4

“It’s beautiful,” I say in wonder, shaking my head. 

“I still prefer Kaelea, but this comes in as a close second.” 

My eyes slide over to look at Valen. He looks straight ahead, holding a serious expression. But a small smile cracks in one corner of his mouth. 

I laugh, bumping his shoulder with mine, throwing him off balance. 

“You’re creating some unrealistic expectations, Valen Nero,” I say as I walk across the sand until the tips of my boots are touching the water. “I’m going to be disappointed by the time you actually take me to our planet.” 

My stomach knots as soon as I realize what I’ve just said. I stand stark still, my eyes freezing on one point on the water. 

Behind me, Valen is very still and very quiet, too. 

“I…” I scramble to make this better, to make things less awkward. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” 

Valen’s hand slips into mine and I look up into his eyes. “No,” he says, shaking his head. “It…it feels right. We have seen our lives there, we’ve seen our family there. It’s yours too, Nova.” 

There is so much weight to those four words. They’re so intimate and inviting and permanent. 

They’re a promise. 

“Valen, I-” 

“Do you know how to swim?” he suddenly asks, changing the subject and derailing the weight and seriousness of the conversation. 

“Swim?” I ask, my brain struggling to catch up with the change in conversation. 

A little smile crooks in one corner of his mouth and he nods. “I grew up on a planet with next to no water. After that, my life was lived on ships in space. I never learned how to swim.” 

A little laugh bubbles out of my chest. I shake my head. “My entire home planet is covered in skyscrapers. I didn’t live anywhere near the ocean or any lakes. I don’t know how to swim.” 

A mischievous little smile forms on Valen’s face. He kicks his boots off and takes one step into the water, grabbing hold of my hands firmly. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to swim.” 

“Valen, no,” I say, my insides turning serious as I tug back against him. But he’s slam strong and I’m pulled one step into the water, which leaks into my boot. “Valen, no! It’s freezing!” 

“You’re a Nero!” he says, pulling me another step into the water. “Warm the water around you!” 

“Valen!” I protest, but a smile pulls on my lips and I scramble to kick my boots off. They land in the sand with a soft plunk. Realizing he isn’t going to let me go, I crouch before leaping into the air and wrapping my thighs around his hips, clinging to him, trying to climb higher and avoid the freezing water. 

“You cheat!” he yells. His hands come to my hips, holding onto me tightly, but he keeps walking back into the water, sending splashes over me. I scream, but the water isn’t freezing anymore. It glows as it ripples around us, turning Neron blue. 

“You’re insane,” I bellow as he tips backwards and I only just suck in a breath before we crash into the water and we’re both submerged. 

I break away from Valen, flinging my arms wildly through the water in an attempt to right myself. My toes frantically search for the bottom of the lake, and a breathy huff of relief sails from my lips when I find it. 

Valen surfaces above the water, quickly flicking his head back and forth, sending water everywhere as it slips from his hair. 

“Do you know how to swim yet?” he laughs as he runs a hand down his face, swiping the water from it. 

“You are crazy!” I say, waving my arms through the water to help me keep my balance. My chin is only barely above water. “We’re both going to die out here! How are either of us supposed to learn anything with no teacher?” 

“Experience under pressure is supposed to be the quickest teacher, isn’t it?” 

He takes a step toward me and I can’t help but smile as his hands come to my hips. I relish in the heat his hands bring, warming me and warming the water around us. 

I feel all my senses blurring as he comes closer, his eyes fixed on my lips. Mine just start to slide closed. 

When suddenly his hands leave me and I hear the water rippling. My eyes flash open to see Valen already walking up the shore. 

“What-” 

“Get back to work,” he says coldly. He doesn’t even look back as he retrieves his shoes from the beach. “We have to get back to Isroth as soon as possible.” 

I’m half way out of the water when his eyes suddenly dart back to me, his expression wide and filled with horror. 

“What the void?” I demand, my brows furrowed, anger flaring through every one of my veins. “You-”