries it for me.
It’s odd, but it does help.
“I think this is about where she should be.” Sinister halts the ship, and I suddenly realize we’re staring out at the little island once again.
The appearance of the trees and sand are no longer dark and ominous. Blooming colors splay all across the tropical land. It’s beautiful really. I can see why that mage picked here to live.
“So, I’ll just go down, steal a fist full of mermaid hair, and we can get the fuck out of here.” Chaos nods, but he and I both know that’s not the plan.
“I have to do it.”
“No, no you don’t. You’re not going down there to be fish food, Tamer.” Rime doesn’t hold the gentle subtleness that Chaos does. He’s all hard edges and sharp tones, and it really does nothing whatsoever to make me want to side with him.
“All of these things are things that I have done, therefore, I think I will have to be the one to collect them.”
Rime’s cold gaze holds on me, and I can tell there’s a million and one things he’d love to say to me right now if he didn’t have his jaw tightly locked shut. On slow, predatory steps, he comes toward me. His long fingers brush against my neck until he’s cradling my head with the gentlest touch. His thumb skims across my lower lip, and I want to lean into him so badly, but the stubborn part of me won’t allow it. So I keep my distance and tilt my head up to the beautiful ice dragon. The way he watches his thumb against my lips makes me wonder if he’s mentally cursing my fucking mouth right now.
“You’re infuriating when you’re determined, my Tamer.” His quiet words hum against my lips, but he never leans forward to close the space between us, he lets it build there until I physically need to feel his mouth on mine. “If you don’t resurface in two minutes, I’m coming down after you. You’ll have more than just reefs to worry about if I come into that ocean in search of you.” Just the faintest feel of his lips against mine feathers across my mouth, but he pulls back before I can even lean into him.
Kain’s hand brushes over mine, his bright eyes held on me as he stares at me as if he’s forcing his own strength and determination into me with a single look. When I step closer to the edge, Chaos takes my hand, keeping my balance as I lift one leg over. Sinister’s at my side in an instant, and when he takes my other hand, I feel his powerful magic tingling between our fingertips, poised and ready. Carefully, I slide my other leg over the edge. For just a moment I sit there, staring down at the calm waters. Secretly, I know none of them will actually allow me to dive into the water alone. The moment I’m under, all four of them will be jumping in after me. It’s sweet that they pretend to listen to me, though.
I have a little time until any water women know I’m there. I can use my magic if things go bad. And, if all else fails, Rime will drop down there like a fucking vengeful stone ready to obliterate the beautiful sea just to find me.
That’s…reassuring.
The gentle water now sounds loud and crashing because it’s all that I’m focused on and all I can hear.
A long, unsteady breath shakes through my lungs, and I mentally try to calm the frantic nerves within myself. I’ll just count it out. On the count of three. I can do this.
One. Heavy exhale.
Two. Painfully deep inhale.
My feet press flatly to the wooden ship, every muscle in my body tense for the leap.
And then water rains down on me, slashing so hard its painful against my skin. A woman coils herself higher and higher, her black, scaly tail winding to raise her poised body up to meet mine. Piercing eyes narrow on me, and a sharp jawline hides the sharper teeth that I know she’s clenching tightly together.
“How dare you.” The tone of her words is a strangely beautiful sound of aggression. Her slender hand lifts toward me, fingers tensing as if she might strangle me even with the several feet separating her from me. “You murder my mother and you have the mortal stupidity to come back to our cove?”
Chaos’ and Sinister’s hold on my hands become a bit tighter, and I note how much closer both of them are now, leaning their chests against my arms.
