“Ouch, Vanders!” The vaxin’s incisors were sharp, but they didn’t puncture her thumb. Amma’s palms had dipped down, flooding Vanders’ sanctuary as she’d forgotten she had a hold of him at all.
The blood mage straightened, armorless, bootless, and poised to be breeches-less. “Amma, is some reciprocation not in order?”
She spun with a splash, face heating and not from the spring. “You should have told me I was being a lech,” she whispered to Vanders as she went to the side of the pool where there was a rocky ledge.
He squeaked back as she set him down on a flat space beside a divot filled with water. The vaxin dipped a paw into the shallow puddle there and then slid into it, flopping over onto his back and sprawling out.
Lightly splashing water behind Amma told her Damien was getting in—and that he was completely, deliciously, heartachingly naked—but she was too appalled at herself to turn back around. Instead, she watched Vanders float on his back for as long as she thought seemed believable and then an extra moment longer before finally shifting away from the ledge.
Damien had waded in to his navel at the far end of the spring, and Amma grimaced. He needed to pick one—don’t show her how naked he was or actually get up close and really show her. Annoyed, she undid the knot in her hair and ducked under the water to scrub at her scalp. Breath held, she remained submerged, eyes closed and weightless, heat pressing in on her, and just as her lungs began to ache, she broke the surface.
Still looming partly out of the water, Damien had come closer but was much too far off to touch—not that she should be thinking of doing any touching. Amma rubbed at her arms though the dirt had all gone, checking that the layer of steam mostly concealed her. She didn’t know if she were being silly,maybe he didn’t even care about her breasts anymore after his mouth had been all over them, but the thought of his tongue tracing her nipples made them tighten, and she remained firmly beneath the surface.
“Does it remind you of home?”
Amma glanced about at the stones glazed with melted snow and the swirling mists. It was cozy and comforting in the little alcove they’d found along the otherwise dreary and draining mountain, but she knew Damien meant Faebarrow specifically. “We don’t have springs like this, not that I know of.”
He lifted a hand, water pouring off it. “I suppose I meant the bathing chambers. I remember sitting in a very large, very hot tub in Faebarrow.” He snorted. “And feeling very sorry for myself.”
At that, Amma chuckled. “Right, when you were Tia’s prisoner. Don’t you have bathtubs in Aszath Koth?”
“Of course, I just rarely thought to make them warm.”
“A lifetime of cold baths sure explains a lot about you.” When he smirked, she relaxed a bit and began dragging fingers through her hair to detangle it. “You live in that huge, temple-looking building in the center of the city, don’t you? The one that’s taller than everything else?”
He nodded. “That would be Bloodthorne Keep. It may look a little like a temple, but it’s not so different from your own. It has an ostentatious entry hall and imposing throne room, bed chambers, torture chambers, bathing chambers—”
“Torture chambers?”
“Faebarrow’s got a prison, I know that for certain, as does your friend Nicholas.”
“Okay, but we don’t torture people there.”
“You’re sure?” Damien’s brows lifted, but before she could retort, her mind told her she truly didn’t know, and she snapped her mouth back shut. Too pleased, he went on, “We dohavehotwater, though I will say, Bloodthorne Keep is not nearly as bright as Faebarrow. The city itself is shrouded, so we get very little sun which also means flowering things don’t grow there. I suppose it could be brightened up with some paint? Can you paint black marble?” He dipped himself lower and rubbed at his shoulders, wincing. “It would likely not take. I doubt you would enjoy it much there.”
Amma frowned though was intrigued that he cared at all what she would think of it. “I liked the karsts. I mean, it was cold, but it was beautiful, and there was a lot to do.”
“But you did not want to stay.”
The distance between them had shrunk, and surely the only way Damien could not hear how Amma’s heart raced was because it was being held below the water. “I didn’t want to stay in the karsts by myself.” She took a deep, steamy breath, throat tightening on the words. “Not without you.”
“Well, yes, it would have been dangerous on your own,” he said quickly, pulling arms through the water and watching how it moved intently. Damien was either much dumber than she’d always thought, or much more clever than she was willing to give him credit for just then.
Amma scrunched up her nose and said nothing. She could clarify that it wasn’t fear that kept her tied to him, nor was it really the talisman, but did he even want to know?
“These mountains are connected to the infernal range,” he finally said, voice lower as the water moved him a bit closer. “Aszath Koth isn’t terribly far from here. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’ve considered just…going home.”
Amma blinked. “You mean instead of following the Grand Order’s wishes? Instead of marching on Eirengaard and—”
“Instead of all of it, yes.” Damien dipped even lower so that his chin touched the water. “It’s despicable, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think it’sdespicable, Damien,” she said with a snort,“but it is surprising. Do you miss home?”
His lip curled. “Not much, no. I am justconcernedabout what’s ahead.”
She maneuvered slightly closer to him. “Do you mean you’re afraid?”
“No.” The answer was quick, but then irritation passed over his features. “Well. Yes.”
