Page 62 of Ocean of Silver

Only now did it dawn on me that she wasn’t staying with us, and I would be spending the night alone with him. Again.

Kallon grabbed onto both of us as the darkness came a moment later. Bits of purple and black smoke surrounded us, casting the only light as Kallon navigated us through the portal. I expected it to be over in a heartbeat just like the one I went through to get to the Ball. The nausea came back the longer we traveled. I closed my eyes and buried myself into Tezya’s chest, focusing on his smokey scent. It was a mixture of leather and pine and something else light and airy. I wanted to get lost in it, for it to completely engulf me, and if it was all I ever smelled for the rest of my life I’d be fine with that…

“You can open your eyes now,” Tezya murmured into my hair. Kallon was already gone, with only the black and purple mist in her wake.

I slowly pried my eyes open and found that we were on a private balcony overlooking the ocean. My face was still pressed into his chest, and my fingers were cramping around his shirt. It took me a moment to realize that he had let go of me, but I was still gripping onto him like it was my lifeline.

I quickly stepped out of his embrace, embarrassed that it took me longer to do so than it should have. A coy grin was plastered across his smug face, making me utterly aware of how I reacted to being so close to him.

I finally took a moment to glance around at where he had brought me. I needed a distraction and wanted to focus on anything but the silver eyes still gleaming into me.

The first thing I noticed was the sticky humidity. It instantly clung to my neck, curling the loose strands of hair that fell from my braid. I could feel the sweat linger under my knees and between my elbows, and I had no idea if it was from the heat of this territory or the proximity I just was to Tezya.

I backed away from the drop below, only just now noticing how high up we were. The balcony stood twice as tall than Rainer’s apartment. A glass railing was the only thing preventing our fall. There were tons of balconies that went up the length of the building, all identical to the one we were currently standing on.

“Aren’t you worried about the mortals seeing us randomly appear on the balcony?” I asked, trying to ignore the fact that I wanted to close the distance between us again.

“No. Kallon created this portal decades ago, and Dovelyn used her air ability to create a cloaking shield over the balcony so it will always appear vacant to any onlookers. It doesn’t matter what we do up here. No one will see us.”

“That’s very convenient,” I muttered as I glanced around. “And where are we?” The balcony was small. It just barely fit one table with five chairs and had a small wicker sofa tucked in the corner. Lights were hung along the glass railing, adding to the glow and illuminating the view. Massive buildings that reached the sky were scattered on either side of us with the ocean looming in front. I tried to make out the mass of humans congregating on the sand, but we were too high up to see anything in clear detail. They all just looked like tiny moving specks.

“This is my residence,” Tezya said. “I travel to the mortal territory a lot, and it was easier to buy a condo than constantly renting from a hotel with mortal cash.”

“I don’t really know what any of that means,” I admitted.

He smiled as he slid open the glass door behind us, leading us inside. “Come on, I want to show you something I think you might like.”

I followed him into his condo—or whatever he called it. Everything was bright. The place had plank wood flooring with cream walls to match. A weird light fixture with points that spun in a circle supplied a cool breeze against the heat. We entered into a wide living room with a kitchen against the far wall.

“Come on, what I want to show you isn’t in here,” he said as he walked me through one of the two doors in the place. It opened up into a bedroom with one large bed.

“You wanted to show me a bed?”

“No,” he laughed. “It’s in here.” I followed him as he walked into another section of the place, this time opening up into a bathing room. I was horrified when I noticed there wasn’t a door and that whoever was using it would be completely exposed. The room looked similar to the ones in Lux. I recognized almost everything inside. There was a toilet and two sinks with a large mirror hanging over them both.

“It’s called a shower,” Tezya said as he pointed to a porcelain open area that I hadn’t noticed at first. A large faucet hung from the ceiling.

“What do humans do in the shower?” I asked, still not quite getting it.

“They wash. It’s like a bath, but you can do it standing up. It’s an open concept and not enclosed like a tub, so I thought maybe you could give it a try... only if you’re up for it.”

“Is this your way of telling me I smell?” I asked as I gawked at the shower. It was open, airy even. I didn’t think I would feel claustrophobic in it. I expected Tezya to laugh or make a joke back, but he didn’t. When I glanced up at him, he was already staring down at me.

“Rumor, I don’t care if you never bathe for the rest of your life. But I know it bothers you. I can sense it. If you feel up for trying it out, you can. If you don’t want to, that’s fine too. I have to go out so you’ll be alone for a little bit. You’ll have privacy if you want to try.”

“Where are you going?” I asked.

I watched his scar travel up his face as he smiled at me. I couldn’t tell if he once had a single dimple on that side. “Believe it or not, I didn’t just come here to have a nice time with you. I actually have to work. I’ll be out, but I won’t be long. When I get back, I’ll show you around the city. We can walk to the ocean if you want to. We just can’t swim in it, obviously.”

Right. Humans didn’t have markings, and it wouldn’t be normal for them to see our black designs magically appear once water hit our skin. “How does this work?” I asked Tezya, turning back to the shower. He was right. I wanted to bathe. I wanted to feel normal again, and the thought of a proper wash was exhilarating, and one without the slimy, tiled walls of a tub was even better.

Tezya leaned forward and turned a silver bar to the right, “Red is hot, blue is cold. Whatever temperature you like, just turn it towards that color. The water comes from the ceiling. Soap is over there. Dovelyn and Kallon keep it stocked, so you should have everything you need.” He pointed toward a shelf that was carved into the wall as the water started pouring from the square faucet hanging above us.

Steam instantly followed as the water splashed Tezya’s arm. Black flames immediately appeared where the water had touched him. He looked at me, his mouth parted. “I’ll be back, Rumor.” I thought he was going to say something else, but then he stalked out of the bathing room, leaving me alone.

I stared at the pounding water for a long time. It wasn’t until the mirrors completely fogged over and the steam was so heavy that it floated into the bedroom that I decided I wanted to go in. I was sweating in my horrible mortal outfit and still had mud caked on me and a stench that only a proper wash could cure.

I stripped out of the tight pants and ripped shirt, making sure to turn the green man facing down so the creature wasn’t staring up at me as I undressed. Then I stepped hesitantly into the shower. My leg hit the water first, right over my calf with my mangled skin from my burn. It was scalding, but I embraced the heat as I fully entered into the steam.

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