22 The Mysterious Lake

As Kays had said, we met up with everyone at the Shinir Caves, where our overnight stop was planned.

To my surprise, they were glad to see us and greeted us quite warmly. I also noticed how relieved Nufira exhaled upon seeing Kays. However, almost immediately, a rather hateful scowl was thrown in my direction.

Oh, for heaven’s sake! It seems the blonde forgot who was bringing her here and with whose help.

Sighing heavily, I made my way to the place the men had prepared for us to sleep—something like a separate tent for the girls. Fatigue made itself felt, and I had an intense desire to wash off the road grime and all the dust.

Entering our tent, I simply collapsed onto one of the sleeping spots prepared for us. Around the other beds were the girls’ belongings, so it wasn’t hard to guess which one was mine. I was surprised to see something resembling a little night lamp.

My legs ached, my backside too—fortunately, that pain was gone thanks to Kays.

“Hey, Iza! Not asleep yet?” I heard Yafi calling from the other side of the tent.

“No,” I replied tiredly.

“We brought some food for you. Want to come out?”

Listening to myself, I realized that I was indeed hungry, very hungry. Plus, tomorrow would be no less difficult, so skipping dinner was not an option.

With a groan, I rose from my bed and went outside, where I met the two satisfied guys.

“Welcome to your first battle,” Yafi said with a smile. “See, Yaro, the girl turned out to be quicker than you, and not a single scratch.”

“Of course—under the protection of that mage,” Yaro punched his brother lightly on the shoulder.

We sat on huge stones, and they offered me food made of vegetables and some kind of meat. The meal was incredibly delicious, and I couldn’t hide the pleasure in my eyes.

“Do you like it?” Yafi asked, grinning.

“Very much,” I said, telling the pure truth, not exaggerating even a bit.

“Yaro made this,” the blonde added, astonishing me.

“Seriously? You studied to be a cook?” I asked the second brother in surprise.

“No, I just enjoy it,” the twin replied, a little embarrassed.

Our conversation wandered from topic to topic. The guys were very cheerful and interesting, constantly making me laugh and lifting my spirits. That is, until I brought up a sore spot.

“Ah, I could really use a wash. This dust is making me itch all over.”

“There’s a place for that,” Yafi responded. “We all bathed before you arrived. Come, we’ll show you.”

The thought of cool water revived me, and I darted back into the tent for a sheet. Taking the necessary item, I followed the twins deeper into the cave.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind—how quickly I had become comfortable with these men I barely knew, and here they were leading me into the wilderness… just the three of us… alone. My brain, at the worst possible moment, started projecting images and scenes from p**n, and the perspective suddenly felt unnerving. A shiver ran down my spine.

We walked long enough that I started to get nervous and wanted to turn the guys back to head out, when I suddenly heard a splash ahead and saw an incredibly beautiful mountain lake inside the cave. It was huge and unreal in its beauty. Through the ceiling of the cave, several openings allowed the moonlight to spill directly onto the water, casting a mysterious, ethereal glow.

But what caught my attention most was the silhouette standing waist-deep in the water, turning to face us.

A perfectly built body, with bright muscles highlighted by the moonlight and droplets of water on the torso, looked breathtaking.

Water trickled from Kays’s wet hair onto his tanned face, and combined with his piercing light eyes, it made me choke slightly and catch my breath.

I saw the mage’s eyes gleam menacingly as he looked in our direction. A moment later, the two twins who had accompanied me silently turned around and began walking back the way we came.