A Court of Innocents

18: Bargain

I was doubled over laughing by the time Tamlin rose to the surface again. I took one look at his surprised scowl and laughed even harder.

"What. The hell. Was that?" he bit out, breathing heavy in his rage.

I attempted to stop laughing long enough to respond. I failed.

"The water is freezing!"

"I know! I knew you wouldn't get in if you knew how cold it was."

"Get in the damn pool, Yara. If I have to suffer, you'll suffer with me."

I wiped the tears from my eyes, which had appeared after I'd made myself laugh too hard.

"Either you come in on your own, or I'll pull you in with me."

"You're so grumpy when you're cold," I chuckled, and then dove right into the water.

The temperature was a shock to my system, but it wasn't more than I could handle. I used to spend hours swimming in this freezing water. My body had long since adjusted to the temperature. I opened my eyes beneath the water and glanced down, only to find the endless depths of the river fade into darkness. I had spent days trying to swim to the bottom of the river, years ago. I'd never succeeded. I was half-convinced there was no bottom.

When I popped my head above the surface, Tamlin turned to look at me. His gaze was expectant, but when he saw me smiling through chattering teeth and not growling like him, he muttered something under his breath.

"Are you really upset that I'm enjoying myself?" I raised an eyebrow.

He huffed. "Under normal circumstances, no. But I don't do cold, and you're the one who—"

"Do me a favor," I interrupted as I swam closer to him, until I could reach out and touch his face. "Shut up and look up."

"What did you just tell—"

I giggled and brushed my hand against his cheek. His glare disappeared instantly. I dragged my fingers down the side of his face until I held his jaw in my hand, and then I tilted his head back. I looked up with him to find the reason I so adored this place.

There was a hole in the mountain's tip, just big enough for a fraction of the sky to be seen. It was only visible when you were in the river. Now, the sun was setting, and the pinkish-golden rays of twilight could be seen. That was the reason this part of the mountain had any light at all—because of that window to the sky. I could spend hours looking at that dazzling sight.

Tamlin looked like a man under a spell. His eyes were locked on the sky above us, and I could have sworn a small smile tugged at his mouth, though I was sure he would deny it. His arms and legs moved beneath the water as he moved to stay afloat, but his face was relaxed and pleased.

"Still mad I brought you here?" I wondered. The current was still roaring around us, but we swam close enough together that I could talk in a normal voice.

His eyes finally drifted back to my face. "No. But I am curious."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why bring me to a place you've never revealed to anyone else?"

I hesitated. I didn't entirely understand it myself. I hadn't done it purely because he was my mate. I still hesitated to give him every piece of me, despite the mating bond. I finally said, "I don't know. I just... wanted to share this with you, I guess. This was the first place I came across in the Night Court that made me think it wasn't all brutes and hellish monsters. I saw this place and I realized... maybe this court isn't what our parents warned us about as kids. Maybe this court could be beautiful."