Page 89 of Mirror of Malice


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“How about a swim first?”

I raised my eyebrows. “A swim in this weather?”

He lifted a shoulder. “We’re already wet. Afraid of a little more water?”

I narrowed my eyes at his stupid taunt, knowing it was working. “Not at all.”

In one fluid motion, I dove in next to him, not even caring that I was fully clothed. The cool water enveloped me. I emerged and splashed Penn in the face.

He nodded his head. “C’mon. There’s something I want to show you.”

He turned in the water and swam, and I followed him, loving the feel of the sea water gliding against my skin. I used to swim in the ocean with my father. We’d travel hours to the Elwen coast. The water was cooler, the temperatures that far south not ideal for swimming, but I never cared. Whenever we visited the coast, I’d beg my father for a chance to swim.

Eventually we came upon a little cove, smooth rocks spread out around it. The water became shallower as we got closer, and I no longer had to swim. I stood and splashed through the ocean until my feet hit the rocks. My chiffon stuck to my skin, sticky and thoroughly soaked. I took a step forward and slipped, falling backward and right against Penn’s very hard, very bare, chest. My fingers curled into his skin, and for a moment, I just stared at the soft blond curls on his chest, the ridges and defined muscles of his abdomen, that stark V that dipped down below his trousers. The contact left me breathless until I realized what I was doing and quickly jumped away.

Penn’s gaze bore into me.

“Thank you,” I said, looking to the sea and cursing myself for once again acting like a lovesick fool around him.

We walked into the cove, and my breath caught in my throat at the sight. Crystals shined on the walls, glowing purple, blue, yellow, and pink.

“It’s beautiful.” I stood in the middle, taking it all in.

Rain pounded down outside, the crash of waves accompanying the sound. But in here it felt safe, cozy, and beautiful.

I sat on the sand before laying down and looking up. Penn lay next to me, resting his hands on his stomach.

“I didn’t know you liked to swim,” I said.

“My parents used to take me to the southern coast in Elwen, and we’d swim together in the ocean.”

I let out a soft laugh. I never thought I’d have anything in common with the king of thieves.

“I haven’t been able to swim in the ocean for a long, long time. So I decided since you were busy with Gabrielle, I’d do something I enjoyed.”

I turned my head. “The king of thieves? Doing something for fun? Surely I couldn’t have heard that right.”

“Well, someone told me I’m too obsessed with work.”

“She sounds wise,” I said.

“She’s a smart-ass,” he replied. “But she might also have been right.”

“I’m going to need you to say that more often.”

He brought his hands up behind his head. “The smart-ass part?”

I shoved him, and he laughed.

“I discovered this place and thought you might like it,” he said. “You told me you and your father loved to explore new places together, discover the beauty in nature.”

I had told him that. I was surprised he remembered. And... touched. “I love it,” I said softly. “And I think he would’ve loved it too.”

Penn sat up, leaning back on his hands in a way that showed the bulge of his muscles. I sat up and crossed my legs in front of me.

“So what did you find out from Gabrielle?”

I told him everything she’d said about Sorrengard, the missing boys, the king and his mission, the pirate lord, and hisweapon. Gabrielle had trusted me with so much information, and relaying it all to Penn felt like a betrayal.