"No," she said, faster than she meant to. "No. I... I need to push myself past these things. I won't let my fear consume me."
Her gaze met his, and she could see the pain in his eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
He nodded and grasped her hands again. "Hold tight."
Darkness surrounded them.
As the water rushed over her again, she closed her eyes and tried to push away that drowning feeling in her lungs. Nadir swam forward, holding on to her hand. Shaking, but trusting him completely. Because she knew he wouldn't allow her to sink beneath any fear she might have. He would always pull her out of that void. And she would always take his hand.
They descended and swam far out, going past the end of the jetty. She couldn’t see in front of her, but it didn’t seem to bother Nadir. The ocean opened up just past, and all around her glowed the bright luminescence of life.
The reef looked like a turquoise moon beneath the ocean.
Nadir paused them, allowing her to hang in the depths, to stare a moment at the beauty she didn’t know existed. Every memory of the year seemed to wash away at the sight of it. But as her lungs began to struggle, she squeezed his hand. He pulled himself level with her, cupping her cheek.
His lips pressed against her own, and as air from his lungs passed into hers, her entire body went limp, and she had to hold onto his waist to keep herself from floating upwards.
This.
This was different. This was life. The memory of happiness tugging at her heart.
Her lungs expanded, and he pulled back, apparently satisfied that she was okay, but his thumb remained on her cheek for a long enough moment that he had to press his lips to hers again, filling her with air once more.
And this time, when he pulled back, he tugged on her hands. “We go deeper,” he told her.
She would have followed him into the water serpent’s cavern had that been where he wanted to take her.
It wasn’t long before she felt creatures around them, and her heart began to pound. She closed her eyes, allowing him to lead her, and she reached out—pushing her core to the point of her muscles straining. She wanted to feel them again, needing that connection with creatures she knew had never felt another being reaching out to them before. Schools of colorful fish swirled around them, the water rippling from their movements tickling her flesh.
Nadir looked back at her, a smile spreading over his face, and she knew he knew why they were acting as they were. She hardly noted the strain of her lungs, so filled with the warmth that was these creatures accepting her. Finally opening up without the fear of fire behind her eyes.
Her lungs were on the verge of collapse again when she felt his hands on her face. And she didn’t bother opening her eyes as his lips pressed to hers, and his breath expanded her chest. She couldn’t help her hands wrapping around his wrists, the silken liquid between them making his skin feel soft of forest moss. She could feel him holding back, the tenseness in his muscles, the rapid beat of his pulse beneath her fingertips…
Something big tugged at her.
And it wasn’t his lips.
He released her again and grabbed her hand. But Nyssa couldn't fixate on him as she felt the creature pull her again.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Nyssa met his gaze, and she pointed to her stomach, hoping he understood something was pulling at her.
But then she saw her.
The bright eyes of the water serpent pierced her own from the depths. The beast swam at them fast. Nyssa grabbed Nadir and pushed him behind her. And as the serpent grew closer, she started to smile.
Hello, beasty, she called out to her.
She was sure Nadir thought her crazy at her smiling at a beast fifty feet long, head bowed like a cobra, fangs gnashing at them. She almost laughed.
She turned back to Nadir and gestured to her chest before she moved closer to the serpent.
When his lips pressed to hers this time, it was almost mechanical, as though the sight of the serpent had pulled him out of whatever daze it was he’d been in before. When he pulled back, he squeezed her hand, and she noted the fear in his eyes. But she pressed her hand to his cheek and smiled once more before letting him go.
The serpent stayed steady before her, and Nyssa reached out a hand.
