She walked over to Ty and grabbed his arm, keeping her eyes firmly on his face and torso, before leading him to the water’s edge. Together, they stepped into the bitter-cold water. The stream wasn’t very deep. They navigated carefully over therocks, which were slippery and tore slightly at Ena’s feet, while she took Ty’s weight on her shoulders to help him balance.
Ena shivered as the water reached her thighs, then her hips, and eventually her waist, but Ty’s arm was so burning hot around her that it was manageable.
They stopped in the middle of the stream where the water came to Ty’s hips. Blessedly, it covered his manhood now, so Ena safely turned to him with her arm looped around his waist to support him.
The river swirled around them as it rushed to the ocean. For a second, Ena was transported to a much warmer night, in a much warmer river, many years ago. Ty had held her then, coaching her through her fear. She looked up at him and saw the same ghost of a memory in his eyes, both of them feeling the ways the past was still present.
Ena dipped her free hand in the cold water and lifted it to the back of Ty’s neck. He closed his eyes as the water cupped in her hand ran down his back, then she did the same over his chest. She gently wiped the water over his arms and torso, washing away dirt and blood from the attack, while taking care not to get any in his wound. She brushed her wet hand over his cheeks, across his brow, and through his hair, feeling the rough stubble growing on the shaved sides of it, until soon she became lost in the majesty of his beauty, of his strength. The way the muscles of his arms sloped under her hands, the way his chest rose and fell with each deep breath, and the way his heart beat steadily underneath. She wanted to run her fingers through the hair on his chest, and brush her thumb over his lip. She wanted to trail a finger down his neck and place a kiss on his eyelids. He was so painfully perfect, she wanted to do so, so much more than she should.
“How does that feel?” she asked, her voice coming out quiet after their long silence.
He opened his eyes to look at her, and the same feeling of longing that throbbed in her chest was reflected in his eyes. “Better,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Much better.”
She saw his eyes flick down to her lips, and the way he was looking at her was too much. Everything she felt was too much. She knew what this could easily lead to, and that it would only bring more pain and heartbreak for them both, so she looked away and removed her hands from him.
They stood there in the water for another minute or two, until slowly, slowly, she felt his body temperature come back down, and she guided Ty out of the water.
After they’d both gotten dressed again, Ena built up the fire as big as she dared to try and warm herself up. Ty resumed his spot by the fire, laying on his side. He was asleep again in minutes. Everything was quiet as Ena watched him sleep. She didn’t need to—she knew he was likely fine, just as he’d insisted—but she couldn’t help herself from reaching over to him and touching his shoulder lightly. His temperature was still warm, but better now, and she felt thoroughly relieved.
She finally dragged her gaze away from him, wondering how they both might feel about this tomorrow, and the next day. She knew that they were walking a very dangerous line now, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I’mfeelingwellenoughto continue on today,” Ty announced the next morning.
“Okay,” she replied, side-eying him with skepticism. There was no denying that he did look significantly better today. His fever was gone, his color was normal, and she’d taken another look at his wound to find it already half-healed.
“I told you, the fever yesterday was normal. Daemons heal substantially faster than mortals and witches. It burned whatever infection was there out of me, and now I’m fine,” he said patiently, as if explaining something rudimentary to a child.
“Alright, if you say so,” Ena said, as she lovingly ate the mushrooms she’d cooked over the fire this morning.
“I still need you to come with me,” he said cautiously, as if it wasn’t obvious. As if something had changed between them.
“I know,” she said. She’d already decided to see this through, knowing it was the only way to redeem herself to her Coven, and to Gaia. Now was not the time to get stubborn about it.
“But I meant what I said. I promise I’ll do my best to keep you safe, and once you help us find the amulet, I’ll let you go.”
Ena paused as she ate, wiping her fingers off on her cloak. “You have a history of making promises you can’t keep, you know,” she said, not unkindly.
Ty looked at her with sincerity. “I know. And for what it’s worth…I’m sorry. For not coming back when I said I would.”
His face was serious, no hint of the joking Ty, or the angry mask Ty liked to wear. She knew he meant it, but it didn’t make the fact that he hadn’t come back any easier. It didn’t erase the past. But still, it meant something to hear him say it.
“I know,” Ena said again, quietly.
After packing up the rest of their stuff, which wasn’t much, and putting out their fire, she let Ty’s impeccable sense of direction lead them as they continued heading west.
“How far do you think we are from Attax? I know we lost some time after the…attack.” She said the last word cautiously. She didn’t like talking about it. She didn’t like remembering it. Every time she did, her heart started beating faster and her palms got sweaty. She wondered when that would stop.
“I’d say we’re about a day out. We should be there by tomorrow afternoon. We’ll meet Steig and Turner at the guesthouse there and then continue on together to the Occidens Coven.”
Ty watched her to gauge her reaction to that, but she just nodded and continued walking.
They moved in amicable silence most of the day. The air between them did seem to be clearer after their confessions and whatever they had shared in the river yesterday.
But Ena knew, despite the feelings they’d had in the past, that wasn’t where they both were at now, or at least, it shouldn’t be. They might have been friendly with one another, but if anything, they were adversaries. He was using her. She was attempting to thwart him. It was a strictly platonic, adversarial relationship.
I’m so obsessed with you. I think you’ve ruined me for anyone else for the rest of my life.
