Bay of Sighs (The Guardians Trilogy #2)(14)

“Maybe, but when the rest come, they might not give it more. It’s thirsty work. I think they plan a pool break. Gardening’s thirsty work, too. I bet you’d like a swim.”

“Always. Um . . . I have laundry in the machine, but it’s not the same machine. Can you make sure it’s right?”

“I’ll look on my way up.”

“For your suit.”

“No, actually, I’m taking a different break. I need to paint.”

“A vision?”

“No, I just need to paint. The way you need to swim.”

Her smile soft, Annika nodded. “Because it’s what you are.”

“Exactly. But you know, I may bring my easel down here. I don’t need alone as much as I did.”

“Then I’ll bring out the glasses and the ice.”

Sasha led the way inside, turned into the small laundry.

“I did the soak with the salt for the blood. And the little bottle Bran made to help purify.”

She went through the steps she’d taken as she pulled clothes out for Sasha’s inspection.

“You did everything just right.”

“When they’re dry, I can fold them like you showed me. After the break. I can get my suit and swim.”

“And after the break, Bran wants everyone to help, the way you did at the villa, with protection. Drawing the curtain, and security.”

“There are brooms.”

“Good. This time you can help teach me, as I slept through the last round. And after that, when we’re curtained and protected, we’ll hold our first war council on Capri.”

“The men and Riley.”

“They’re the most experienced, but you and I, too, Annika. We’ve fought, we’ve bled. We all sit on the council now.”

She set the table with glasses, a big bucket of ice, clipped the mint as Sawyer showed her and made it into a bouquet in a little vase. She formed slices of lemon into a flower on a small plate. And because someone was always hungry, created a display of fruit and cheese and crackers.

Pleased, she ran upstairs to change into the suit for swimming. She’d only asked for one before she’d started this quest. It made so little sense to swim in clothes she had only thought to need one. Now she decided she would take some of her shopping money and buy another. Or perhaps two more.

Clothes were fun and pretty, and one of the best things about having legs. She stepped out of her room as Riley opened the door to hers.

“Pool time,” Riley announced. “Sawyer and Doyle are already down there.”

“Oh! Can I see?”

Riley shrugged, gestured to the terrace doors. “Go ahead.”

She dashed over, saw Sawyer and Doyle sitting by the pool, facing each other in talk. On the lawn, Bran stood with Sasha as she set up her easel.

Simple joy radiated in her voice as she called out. “Hello!”

Sawyer looked up, smiled—she loved his smile, so quick, so bright—and waved at her.

Leading with that joy, she leaped onto the rail, dived.

She heard Sawyer shout something, did an easy, happy roll, and slid blissfully into the pool.

“Merda!” He jumped in, ready to drag out her unconscious body when she surfaced, laughing. “Christ, Anni, you could’ve broken your neck.”

After slicking back her hair, she blinked in curiosity. “How?”

“It’s not that deep, and from that height, you could’ve hit your head on the bottom.”

“Why would I do that? My head knows where the bottom is.”

“Looked like fun.” Riley leaned on the rail above.

“It is fun.”

“Humans might know where the bottom is,” Sawyer told her, “but they can’t slow their descent or pull up when they hit the water the way you can.”

Annika looked up at Riley. “You shouldn’t dive from there.”

“Got it.”

Annika took Sawyer’s hand, tugged him in a little deeper. “We can have a race. Racing is fun.”

“Yeah, like any of us has a shot against you.”

“I would swim backward.”

“And still,” Sawyer said as Doyle let out a snort. “But okay, challenge accepted.”

He went back to the end, waited for her to roll onto her back. “Ready? Go!”

He gave it some power, counting off seconds in his head. And when he slapped the other end, she was already sitting on the side of the pool, casually squeezing water out of her braid.

“Show-off.”

“Showing off is fun.”

He thrilled her by pulling her back into the pool.

Mmmm, bare skin. His hands, for just a brush, on her hips. His eyes laughing into hers, then not. Like the brush of hands, only a moment, not laughing, but looking deep.

And his face close, close enough for lips to meet.

Then he let her go, let the water separate them.

“Leg race next time—on land.”

“My legs are very strong, and very fast.”

“Yeah, we’ll check that out, Aqua-Girl.”

When he sank below the surface, she swam over him, then down to skim along the bottom until she could quiet the longing. When she surfaced, she stretched out to float.

She heard the voices, the splash of Riley diving in.