I lose my chance at a sexy comeback when his thumb finds the shallow valley dissecting my back, drawing lazy circles right above the waist of my jeans. A shiver runs through me, and his eyes darken.
Distracted by the desire singing between us, we walk straight into a wall of ... water. We stumble back before steadying each other. Then our gazes trace the length of the dark-blue wall from the bottom to the top, until it disappears into the sky.
“Holy Moses.” I glance down at myself, expecting to find my clothes soaking wet. But I don’t have a single drop of water on me.
My gaze returns to the wall in front of us. Its surface isn’t smooth like glass but churns tumultuously. It is a living, breathing vertical ocean. A shaky breath leaks out of me. I’m terrified the unforgiving sea might swallow us whole if we so much as blink wrong.
But does my Ethan blink wrong?Nooo.He just reaches out and fuckingtouchesthe wall of water.
“Why the hell would you do that?” I slap his hand away.
“I . . .”
Before he can defend himself, the ocean comes crashing down from the sky with a furious roar.
Chapter Forty-Four
Ethan
I pull Sunny into my arms and curve my body around her, even as her thunderstruck question rings in my head.Why the hell would you do that?That is a valid question, but I don’t have a good answer to it.
It makes no sense, but the wall of water reminded me of Draco, and I reached toward it before I realized what I was doing.
Fucking hell.
If Sunny gets hurt because of me, I’m going to kick my own ass. This must be the most brainless, impulsive thing I’ve ever done.
Even as I berate myself, I brace for impact. But ... the ocean doesn’t crash down on us. I don’t even feel a spray of water. And after another nerve-racking second, I peek out with one eye, then the other one shoots open.
The wall . . . It’s gone.
After another beat of taut silence, Sunny squirms in my arms, and I gingerly release her. I stay alert, scanning the dry, cracked ocean around us. The hair stands on the back of my neck. The churning ocean might be gone, but the danger isn’t.Far from it.
“Can you put me down?” Hailey asks in a muffled voice. The Judge of Tenth Hell holds her aloft in his arms, his head bent protectively over hers.
“Guh.” He drops her to the ground so abruptly that Hailey stumbles. With a sharp yelp, he reaches out and steadies her by the waist, then he drops his hands as though she burned him. Fumbling to straighten his sunglasses, he mutters, “My apologies. I do not know what came over me.”
I turn to Sunny to share a knowing smile, but something else holds her attention. She’s gaping at the sky with her head tipped back. Her parted lips wobble and tears leak from the corners of her eyes. Trepidation shortening my breath, I follow her line of sight.
Draco.
Sharp, searing grief slams into my chest, and my throat tightens with unshed tears. The serpentine dragon undulating above us is far larger than Draco, and several shades darker, but I can’t help but see the kid in the god of Water.
Sunny must see it too.
Not trusting my voice, I take her hand and squeeze it tight. Her fingers feel like ice. She stares at Yongwang for a second longer, then she buries her face in my chest with a broken sob.
“I’m so sorry, Sunny.” I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. “Gods, I’m sorry. I know how much they meant to you.”
She cries as though a dam broke inside her. I gather her close so she can grieve for the kid. She’s held her heartbreak at bay for long enough. Both she and Draco deserve this moment before she lets them go.
With a mournful sigh, I tuck her head under my chin and rub her back. Even in grief, I want her to know she is not alone. My chest constricts so tightly that I can hardly breathe. I wouldn’t be holding Sunny in my arms if it wasn’t for Draco.
But why did it have to be them? They were just a kid. A good kid.
Gratitude, guilt, and sorrow claw at my throat, and I tighten my arms around Sunny. It hurts, but we’ll hurt together.
“Your Majesty,” the Judge of Tenth Hell murmurs. “The god of Water—”
