Page 67 of A Reckless Indulgence

Weakly, she clears her throat. “That was a mistake.”

“It was honest. And I want to show you something.” He turns and makes his way into the crowd, the opposite direction from where Lyx came. Lyx can’t help but follow, but he doesn’t slow for her to catch up, instead slipping lithely through the mob of people.

Her brows knit. She catches glimpses of his bobbing horns before they disappear, and a familiar tingling spreads through her limbs. Old instinct rushes back. Her breathing slows, senses sharpening until her attention fixates on the back of Cav’s head. His auburn hair is secured behind him like a beacon calling to her.

No longer does the mass of bodies move Lyx; she moves with them, weaving as fluidly as water. She’s hunting Cav. It’s like it used to be, the thrill of the chase building in her chest. Her fingers flex, body primed and ready to track him down.

Ahead, Cav scans the crowd for her.

Lyx freezes. One of her eyes peeks out from behind a man’s hat, her gaze sharp and unblinking. She circles toward Cav, slow and smooth, until she’s almost close enough to touch him. If she reaches out, she could —

His eyes finally land on hers. She can only imagine what he sees: her pupils blown, fins twitching, face half obscured by someone else.

Whatever it is, he smiles.

Then he’s off again. His movements are faster now, and she picks up speed, scanning every blur of red for a sign of him. She loses him for an entire minute, searching frantically until his earrings glint in the corner of her vision.

Her mouth waters. He’s running from her.

Heat brands in her stomach. She darts through the crowd, eyes only for him. The wooden slats of the dock give way to sand beneath her feet. When the mass of people thins, there’s no sign of Cav. She’s lost him. Swiveling, she scans the foliage until she catches the end of a red tail disappearing down the hill.

Her heart kicks up again. She follows him down, pushing plants aside and letting the leaves snap back into place. The sounds and smells of the dock fade in the distance, replaced by crashing waves and sea air. At the bottom of the hill is an oasis. Palm trees sway overhead, shading the natural pool carved into the smooth rocks. Beside it, the tide comes in, almost close enough to touch. Vibrant flowers sprout from the bushes, keeping the clearing hidden from the bustle of the pier.

Cav appears beside her. “Glad to see your prey drive is still intact.”

His presence is heady. All her synapses fire, still high from chasing him. She wants to finish it, to reach out and drag him down with her, but she stops herself. She pretends she can think of anything else. “So you admit I could destroy you.”

She swears the ground quakes when he looks at her. “I don’t think that was ever in doubt.”

Her skin glows brighter. She doesn’t understand it. She should be missing the tumult of the dock, yet she has no desire to go back. How can being alone with Cav make her feel more alive than the clamor of a hundred people?

She tears her gaze away from him and back to the pool. It’s twice her size and wide enough that she couldn’t reach both sides. “What is this? Your next experiment?”

Cav kneels to trail his hand through the pool. “No. This is for you.” He rises to his feet and flicks water from his fingertips. “I know you’ve been avoiding the ocean.” She opens her mouth to argue, but he doesn’t give her a chance. “You don’t have to tell me why. But I thought this might be a way to dip your toes back in, if you’re not ready for the sea itself.”

Her skin prickles. This saltwater must have flooded in during high tide. Now that she looks closer, she can see the trenches dug through the rocks. Water is like that, wearing down solid stone to get back to the sea. It’s like the ocean knows every drop of water, missing them whenever they’re gone, and always calling them home.

Her toes curl in the sand. She’s spent so long imagining this that it became impossible, something that happened only in the safety of her mind. There, she could prepare for anything, torturing herself with the thoughts again and again. What if the ocean refuses to accept her? What if her body transforms into something unfamiliar? Or what if nothing happens at all? What if the sea doesn’t even recognize her anymore?

Shit. What if she’s forgotten how to swim?

That was how she paid her penance, running through those thoughts and making empty promises. I’ll get my song, and then I’ll return to the ocean. But she never got her song. And she never returned.

Leaves rustle behind her. When she turns, Cav is moving back up the pathway. “You’re leaving?” she asks, more desperate than she means to.

He pauses. “I thought you’d want me to.”

Her heart trips. She does want him to leave; she needs him to, because she knows what happens if he doesn’t. It’s one thing when it’s just talk, but it’s quite another to bear witness to exactly what she is.

“It’s for your benefit.” She rolls her shoulders back to steady herself. “You’d lose your appetite once you see what mine can do.”

Cav scoffs. “Like you could scare me off.”

She shakes her head, staring down through the clear water. “You act like you can handle anything. Like nothing in the world can make you flinch.”

“Nothing about you can.” He doesn’t take his time coming back down the hill; he slides through the sand, letting the momentum carry him. When he slows in front of her, his cheeks are flushed. “I asked for what’s real,” he murmurs. “I asked for you. I’m still asking.”

Her entire body heats. Foolish. He’s always been foolish, and this will be the time he finally learns. She turns away and works her dress up to her waist. This is what she needs. This will cut the ties between them, and he will finally abandon whatever threads of fate he believes are tying them together.