Page 56 of Heart of the Summer Queen

I swallow down hard, concentrating on the task at hand. The lake. The cave. The herb.

It matters not if Elaric sees me naked. We share no intimacy now. This is a necessity, nothing more.

“It’s nothing,” I state as firmly as I can. Then I turn back to the lake and unclasp my cloak. Fabric rustles as it hits the ground, bundling around my feet. Next, I shuffle out of my breeches and leave them discarded with my cloak. And when I remove my tunic and am left in my undergarments, I hear the sharp intake of breath behind me.

Air kisses my bare skin. I make my mind as numb as the chilling breeze, doing my best to forget Elaric’s presence behind me.

Steeling myself, I peel off my undergarments. And then I’m left standing there, naked to the night.

I refuse to turn to see if Elaric is watching. I don’t need to know. I don’twantto know.

Edging closer to the water, I dip my toes into the depths.

Crimson flashes beneath.

I pause, crouching down to peer into the lake. The surface is still, and whatever I thought I saw is nowhere to be seen. Maybe I imagined it.

I dip my fingers in and stir the water.

Red whirs toward me.

I pull back my hand. Just in time.

Fangs snap up, narrowly missing my fingers. I glimpse serpentine eyes and ruby scales before the creature vanishes.

Gasping, I stagger backward and miss my footing, hitting the ground. Pebbles graze my bare legs.

“Adara!” Elaric calls, hurrying beside me.

His arm wraps around my waist, and he helps me onto my feet. Then my back is pressed against his chest, and thanks to the danger lurking in the depths, my nakedness is entirely forgotten by us both.

“What happened?” he demands. “Are you hurt?”

With a shaking hand, I point toward the now deceptively still water. “Something’s in there. Didn’t you see it?”

“I wasn’t looking,” he says tightly. “What was it?”

“Something long and red, with fangs that nearly bit my fingers off. It vanished into the water before I could see it properly.”

He tenses. “It must have been a Zaroy Eel.”

I just shake my head. “Maybe? I don’t know. I’ve never heard of them before.”

“You are not going in there,” he growls, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around to face him. “We’re heading back to the palace right now and forgetting all of this nonsense about Belinda and the sword.”

I glare up at him. “I’m not leaving.” Maybe it’s not sensible to jump into a lake full of monstrous eels, but I hate him ordering me around like this. Besides, there could be a way to reach the cave without being torn to shreds.

“Adara...” His voice rumbles in a warning. I refuse to heed it.

“I struck this bargain with Belinda, and I intend to uphold it.”

“This proves she cannot be trusted.”

“She gave you the sword when you returned with the wyvern poison.”

“She failed to mention that this lake is infested with Zaroy Eels,” he seethes. “I will not stand here and watch you be torn apart.”

“I’ll out-swim them,” I say with as much confidence as I can feign. “Surely they have a weakness?”

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