Okay. Remaining calm was so not in the cards with me lying in his arms. But he’d risked chafeage for me, so it would be uncharitable to refuse him. I leaned back, and he held me at the water’s surface while Leah coached me.
“Take deep breaths, Bree, and relax your body.”
Relax. Right. At least with Riggs holding me, I wasn’t inhaling water. He let me rise and fall with the waves…
“There you go, Bree,” he said. “Well done.”
I was floating. Of course, as soon as he pointed it out, I began to flail and sink. But I’d done it, and the next time I tried, I did better.
Adilyn finally got bored of her efforts and stood up. She glanced toward the beach, and said, “Hey. What’s up with the sword?”
We spun around to see the coppery skinned guy holding the scabbard. He was talking to Constance, who was doing a piss-poor job of guarding it.
As Riggs began to power his way out of the water, the guy grabbed hold of the hilt.
And drew the sword.
It shone in the sunlight as the runes danced over the blade. We all stopped dead. And then Riggs shouted, “Hey!”
The young man looked up and saw Riggs resume his progress toward him. He slid the sword back into the sheath and set it down.
“Chill, man. I was just admiring it.” He raised his hands, palms toward us, as we drew near. “Constance said you arrived with it? It’s an amazing weapon.” His tone was casual, but the look he sent Riggs was anything but.
Riggs loomed over him and then bent to pick the sword up. “It is mine,” he said quietly, but there was steel in his voice.
I was confused. How had the young man drawn the sword? “Who are you?” I asked.
His gaze moved to me, but it skittered around, as though he didn’t wish to look right at me. “My name is Tez,” he said. “I’m new here. Just arrived.”
“Tez was just curious about the sword.” Constance’s eyes darted from the young man to Riggs. “I didn’t see any harm in him checking it out.”
She wouldn’t, of course. To her, it was just a sword.
“It’s okay, Constance,” I said. “No harm done.” I grabbed Riggs by the arm—it was like touching iron. “Think I’ve had enough swimming for today. Why don’t we see if they serve supper early on our day off?”
Tez’s gaze moved to me—and this time, he eyed my rather damp, almost nude state. Riggs went even more rigid, and I hurried to pull my leggings and hoodie on over wet underwear.
I looked up to see the two glaring at each other. Tez didn’t back down, not exactly. The two men seemed locked in some kind of silent dick-measuring contest. But then, Tez said, “I’ll see you guys around,” and moved off.
Riggs—growled. A distinctly Dragonish sound, and I shot him a look. “He didn’t mean anything by it,” I said.
“There is something about that young man.” Sid stared after him. “And how did he draw the sword?”
“Try it.” Riggs handed the weapon to him.
Sid tried. And the sword refused to budge.
Adilyn was confused. “Isn’t it designed to be yanked out of the scabbard?” she frowned.
Constance, still lying prone, answered from beneath the arm she’d thrown over her eyes. “Not much good if it isn’t. Unless you plan on bashing people over the head with it.”
When no one else answered Adilyn, she rolled her eyes. “Okay, you guys are far too intense. I’m going for a buzz around the forest.” In a flicker of dust, she transformed to her Faerie state.
Sid’s eyes began to flash. “I’ll come with,” he was quick to offer.
As the two of them moved off, Leah vanished back into the waves.
“I hate to complain,” Constance said, “But you guys are blocking my rays.”
