Page 51 of Tides of Shadows

“Go on,” he said low, almost a growl. “Show me. Is that what you want? For all of them to see you drown this city? To let fury rule you? To belong to nothing but the element? You have nothing to lose, do you?”

I panted, staring at him.

He was right.

I was losing control.

I forced myself to breathe.

“Good,” Dricus said, watching as I drew deep breaths, my chest rising and falling beneath his gaze. “Come.”

He took me to the stables, set me upon a horse, and ordered me to follow him. We rode past the city center and toward the harbor beach.

The sea.

We left the horses behind. I removed my boots and walked barefoot across the sand. The sound of the waves calmed me at once, as if Dricus had known exactly what I needed.

We walked slowly. The sun was already sinking.

“Will you tell me what happened,” he said.

“Nothing important.”

“Important enough that you nearly drowned half the palace.”

“I am tired of this place,” I said. “Of this city.”

He smiled faintly. “You are not alone in that.”

“What is your home like?” I asked.

“Emberhold?” He sighed. “A city of spice and smoke. Red walls, narrow streets, palms and rooftop gardens, hidden oases. Heat like the last pit of hells. Beyond it, sand and blood. It is not an easy place to live. But it is mine.”

I heard the longing beneath his words. Home. I had been thinking of mine more often as well. This city suffocated me.

I stirred the sea. The waves answered, their rhythm deepening. Dricus felt it. He looked at me with approval. He knew how difficult it was to keep an element in check. It was good to be with someone who understood. Someone who did not fear me.

We sat on the shore in silence, watching the sun sink into the sea. My arm rested against his. I felt the heat of him bleeding through the thin linen of his shirt. Beneath it, I knew there was nothing but hard muscle and sun-touched skin. I drew in a breath and his scent filled my lungs: sweat and sea salt, smoke and something indefinably him.

Maybe Aidenar was right. Maybe I was allowed to have desires. Maybe I didn’t have to restrain myself forever.

When the sun vanished, Dricus stood and offered me his hand. He pulled me to my feet. I stood fast and so close to him that my palms rested against his chest. I knew he felt it too. He could not stop looking at me. He didn’t let me go. We stood there in immortal silence. I waited.

I licked my dry lips. His gaze dropped there, and I took it as an invitation.

I kissed him. It was my leap of bravery.

His mouth was soft and hot from the sun. I tasted salt on his lips. I began gently, but couldn’t hold back. Being alone for so long, restraining myself from everything.

I let my tongue slide against his, and he answered.

Our powers brushed. Intertwined. A rush of euphoria bloomed between us, as though the elements themselves had been waiting for this dance. Heat surged through me, softer this time, asking rather than taking. This time I wasn’t afraid. I was ready. I let the warmth spread through my body.

Dricus kissed me deeper, more fervently. I moaned softly.

He gripped my wrists tightly and stopped.

He tore his lips from mine, holding my wrists with crushing force, almost painful, and pushed me away.