Page 32 of Null & Void

With lots of swearing and giggling at how silly our game is, Bitty and Beans eventually return, and we settle down. The former still looks green about the gills and immediately returns to their bedroll.

Restless, I announce I’m going for a walk. I walk aimlessly for half an hour, not caring where I’m going, but I keep a clear idea of where I am and how to get back. This is why, when I come across something incredible, I race back to camp easily.

“Does anyone feel like coming to see something awesome?” I ask, breathless and excited.

Bitty gives me a sad shake of the head, and Beans pats them softly and also declines. I look to Tovi, hoping she will come, but she chirps a “no thanks,” offering what looks like an actual smile. Riley, however, agrees before I even look at him. Earning himself a pointed look and raised eyebrow from Tovi, he responds with a rude gesture that I catch out of the corner of my eye. So, I lead the way, hesitantly.

“How the fuck did you find this?” Riley asks excitedly, stripping off his clothing and weapons.

Before us—after following a very narrow canyon, more like a wide crack in the mountain—is an oasis feeding into a cave. If you crouch and look along the water, you can see the cave opens up at the top, further down. The water is fed by a small waterfall along the top of the canyon into the open cave. Not waiting for my answer, and already down to his undershorts, Riley dives in. He springs out of the water, flicking it everywhere. Then looks at me like I’m the mad one.

“Are you getting in?” he purrs, stroking backward deeper into the cave to reach the open area. The small smatter of freckles across his shoulders sparkle with the water, and the light fuzz on his chest draws my eye. Rage springs into my throat.

This is not a good idea. This is a bad idea. I repeat this over and over, as I strip off my leathers and weapons, taking off most of my clothes but leaving my tunic on. Riley watches me very carefully from the edge of the darkness in the cave. His eyes snag on the pile where my pants are, as if he’s now deliberately not looking at my bare legs.

I step into the water, not wanting to dive in, and then wade toward Riley. He takes the cue and we both swim deeper into the cave. When we finally reach the alcove, it’s even more stunning than I’d imagined.

The size of a small room, a deep pool of crystal-clear water shimmers around us. Every wall surrounding us is immense, covered in all manner of plants breaking through with a handful of short ledges dotted about. Riley has that stunning smile again, and just like the first time, I can’t see anything else.

I have to tread water as it’s too deep for me to stand, unlike Riley, who is not only standing, but the water is only halfway up his chest. He splashes me without looking and then dives under the water. Despite the clear waters, I don’t see him until he’s under me and lifting me up and out of the water.

He throws me, and I emit a squeal before I hit the water.

“Bastard!” I splutter, splashing him angrily as his unfettered laughter echoes around us.

He dives down again and I growl, swimming away from his sneaky bulk moving through the water. I can’t hide my smirk as he pops up on the opposite side of the pool. Down he goes again, and again I dodge, but eventually he catches me and throws me again.

When I catch my breath, I decide it’s my turn. I dive and speed swim under the water like an eel. He tries to dodge, but I can hold my breath longer than most, and I slip behind him. I surface with a splash and launch myself up to bring him back down into the water with me by his shoulders.

I dunk him, and he comes up spluttering and coughing, and then laughing.

For the next hour or two, we play this weird game of tag. Not really talking, only exclaiming that the other cheated or whooping that we got the other best.

The next time Riley catches me, instead of throwing me, he pulls me in close, holding my legs at mid-thigh and moving to position himself between them. Close to a ledge, my back bumps into it, before he steadies me against it.

My hands brace against his chest, rising and falling with his heavy breathing. Mine is likely the same, especially as the familiar crashing begins against my ribs, so hard I’m sure he would be able to hear it if he listened. He lifts me slightly, so we’re face-to-face, my legs around his waist in his grip.

“What would you do if I kissed you right now?” he asks huskily, eyes flicking between my eyes and my lips. His long, dark lashes still sparkle with water droplets.

“Probably headbutt you. Perhaps a knee to your favorite appendage. Might bite you. Fucking anything to stop you, really,” I say in a fast whisper, hoping my voice won’t betray me.

My hands now grip his lightly freckled shoulders. A smirk spreads across his face, and he leans further against me as his hands slide along my thighs, stopping before his fingers reach my ass.

“I’d almost risk it. For one taste.” He leans closer, and closer. “But I’ll wait,” he says to the place where the corner of my lips meets my cheek. His lips brush my skin as he speaks. “It’ll be worth it.”

He throws his body back in a splash, taking me with him. Again, I come up spluttering curses at him as his laughter trails off down the cave to the exit.

Tovi curses at me when we return as Riley describes the swimming hole. “If I’d known it was something like that, I would’ve come!” she says, her violet eyes blazing.

I laugh, reminding her that I did say it was amazing.

She huffs in derision. “I thought you had just found the beetleberry bush and gotten all excited. You are often strangely excited by food and plants.”

I narrow my eyes to argue, but… “Wait, you found a beetleberry bush?”

Tovi rolls her eyes and signals for me to follow her in a dramatic display, feinting a punch to Riley’s ribs as we pass.

“Beetleberries!” Tovi announces in a flourish in front of a huge bush after a few minutes of walking, which earns her a squeal that sounds like it came from a child.

---