Page 32 of Whispers of the Water

I glanced back at the water as the boys began to bicker. It remained steady like a pool should be, but I couldn’t help but feel on edge. That was a large pool. One wrong move, one burst of emotion, and I could accidentally do something crazy—and considering my already rattled state, the idea wasn’t improbable. Part of me was being ushered in its direction with a need to dive right in, while the other half of me wanted to book it out of there. It wasn’t a good idea to be here; not without knowing how to manage my powers.

“Earth to Bria,” Rune said, his warm breath kissing the back of my neck as he came up behind me. He wrapped me in his arms, hugging my back to his chest, and he leaned into my ear to whisper, “You all right? You zoned out there.”

Smiling, I sank into his hold. His touch seemed to physically ground me, and it evaporated almost all worries and thoughts of water. The storm of fears, anxieties, and what-ifs quieted inside of me. In its place, strength, confidence, and bliss blossomed.

Glancing over my shoulder at him, I said, “I’m fine. I was just thinking about how cool it must be to have an indoor pool. I love swimming.”

A playful smirk lifted his lips, and I saw mischief brewing in his fox eyes. His arms tightened around me, and he cocked a brow. “Oh really?”

Sensing what he was about to do, my smile dropped. “Don’t you dare.”

In the next instant, Rune swooped me up into his arms, my feet leaving the safety of the ground. His deep laugh filled the space between us as I tried to wiggle my way free from his hold. Even with my increased strength, it proved to be no match for his. He swung me back then tossed, my body flying through the air before sinking into the depths of the water.

The cool kiss of the water swept around me, and I felt a surge of power rush through my limbs. The bubbles from my splash clung to my skin, and the humming returned tenfold. The whispers of the water were now words, clamoring around my head in order to be heard.

Use me.

Control me.

Princess.

I squeezed my eyes shut against the onslaught of voices, and it was hard to find my own amidst them all. Just as I was about to surface, I found my inner voice and urged the whispers to be silent. The incessant chatter stopped at the same moment I reemerged. My breathing came out labored as I treaded the water and tried to fight to stay calm. My mind was running all over the place, but I couldn’t let those thoughts overwhelm me. I had to keep a level head, especially since I was now floating in my current greatest weakness.

And greatest strength.

Rune stood by the pool edge, clutching his midsection as he laughed. He fought to catch his breath, and I immediately began plotting ways to get revenge. The twins beat me to it. They rushed him from behind and slammed into the back of his legs, sending all three of them into the water.

As soon as they resurfaced, we all looked at each other before breaking out into fits of laughter. Our clothes were soaked, Newt’s glasses were somewhere at the bottom of the pool, my limbs throbbed from my match with Rune, and my powers were still an ever-present worry.

But none of that mattered in this moment.

What did was how much fun we had, splashing each other, twirling about the water, and diving deep before resurfacing. The water, thankfully, didn’t react anymore. Maybe it was because it could sense I wasn’t in danger, or perhaps it still obeyed my earlier command to be silent. Either way, I momentarily let go of all my troubles—even if only for an afternoon.

Chapter Eleven

“WELL, THAT WAS fun,” Rune said, shutting the door to our bedroom.

Grinning at him over my shoulder, I finished digging through my suitcase for a change of clothes. We were still soaked to the bones, no doubt leaving a trail of water through the halls despite our attempts to towel off. The smell of chlorine clung to my dress, hair, and fur, so I decided a shower was in order.

“I’m glad Avana’s illusion didn’t wash away,” I said, touching the damp fox ears that were still firmly in place on my head.

“It’s like she explained before. The illusion can last roughly twelve hours. It doesn’t wash away like paint. Unless she removes it, you should be fine.”

“That’s definitely a handy-dandy ability.”

Turning to face him, I was suddenly aware that we were alone since Newt and Greshim had gone to their own room to get cleaned up. My heart quickened from an onslaught of nerves and anticipation. This was the first time we’d been alone all day without someone waiting on us or standing nearby, and the sudden privacy for just the two of us swept me up in thoughts of golden skin, electrifying kisses, and husky whispers.

Rune stalked over to where I stood. His warm eyes held mine as he wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me close. “I know I said this before, but I want to say it again because I don’t think you understand how much it means to me. Thank you. Thank you for treating my brothers with so much kindness. Even though I can’t be here for them the way I should, they’re everything to me. So to see the way you make them light up and forget—” he paused, swallowing hard. A surge of raw affection bled onto his features as he held my gaze and finished, “Thank you, Bria.”

I smiled and ran my hands along his broad shoulders. “They’re really good kids.”

“They are. Even with a mother like Myra. I think it’s because they have each other.”

“Or maybe it’s because they have a brother like you to look up to.”

The room seemed to melt away as we held each other’s gazes. The deafening silence was almost overwhelming. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to break it or have it go on forever so that we could stay here, locked on each other. His hand skimmed up my hip, along my side, over my breast, and onto my neck. The cold, wet dress warmed everywhere his palm caressed me, and I held my breath as his thumb brushed my bottom lip.

He inhaled deeply and leaned down to press our foreheads together. “You’re ruining me.”

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