Page 62 of These Godly Lies
Leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed, Anna can see thefatigue lining his smile despite the warmth in his eyes. She frowns, closing her book with gentle hands. “But Kaia—”
“She was the one who insisted on it.” He pushes himself from the frame, crossing the room and cradling her face in his palms. For a moment he only stares down at her, searching, before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. It feels like an apology. “You’ve been stuck here, alone, for the better part of a week. I’ve been suitably reprimanded for failing to properly host in her stead.”
Towering over her, he brushes the hair away from her face, fingertips brushing over her skin. “Besides,” he murmurs, his voice as soft as a confession. “I’m not certain my presence is helping anymore.”
Anna nods, understanding. In grief, there are times where being alone feels like being untethered. Sometimes, though, losing oneself in mourning is exactly what’s needed in order to face it. She sets her book on the bed. “Where are we going?”
“I thought I’d show you some of the connecting caves—help you get your bearings.” He flinches, his smile apologetic. “I realized you’ve probably avoided exploring them too closely for fear of getting lost in them.”
He’s right, of course. What little investigating she’d done had been kept close to the main branch of tunnels that connected to their room. She hadn’t even trusted herself to try and find the kitchen. His warnings about the tunnels had stuck with her and now, without his ring to tether him to her, she wasn’t willing to risk what getting lost in them might mean.
She follows him out of their room, their hands linked as he leads her through the maze of tunnels. Lights line the walls, their glow otherworldly. Ten minutes of walking, and she realizes that the temperature has risen, the air more humid. It’s the scent that gives it away. “Is that sulfur?”
“There are a few underground hot springs,” he confirms, eyes sliding to meet hers. “We can start there, if you’d like?”
“Is that what you wanted to show me?”
His laugh is breathy, spun of wishes and weak hopes. “Have you forgotten, Anna? I want to show youeverything.”
In her chest, her heart gives an answering hum. “Is that what you wanted to show metoday?”
“No,” he admits, gaze soft. “What I had in mind is a bit farther down.”
She gives his hand a gentle squeeze. “Let’s start there, then.”
He squeezes back, warmth in his answering smile as he leads her farther into the tunnels. She unbuttons her coat as they walk, the chill fading faster than should be possible. Another few minutes and she’s removing it entirely, draping it over Khiran’s offered arm.
“Are these tunnels…?”
“Kaia’s magic branches out differently than Eira’s. Her pathways travel the same distances, but they remain open.”
Anna frowns. “How does she keep mortals from stumbling on them?”
“They’re connected by water.” He tips his head, gesturing to the network of tunnels they’ve already passed through. “Dive deep enough, and those hot springs will lead you to Japan.”
No wonder she doesn’t have a problem with strangers roaming her halls. The entrances are too deep for most to find. Even if they did, very few would be foolish enough to risk entering an underwater cave without knowing what’s on the other side of it.
He takes a final right turn, the tunnel opening up into a yawning cavern and a large underground lake that looks deep enough to swim in, but it’s the light scattered like stars across the rocky walls, the reflection of them on the still water, that robs Anna of her breath. “How?”
“It’s not quite as romantic when you know the truth of it.” His eyes, dark in the dim, drink in her awed expression. Savoring her wonder, the way he promised he would. “Let yourself believe it to be magic for just a little bit longer.”
It’s not a hard ask. Anna is almost convinced that itisotherworldly. “It’s beautiful.”
His smile is soft as he kisses her knuckle. “Come, let us get closer.” Khiran leads them to the water’s edge, pausing only a moment before releasing her hand. He pulls his shirt over his head, leaving itto the rocky shore at his feet, before starting on the button of his pants.
Anna watches the way the muscles of his back and shoulders move and flex. “What are you doing?”
The pants join his shirt, leaving him in nothing but a pair of pinstriped boxers Anna recognizes as having come from the drawer in their borrowed dresser. Not for the first time, she wonders if that room has always been his. “Swimming,” he answers simply, casting her a look over his shoulder. There’s a playful challenge in the way his brow rises, the corner of his mouth hinting at a smile. “Are you coming?”
She hesitates, her gaze lingering on the star dappled water. “Is it cold?”
The laugh that leaves him is deep and throaty as his hands settle at her hips and pull her closer. “Would I invite you to swim if it was?” he asks, the question a breath at her ear. He pulls the coat from her arms and drops it to the rocks at their feet, before his fingers play with the buttons lining the front of her dress. “Come into the water with me, Anna. Help me remember the beauty of it all.”
She swallows. Wets her lips. The warmth he inspires wars with the nervous fluttering of her stomach as she reaches for the top button. “I won’t go in all the way,” she warns, but the words sound too breathless to be taken with any seriousness. Khiran is too distracted undoing the remaining buttons, watching her dress fall from her hips to her feet. The satin slip clings to her skin, offering enough coverage for her to feel like she’s not entirely exposed. Despite having these caves entirely to themselves, she still feels a little less vulnerable with it on.
He takes her hands, walking backwards into the water. Anna follows until the bottom half of her slip sticks wetly to her thighs. She expects him to stop, or at least slow, but he continues leading her deeper without any hesitation. It dawns on her, then, that he doesn’t know her panic a few days ago was born from more than the disconcerting feeling of being surrounded by ocean, but the fear ofdrowningin it. “I can’t swim, Khiran. I don’t know how.”
Finally, his steps falter. The playful curve of his lips wavering. “You’ve walked this earth for eight centuries.” There is no cruelty in the words, only bewilderment. Anna sees it for what it is: a reminder of their differences.
