Page 46 of Swipe Right for Stardust

Her eyes searched mine before she nodded. Her voice was soft at first, unsure, but it grew stronger as she continued. The melody was unfamiliar to me, but hauntingly beautiful.

As she sang, the water around us began to calm. Ripples of light danced across the surface, responding to her voice. I stood transfixed, captivated by both the otherworldly display and the woman in my arms.

When Vanessa finished her song, the cavern fell into an almost reverent silence. We held each other, lost in the magic of what we’d just experienced.

“That was...” I started, struggling to find the right words.

“Yeah,” Vanessa agreed softly.

Reluctantly, I set her down, keeping one arm around her waist to steady her. With my free hand, I carefully filled our container with the now-calm Echoing Water.

As we waded back to shore, the word ‘mate’ echoed in my mind once more, but this time, it didn’t feel so alien.

We climbed onto dry land, both of us dripping wet and slightly breathless.

“We did it,” she said, grinning.

“We did,” I agreed, unable to stop myself from returning her smile. “You were incredible.”

We stood there, on the precipice of something more. The urge to pull her close, to capture her lips with mine, was almost overwhelming. But the rational part of my brain reminded me of our mission, of the race we still needed to win.

Vanessa seemed to sense my internal struggle. She placed a hand on my chest, her touch sending sparks through my body. “Zarnak, I-”

A distant sound echoed through the cavern, breaking the spell. We both turned towards the noise, our competitive instincts kicking in.

“Rachel and Tarnox,” I muttered. “They must be nearing the exit.”

VANESSA

We materialized in a whirlwind of white. My stomach lurched, and I stumbled, barely keeping my footing on the icy ground. Zarnak caught me effortlessly.

“Thanks,” I breathed, looking up at him.

His closeness sent a shiver through me that had nothing to do with the biting cold. Memories of our time in the cave flooded back, and heat rose to my cheeks despite the freezing air.

“Are you alright?” Zarnak asked, his breath visible in the frigid air.

I nodded, reluctantly stepping away from his warmth. “Just a little disoriented. This place is... wow.”

We stood in a vast, ever-changing landscape of ice and snow. Crystalline formations rose and fell around us, reshaping themselves before our eyes. Swirling flurries danced in the air, creating mesmerizing patterns.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, “but deadly.”

Zarnak nodded, his eyes scanning our surroundings. “We need to be cautious. This terrain is unpredictable.”

I smile. “Good thing we make such a great team, huh?”

I forgot about the cold, the race, everything except the connection between us. Had our intimacy in the cave made us even more in sync?

A chirp from my backpack broke the spell. “Oh! Taffy!” I quickly unzipped the pack, checking on our little companion. The tentacled creature curled up contentedly in a nest of thermal fabric. “You okay in there, buddy?”

Zarnak watched me fuss over Taffy with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “We should activate our cold-weather gear,” he said, reaching for the controls on his suit.

I nodded, fumbling with my own controls. As we worked, our hands brushed together, sending sparks through me.

“So,” I said, eager for a distraction, “any ideas on how to navigate this winter wonderland?”

Zarnak studied the shifting ice formations. “There seems to be a pattern to the changes. If we can discern it, we might be able to predict safe paths.”

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