16. Nevarn

Chapter 16

Nevarn

K erry gasped. "You weren't teasing me."

"I was not." Why would I tease about the sea and islands?

"They're so big! How do they remain in the sky? They should fall." She gazed around raptly, and for a moment, a touch of pride flew through me. It was quickly followed by sorrow.

I was no longer Dastalon. My heart and soul belonged to the Celedar Clan. Would she find our way of life equally intriguing?

"They just don't," I said. "The gods' intervention, I assume."

"Tell me more about their gods."

"Let me capture an everlipe and once we're traveling toward the largest island where most make their homes, I'll tell you more."

"Capture a . . ."

"You'll see."

She hugged her waist and tension shivered across her face, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Molly looked up at her and did the same thing, wrapping her little arms around her plump belly.

"I thought we'd fly on one of the giant birds to reach the village," Kerry said.

"Normally we would, yes." If I called Faelest, would she come to me, or had she bonded with another? It had been three years. She probably forgot about me.

I didn't dare try.

"We'll ride out to the main island on an everlipe this time." I gestured for us to walk down the shore, and we didn't stop until we reached the sea.

Kerry kept crooking her neck in all directions, marveling at the wild ryvars soaring high overhead and the dots of islands spread out in the distance. The color of the sand and the sea. Her oceans were blue, and her sand was tan, something I couldn't imagine.

She even tentatively stroked the skin on my arm.

My breath caught, and I paused, waiting to see if she'd touched me with intention or if it had been random, but her hand fell away. She stooped down beside a delicate flower growing in the sand but didn't touch it. Wise, since some plants could give a rash.

She straightened and gave me a bright smile, and we continued down to where the sea lapped at the shore in rolling waves, Molly scampering along behind us.

"You're welcome to come with me while I capture an everlipe," I said. "Or wait here and I'll guide it back to shore for you to mount."

Her fluffy strips of hair above her eyes lifted. "Mount?"

"I suppose the creature could tug you through the water, but I've found riding on their backs much more pleasant."

"It's a creature?"

I smiled. "Yes. Wait here?"

"Sure." She notched an arrow in her bow and leaned over to study the water. Molly did the same, poking one of her back feet into it before pivoting and racing up the shore. She tentatively waddled back down to stand behind Kerry.

Tiny fish in various shades of purple fed near the shore, coasting in with a wave before gliding back out with the water.

Kerry watched them nibble on the short seagrass swishing with the current. "This is amazing."

"I'll be right back." After ripping off my clothing, leaving only a simple loincloth snug around my waist, I strode into the water. "This won't take long." A glance over my shoulder made me still.

She stared at me with her jaw unhinged and her eyes wide. "You took off most of your clothing."

"Saturated clothing would make it more difficult to capture an everlipe, though the gods would provide a new outfit for me once we reach the village."

"It's the best male bathing suit I've seen in my life."

Why was her breathing stuttering, and why was she staring more at my ass than the water? Was she actually admiring my body?

I couldn't take much credit for its appearance, that was a mix of my tall father and my broad-shouldered mother. Still, as I studied the seabed ahead, I kept grinning. Perhaps it wouldn't be hard for me to woo my new mate, not if she enjoyed viewing my body.

Spying a good everlipe a distance out to sea, I dove into the water and swam out to the docile creature. I latched onto its outer wing and stroked my fingers along its side. It quivered and undulated, savoring my touch. When I gently tapped on the top of its head, it nodded, though its head was more a pointed extension of its enormous, thin, scaled body than an appendage like humans and Zuldruxians had.

With a clump of its feathers tight in my hand, I carefully guided the creature around and tugged it toward shore.

My head and upper body burst through the surface as I strode toward where Kerry waited.

"I . . . Next time warn me before you dive into the water and stay there so long, would you?" she said. "I thought you were drowning."

"I grew up swimming in the water. The sea is my home. But I'll warn you next time." I plodded toward the shore, pulling the everlipe behind me with the creature slowly rising to float on the surface.

"Watch out," Kerry cried, lifting her bow and sighting down it. "There's a giant stingray behind you. It'll eat you!"

Molly peeped.

Kerry shot the arrow toward the everlipe.