Page 29 of Resisting my Forbidden Fae

“We have no more water. We have to find a way out of here.”

So many problems, and the coastline went on. Frustration simmered under the surface, one she tried not to let loose for fear of discouraging the others. It played with her temper and made it difficult to even differentiate the shadows behind her. The voices blurred, but some words still filtered in.

“You are insufferable.”

“I wasn’t talking to you. Have they been treating you well, Sona?”

“They have. Why are you so concerned for my safety?”

“Because you are their highest bid.”

“It’s not like that!”

She was certain they were arguing about Sona, but the woman didn’t even seem inclined to interrupt when Riva and Diego continued bickering like they had nothing better to do. Perhaps that was the case, and it was best to let them have at it, the hurled words much better than any physical altercation.

“You are the most annoying creature on the planet.”

“Hah! That coming from a pale worm who burns under the sun so easily?”

“I don’t burn.” Haughtiness coated the tone. “It just feels irritating. At least we don’t let the moon dictate our horniness.”

“At least we don’t go sex-craved over the scent of blood.”

Growls and hissing followed, then Oscar’s exasperated sigh. The rest of the argument was whispered and a migraine started to form. The sea became a constant roar in her head, conspiring with the sun until her body felt hot, irritable, and…

Hot.

It registered that not all of her body was hot, just specific parts. She gasped as her hand went to her pocket, then stilled when another hand covered hers over the pocket—Charlie making sure that Diego didn’t see. She might have short-circuited just a little bit, this morning’s events still too fresh in her mind, but she did her best to focus on the key and the message it was trying to say.

“Close,” she said.

It pulsed in her hand, coming to life. It drummed a marching beat the more she walked and galloped when she ventured closer to the shoreline. Daria dipped her toes in the water, then was trudging towards it with more courage and letting the waves roll over her waist. It tried to punch her back but couldn’t, her resolve firmer.

“Daria!”

Charlie’s voice was the anchor keeping her from sinking, and she latched on to that, too. When she felt a shuddering warmth encompass her, she stopped in her tracks.

“Come join me! All of you, link hands!”

Footsteps pounded and Charlie’s hands were there, catching her waist. She drew in a breath at the competence of his fingers, then waited it out as she felt everyone huddle behind her. Riva was the last to call out, voice faint against the roaring water.

“Ready!”

Daria took a deep breath.

Then she plunged the key into the water and felt her world tumble.

Chapter 7

They landed on their feet, still linked together and gawking at the new scenario they were facing.

“What, no crash this time? That was smooth.”

Oscar’s words were unanswered, as he was the only person who wasn’t automatically searching his surroundings for any suspicious activity. Charlie turned to Daria, who was taking deep, focused breaths. He let her do so, shielding her from the others with his body to give her privacy.

He did a scan, too, and found the jungle larger than he had initially assumed. It stretched out in all directions, his line of sight interrupted by lush trees, vibrant blooms, and fruits stacked on top of one another and popping with the brightest colors there were. Whereas it would have been picture-perfect, the rain provided a break that toned down the beauty they were seeing. He noticed Sona’s eyes narrowing and waited for her to meet his gaze.

“Everything’s too lush,” she observed. “It’s like—”

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