under her nose. He was just in time. Val threw up, huge amounts of sea water pouring out of her mouth. Lucas leaned over her, one hand on her back, patting her gently, the other holding the bowl in place.
So humiliating.
He took the bowl away, disappearing into the bathroom and bringing her a towel and a cup of water. Her voice was scratchy and she blinked owlishly before saying, “You’re a very good nurse. Color me surprised. And embarrassed. Really embarrassed.”
He knelt down before her, looking up into her face , and his expression floored her. Was that how she looked when she saw him? Wonder, fear and more, chased across his face, faster than a flash of lightning. He gazed at her like she was a precious antique that had been lost.
She cleared her throat.
His hand reached up, brushing wet strands of hair from her face. His lashes were thick. A dark golden color , but so dense she was surprised they didn't get tangled together. She smiled and worried that it was wobbly. A tremble raced through her.
“ What am I doing here?”
His expression changed, shutting down, but an intensity was still there, visible in the press of his lips, the tightening of his grip on hers. “What do you remember?”
Lucas stayed crouched before her, as she willed the answer to come to her. “I was with Jack.”
His hand withdrew from hers and he leaned back, shifting away from her like hearing Jack’s name had made him flinch. He reached up absently, going to move his hair over his shoulder, but it was gone. He’d chopped it off before the Challenge. His hand dropped down to his knee instead. Maybe he’d had long hair for centuries.
“ You should not be here. You need to focus on where you were and go back. Do you understand me? Think about where you were, exactly.”
She strained to think about what she’d been doing. It was like she’d woken up from a dream and each moment that passed pushed the dream further away, made it less real. “We were snorkeling.” She looked around his room, like it would give her clues. “I think, I think there was a cave. And I dived down to see it, but there were a lot of rocks.” She shook her head, not remembering the rest. God, his bathrobe smelled good.
Val looked at the fire. The orange flames stalled, then flickered, finally vanishing altogether, plunging the room in darkness. The only light came from Lucas, as though he was surrounded by a hundred candles. The walls of his bedroom shrank away, consumed by the dark.
“ What is that?” she whispered. Blackness, like living shadows were creeping closer towards them, the light surrounding Lucas dimming.
“ Valerie! Hear me. You must go back. Close your eyes and remember where you were. Think of Jack. Go to him, now!” he said, anger and desperation in every word.
Val was stunned, wanting to ask him what was going on. Cold water rushed over her feet, the whole floor suddenly awash in black seawater. Huge ropes of seaweed swayed through the rising tide like they were alive and hungry. She could hear the loud rush of water, see the room filling, feel the water’s cold sharpness sweep over her legs and rise higher.
She jumped up from the bed and Lucas stood too, mirroring her movements, watching only her, as though oblivious to the huge flood that was consuming his bedroom.
“ What will happen to you?” Val asked frantically.
“ You cannot stay here or you will perish. This is not reality. Go to Jack. Please. Go!”
She reached out to him— for protection, for comfort, to save him too? But he stepped back, evading her grasp. Water crashed over her head, seaweed coiled up her legs, pulling her down deep into the water.
Val opened her eyes under the water. Everything was dark, only the barest flicker of light surrounded Lucas as he floated in the water, eyes closed. A corpse in suspended animation. The water carried him away from her like invisible pallbearers, his clothes waving gently, fingers and arms loose as he
So humiliating.
He took the bowl away, disappearing into the bathroom and bringing her a towel and a cup of water. Her voice was scratchy and she blinked owlishly before saying, “You’re a very good nurse. Color me surprised. And embarrassed. Really embarrassed.”
He knelt down before her, looking up into her face , and his expression floored her. Was that how she looked when she saw him? Wonder, fear and more, chased across his face, faster than a flash of lightning. He gazed at her like she was a precious antique that had been lost.
She cleared her throat.
His hand reached up, brushing wet strands of hair from her face. His lashes were thick. A dark golden color , but so dense she was surprised they didn't get tangled together. She smiled and worried that it was wobbly. A tremble raced through her.
“ What am I doing here?”
His expression changed, shutting down, but an intensity was still there, visible in the press of his lips, the tightening of his grip on hers. “What do you remember?”
Lucas stayed crouched before her, as she willed the answer to come to her. “I was with Jack.”
His hand withdrew from hers and he leaned back, shifting away from her like hearing Jack’s name had made him flinch. He reached up absently, going to move his hair over his shoulder, but it was gone. He’d chopped it off before the Challenge. His hand dropped down to his knee instead. Maybe he’d had long hair for centuries.
“ You should not be here. You need to focus on where you were and go back. Do you understand me? Think about where you were, exactly.”
She strained to think about what she’d been doing. It was like she’d woken up from a dream and each moment that passed pushed the dream further away, made it less real. “We were snorkeling.” She looked around his room, like it would give her clues. “I think, I think there was a cave. And I dived down to see it, but there were a lot of rocks.” She shook her head, not remembering the rest. God, his bathrobe smelled good.
Val looked at the fire. The orange flames stalled, then flickered, finally vanishing altogether, plunging the room in darkness. The only light came from Lucas, as though he was surrounded by a hundred candles. The walls of his bedroom shrank away, consumed by the dark.
“ What is that?” she whispered. Blackness, like living shadows were creeping closer towards them, the light surrounding Lucas dimming.
“ Valerie! Hear me. You must go back. Close your eyes and remember where you were. Think of Jack. Go to him, now!” he said, anger and desperation in every word.
Val was stunned, wanting to ask him what was going on. Cold water rushed over her feet, the whole floor suddenly awash in black seawater. Huge ropes of seaweed swayed through the rising tide like they were alive and hungry. She could hear the loud rush of water, see the room filling, feel the water’s cold sharpness sweep over her legs and rise higher.
She jumped up from the bed and Lucas stood too, mirroring her movements, watching only her, as though oblivious to the huge flood that was consuming his bedroom.
“ What will happen to you?” Val asked frantically.
“ You cannot stay here or you will perish. This is not reality. Go to Jack. Please. Go!”
She reached out to him— for protection, for comfort, to save him too? But he stepped back, evading her grasp. Water crashed over her head, seaweed coiled up her legs, pulling her down deep into the water.
Val opened her eyes under the water. Everything was dark, only the barest flicker of light surrounded Lucas as he floated in the water, eyes closed. A corpse in suspended animation. The water carried him away from her like invisible pallbearers, his clothes waving gently, fingers and arms loose as he
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