That’s all.
Shutting my eyes tight, I breathed out deeply and, trying to keep my voice steady, said, “Because feeling is easy in stories.”
I looked up at him to see his eyes fierce with curiosity.
Not Kiev’s eyes. Adrian’s eyes.
This is Adrian.
“What do you mean, Mona—”
“Irina!” I cried out. “Don’t call me Mona while you’re touching me like this!”
He pulled his hand away from me and shot to his feet.
“I don’t understand you,” he said, his voice traced with irritation as he turned his back on me, looking out at the pool.
“You don’t need to understand me,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. “Nobody does. All you need to know are my boundaries.”
“And what are your boundaries?” he snapped.
I fell silent.
I didn’t know anymore.
Since meeting Kiev, I’d pushed my boundaries back inch by inch, and now they were unrecognizable. I could no longer see where they began or where they ended.
I felt lost.
At that moment, I was grasping for any bit of solidity. Anything grounding. I began to feel dizzy. I stood up and grabbed Kiev’s hand, burying my head against his chest. He tensed at my sudden motion, then relaxed as he wrapped his strong arms around me, easing me against his body.
I felt secure in his embrace.
I hoped that just by touching him, some of the strength in his body would flow into mine. Strength I desperately needed.
I didn’t know where my boundaries started or ended anymore, but I did know that at that moment, Kiev was my rock. Keeping me anchored in the storm.
I lost track of time as we lay down next to each other on the rock. I shut my eyes, listening to the steady beating of his heart. I breathed in the scent of his skin, stained with salt water. He rested his chin on my head, groaning quietly as he took in my own scent. As he ran his fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp, I lost myself in the comfort I’d found against the contours of his body.
His deep voice rumbled through his chest as he finally broke the silence.
“Mona.”
I shivered as he said my name.
“Look at me.”
Trembling, I looked up.
The heat of his gaze left me struggling to breathe.
He reached his hands to my face, his thumbs brushing against my cheeks, and before I could stop him, his lips were on mine. Unlike how I’d imagined a first kiss might play out, I didn’t need to think. I didn’t need to wonder. But perhaps that was just because Kiev was a man who didn’t leave room for doubt.
What he wanted, he took.
I let out a soft moan as his tongue pushed through my lips. His mouth pressing against mine, he claimed all of me, not allowing me to surface even to gasp for breath. His hands slid down to my lower back, pulling me flush against him.
My lips danced to the rhythm of his kiss, my body in beat to his drum.
When he finally released me, I lay breathless, my hands flat against his chest. I stood up and stumbled back, staring at him in a daze, reaching up a finger to touch my lower lip.
His eyes still blazing, he stared back.
I suddenly realized how long we’d been out. The sky was beginning to lighten through the cracks in the rocky enclosure. Although neither of us spoke, we both understood that we couldn’t remain there alone any longer.
I slid back into the cool water, as did he, and we both made our way out of the cave. I ducked my head beneath the waves and called to the dolphins.
Shaking, I climbed onto Evie’s back and gripped on tight. I looked back to see Kiev do the same with Kai.
We didn’t exchange a word as we hurried toward to the shore. Evie rushed forward, and I didn’t look back again until the sounds of Kai swimming became oddly quiet.
I turned around to see that Kai had stopped, leaving Kiev floating in the water.
“What’s going on?” I called back, my voice hoarse.
“Kai,” Kiev said. “He… doesn’t seem well.”
Panic gripped me.
I urged Evie back toward them but as we approached, Kiev and Kai moved forward again, although much slower than before. I wanted to stop and check Kai, but the sun was dangerously close to the horizon and we had to get back. We still had some way to travel.
I kept Evie going at the same speed as Kai, traveling at half their usual speed.
I was relieved when I felt sand beneath my toes. We’d entered the shallow waters just before the main beach. As I was about to jump off Evie, Kiev swore. I whirled around to see they’d fallen behind again and this time it looked like Kiev had dismounted Kai.
I rushed over to them, and as I got nearer, my heart leapt into my throat. Kai was floating motionless in the water. His eyes had closed, his mouth hanging slightly open. I gripped the large animal’s sides and rocked him.
He didn’t respond.
“No. No. No!” I breathed frantically.
My entire body trembled as I continued to shake him, hoping that Kai would magically start moving again. Magic. That’s exactly what won’t happen thanks to me. The ogres were right, I don’t deserve to be called a witch.
I broke down. Kiev grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into an embrace, trying to dry my eyes and calm me down. But I could no longer draw comfort from him. His actions only made me panic further. I pulled myself away from his arms.
“Just leave!” I screamed at him.
He stood there, frozen, his eyes wide.
“Leave me! LEAVE ME NOW!” I bellowed at him until my voice broke.
He stared at me for another few seconds before stumbling back and moving toward the wall, casting confused—perhaps even hurt—glances back at me as he left.
Now that I was alone, grief took me. I caught hold of Kai’s fin, and, mounting myself once again on Evie, travelled into deeper waters, dragging him along behind us.
I only stopped Evie once we were a mile away from the shore. Then I kissed Kai’s head, my body racked with sobs, and let go of him, watching his motionless body disappear into the darkness of the ocean’s depths.
Kai was just a baby in dolphin years. There was no reason for him to leave me now.
I took Evie back to shallow waters and got off her.
Still sobbing uncontrollably, I kissed her head too.
“And this is where we part, my baby girl. You need to leave me now and never return. Don’t ever wait for me or try to find me again.”
Although I wasn’t speaking her language, I felt that she somehow understood what I was trying to communicate because she nuzzled her head against my waist.
“No, Evie. You need to be a good girl and leave me now. L-leave me.”