His wet footprints across the cave floor unsettle me as I wait in the warm water.
Once he’s gone, I retrieve some soap and take a long breath. He didn’t seem mad.
Tomorrow, I’ll kiss him. It will drive him wild and make up for… whatever this was.
All is not lost.
Chapter 6
MELISA
This godsdamned city is enormous, and I keep getting lost. Between hundreds of unoccupied homes, bobbing lights, and dozens of smells, each different from the last, I can’t find the house they gave me.
I lean against one of the doors and let out a long breath. I slept like shit, tossing and turning, dreaming of Ra'Sa drowning. After waking up the third time, drenched in sweat and convinced that Ra’Sa had died before I had enough time to inspire a passionate obsession deeper than the oceans, I decided to abandon sleep.
It's not early, not really, but most of the others are still exhausted and are nestled safely in their beds.
Walking down the streets that separate the groups of houses, I notice the tools and weapons hanging on the outside of the occupied homes. Hammers hang above collections of crystals and other contraptions I neither recognize nor know how to use. Wheels, pumps, and long, wickedly sharp blades. It's all curious. All strange.
A part of me hopes to see Ra’Sa. On the trek, I noticed he was also an early riser. I slow my pace when a few Enduares leavetheir homes. Some reach for their hammers, but all nod to me as they pass. The sheer muscle mass and height stretch above me, proud and strong with every step.
Some say simple greetings in the human tongue, and I answer with common language words. It's strange to see them all acting this way, as if it were normal for me to wander through their city.
I’ve even seen a few women. They match Enduar strength and raw allure, with skin the color of rippling ocean waves, but they don’t approach.
One man shuts the door firmly behind him, and I'm disappointed yet again to see that it isn't Ra'Sa.
He's not one of the Enduares we traveled with. He's beautiful, as they all are—stronger than any human—but he’s not mighty like a certain stone bender.
I cast him a slow smile.He tosses me an easy greeting.
Instead of walking past, he pauses.
"You're one of the new humans, no?"
I nod. "I am. They call me Melisa."
"Melisa. Charmed. They call me Faol." He dips his head, and a scar comes into view I hadn't noticed earlier. It's a brutal marking slashed across his face. When he pulls his head back up, curiosity sparkles in his features.
Spell lights cause his straight, thick strands of hair to shine, and his lips easily pull from frown to smile. It’s a pleasant thing to behold. He inspects me as I inspect him, and for a second, I consider stepping closer—just to test the waters, however briefly.
But instead, his eyebrows furrow, and he steps away.
A strange sting pricks my chest before a hand rests on my shoulder.
"Faol. Can I help you?" Ra'Sa's voice feels like a feather-light touch sliding up my spine.
My heart jolts.
Is he softening to me?
I look up to meet Ra’Sa’s eyes and smile sweetly. He smirks, and my heart sputters. The sharp angles of his soul chip away another bit of my armor, and for a glimmer of a second, I think about how I wanted to kiss him today.
Better yet, I want to ravish those sweet lips. Kissing certainly should be on the list of ways I make him fall in love with me.
The Enduar next to us, Faol, clears his throat. “Lord Ra'Salore. My apologies. She looked lost. I didn't realize?—”
"All is forgiven. You should run along and see if Lord Lothar is feeling better. He was distressed after the meeting last night," Ra'Sa says gently.