"What are you talking about?" I grumbled. I was tired and confused, mostly because of the way he was making me feel.
"Look at the way these dragons are positioned," Zakariel said. He pointed to where the two snouts met.
"It's just a decorative engraving. It doesn't mean anything."
"How do you know?" Zakariel shot back.
I was silent. Whywouldit mean anything? But that meant we came all this way for nothing. Nautilus wasn't here and there was no clue about where to find him.
Unless Zakariel was right, and the engravingdidmean something.
I looked at it again. The two dragons wound around each other in a close embrace. They seemed to stare into each other's eyes as their lips met.
Wait, their lips?
The bottom fell out of my stomach. Were the two dragons supposed to be kissing?
My gaze drifted towards Zakariel. The subtle way he looked back at me suggested he'd just come to the same conclusion.
"Are you saying," I began quietly, "that in order to summon the spirit Nautilus, two people are supposed to kiss in front of this pillar?"
He grinned. "Technically,yousaid it. Not me."
My eye twitched. I wanted to dunk his head underwater. I wanted him to stand closer.
Silence fell. I didn't know what to say to this ridiculous notion. I didn't know if Zakariel felt the same way or if he was waiting for me to speak first. Either way, it dragged on uncomfortably.
Would it be so bad?
The treacherous thought popped into my mind like a fly that refused to be swatted away. I was losing my mind. Of course kissing Zakariel would be bad. I wouldn't do it. I couldn't.
Except I could.
The phantom note of sweet and spicy musk tingled my nose and I forced myself not to shudder. Zakariel's warmth and scent pulled me in like a force of nature. Why couldn't I push these feelings away? What was wrong with me?
I tried to focus even though my mind was stuffed full of cotton. This was the final part of Nautilus's temple. We stood on the altar where the two dragons on the pillar were depicted kissing. There was no further route to take. What other logical conclusion was I supposed to arrive at? I couldn't back out now. I would be disappointing the omegas at the haven, and ruining the ecosystem itself.
I had to retrieve Nautilus by any means necessary. And if this was the means...
My throat felt thick. I swallowed hard.
"Well, I guess that's it," Zakariel finally said, shrugging. "Should we head back?"
"No." My voice came out as a croak.
Zakariel gazed at me, his yellow eye shining like gold.
He's waiting for me,I realized.He's making it my choice.
Suddenly the rest of the world felt small. For a moment, I forgot about the haven, the omegas, the coast, Nautilus. None of it existed. It was just me and Zakariel alone.
"I'm doing this for Nautilus," I said quietly. It was only partially true.
Zakariel's eyes widened. A slow smile spread over his face. "So... Is that a yes?"
"Yes."
"Okay. You take the lead, boss."
