Page 73 of Avalon Tower
Heartbreaker.
I’m already growing breathless, and I start to swim toward the shore. I hear him swimming behind me. When I reach the part of the lake shallow enough to stand, I turn to look at him. He stands up in the water, his gaze searing me. Water spills down his bare skin in rivulets. The cool night air sweeps over my soaked dress.
Raphael’s gaze moves over me, and I glance down. My already thin dress has gone transparent, and my hard nipples are standing at attention. His fist clenches, and I see his jaw tighten. His heated gaze meets mine, and I think—for the first time—I’m seeing the real Raphael. The unguarded Raphael who forgot to manage his expression. My chest flushes.
“What made you decide to jump in?” I ask. “You’re not usually fun.”
He’s so close to me now, studying me intently. His expression looks almost desperate. “Because I wanted to kiss you, and I’m not supposed to. And you make it hard for me to stay in control of myself. You destroy my self-control, Nia.” His eyes flick down to my lips.
My breath quickens. My heart is still pounding from the wild thrill of the jump, and his heated gaze makes my soul light on fire.
“I can look, but you know, I’m not allowed anymore,” he murmurs. But his lips are hovering over mine anyway. Nearly touching.
I lick my lower lip, and his eyes flash at the movement. Our breath mingles in the air. My heart thumps rhythmically.
He’ll break my heart again.
I’m about to force myself away from him when his lips press against mine. Liquid heat cascades through me. He slips his fingers into my hair, gently at first, then tightening. His tongue slides against mine, languid and sensual.
I want more of him. Here in the lake, his enormous, strong body presses against me. His tongue sweeps in, tasting me. I moan against his mouth, and his kiss grows deeper. I’m back in those sun-drenched fields with the summer heat gilding my skin.
Slowly, he nips at my lower lip. With an agonized sigh, he reaches for my hips and lifts me until my legs are wrapped around his waist and the hem of my dress hikes up to the top of my thighs.
I kiss him back, and he groans softly. Heat radiates from his body, and I slide my hands into his hair. His fingers flex on my ass. I roll my hips against him, and his kiss grows more desperate, hungry. Heat flows into me, trailing from my chest into my core. I want to rip our wet clothes off and pull him down on top of me, into me.
With excruciating slowness, he withdraws from the kiss. He stares into my eyes, the silver in his pupils almost glowing. He lets out a long, slow sigh, and his expression looks agonized. “I’m sorry, Nia.”
My heart twists. He’s about to ditch me again, isn’t he?
“I was trying to not kiss you, pixie,” he says softly.
I take a deep, aching breath and unhook my legs from his waist, standing on my own in the lake. Of course.
“Same. Well, it was the mead,” I say, my voice cracking a little.
He turns away from me with his hand on his forehead. “There are rules at Avalon Tower about relationships.” His voice sounds husky. “It’s strictly forbidden, and of course it is, because it can risk the success of our missions. I can’t risk either of us getting kicked out. Especially not you, when I know how important you are.” He runs his hand through his hair and casts me one last look. “Next time, we meet in the daylight. I can’t let this happen again.”
He walks into the shadows, and I turn to stare out at the moonlit lake. I wonder which of these oaks was the one where Nimuë sealed up a heartbroken Merlin, trapping him in isolation for all time.
I brush my fingers over my lips. Was it just the mead that made him kiss me?
Heartbreaker. There’s the old Raphael again. I did warn myself, didn’t I?
I run my fingers over the clear, still lake water. I do truly feel at home here. Lady of the Lake. Could it be true?
Maybe Raphael should be careful, or he’ll find his tormented ghost haunting these apple groves.
CHAPTER 23
It’s a moonless night, and the only light cast on the dark waves is the faint glow from the veil. My breath catches as I stare at the shimmering fog rising from the sea. Mist spills over the waves as we bob in our tiny rowboat. We left the sailboat behind, climbing into this little thing so we could sneak up on the Fey barrier unnoticed.
Saltwater mists my face, and the buzz of the veil’s magic thrums and prickles over my skin.
It’s my fifth mission, but it’s the first time we’re entering by water. I’m not sure I feel ready for this.
Shadows cloak us, which makes Raphael, Viviane, and Freya happy. But for me, it’s making me more seasick to have no horizon. And I keep wondering if a sea serpent could be looming beneath the inky water.
The mystical fog floats over the waves, and as we move closer, I can see some tendrils of the veil beneath the surface. It plunges into the depths, all the way to the bottom of the sea floor.