Page 83 of Whispers of the Water

He cocked his head slightly, not bothering to hide his grin. “Good enough to maybe shower with me?”

My laugh escaped before I could hide it. I nodded at him. “Sure. I think I could manage that.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, Rune sat up. Pushing the covers aside, he pulled me to him and cradled me in his arms. With one arm in the bend of my knees and one under my back, the entirety of my naked body was easily visible. It took everything in me to keep calm and not think about the fact that Rune was naked, too.

When we made it into the bathroom, Rune set me down on my feet. He suddenly cocked a curious brow and grabbed a strand of my hair, pulling it into both of our views. I already knew what I’d see.

“Did you know your hair is turning blue?” he asked.

Sighing, I turned to the mirror and discovered that there were multiple pieces of my hair with blue tips now, and it was no longer just on the underside of my long locks.

“Yeah,” I started. “It began a couple of days ago, seemingly a little at a time. I’ve been cutting it off to hide it. I’m not exactly sure what it means.”

Rune appeared deep in thought as he studied my hair. “I know Water Fae have been known to have blue hair, although it’s been forever since anyone has seen one with it. I know I’ve never run into one.”

“Great. Just great. With my luck, it probably means something bad.”

He chuckled as he turned to switch on the shower. “I think it looks good.”

I took the moment to sneak a peek at his exposed skin as he fiddled with the handles. Rune had always been confident about his body, and it was obvious why. He was gorgeous at every angle.

Rune faced me again. Steam started rising over the glass door, and he held out his hand for me. I happily accepted it and stepped into the shower. Rune followed right behind me, wrapping me in his embrace.

The hot rush of water dripped down my skin as I ran my hands along his broad shoulders, up the back of his neck, and into his velvety hair. Grabbing my hips, he tugged me closer until there was no room left between us. I stood on my tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his lips.

His mouth parted to greet me, and I welcomed his heated kiss. I nibbled gently on his bottom lip and reached for his tongue with my own. The humid water continued raining down as I tugged on his hair, and his palms roamed my bare body, making my skin spark with want. The build-up of my raw, unchecked lust, love, and desperation was slowly making me lose my self-control.

The emotions bubbled up in the pit of my stomach until I felt like I was going to burst. I wanted more of him. I needed more of him.

Suddenly, a stream of water rushed forward from its descent. It morphed into a massive orb, and it shot around us, engulfing our bodies. Rune’s eyes went wide as the water rolled away from my skin to completely flood him. He tried stepping away, but the water moved with him, sending bubbles up from his tight mouth.

“Rune!” I yelled.

Panic replaced my sexual desires, and with an intense sense of alarm, the water’s current around him went wild. It whirled around him in a dangerous, swift pool. Rune suddenly changed into his Fae form as he clawed around in the water in a desperate attempt to wrench free from its cage.

My hands shook as I fought to calm down. With all the bubbles rising from his mouth, I knew he didn’t have much time left.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out to the funnel of rapid moving water. I narrowed my eyes, calling forth all of my focus. Within a few seconds, a pleasantly cool wave washed over me. I felt its comforting movements deep within my body. My limbs began to buzz as my connection to the water solidified.

I could only think one word.

Stop.

Instantly, the water encasing Rune crashed to the bottom of the shower with a wet smack. A desperate gasp escaped Rune’s mouth, and he bent forward slightly as he clutched at his throat. My eyes welled with tears as coughs wracked his body. My legs and hands shook, and I collapsed to my knees upon the tiled shower floor. Horrified, I stared down at my quivering hands.

I did that. I hurt Rune.

Tears spilled over the rims of my eyes as I wrapped my arms around myself. Ducking my head in shame, I sobbed. I was at an utter loss. I’d attacked him. Even if it was by accident, I’d used my powers against him. If I hadn’t been able to calm my sporadic thoughts enough, he could’ve drowned.

“Rune,” I choked. Shaking my head frantically, I tucked my head lower. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t–I didn’t mean to. I swear. I–I don’t know how that happened.”

The pain in my chest squeezed tightly at my throat, and tears continued to roll down my cheeks. His erratic breathing had returned to normal, and now, he was quiet. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I was so embarrassed. Ashamed. Angry with who I was. I’d never wanted to hurt him.

As the torrent of emotions spiraled around inside of me, the water from the shower head beat small drops onto my back. It had calmed, but I still felt uneasy and terrified of its power—of my power.

My voice quivered as I started again, “I’m so sorr—”

“Bria.”

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