"Damn them both," I say as I climb out of my comfortable bed and aggressively put my robe on.
I make my way to my balcony and sigh. I guess I'm doing this.
Using my magic, I fly towards the lake just over the rise of trees to the north. It's part of our property, so it doesn't take too long, and I land at the edge of a large body of water, the Dragon's Breath shimmering off the glassy surface, making it look like a different kind of portal.
It's surrounded by trees and in the stillness of the evening it feels like the middle of nowhere.
Derek's clothes are folded neatly into a pile on a rock, and he is swimming laps in the water. When he turns to swim towards the shore, he sees me and stops. "Eve, what are you doing here?"
"Liam told me you were out here," I say. "I… I'm not sure why I came. I just don't like fighting with you."
"I don't like it either. Join me for a swim?"
I hesitate, but it's been so long since I've swam, and the night is perfect, and why the hell not? I let my robe fall to the ground and step into the lake, Derek's gaze unwavering from my body.
The water is cold and refreshing, and I don't cheat and use my fire magic to warm it. Instead, I let my body adjust to the temperature until I am submerged. Then I dunk under and swim towards Derek, popping up just in front of him.
"I'm sorry I lost my temper," he says softly, his wet dark hair gleaming under the Dragon's Breath. "I'm still conflicted about how I feel. Protecting you and our family is my top priority, so it's difficult making decisions that go against that."
"I know," I say. "But we have to expand who we think of as worthy of our protection," I say. "Especially when it comes to children. Those kids need us."
He raises his hand to caress my face, moving closer to me in the process.
My breasts graze his chest under water, and my body responds instantly.
"You're the kindest soul I know," he says, and then his lips are on mine and all I can think about is him. Us. Our watery world where nothing else exists.
He was the first to offer me the job that changed my life.
He defended me when his brothers didn't want me in this world.
He brought me back to life.
And as his arm slips around my waist and I wrap my legs around his, I feel us both coming to life once again.
He tastes of the sea, or sunshine and rain and sunsets on the beach. His lean, muscular body easily supports us both and I feel how urgently he wants me as he presses against my spread legs.
His hands slip down to my ass, his fingers digging into my flesh as he tightens his hold on me, and our magic blends, water splashing against water, as playful as dolphins at sea.
Our kisses deepen, his teeth tugging at my lower lip, then diving down, exploring my throat as I lean back.
I use our joined magic to push us up to the surface of the water, making a kind of waterbed for us that we spread out on, my body pinned beneath his.
Enjoying the access this position gives him to the rest of me, he teases and tastes every part of me, using his magic in thrilling new ways to take me to the edge.
We are cushioned by the element we both love, supported in this lake like a dream come to life, and when pleasure crashes into me in waves of nirvana, he does as well, filling me and driving me to new heights.
As he reaches his own climax, I join him again, and the bed beneath us pulls us under, letting us sink to the bottom of the lake, locked in our embrace. I use air magic to create a buffer around us and light magic to illuminate the underwater world we find ourselves in, as exotic fish swim past us and coral colored plant life sways in the currents.
He holds me tightly and I tuck myself into his arms, enjoying this unusual and magical moment for as long as I can.
Later, when our energy returns, we make our way to shore and dress.
Then we walk back to the castle together, hand in hand, enjoying the quiet moments of the evening, and when we reach my room, he hesitates, but I hold open the door. "Stay?"
He does.
That night I don't dream, but I do feel a deep warmth and safety as I drift on the clouds of my subconscious, and when I wake in the morning, Derek is still there, still holding me, his presence eternal and his love unshakable. He pulls me closer against him, his body wrapped around mine, my back pressed against his chest, and I feel his arousal as he drops kisses onto my neck.
I moan and press into him. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not too long."
I don't believe him, but it doesn't matter. I'm glad he stayed.
I press my ass against him, and he growls under his breath. "Don't you have to go to see Ifi and Elal soon?" he asks, his voice heavy with longing.
"Yes. So, we can't do a three hour marathon, but surely we have time for something?"
In a flash, Derek flips me over and pins me to the bed, pressing the weight of his body between my legs. "I can definitely give you something," he says as he trails kisses down my neck and to my breasts, stopping to give each their share of attention before moving further south. His fingers dig into my hips as he uses his tongue to push me to the edge of the cliff.
And then I'm falling. Pleasure crashes through me as he continues his attentions with his fingers, while positioning himself to plunge into me.
I bite his shoulder to keep from screaming in ecstasy as he fills me, while he uses his hands to tease and torture other parts of me.
Once he climaxes, I'm ready again, and together we drown in each other's arms.
The Weapon
I am so small I can barely be seen.
How can this great love be inside me?
Look at your eyes. They are small,
But they see enormous things.
~Rumi, The Turn
After that wake-up with Derek, I'm ready to have a productive day. I try not to let the weight of the world—literally—derail me from finding joy in the moment-to-moment blessings. So while I will do everything in my power to stop the destruction of the Otherworld—obviously—I also can't ignore the love and beauty I have around me every day. If anything, knowing how easily something can be torn from us, seeing the immortal greatness of dragons die, it has reminded me to stay present and be grateful for every moment I have with the ones I love.
I find Sebastian in the library, sitting by the fire and reading an old leather-bound book to Ana—who looks like a whole new child now that she's been bathed and dressed in clean clothes which fit her properly. Her golden hair shimmers against the fire light. Her cream skin is nearly translucent. And her eyes, a silvery blue, seem to shine when she looks at Sebastian.
He doesn't notice me yet and continues to read from the book, which is red with a silver title that reads, "All the Fairies Dared to Do."
"Platious never felt that she was brave or strong or right or good, and her name spoken aloud made her want to cover her ears," Sebastian says, pointing to a picture on the page. "Her wings sagged, and her hair never stayed where it was meant to, and her skin did not sparkle like the other fairies of the garden. So she felt herself plain. She did not yet know that within her held the seed of truth, and once planted, it would give her wisdom beyond measure."
Ana sees me and smiles, leaving Sebastian and running over to me for a hug.