Melanie’s warning sounded in my mind like a forgotten prophecy.
“You will never be what we are because you were brought up here. You would never adjust to the mere weight you will feel in the Realm. It would slowly kill you to be there, and you will lead a short life. That is what the others are not telling you.”
Her words unnerved me still. The journey here had proved her partly right. Without Blake’s everi fused with mine I likely wouldn’t have been able to move at all. What would happen if he stopped? Would I die?
“Yes,” he said. “Now, come. You need to rest.”
I didn’t resist. My mind more exhausted than my body, I pulled myself from the Realm’s view and its breathtakingly cursed beauty.
Chapter 33
Liars Make the Best Lovers
ANNA
Istayed in my room that night listening to the thunder and nibbling at the roasted meat and sautéed vegetables that I couldn’t identify.
Blake’s everi never faded, shielding me like armor, even when he wasn’t nearby. I was surprised to find he’d set out fresh clothing on my bed. Every part of my body was aware of the vastly different nature of this realm. While exciting, it was as if I were in a constant state of anxiety, struggling to relax. It made me conflicted about Blake’s absence, part of me needing to process, the other part not ready to be alone.
I drew a bath, watching in fascination as hot water rushed from a sluice-styled faucet protruding from the wall simply from my touch. I wondered where it was coming from, listening for pipes in the walls or the rumble of a water heater, but heard neither.
I laughed to myself. Of all the things to worry about, I was worrying about the plumbing. There was going to be a lot to adjust to if I wanted to come here. Even as the water eased mysore muscles, every thunderous boom sent a fresh wave of panic through me. The heightened pressure of the air and the jolting tension had my nerves winding into knots.
I rose from the bath, wrapping a towel around my torso as thunder rattled my bones. It was so intense. My heart was racing. This must’ve been what taking cocaine felt like. I needed to calm down but I didn’t know how with this fucking storm.
I took a breath, wondering if Blake was still awake. I eyed the frock he’d left out for me and put on the simple undergarments that accompanied it before tugging it over my head. Taking a deep breath to steady my heart, I slipped out of my room and into the darkened corridor.
I squinted and glanced around, making out several doors. I had no idea which was his. Lightning flashed, making it daylight for a moment.
I braced myself for the thunder but it never came. The corridor, however, stayed lit from a flaming candle in a wall sconce. Blake was standing there outside of the room beside mine, the door still ajar behind him.
“Are you okay?” he asked, worry etched into his brow.
I was having difficulty fully catching my breath. His presence was flooding through me like a drug. I filled my lungs at last, noticing the fresh scent from his damp hair that hung in loose tendrils across his forehead. And that he was shirtless.
My lips parted, but I didn’t know what to say. In retrospect, thank you would’ve been good, but seeing him standing there like that, I was speechless. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen a shirtless man before, but a shirtless man that was Blake, this ripped, and dripping from a recent shower? And while I was dressed in nothing more than a slip—nope, hadn’t experienced that.
“It was the storm, wasn’t it?” he asked.
I nodded, grateful for the reprieve. Yeah, the storm—that was totally it.
He smiled, a hint of amusement. “Everything here flows with everi, its movement and rhythm is a part of us. You will become accustomed to it eventually.”
Right. Feeling as if you were being struck by lightning for every streak of light in the sky would feel normal one day.
“I’ve blocked the storm from your senses to give you a minute,” he said. “I’m going to lift that veil. Are you ready?”
No wonder I was feeling better. I guess it wasn’t just shirtless Blake after all. I nodded.
The rumble of the thunder returned but my breathing remained calm.
Finally, some relief.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Come on,” he said. “I can make you a tea to help you sleep.”
