POV: Nernia
Ever since Kaelen pulled away—ever since those awful words left his mouth—I couldn't bring myself to look at him. The ocean felt colder, emptier, even though it shimmered with morning light. I spent my days training with the guards, learning to control the subtle pulses of water that now responded to my moods, and my nights avoiding the places I knew Kaelen would be.
He didn't try to speak to me. Maybe that made it worse.
I found comfort in the company of Thorne. He was a smooth distraction, always ready with a flirtatious comment or a playful smirk. But no matter how charming he was, my chest ached with something unresolved. Every time I saw Kaelen in the corner of my vision—his eyes dark and unreadable—I had to force my focus elsewhere.
"You're awfully quiet today, Princess," Thorne said, twirling his practice blade before offering me a mock bow. "Thinking of someone?"
I gave him a dry smile. "Thinking of slicing that smirk off your face, actually."
He grinned, undeterred. "Then I must be growing on you."
I chuckled softly but didn't answer. I felt the unmistakable pull in the current—a shift in the water that only Kaelen's presence brought. My spine straightened, but I kept my gaze trained on Thorne. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
Kaelen didn't speak. He stood a few meters away, watching. Judging. Regretting? I didn't know anymore.
When training ended, I swam straight to the coral corridor, pretending I didn't feel his eyes follow me. Pretending I didn't ache for him to say anything.
POV: Kaelen
I deserved her silence. Gods, I deserved worse.
The kiss haunted me. Her lips had tasted like sea-salt and defiance. Her gaze afterward—betrayed, confused, vulnerable—was carved into my memory. But I had told her to forget it. Told her I didn't love her.
What else could I say? That I was bound by a prophecy to protect her? That falling in love with her was dangerous—for both of us?
I punched the side of a stone wall, feeling the sting split my knuckles. She was all I could think about, even when I tried to convince myself otherwise.
When I saw Thorne with his hand too close to her waist, I nearly lost it again. And now… now she avoided me like I was a wound she wanted to forget. I couldn't blame her.
POV: Nernia
Later that night, I escaped to the surface again—this time to a seaside tavern far from the royal docks. I needed air, laughter, music—something to drown out the thudding pain in my heart.
I was one drink in when Thorne arrived, somehow knowing exactly where to find me.
"You have a talent for vanishing," he said, sliding onto the stool beside me.
"And you have a talent for finding people who don't want to be found."
He laughed, ordering something strong and sweet. "I just go where the current pulls me."
We drank, talked, laughed. I might've leaned closer than necessary. He might've brushed my arm with more than just intention. I didn't care. Or I told myself that I didn't.
Then—too close. His face in mine. Lips almost touching.
And then—
"What the hell is going on here?"
Kaelen.
He looked like a storm about to break—eyes fierce, jaw tight, body practically shaking.
I stood, wobbling slightly. "What are you doing here?"
He didn't answer. Just glared at Thorne, then back at me. "What were you thinking?"
"At least he won't kiss me and pretend it meant nothing," I snapped. My voice cracked, but I didn't care.
Kaelen's jaw clenched. "You shouldn't be here. You're drunk."
"So what?"
"You're not safe."
"And whose fault is that?" I stumbled forward, but he caught me before I could fall.
"Let go."
But he didn't. His arm was strong and steady around my waist.
Then… the world spun. The last thing I saw before it all faded to black was Kaelen's face—full of something I couldn't read.
POV: Kaelen
I carried her back to the sea.
Even unconscious, she clung to me.
And I hated myself for loving it.