Page 46 of A Reckless Indulgence

She can’t think like this. The questions Cav asks are…confusing. Unnecessary. She can’t explain them away in this moment, but she knows he’s wrong. He can’t be right. Her mouth is dry. “I need another drink.”

Cav pushes off of the table. “I can –”

“Play your turn.” She steps back toward the bar, keeping her eyes on Cav until he returns to the dartboard. Only then does she veer away, slipping past the other patrons toward the entrance.

Foliage slaps her arms as she pushes toward the beach. She doesn’t follow the path, bursting through the greenery to a spot where she can’t see anyone. With one hand, she braces against a tree trunk and tries to steady her breathing.

What’s happening to her? Her scales lift on end. Her mind is dizzy. There’s no reason she should feel like this. It was a simple conversation, yet Cav’s words thrum through her.

The thing you chase through everything else.

A hand clamps around her wrist. “Why the fuck are you off the Indulgence?” Tidus hisses.

She tries to pull away, but it grinds the bones in her arm together. Instinctively, she searches over his shoulder for — what? Someone to save her? That’s foolish. The plants obscure everything, and Tidus makes sure of that when he pulls her deeper into the flora.

It grows darker around them, leaves dragging over her skin like a tide moving past her. She fights down the anxious fluttering in her stomach. “I’m working on your errand,” she whispers. “Remember? The one you insisted on.”

Tidus doesn’t stop tugging until her skin is raw, until they’re far away from anyone else. “Certainly looked like you’re working on something.” Despite his anger, his voice turns saccharine with mockery. “Cozying up to your little hero?” When Lyx shifts away, he ropes an arm around her waist to force her close, his breath hot and stale with ale. “Are you forgetting what you’re here for?”

“You sent me here,” she snaps. “You told me to do whatever I had to —”

She cuts off in a gasp when he bends her wrist backward. Her knees threaten to buckle, mind pinging with pain as she breathes through her nose. Use your fucking head. There is no reasoning with Tidus. She knows that; she’s always known that. He enjoys tormenting her. No matter what she does, she’ll be wrong until he’s satisfied, and he won’t be satisfied until he has what he wants.

She clamps her hand around her wrist to steady it. “I’m trying…” The shell in Tidus’s chest flickers with distress. Focus, she reminds herself. Focus on that. “I’m trying to get what you want. But it’s not like they’ll just tell me; they don’t trust me.”

Tidus’s grip scrapes against her. “And whose fault is that?”

She can’t move. Can’t escape. Chaos funnels into her throat, thick as smoke clogging her lungs. When he leans closer, her arm trembles from the effort to keep it in place. “They’ve seen your ship!”

She’s not sure where the lie comes from, but it’s desperate enough to be believed. Tidus doesn’t loosen his hold, but he does pause.

“They think someone’s following the Indulgence,” she pants. The story weaves together in a flurry. “You need to keep your distance. Avoid the next few islands. Stay out of sight.”

He tightens his fingers. “You do not tell me what happens here.” But his gaze darts toward the far end of the island where his flag waves at the top of the mast. Finally, he shoves her away. “Fine. Get back to your boytoy.” He grabs her chin and jerks her eyes to his. “You have a week. You’d better bring me something, or our next conversation won’t be so pleasant.”

He thrusts her away and stalks off between the trees. The twinge in her throat grows with every step he takes, but it pales in comparison to the sharp pain of her wrist. She winces as she inspects it, tugging down her sleeve to cover the angry mark.

As always, Tidus has fed her well. Her skin is glowing, but her body is bloated and gorged to the point of sickness. She starts to move, but the nausea forces her to brace one hand on her knees while she heaves.

Once she’s through, she wipes her mouth with the back of her sleeve and ignores the sour stench. As much as she despises Tidus, this is a wake-up call. She’s been distracted. She’s taking time she doesn’t have to fall into silly caprices with Cav. That is not what she’s here for.

By the end of the week, she will have something for Tidus. She’ll have something to get her closer to her song.

Gritting her teeth, she makes her way back along the trail. Cav is exactly where she left him, balancing the tip of a dart on his finger. When he sees her, his face brightens. “Don’t tell me you were trying to hide from losing. I got you another —”

“Forget it.” She snatches up her darts and jerks her chin toward the board. “Is that where you landed?”

If it is, he’s made it completely around the circle. He’s won.

Something leaden settles in her stomach. She hadn’t realized how close to the end they were, but Cav slides toward her. “Technically, I finished, but let’s keep it interesting.” The sweet scent of his breath wafts around her. “If you can catch me on this turn, the win is yours.”

Lyx keeps her eyes ahead and digs her heels into the dirt. It’s the only chance she has. She lines up her shot, exhaling slowly when she throws. The dart lands exactly where it needs it to. Impressed, Cav lifts a brow, but Lyx doesn’t look toward him. She turns the second dart over in her hand before she sends it flying.

It lands perfectly.

Cav’s posture straightens. “Damn.”

The final dart is heavy between her fingers. Its red feathers tease her cheek as she lifts it toward her face. One shot, and she’ll get what she’s after. She’ll have answers. She’ll have what she needs.