That monstrous part of me was too deeply embedded into who I was now, a fact that made me nervous with how close she and I were getting. I knew Rani didn’t give one shit about it. She clawed her way in, walked right through the most dangerous part of me with that snarky little attitude of hers, and told the monster to get fucked right to its face.
Admirable, but dangerous. What if I snapped? What if one day, the bond wasn’t enough to keep me from hurting her? Sealing it when I wasn’t in control of the monster wasn’t a good idea. Thankfully, Rani showed no inclination to take that step quite yet. We were still having fun, learning one another. It couldn’t go further than that until I was confident it was safe for her.
For now, I was focused on helping her overcome her own demons.
Rani may look at me and see a lost cause, and her loyal heart refused to let her leave without trying to save him, but I wasn’t lost when it came to her. Only cautious.
“Why in the hell would I do that?” Rani crossed her arms and dug her heels in; her body language a picture perfect example offuck around and find out.
The afternoon was off to a great start—for anyone who thought that going head to head with a partially trained and pissed-off siren was a fun time. A subtle tang of fear mixed with her temper, and her magick reacted in kind, forcing me to brush another layer of frost off my arm.
I tried to hold back my frustration, but having my own power turned against me when she lost control was getting old, fast. With as much calm as I could muster, I pointed to the start of the wooden staircase cut into the cliffside.
“Because it’s either walk down those steps yourself, or I throw you over my shoulder and take you. The results remain the same; you’re going down there. Today.”
We’d been at this for an hour. It was a formality, really. I knew—more importantly,sheknew—who would be the winner here. Getting her down to that beach would be easier once she wore herself out arguing. Right on schedule, she widened her stance and set her hands on her hips. Her nostrils flared, and that little groove between her eyebrows deepened.
I had a feeling we were about to go with option two.
“I’m getting real tired of everyone pushing for me to move ontheirtimeline,” she snapped. “I’ll go to the beach when I damn well feel like it.”
I sighed, and met her scowl with one of my own. “I was one thousand percent serious when I said your safety was my top priority. Did you think it was a joke? Do I need to make another pinky promise?”
“Put your fucking finger away, Ezra. I know you meant it.”
A part of me wilted at not being able to prove my authenticity… but then again, she wasn’t very good at recognizing the power that came from two linked pinkies anyway. And this was important.
I closed the few feet that separated us and looked down. The gray in her eyes matched the clouds gathering over our heads. I loved the untamed view, but enough was enough.
“The djinn don’t give a shit about your timeline,” I told her, and tried not to feel guilty at her flinch. It soothed my heart when she didn’t push my hand away as I wound my fingers between hers. “I was all for letting you take your time this summer, but unfortunately, babe, we can’t afford to stay at this pace. Now, I can carry you, or you can walk beside me, but we’re going down to that beach before this storm rolls in.”
It was a long walk down, and the staircase was steep, but we made good time with Rani hanging on my back. I didn’t have to throw her over my shoulder like I threatened, but one look at the waves below and her knees had buckled. A piggyback ride was the better option anyway. With her long legs around my waist and her smooth thighs in my hands, I enjoyed the arduous trek to the private beach way more than my previous trips.
The roar of the surf drowned out all other sounds. With the approaching storm, the waters were choppy and rough and definitely not safe to swim in. It was a good thing the ocean wasn’t my plan. Cutting to the right, I followed the cliff face until it curved inward. A few deep caves revealed themselves around the bend, and I released my hold on Rani, letting her slide down until her feet met the sand.
Her face remained buried in my back, my shirt twisted in her grip.
“Look,” I whispered, the word barely audible over the wind.
I felt more than saw her peek around my shoulder, but her gasp of delight was a worthy reward. The mouth of the largest cave was low at the entrance, but I knew from experience that it opened more as you went in. I also knew about the deep pools in the back that trapped water at low tide; it was a perfectcompromise for a siren who needed the sea, but a woman who was afraid to meet it.
Wrapping my hand around Rani’s, I gave a gentle tug and started toward the closest arch.
“We’re not going in the ocean?” Rani asked, stumbling as she followed because she was too busy glancing behind at the object of her terror.
“I told you to trust me,” I replied, and she squeezed my hand in acknowledgment.
My breath caught like it did every time I entered the caves. The rock was beautifully domed above us, with stalactites of every size and shape decorating the large room. A small, attached chamber in the back was where I aimed. It was quiet here and cut off from the wind. The ceiling was smooth, save for a few baby mineral growths that dripped water into the many still pools below.
“What is this place?” Rani breathed, eyes wide with awe.
“A sanctuary.”
The deepest pools had a two-toned color; a rich azul top layer with a deeper blue beneath. My feet reached the bottom of most of them, but I was glad for the few large rocks along the edges that I could grab onto if needed. There, on the left, a generous blanket of sand circled my chosen pool on all sides. It was deep enough for today’s purpose, yet shallow enough that Rani wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.
If I could just get her inside.
I brought her to stand near the smooth rock I used to mark the start of the slope, then left to retrieve the towels I’d stashed and light the few candles set into the natural shelves on the nearest wall. Warm flames danced over stone, offering a comforting glow, but my nervous little siren still hadn’t moved.
