Page 5 of Enemy of the Heart

“I read once that they’re venomous.”

I like this lighter side of Sean Diggory. It makes me excited to unveil all the other facets the prism of his personality will reveal. I’d be willing to bet that I’ll appreciate them all.

“Actually,” I correct, “only the male platypuses are venomous, which is completely lame, if you ask me.”

He smirks. “I’m not surprised that you knew that fact.”

I lift a bare shoulder out of the water. “I know my poisons.”

His movements are measured as he reaches for me, pulling me back toward him by the hand. “You know, I’ve never gone skinny dipping in broad daylight before.”

I slowly kick my feet beneath me to tread water despite being able to stand here, and I consider him with a narrowed expression. “Have you ever been skinny dipping, Digs?”

“You’ve got me there.” He chuckles, and it’s such a lovely sound, better than anything an orchestra could produce.

He wraps his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder, my back flush with his torso as we face the vast horizon. Lifting a hand from the water, he points straight ahead. “Do you see that?”

His deep timber makes a shiver rush down my spine. I squint, trying to make out what he might be pointing out, but the view is clear and blue for as far as the eye can see. “See what?”

“Freedom.”

The beach is growing busier now that the sun is higher in the sky. I toss some water in Sean’s direction as we emerge from the ocean’s grasp. His answering splash is far larger than mine, and I giggle as I get doused.

Our time in the ocean felt like bathing in our own form of holy water. I feel alive with a renewed sense of energy and joy. The dark circles beneath Sean’s eyes are still there, but there’s a softness to his features that wasn’t present before, so I suspect he feels it, too. At least to some degree.

I dart up the sandy hill, the beige grains sticking to my wet skin, and collect my discarded clothes along the way. Once hidden by the tropical leafy giants, I re-dress.

Next to me, Sean leans over and rubs a hand over his buzzed hair, presumably to shake off the water.

“What are you? A dog?”

He straightens and meets my eye, his face impassive. “Woof.”

My laughter can probably be heard back at Exile Island. “I suppose I should be glad you didn’t start howling.”

“I have to wait for the full moon for that.” He leans over and presses a kiss on my forehead that I feel all the way down to my toes.

Yanking off the wet band that held my braid off my wrist, I hold it out for him. “Will you give me another?”

French braiding without a mirror would probably result in catastrophe. More honestly, I’d rather Sean do it. I like the feel of his deft fingers in my hair. Without waiting for his reply, I sink to the ground.

I sense him kneeling behind me, and he quickly begins separating the strands. “I have to admit, this is easier when it’s dry.”

After a moment, I ask, “Are you hungry? I could steal us some food.”

“Louhi,” he rumbles like a warning.

“Sean,” I parrot in the same manner, deepening my voice for dramatic effect. “Look, it’s easy, and we have, what? Two hours until Viktor gets here?”

“Yeah, but that’s unnecessarily risky.” He tugs on my hair, and I know it’s meant to be a chastisement.

I roll my eyes, knowing he can’t see me. “For you? Probably. For me? Easy peasy.”

He sighs but says nothing. I’ll take that as a yes.

When he’s finished, I spin to face him. He sits back on his bare heels and rubs a hand over his jaw. “Lou…”

We’re on the run. This is dangerous. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Everything he silently speaks hangs between us, but we need to eat and, honestly, I could really go for something that isn’t gray mush.