Page 57 of Heart of the Summer Queen

“Why must you be so stubborn?”

I just stare at him, refusing to yield.

He runs a hand down his face. “You will not change your mind?”

“I will not.”

Heaving a sigh, he releases my shoulders. “Very well,” he says reluctantly. “Zaroy Eels have poor vision and rely on detecting vibrations to hunt prey.”

“So, the slower I move through the water, the less likely it is they’ll detect my presence?”

Elaric nods. “They also possess the ability to smell blood. A single drop will send them into a frenzy.”

I glance down at my limbs, searching for any open wounds. Thankfully, the branches left no cuts.

“I’m in half a mind to haul you over my shoulder and drag you back to the palace,” he grumbles.

“Then you’d have to make me your prisoner again, or else I’d simply leave and come back here myself.”

“I know,” he admits. “And that’s the only reason I’m not dragging you back home.”

Home.

Warmth blooms through my whole being. Even though he asked for our marriage to be dissolved, he still regards the Crystal Palace as my home.

I quickly smother the spark of hope, lest it distract me from the task ahead. Inhaling sharply, I step closer to the water again.

“At the first sight of you in danger,” Elaric warns, “I will freeze them. The whole damned lake if I must.”

I dare not argue with the fierceness in his words.

Cautiously, I peer into the lake, searching for any sign of the creatures. I linger over the edge for a minute and then another, but no flash of scales appears.

Then I tentatively dip my fingers into the water, ready to retract them. Only liquid meets my skin.

Growing bolder, I stir the surface, disturbing it. No frenzied fangs emerge.

Heart racing, I next immerse my toes. The water remains still.

And then, as slowly as I can, I slip into the lake.

twenty

Cold water rushes over me, and I shiver. Despite my immunity as the Summer Queen protecting me from Elaric’s magic, it does nothing to prevent the natural chill of the lake from seeping into my body. Having grown unaccustomed to the sensation of coldness, the icy temperature permeates deep into my bones.

I hold as still as I can, kicking ever so gently to stay afloat. Elaric’s gaze burns into the back of my head. Without needing to turn around, I know he’s watching my every move.

Several yards ahead, the surface ripples. I tense, readying myself in case a Zaroy Eel emerges and charges in my direction. But if one does, I have little hope of defending myself. My only weapon is the small dagger strapped to my thigh. And it’s doubtful I could swim to safety in time.

I can only rely on stealth.

Luckily, the rippling proves to be the wind, and the water stills.

“Adara,” Elaric calls from the bank, his voice quiet compared to my thundering pulse. “Please be careful.”

What reassurances can I offer him? If I were being careful, I wouldn’t be swimming naked in a lake full of man-eating eels.

With a deep breath, I lower myself under the surface.

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