He didn’t see her. His chest started to tighten, panic creeping in. What if he lost her like this? What if, after everything, he lost her going over a stupid waterfall?
“Cas!” Her yell came from behind him, and he whipped around and swam toward it as fast as he could.
He heard her breathing before he saw her. Em’s head barely bobbed above the surface, and she sucked in air before disappearing under. She resurfaced a second later.
He reached for her, his fingers finding her under the water. He tried to tug her up, but her body resisted.
“It’s . . . stuck,” she gasped, her arms flailing. “My foot is stuck.”
“Which foot?”
“The left one.” Her face disappeared underneath the water for a moment, and she spit out water when she surfaced.
He took in a deep breath and dove down. It was too dark to see anything, so he had to feel his way down her leg. At her foot he felt something slimy and stringy wrapped around it. He tugged at it, but it didn’t budge.
His lungs burned and he kicked to the surface, sucking in a deep breath. “I’ve almost got it,” he said. “Try to stay still.”
She nodded and he dove back under, grabbing her leg. He yanked on the vine as hard as he could. It finally released Em’s leg.
He swam back up, his hands finding her waist. She was shaking, and she immediately clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He circled one arm around her waist, using the other to keep them afloat. “It’s all right,” he said softly.
“Thank you,” she said, lowering her face into his shoulder.
“You’re welcome.”
For a moment the only noise was the water rushing and Em breathing against him, and he realized that he wasn’t supposed to be saving her. If he’d been thinking clearly, he might have remembered that he hated her. He should have been ordering her execution, not saving her life.
His last thought hit him like a blow to the head, and his stomach lurched. Was he really going to order her execution? Stand by and watch a soldier chop off her head, the way his father had with Damian?
No. The answer came immediately. He cleared his throat and tried to think more sensibly. If she were standing in front of him, being judged by Lera law, of course she would have to be executed. There was no other option.
Still, he couldn’t imagine giving that order.
He held her tighter. He would save her again, and again, no matter how angry he was with her.
“Can you swim?” he asked quietly.
She nodded, and his fingers brushed against her arm beneath the water as she untangled herself from him. She swam slowly, and Cas stayed next to her until they reached the riverbank. He grabbed onto his sword as he left the water, relieved it hadn’t been lost.
Her dress clung to every curve of her body as she walked out of the water, and he tried to avert his eyes, but he found it hard to focus on anything but her. She turned and met his gaze. Something in his expression must have given him away, because a blush crept up her cheeks.
She wouldn’t look at him like that if she didn’t have feelings for him. He was almost sure of it, but the tiny sliver of doubt made him want to scream.
“I think I need a moment to rest.” She clumsily plopped to the ground.
His anger disappeared almost as soon as it had come, leaving nothing but an ache in his chest. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and tell her everything would be fine.
“I’m going to see if there’s some fruit nearby,” he said, spinning on his heel so he wouldn’t have to look at her anymore. Was he really that pathetic? Was he really still harboring feelings for her, after all she’d done?
Yes. He definitely was.
Cas returned from the jungle with a few round yellow fruits. His cheeks and the bridge of his nose were a bit pink from the sun, and it made him even cuter, if that was possible. And he’d taken his shirt off and slung it over his shoulder. Em found herself staring at one particular drop of water making a journey from the base of his throat down the center of his chest. She watched as it rolled down, sliding across his skin and disappearing into the ridges of his abdominals. She had never wanted to be a drop of water so badly.
He cut open the fruit with his sword and handed it to her. They scooped out the sweet fruit with their fingers and ate it in silence.
He caught her staring and she quickly looked away. He wasn’t acting like he hated her anymore, and it was almost worse. It was easier not to stare at him, not to dream about his arms around her, when he was glaring at her like she was his worst enemy.
“Are you ready to get going?” she asked, getting to her feet. Her dress was still wet, but it kept her cool in the warm jungle, and she didn’t think she’d mind as the sun continued to rise. Cas put his shirt back on, though it had turned see-through when it got wet and didn’t hide much.