What if he destroyed me instead?
Ryder stepped beside me and his presence calmed the frantic panic inside of my chest. “We need to talk about this,” he told our audience. “Alone.”
“Of course,” Della said softly.
I heard Hermes grumble something impatiently, but I ignored him as I let Ryder lead me away from the pavilion. We stepped back onto the sand and carefully picked our way toward the beach.
We were quiet as we walked. The sun warmed my skin that had cooled under the shade of the golden awnings. The smell of sea and salt filled my nostrils and reinforced my courage.
I looked out at the endless blue water that sparkled like jewels beneath the blinding sun and infinite horizon and breathed deeply.
“It really does call to you?” Ryder sounded pensive beside me. I wondered if he was as afraid of my power as Hermes was.
“With every beat of my heart,” I whispered.
“Then let’s go to it. Let’s see if it gives us any answers.”
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “You’re not afraid?”
“Of you?” he laughed. “You don’t want to hurt me, Ivy. At least not intentionally.”
I looked back out at the water and let his words hit hard. He was right. I didn’t want to hurt him intentionally, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t.
I had just glimpsed what I was capable of.
I could easily kill him. I knew that in my bones.
He was in shorts already, so near the edge of the water, he slipped off his sandals, grabbed my hand and led me in to the warm, clear water.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. With my long skirt gathered in my free hand and my other hand gripped tightly in Ryder’s, the ocean waters pushed against my legs and sunk into my skin. I felt at peace for the first time in days.
I felt whole, completely and absolutely, for the first time in my entire life.
I felt home.
I felt loved.
I felt alive.
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.” Ryder’s gravelly voice pulled me out of my blissful silence.
I opened my eyes to find him watching me. Choosing to be obtuse, I looked back toward the white-topped waves and smiled. “I’m partial to it too.”
“You, Ivy. You are beauty.” His hand squeezed mine and I felt the physical loss when he tore his gaze from mine and stared down at the water. “You know, for a while, after you left, I was convinced that you had cursed me after all. It felt like I couldn’t move without you. I felt suffocated… I felt like I was drowning. I swore that you had infected me, that it was your fault that I felt like that. What we had was real, Red. I would have done anything for you. I hate that you ruined it. But I get it now. After today or yesterday or whatever hell day, I get it. This world you’re from is so screwed up. I don’t know how to keep you safe from it.”
Tears pricked at my eyes and I tried not to completely break down in front of him. “I don’t think you can keep me safe from it. I think it’s going to come after me no matter what I do.”
“Then what do you want me to do? Say it, Ivy. I’ll do it. Tell me what you want to do, we’ll do it.”
“Just stay with me,” I pleaded. “Don’t leave me like I left you.”
He tugged on my hand until I turned to face him, then with his free hand he cupped my jaw tenderly. I couldn’t meet his gaze, but he didn’t ask me to. “I won’t,” he promised. “I won’t leave you. No matter what happens.”
I licked my dry lips and felt the water respond at my feet. Hope swelled inside of me and the water swirled around us with increasing strength. I felt the buzz of power at my fingertips and a connection to the ocean that stretched as far as it did.
Ryder stumbled into me. His hand fell to my shoulder to steady himself, but I had never felt more grounded. The waves pushed us together aggressively until he was forced to hold on to me, until his arms wrapped around my waist and his chest pressed against mine.
“Are you doing this on purpose?” he shouted over the rush of the water and the spray of sea foam.
