Page 81 of Artemysia
As I come down from the high, I hold him tightly, because deep in my stuttering heart, I know that in a world like ours, such moments of perfection exist only in dreams… And sooner or later, no matter how hard we try, we will be forced to awaken.
“I don’t watch her sleep. Only psychopaths do that.” - Riev
Ipull out of Delphine with a slow pop of the still-bulging ridge at the base of my shaft. She gasps at the sensation. With her panting breaths still replaying in my head, I shut my eyes, if only in an attempt to freeze this moment in time. Utter bliss. My mind has bled out of my ears and seeped into the glowing purple pools of water around us.
Holy shit. Why did I wait so long for this? No. This isexactlywhy I waited.
For the right soul, the right person. And she’s here, under me.
I can’t erase this damn idiotic grin from my face. My cock is still wet. With her.
I slowly sneak open one eye, and she looks as blissed-out as I feel. I’m probably crushing her, so I roll her to one side and snake an arm around her so her head isn’t on the hard rock.
This could be the best night I’ll everhave. I…have fallen for this woman. It’s a completely new feeling. She cares for who I am, and who I am is not a psychotic killer after all. I didn’t lose control, didn’t become overwhelmed by any beastly animal instinct. I’m probably not Syf, then.
Oddly, though, the scars on my back burned while I was inside her.
The scars have never burned.
But nothing happened. I didn’t lose restraint like I do when I’m fighting. Instead of fear, I felt the most incredible happiness. Connection. Affection. Rocked the most explosive orgasm of my life. I almost lost it right away. I mean, holy damn, it’s nothing like when I grip myself in my fist.
I cringe at what a disaster it would’ve been if I hadn’t lasted more than a minute inside her. If that was what she rememberedforeveras our first time. I thank whatever demons below and gods above there are for helping me last as long as I did.
Then I congratulate myself for being awesome.
Stop smiling like a moron, Riev.
Stop thinking the wordmore, Riev. That word doesn’t exist in a time and place like this.
Not for us.
The more I care, the higher the stakes are for me. I don’t care about saving the world. I care about keeping Delphine safe. We’re barely into this mission and we’ve both been injured.
I’m hit by the sudden realization that I still haven’t released her from my tight embrace, so I ease off.
The rocks on my back are warm but hard; I roll to my side and sit up.
She’s asleep on her side, breathing out of her slightly open mouth. Damn adorable. I tuck her under the thin towel I carried with us, pull on my underwear and pants, and check on our fire of burning shimmery rocks.
Barefoot, I pace the ground between the pools, searching for more of the silver-specked rocks that burn like coal. If this mineral is unknown to the Academy, then its potential as an explosive weapon has yet to be harnessed. Could I sell it to them? Buy my way out of being under the control of Galke? Better yet, lay claim to this resource in the forest?
Why don’t we know more about the forest?
Before I can mull over this mystery and the potential card I hold, a low rumbling quakes our cavern. I rush to Delphine, who stirs and sits up. I hand over her clothes and quickly throw on my shirt to strap on my knives.
“Earthquake?” she asks.
“We should head back to the entrance. Wouldn’t want to get caught in a cave-in.”
She nods, lighting our torch before stamping out our dying fire.
My heart is racing. Of course there would be seismic activity near geothermal springs. Something has to be warming the waters, which means this area isn’t stable. A volcanic lava tube underneath us could collapse and burn us up instantly.
“Left,” I shout as we reach the tunnel leading away from the pools.
The rumble, which starts to sound more like a roar, comes from our right—deeper in the cave system.
Delphine hears it too.
