Moonchild | Neteyam

12

CHAPTER 12

After the first few times of riding the ilu, Erìhe, Kiri, Lo'ak and Neteyam had become masters at it. Now they could easily swim along with Tsireya and Rotxo as they led them through the reef - though they would still have to come up for air rather often.

Which was why they were all sat in a circle by the shore, practicing the breathing technique.

"Breathe in," Tsireya instructed while Rotxo demonstrated. "And breathe out." The group of Omaticaya followed their lead, taking in deep breaths before breathing out again slowly. "Imagine flickering a flame," Tsireya said as she held up a hand while her other one was placed over her heart. "You must slow down your heartbeat."

Tsireya's meditative voice was supposed to have a calming effect, but after fifteen minutes of hearing it, Erìhe had grown restless.

Tsireya placed a hand on Lo'ak's abdomen and the other on his chest when she had seen him struggle. Lo'ak's eyes widened slightly and so did Erìhe's. She looked over at Neteyam, to see if he'd seen the same.

He had. Neteyam pressed his lips into a thin line as he shared a knowing look with Erìhe.

"Breathe in," Tsireya told Lo'ak, who had grown rather nervous under her touch. He did his best to follow her instructions, and she looked up at him, "Breathe from down here," she applied pressure to his stomach. "Breathe out slowly." As she spoke, Neteyam turned his eyes on her. "Lo'ak, your heartbeat is fast."

Lo'ak looked away from her, "Sorry."

"Try to focus."

"Okay."

Erìhe and Neteyam tried concealing their laughter, and failed. They both let out silent snickers as Erìhe reached over to place her hand on his chest. She did not do this to make fun of Tsireya - merely to embarrass Lo'ak.

Neteyam laughed as he understood what she was doing. "Sorry," he said, making fun of Lo'ak. Even as he mocked Lo'ak in a lofty voice, he could not control his heartbeat that was rapidly speeding up - he only prayed that Erìhe would not pick up on this.

She did.

Her laughter subdued, and she was left watching him with furrowed eyebrows as she retracted her hands from his chest.

Neteyam heaved in a deep breath before locking eyes with Rotxo and snickering silently. He thought they were laughing at Lo'ak's reaction, who was glaring at him. But unbeknownst to him, Rotxo was laughing at the blush coating his own cheeks.

Erìhe had noticed it as well and she laughed along with Rotxo. Though when she looked away, her eyebrows furrowed as she found it odd.

₊˚.༄

"Neteyam," Erìhe hissed. It was night and everyone else in the pod was fast asleep. She hadn't been able to fall asleep so she had come up with an idea on a whim - a stupid idea. Erìhe could not even believe she was about to follow through with it as she got to her feet and tiptoed over to Neteyam's mattress. Grimacing, she shook his shoulders, "Neteyam," she repeated.

Neteyam awoke with a start and his eyes fluttered open. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark and he saw her face mere inches away from his, he did nothing but admire her. Her dark, soft hair fell past her shoulders and tickled his face as she leaned over him. Her bioluminescent freckles looked like stars as they shone in the darkness. And her eyes - her eyes that he hated to admit he often stole glimpses at - they reflected the lights from his dots, creating galaxies in her gaze.

Maybe it was just his imagination or hopeless thinking, but Neteyam thought he saw her eyes study his face.

When Erìhe shook him again, he registered that this was real. Her face was actually that close to his. She had really woken him up while everyone else was asleep.