Page 105 of Sands of Atonement

After a minute of trying to find my breath, my body relaxed and leaned more against Ezra, knowing I was freely breathing again.

I wasn’t going to die.

I was going to live.

Unless Ezra let me go. Or if he decided to drown me himself.

“I n—need to g—get out.” I sniffed the excess water dripping from my nose.

His hold tightened for a moment. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

“I can’t—I can’t do this.” I couldn’t even look at his face, but my arm around his neck was an iron grip. I’d never felt so vulnerable in my life. With a squeeze of his forearm, he could easily kill me. Which I think I would prefer to seeing me at my weakest.

“What do you need?”

“I need to get out—just get me out, get me out,” I sputtered.

My breath quickened. He was going to kill me. But I knew that was irrational. In the back of my mind, I knew I was Casimir’s intended… but what if none of that mattered now? I tried to calm my breathing, telling myself it was just the fear of the waters.

“What do you need?” he repeated the question and didn’t move. I knew why.

He wanted to know.

A sob released from me. “Please, Ezra.” God, I was such a mess. Dignity was gone out the window—I was starting to forget who I was. Fear clouded my vision.

For a moment, I allowed myself to pry my eyes open and look at his face.

He was staring at me strangely.

There was no hatred or anger.

I felt my heart crack a bit, and I sniffled.

“I need stairs… something I can grab onto… please take me back.” I stared into his eyes—they were so dark with speckles of gold.

He didn’t want to hurt me. He was trying to help me.

My heart fluttered, and I relaxed for a moment.

“You can use me,” Ezra said in a low voice.

I shook my head, my wet hair clinging to my neck and shoulders. My face flushed—I would not use him while I bathed.

My eyes darted at the water once more, and then I realized how completely naked I was in his arms. I felt my body tighten.

I felt Ezra move his arm, and I swung my other arm around his neck.“Ezra⁠—”

“I won’t let you go. It’s okay,” he said calmly.

Ezra moved us near the side, but not close enough for me to dare make the jump. He reached for the bar of soap floating on top of the water and walked us back to the middle—even further than where I was drowning.

The water slowly descended around my shoulders and chest.

“The water is shallow here,” Ezra explained.

My arms were still around his neck, and his arm was around my bare waist. Neither of us was letting go.

“You can try to touch the bottom with your foot,” Ezra suggested. “When you’re ready…”