When we reach the serene meadow and glittering pond Hansel and I crossed during her little tantrum, Jace pulls his horse to a sudden stop and slides off.
“What are you doing?” Zadyn asks him.
Jace answers by stripping off his shirt. My jaw drops unabashedly.
“We tried it your way—thesafeway.” He tosses his black tunic on the mossy ground and slides his eyes from Zadyn to me. “Now we try itmyway.”
I don’t know what the hell he means, but before I even attempt to question it, my body is dismounting and sliding to the ground. An impressed look crosses his face as he cocks his head at me.
“That actually wasn’t bad.”
I watch, frozen, as he tugs his boots off.
“Come on,” he says. “I want to see you fly.”
He dives into the sparkling stream and comes up a breath later, water cascading down his skin.
“Close your mouth,” Zadyn says with quiet irritation. I shoot him a dirty look to hide my embarrassment.
I strip off my boots, pull my tunic over my head, and unlace my leather pants, pulling free the tucked-in silk undershirt that falls just past my ass. Shimmying out of the pants, I straighten to find both males looking at me intently.
“Have neither of you seen a female’s undergarments before?” I throw my head back to Zadyn as I head for the pool of water. “Close your mouth,” I taunt.
A splatter of color blossoms up his neck. I’ve barely dipped my toes into the inviting water when Jace holds up a hand, halting me.
“This isn’t an afternoon swim,” he says chidingly. “You start back there.” He points to the tree a few yards behind me.
I angle my head in confusion.
“This is just here to make your fall more comfortable.” His hands glide through the water’s glass-like surface. “You’re going to need a running start, witch.”
Rolling my eyes, I trudge toward the tree. “So that’s it? I just run and jump and think happy thoughts?” I flail my arms in the air.
“More or less.” Jace chuckles, pushing the wet hair from his face to reveal that magnificent bone structure.
Letting my eyes drift closed, I focus on that soft purr of magic coating my veins with anticipatory keenness. I breathe deep, inhaling the earthen scents and crisp breeze as my toes curl around the soft soil. My eyes open and I break into a run.
I take one—two more strides and leap. For a split second, I am suspended in mid-air. Then without even time to suck in a breath, I flop face-first into the water from at least three feet above.
The surface slaps my entire front, stinging my face as a cold, dull ache blossoms deep in my gut. The air leaves me as I flap my arms and break through the surface, choking the inhaled water from my lungs.
Jace’s laughter bounds off the clearing as I part my heavy mass of dark hair to glower at him.
“That fucking hurt.” I splash him.
“That was magnificent,” he cackles. I lunge for him, but he grips both my wrists instinctively. My belly flop is momentarily forgotten as his gaze travels down my long hair, plastered to the front of my now see-through camisole. His eyes are sober when they flicker back to mine. I wrench my wrists free.
“That was not funny.” I tread away from him.
“That was only your first try.” He nods toward the tree. “Off you go.”
I pull myself up onto the soft grass. Goosebumps coat my bare skin as I make my way back toward the tree.
“Any other words of advice?” I call to them.
“Yeah, don’t just run and then flop this time,” Jace says, his words choked off by a laugh.
“Not helpful. Zadyn, you’re awfully quiet over there.” I look toward him, sitting on the mossy edge of the pool.
