Chapter 159 Depth

Chapter 159 Depth
Nyx's POV

He looked at me for several seconds and I smiled sweetly. He sighed, smile tugging at the edge of his lips. I can see rydstrom from my peripheral vision giving him a “whipped man” expression. I can’t wait to see this man in love. It’d be comical. Drakthar would turn it to his soap opera. 

There was something deeply satisfying about Caelan’s sigh though because I had learned it over the past few weeks. It was the sound of Caelan realizing he had lost an argument before he had even agreed to participate in it.

“You’re enjoying this,” he called from the edge. 

“Very much.”

He shook his head but there was a smile threatening the corner of his mouth now. He removed his coat first, folded it neatly over a low branch then pulled off his shoes and rolled his trousers slightly before stepping into the lake. 

Even here, in the middle of nowhere with no one around except Rydstrom, he still looked like someone who had been raised to believe clothing should be treated with respect. I watched him wade deeper. His muscles bunch against his pale skin making my stomach dip. Fucking hell. I won’t ever get used to this kind of setting. 

“You’re folding your coat?” I asked. 

He glanced back at me. “What?”

“You’re in a forest. You don’t have to be civilized.”

“I am always civilized.”

I snorted. “You threatened a duke last week because he interrupted me.”

“He interrupted you three times.”

“He was terrified.”

“He should have been.”

I swam closer, grinning. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet you invited me into the water.”

“Because you’re pretty.”

He paused. It was so brief I almost missed it. His eyes moved over my face and the faintest warmth touched his expression before he continued walking into the lake.

“I see.”

I laughed, giving him a coy look. “Don’t get used to compliments.”

“Too late.”

By the time he reached me, the water was around his waist. He pushed off and began swimming and I expected him to be awkward simply because I had never seen him swim before. Instead, he moved through the water with effortless precision, each stroke controlled and economical, his dark hair slicked back from his forehead.

“You’ve done this before,” I said when he surfaced beside me.

“Swimming?”

“Yes.”

“Occasionally.”

“You’re annoyingly good at everything.”

“I have had several centuries to practice.”

“That’s cheating.”

“Age is not cheating.”

“It absolutely is.”

He gave me a look. I splashed water at him. He blinked as the water hit his face. I immediately started laughing.

“Don’t.”

His voice was calm but there was something in his eyes that made me swim backward. I pointed at him. “That sounded threatening.”

“It was a warning.”

“Oh, no.”

I turned and swam away but I heard him behind me.

“Nyx.”

I laughed harder and swam faster. He caught me in seconds. His arm slipped around my waist from behind, stopping me before I could get any farther and I squealed as he pulled me back against him.

“Caelan!”

“You started it.”

“I was joking!”

“So was I.”

“You don’t joke like a normal person!”

“I am learning.”

I turned in his hold, water running down both our faces and found him smiling. Not the restrained little curve he usually gave people. Not the expression he used when he was trying to hide amusement. It made something warm settle low in my chest.

“You’re getting better,” I said quietly.

His expression softened. “At what?”

I shrugged, suddenly aware of how close we were. “This.”

He looked at me for a moment before his hand loosened around my waist though he didn’t let me go completely. “I have a good teacher.”

I smiled. “Don’t make me regret it.”

“I wouldn’t.”

We stayed in the lake for almost an hour after that, swimming farther into the clearing, racing each other to the pale rocks beneath the surface and arguing over who had cheated when I very obviously had. Rydstrom remained at the edge through most of it, occasionally offering commentary that was so dry it made me laugh harder than the actual joke deserved.

Eventually Caelan and I ended up in the middle of the lake, treading water close enough that we didn’t have to raise our voices. The forest had gone quiet around us, the sunlight shifting toward afternoon as it filtered through the canopy.

Caelan glanced toward the shore. “The houseplant question was funny.”

“I know.” I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck as he held me in his arms. 

“The other part was less funny.”

I tilted my head. “The part where Rydstrom turned into me?”

His expression tightened slightly. “Yes.”

I laughed under my breath. “You really hated that.”

He looked at the water between us for a moment before answering. “I didn’t enjoy it.”

He reluctantly let me go when I wiggled. I swam a slow circle around him, close enough that my shoulder brushed his arm as I passed. “You know, you could have just admitted that.”

“I just did.”

I stopped in front of him. For a moment neither of us spoke. His hair was wet and pushed away from his face, droplets of water catching along his jaw and the hollow beneath his throat. Without the heavy clothes and layers he usually wore in Noctharys, without the crown or the formal posture or the constant awareness of being watched, he looked younger somehow. I reached out and pushed a wet strand of hair away from his forehead. His eyes followed my hand.

“I think it’s cute,” I said softly, my breath turning ragged.

His eyebrows rose. “What is?”

“You.”

He stared at me for a second then shook his head but I caught the smile he tried to hide. “Don’t start with me right now.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re about to.”

I chuckled patting his chest. “See? You’re learning my lines now.”

“Unfortunately.”

I swam another small circle around him, unable to resist teasing him when he was like this. “You were jealous of Rydstrom wearing my face.”

His gaze followed me through the water. “I disliked it.”

“That sounds suspiciously like jealousy.”

He sighed but there was no irritation behind it this time. “Perhaps.”

I smiled triumphantly. He reached out, caught my wrist as I passed him and pulled me back toward him until I was close enough to feel the warmth of his body beneath the cold water.

“You’re enjoying this far too much.”

“A little.” I kissed his nipple making him growl then I swam away giggling while Rystrom shake his head at us.