I dreamed of water.
But it wasn't the spring. It was a vast, endless ocean glowing from below. Bright blue fish swam around me as if I belonged to them. In the depths, a male figure reached out his hand. I took it, and at his touch, I felt warmth. A surge of power. A sense of belonging.
When I opened my eyes, the fire was only embers. Declan was asleep.
He was slumped against the rock, his body finally relaxed for the first time since I met him. His face looked different in sleep—softer, younger, less haunted. His hair was a wild cascade of red and gold spilling across his forehead, unlike anything I'd ever seen. His lashes were ridiculously long for a man, and his profile looked carved by gods themselves.
There was something about his beauty that hurts. He wasn't perfect. But he was magnetic. As if his bones were made of something older, something not entirely of this world.
I leaned in slightly, holding my breath as I watched him.
—How did the gods make you this handsome? —I whispered, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.
He smiled. Just a little. Enough.
Was he asleep?
Or worse... had he heard me?
Dawn arrived uninvited. The cave wasn't as cold anymore, but my bones still ached from the tension of the night before. When Declan stirred and opened his eyes, my face flushed.
Without a word, we left the cave. He gathered our things with military precision and, when he offered me his hand to help me out, I ignored it with a sigh. Still, he walked close to me, making sure I didn't trip on the damp rocks.
The path home was silent. I didn't know how to look at him without remembering my stupid whisper. Had he heard me? Had he laughed silently to himself? The shame had my back straight and my gaze fixed on the ground.
Declan, on the other hand, seemed perfectly comfortable with the quiet. But every now and then, he glanced sideways, like he was waiting for a reaction. A faint, teasing smile played on his lips, one of those that mocked the world without saying a word.
—Do you always walk this stiffly at dawn? —he said suddenly, not looking at me directly.
I didn't answer. I just pressed my lips together and kept walking.
—I'll take that as a yes.
Another smile.
And then, without warning, he added:
—I liked what you said last night.
I froze.
He didn't turn. He just kept walking a few steps ahead as if he hadn't said anything important.
—What? —I asked, feeling my ears go cold.
—Nothing. Maybe I dreamed it.
And he kept walking, leaving me with my heart in my throat. Bastard.
I quickened my pace to catch up, my cheeks burning, my mind tangled. The sun was already peeking over the horizon when we finally saw the house through the trees.
We were back.
And for some reason, I had the strange feeling that the calm wouldn't last long.
...
I felt embarrassed, confused... but also, strangely calm. After everything that had happened, the logical thing would've been to scream, kick, or at least demand answers. But I didn't. I just wanted to get home and sleep. Or maybe not even sleep—just stop thinking.
We arrived at the house without another word. He opened the door and let me in first.
—I'll make you something warm. Don't take too long to change —he said without looking at me.
His voice had that firmness I was already starting to recognize as his shield. But beneath it... there was something else. Something he didn't want me to see.
—Thank you —I murmured, and went straight to my room.
When I walked in, Mrs. Melyra was already waiting.
—Miss! —she exclaimed, a mix of relief and tenderness in her voice—. Are you all right? You had my heart in a knot.
Her worry moved me more than I expected. Her tired eyes showed genuine concern.
—I'm fine —I answered softly, touching her arm gently—. Thank you for worrying, Mrs. Melyra. It's been... a complicated day.
—I can tell —she said, stroking my hair like a mother would. My eyes stung, but I didn't say anything—. I'll make you some herbal tea to calm your nerves.
—Thank you. You're kinder than I deserve —I whispered. She blushed softly before leaving the room. I held her hand for a moment, truly grateful—. For some reason, your presence calms me.
Melyra gave my hand a gentle squeeze before stepping out, and I stayed there for a moment in silence, breathing deeply.
I changed, and a few minutes later I was back in the living room. Declan stood by the fire, his shirt open, wearing only dark pants, drying his hair with a towel. I stopped for a second to look at him. The firelight carved shadows across his skin, and for the first time I saw him for what he was: strikingly handsome—but not in a superficial way. It was the kind of beauty you can't put into words. Something about him felt like it belonged to another era, another world. The lines of his back, the tone of his skin, the contrast with his red hair... and the scars. It was like looking at a living painting.
I approached quietly, as if the sound of my steps could shatter the moment. I sat on the armchair across from him, and for a few seconds I just watched. There was something strange in that stillness. A part of me felt like I was intruding on something intimate, but I couldn't look away.
—You have a lot of scars —I finally said softly.
—Each one has a story —he replied without opening his eyes.
—Will you ever tell me?
—Maybe. If one day you want to hear them —his tone was soft but enigmatic.
I bit my lip. There was so much I wanted to know about him... and at the same time, I wanted to run away. My curiosity was going to be my undoing. Should I be planning an escape, or had I already accepted staying? I needed answers before deciding.
He finished buttoning his white shirt and sank into the armchair. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting his red hair fall like an untamed cascade of fire. I was completely captivated.
—You seem made of something else... I don't know... —I whispered to myself, barely audible.
A faint smile appeared on his lips. My eyes widened in surprise. He'd heard me. My cheeks burned, and I sank into the couch as if I could disappear.
—Were you thinking out loud? —he said, still with his eyes closed, his smile growing a little wider.
I froze. I didn't know what to say. Then he half-opened one eye and murmured:
—But don't worry... I won't use it against you. At least... not tonight.
I covered my face with my hands, a nervous laugh slipping out.
—What is it about this place? —I whispered. Am I under a spell? How did I go from wanting to escape to... this? Did they put something in the tea?
This wasn't right. None of it was. And yet...
—Go to sleep, Sereniah —he said then, his voice losing its playful edge—. Tomorrow... we'll talk more. Be patient.
There it was again. That shadow in his tone. As if he knew something I didn't. As if everything I'd lived until now was just the beginning.
And still, I went to bed—in the middle of the day. I went to bed. None of it made much sense, and this wasn't the exception.
...
Hours passed. I hadn't realized how much I needed rest until I couldn't get up. It felt like I'd been running a marathon for days. It was more than physical exhaustion. My energy was drained.
—You slept until the next day —Declan said when I came downstairs, rubbing my eyes—. I guess the cave had more of an effect on you than I thought.
His voice had that teasing tone disguised as indifference, but when I looked up, there was something different in his eyes.
—Are you teasing me or taking care of me? —I asked sleepily.
—What if it's both? —he replied.