Page 45 of Swipe Right for Stardust

As we made our way through the cavern, the sound of rushing water grew louder. My excitement built as I realized we were nearing our objective: the underground lake containing the Echoing Water.

“We’re getting close,” I told Vanessa. “The Echoing Water is a fascinating substance. It has unique acoustic properties that allow it to-”

“Zarnak,” Vanessa cut me off gently. “As much as I love hearing you geek out over alien water, maybe save the science lesson for after we win?”

I laughed, scrubbing at my mane. “You’re right. My apologies.”

We rounded a corner and found ourselves on the shore of a vast underground lake. The water shimmered with an otherworldly glow, ripples creating mesmerizing patterns across its surface.

“Wow,” Vanessa breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

I tore my gaze away from her awestruck expression to scan the area. “There,” I pointed to a disturbance in the sand on the far side of the lake. “Rachel and Tarnox must have just left.”

Vanessa’s competitive spirit flared. “Then let’s not waste any time. How do we get this stuff?”

I pulled out a specialized container from our pack. “We need to collect it carefully. The Echoing Water is highly reactive to certain frequencies. If we’re not cautious, we could trigger a resonance cascade.”

“In English, please?” Vanessa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It could create a very loud, potentially dangerous sound wave,” I explained.

Vanessa nodded. “Got it. So, quiet as church mice. No problem.”

As we approached the water’s edge, the way the ethereal light played across Vanessa’s features was captivating. And the memory of our intimate encounter kept creeping into my thoughts, making it difficult to concentrate.

“Zarnak?” Vanessa’s voice snapped me back to reality. “You’re staring again.”

“My apologies,” I said, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “I was just... admiring the view.”

A slow smile spread across Vanessa’s face. “The view, huh? And here I thought you were checking me out.”

“I... well...” I stammered, caught off guard by her directness.

Vanessa laughed, the sound echoing across the cavern. Suddenly, the lake’s surface began to ripple more intensely.

“Uh oh,” Vanessa whispered. “Was that my fault?”

I nodded, quickly assessing the situation. “We need to act fast. The water’s becoming unstable.”

Without thinking, I scooped Vanessa into my arms and waded into the lake. The cool water lapped at our bodies as I carefully maneuvered us towards the center.

“What are you doing?” Vanessa hissed, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

“Trust me,” I murmured, my lips close to her ear. “We need to neutralize the sound waves. And for that, we need to be in the water.”

I felt Vanessa shiver, and not from the cold. Our bodies were pressed close, the intimacy of our position not lost on either of us.

“Okay,” Vanessa breathed. “What do we do now?”

“We need to create a counter-frequency,” I explained. “Vanessa, I need you to sing.”

She pulled back, looking at me incredulously. “Sing? Are you serious?”

I nodded. “The Echoing Water responds to harmonics. Your voice should be able to stabilize it long enough for us to collect our sample.”

Vanessa bit her lip, uncertainty clear on her face. “I don’t know, Zarnak. I’m not exactly a songbird.”

I cupped her cheek, our faces inches apart. “You can do this, Vanessa. I believe in you.”

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