Page 69 of Obsidian Dream
Talik looked up.A small frown marred his face.He touched his shoulder, testing it out.“If we were to climb and fall, we would land in the water.”
Khalida couldn’t stop the shudder.An uncontrolled fall into the water would be disorientating.In muddy, silty water like that in front of her, they couldn’t predict how high the silt was.Or how quickly someone could be dragged through the water because of unseen currents.
“Khalida.”
She pushed down her shoulders and nodded.She detested being this vulnerable in front of anyone.It had taken centuries to convince the aristocrats of House Azaes she was worthy of her status as head of House Azaes’s security, and now, if they saw her, they would dismiss her in a heartbeat.But with Talik, it was different.Previously, she never wanted to show him her vulnerability because it meant that she needed him.“We can swim.”
He cupped her chin, grasping it until she was forced to look up.“I will be next to you.”
She shivered at his touch but refused to break eye contact.“You are the injured one.”
And yet she was the one about to break apart because of an irrational phobia.
“Thanks for the reminder.”Talik smiled, his dark eyes brightening.He looked down at his blasters.“The girls don’t do well in the water.”
“My swords will be fine.”She took a step back, slipping out two of her knives from their sheaths and holding them up.The serrated edges appeared menacing in the green light.She handed them over.“Have them.”
Talik’s eyes widened.“You do like me.”
“Don’t push it,” Khalida said.“The artifact is secure.The backpack should be waterproof enough that it will not destroy it.”
“Bold assumption.”
“Like you said.We don’t have a choice.”She shrugged.
The water was splashing onto their ankles, and it wouldn’t be long at all before the causeway was submerged.Talik reached out and tugged her closer to him, her shoulders brushing his.
“Are you ready?”
No.But she had no choice.She slowly nodded, internally focusing on all the logical reasons she did not have to worry about this particular body of water.The biggest one being that if they wanted to survive, they needed to get out of here.Tightening her hold on Talik, she squeezed his hand.Swimming was not the issue.She had forced herself to be comfortable in swimming pools, but unknown bodies of water—those she’d never been able to conquer.
“Like I said before, nothing will happen.You can trust me.”
That was what worried her the most—it was becoming far too easy to trust him.
Chapter Thirty-One
