Page 36 of Heart of the Cursed
“Nope.”
Selene stared at the river before turning back to him. “You are kidding, aren’t you?”
“Just wait and see,” he told her.
Arun didn’t want to let go of her hand, but he would need both of his for what he was about to do. So, he reluctantly released her hand and walked toward the river.
He could feel Selene’s eyes on him as he knelt down and placed his hands on the ground on the river’s edge. Closing his eyes, he blocked out everything except the beat of magic that pulsed all around him.
He joined his magic to the beat of the earth, letting it flow around and through him until they beat as one. Only then did he call to the trees. Growing and guiding their roots through the earth to the river. They broke the surface right in front of his hands.
He heard Selene gasp from behind him. Arun didn’t need to look to know what had surprised her. She could see the tree roots burst from the earth in front of him. As they stretched across the river, they entwined. Thickening and strengthening at the same time.
Clearing his mind to concentrate on building the bridge was difficult with Selene standing so close to him, but somehow, he managed it. By the time he was finished, a four-foot-wide bridge spanned the width of the river.
“Wow! That’s impressive,” she breathed.
Arun’s chest expanded with pride at her praise. He shouldn’t care what she thought about him, but he did. He didn’t want her to see him as the enemy. He wanted her to see him as a friend.
Or as a lover.
Arun quickly squashed that train of thought. No good would come from seeing her as anything more than a friend.
“Good job, handsome,” she smiled.
“See? You won’t even get wet,” Arun grinned. He added with a wink, “unless you want to.”
Selene rolled her eyes and shook her head before walking to the bridge.
“Is it safe enough?” she asked. “It’s not going to collapse under my weight, is it?”
“I should hope not,” he said, looking her up and down. “Unless you weight more than you look.”
Selene punched him in the arm. “I do not weigh that much. I certainly don’t weight as much as you.”
Arun raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, then, you should be fine.”
She scrunched up her nose in an adorable way as she looked back at the bridge. “Even so, I think I’ll wait until you’re across first. You know, just to be on the safe side. I don’t fancy going for a swim tonight.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. “I’m always up for a bit of skinny dipping, if you are.”
There was definitely a flash of desire in her beautiful blue eyes before she quickly hid it under a mask of indifference. As fleeting as it was, Arun had still seen it. She desired him. Maybe not as much as he desired her, but there was definitely something there.
And? What are you going to do about it?
Nothing. He was going to do absolutely nothing about it.
“Just get across the bridge,” she said, shoving him from behind.
Arun laughed as he crossed the bridge. “It’s not going to break, see?”
When he was halfway across, he jumped up and down to show her the bridge was solid. He had made sure it wasn’t going anywhere.
“I would piss myself laughing if it gave out on you,” she laughed.
“I bet you would.” Arun shook his head before continuing on to the other side. “Are you coming, or what?”
“If I have to,” she groused.
