Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen
We drove in complete silence. I didn’t know where he was taking me to, but I didn’t care to ask.
“Aliyah, I’m sorry,” Ash says, sparing a glance at me. “It was dangerous of me to tell the Empress your location. They could have killed you, and it would’ve been entirely my fault. But I couldn’t bear to do nothing–not when I knew what he does to you.”
I couldn’t look at him.
“I’m really sorry, okay? I know I had no right to force all this on you.” He tried again, but when I remained silent, he gave up.
A few minutes passed in silence before I finally said, “You were right.”
His eyes snapped to mine.
“I shouldn’t have let him… feed from me. It was stupid. But after being locked in a castle and controlled for most of my life, I guess I craved something reckless–something fun. And maybe that’s what draws me to him.” I looked away. “I know he’s dangerous, but I’ve spent my whole life being kept away from danger. I want to know what it feels like to abandon caution. I miss him… And I miss him feeding from me. I guess the latter is just a side effect.”
“It will pass. He hadn’t been feeding long enough to cause permanent damage.‘
I nodded, not knowing what exactly to say to that–and then he stopped the car.
Both sides of the road were thick with forest, and the road itself stretched endlessly ahead.
“Why are we stopping?”
Ash stepped out of the car and walked around to let me out, but I was already climbing out.
“There’s a stream nearby. I don’t know about you, but I need a bath.”
He led the way, and I followed. We hiked into the forest. Thorns from the plants scraped my skin, and I stumbled more times than I could count, but eventually, we reached the stream. A small waterfall fed the pool.
I stared at it in awe. It was beautiful. It reminded me a little of the Lake of Youth–the one Julia showed me. Not particularly because they looked similar, but because they both had that magical feel.
Ash was already out of his shirt and pants and dove into the stream. When wet, his dirty blond hair looked closer to black, making his golden eyes stand out even more.
Without a second thought, I slipped off my dress and stepped into the water, surprised by its warmth. Then I realized he was watching me–our eyes met for a moment before he looked away, sinking deeper into the water to give me some privacy.
A soft sound of satisfaction escaped my lips as I sank neck–deep into the stream. The water held a strange kind of comfort. I found myself chuckling… and then I paused.
“Ash?”
He hadn’t resurfaced.
“Ash!” I called louder, panic creeping into my voice.
Then suddenly–he appeared right in front of me. I gave him a small shove.
“You scared me.”
****25 BONUS
Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen
He laughed. “Sorry.”
Once again, our eyes met, and I was struck by a sudden feeling of déjà vu. It took only a split second to realize why. Daemon and I had done something similar. Strangely, having this moment with someone who wasn’t him- even if it was just two people having fun and taking a nice bath still felt weird.
Ash must have noticed my discomfort because he quickly put some space between the two of us.
“The water feels so… calming.”
“I’ve been here before; I think the same, and sometimes I wonder if it is magical.”
I smiled at the fact that we had thought the same thing, and that’s when we heard the sound from the woods.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Perhaps a wild animal,” he suggested. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
I took his hand, and he led me out of the stream, tossing me my dress. I quickly pulled it on as he got dressed.
He walked beside me, protectively, his eyes scanning every part of the forest. Then, once again, he came to a stop.
“What?” I asked.
“Run. These aren’t wild animals.”
