Chapter 201
Wake and I leave the tower room in silence, the echoes of Khale and Rhea’s reunion still fresh in my mind. My heart feels heavy with emotions I can’t quite name—hope, relief, but also an underlying urgency that gnaws at me.
The corridors of the palace are eerily quiet, the bioluminescent orbs lining the walls casting a soft, pulsing glow through the water.
The hushed murmur of distant voices, the occasional flicker of shadow as someone swims past an archway—it all feels strangely surreal, as if the entire palace is holding its breath in the wake of everything that has happened.
“We’ll be staying in the palace tonight,” Wake says, his voice breaking the silence. “Khale’s coronation is tomorrow.”
I nod, already thinking ahead. “And after that, we go to the island now that we have safe passage.”
Wake glances at me, his brows furrowing slightly. “Do you think Cora will leave Khale so soon? Especially after everything that’s happened?”
I exhale slowly, considering. “I don’t think she has a choice. Not if she wants to free Delphinium. We need to move quickly.”
Wake’s expression darkens slightly, his gaze becoming distant. His jaw tenses, and I know he’s deep in thought. His fingers twitch at his sides, like he’s working through something he can’t quite put into words yet.
“You don’t think we’re already too late, do you?” I ask, my stomach twisting with anxiety.
He shakes his head, but his thoughtful expression remains. “I have ways of receiving information from home,” he says slowly. “I haven’t heard any unfortunate news.”
He pauses, his lips pressing together in a firm line, as if deciding whether to say more.
“Only what?” I press, my heart pounding.
“That’s precisely the thing,” he murmurs. “I haven’t heard anything.”
A chill runs through me, prickling along my spine. Silence isn’t reassuring. Silence is ominous.
“Could the Darklite be hindering you?” I ask.
“Possibly.” But he doesn’t sound convinced. His brow furrows deeper, as if he’s sifting through unspoken concerns, things he’s not ready to voice just yet.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “I feel like this is my fault,” I admit quietly. “That we’ve been detoured for too long.”
Wake stops in the corridor, turning to face me fully. His hands find my arms, his touch firm yet grounding. “That’s not true,” he says, his voice steady. “While it is crucial that we return to the Deep Abyss as soon as possible, I can acknowledge that the scope of my mission has changed. We’ve made important headways, Phoebe. Headways that may turn the tides of war in our favor soon—all because of you.”
The word makes me shudder. “War… that can’t be what things are coming to.”
Wake’s expression darkens. “That’s been hovering on the horizon for far longer than you’ve known of our world,” he says. “My only regret is that, as Electra’s Heir, you will be in the thick of it all.”
I lift my chin. “You won’t be alone,” I remind him. “You’ll be Dagon’s Heir. And now, we have Tangaroa’s rallying behind us as well. We’ll find others, Wake. We’ll bring them to our cause.”
Wake exhales, his gaze searching mine. “We’ll have no other choice.” He shakes his head, then runs a hand through his hair. “But enough talk of the fate of the world. We moved mountains today, Phoebe. This night is ours to savor.”
His fingers brush against my cheek, the touch featherlight yet electric. His calloused fingertips trace a slow path down to my neck, his thumb brushing over my pulse. The shift in his expression is subtle but undeniable—a softness overtaking the weight of worry. There’s something else in his gaze now, something deeper, something that makes my breath catch in my throat.
He leans in, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that is long and slow, unraveling the tension coiled inside me. My arms loop around his neck, pulling him closer, feeling the solid warmth of him against me. His scent—petrichor and brine, crisp and familiar—fills my senses, grounding me in the moment.
Wake deepens the kiss, his hands finding my waist, his grip firm yet reverent. He guides me back toward the wall, moving with a patience that contradicts the storm I can feel thrumming just beneath his skin.
The stone is a cold barrier behind me as he follows, his body pressing into mine, solid and warm despite the frigid ocean water around us.
My fingers dig into his back, feeling the powerful muscles shift beneath my touch. Every movement, every kiss, every brush of his skin against mine unravels me further.
The world outside this room can wait. For now, this night is ours.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
