“Where are you going?” I asked.
“Home,” they said, their eyes twinkling. “You didn’t think I lived here, did you?”
“With the frequency you visit, I sometimes wondered,” I admitted, squeezing my nape.
They headed toward the exit, but before they left, they cast a glance back. “I’ll see you, Elrich.”
“Tonight,” I promised.
Their lips quirked, and they disappeared past the door.
Tonight, I’d take my first dip in the water since the storm; however, spending more time around Ursuline?
Those were much more dangerous waters, indeed.
Chapter 9
The bay looked entirely different at night.
The moon was full, its pale luminescence cast over the land and water. I stepped out of the estate and a shiver ran down my spine. I’d tossed on a pair of sweats and a light tee and slipped into sneakers, but most of that would be coming off for my swim. The temperatures had been warm enough today that I didn’t worry about the water being too cold, but I’d never been much of a night swimmer before.
However, after Ursuline had extended the invitation, I found myself drawn from my room and heading out of the estate at quarter to midnight.
The sand sloping down to the water was pale and purplish in the dark of night, and the moonlit waves glimmered with a mesmerizing rhythm. My heart thumped a little harder at the sight. Memories of the tug beneath, of struggling for breath, of fighting against the wicked storm that had reigned flashed through me like rapid-fire, and sweat broke out on my skin.
When I reached the sand, I kicked off my shoes, stripped off my sweats, and then tugged my tee over my head. The coolbreeze caused a shiver, since I was down to my boxer briefs, and goose bumps pebbled across my skin. Had Ursuline skipped out tonight? They didn’t seem the type, but I’d also believed in people more than they deserved for a good part of my life, particularly my parents.
I walked up to the edge of the water, where the gentle waves lapped at the shore. The scent of brine tripped my wires, a familiar comfort and now a caution as well. The water lapped at my toes, the icy kiss shocking my system.
This was an unfamiliar shore, but the waves greeted me like a friend all the same.
As much as my nerves fluttered in the background, I couldn’t stay away from the water.
I strode another pace in, the cold water wrapping around my ankles. Some of my fear dissipated, but I couldn’t seem to move any farther. I’d been hoping for…well, companionship, I supposed. Arielle seemed to be uninterested, which was fine, but Ursuline had captivated me from the moment I met them.
I’d been longing for more time with them, if I were being honest.
A splash drew my attention.
Farther in, drops of water sparkled in the air,and a dark shape blurred right beneath the surface, just visible. I tensed, watching, waiting.
Then, in another burst of water, the dark form breached the surface again.
Ursuline tossed their head back, droplets glittering as they emerged and turned to face me. Their pale-blue skin glowed like the moonlight itself as they swam in my direction. They moved with easy strokes of their arms, most of the power generated by the tentacles beneath the water. I took a few more tentative steps forward, until my calves were submerged, and they continued to slice through the surface, heading in my direction.
“Punctual, I see,” they said, their voice a low purr as they slowed a distance away, remaining in the depths rather than the shallows where I lingered. “I like that quality in a person.”
I squeezed the back of my neck as I waded a little farther in. “Then you’ll be sorely disappointed. I’m usually too lost in my head to be punctual…or effective at anything.”
Ursuline swam back and forth, the liquidity of their movements something I envied. There was a stark difference between a human swimmer and the monsters who emerged from the depths, like we were paltry imitators, reaching for the stars out of grasp.
“Which sounds like any artist I’ve ever met,” they said. “Just because you’re focused on the art you create doesn’t mean you’re ineffective.”
My heart squeezed tight. Their statement was the opposite of what my parents had drilled into me for years. That my daydreaming meant I wasn’t focused, that my lack of skills in the business world meant I was a failure. I waded deeper, the water settling around my waist now. It was cool but not ice-cold, warm from the earlier sun. And the waves were gentler here in the bay, without the power or intensity of the ones at Breakneck Beach.
Besides, Ursuline’s presence filled me with an undeniable calm.
“Nervous?” they asked.
