Page 252 of Primal Bonds

Whatever the reason, the land sloped up. When the water reached Fane’s waist, she slid off and walked alongside him until they stepped onto the dry blue tiles again.

Marjani instinctively started to scrape the greenish-black slime off her arms and hands—and then swore under her breath. “I’m clean.” She held up her hands for Fane to see.

“Me, too.” He showed her his own unsoiled hands.

“Holy mother, he’s good.”

Fane nodded grimly. “What time is it?”

“Two-thirty.”

“Less than four hours.”

Their eyes met. She knew his thoughts must be running along the same lines as hers. What did it matter if they had four hours or four minutes? They were no closer to escaping the castle than when they’d left the north tower.

Weak.

She dragged a weary hand over her face, her mouth gritty. “I’d kill for a glass of water.”

“Yeah.” He squared his shoulders, but his lean face was gaunt. The man was running on fumes.

Then they both froze as a door opened in the unending white wall, but it was only Ula, dressed for bed in a plain cotton nightgown, her hair in a long black braid. In her hand was a large glass of nectar.

“You didn’t get this from me.” She shoved it at Fane.

He took it and handed it to Marjani. “You first.”

“No, you.”

“Hurry,” the river fada hissed. “Arne’s distracting him, but I don’t have much time.”

“We’ll split it.” Marjani drained half the glass. It was just what she needed, quenching her thirst and spreading warmth through her tired and chilled body.

She handed the nectar to Fane, and he gulped down the rest before returning the empty glass to Ula. He touched her arm. “Thank you.”

“Yes.” Marjani gave her a quick hug.

The other woman jerked her head in acknowledgement, and then slipped back through the door. It closed behind her and the wall smoothed out as if nothing was there.

Fane rubbed his forehead. “Was she really here, or was that just another hallucination?”

“She was here.” Marjani rose on her toes to whisper, “We have a deal, me and her. When I get home, I promised to give a message to her family, but I think she would’ve helped us anyway.”

He nodded. “She’s a good woman,” he whispered back. “And thank the gods for that, because I feel much better.”

They kissed, and for a few seconds, Marjani forgot all about Sindre and the maze as a warm, needful ache spread through her lower abdomen.

The quartz was outside her hoodie, nestled on her chest between them. Fane lifted his head and traced his fingers down her neck. A lazy turquoise light swirled inside the smoky gray and purple, and he lightly stroked a thumb over it.

Marjani tensed, but it didn’t hurt—it felt good. She lifted her gaze to his. “No one can touch our quartzes but close friends or family—or a mate.”

“Sorry.” He lifted his thumb. “I didn’t know.”

“Don’t be.” She moved his thumb back to the quartz. “When it’s you touching me, it feels good, like you’re stroking me.”

“Yeah?” His grin was wicked. “Like I’m stroking you where?”

She slanted him a look from beneath her lashes. “Where do you think?”

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