Fated (The Soul Seekers #1)(85)
He shrugs, shoulders rising and falling as though he’s truly perplexed. “Guess my instincts are good. Some things you just know without question,” he says.
“Was it instincts that brought you here?” I move toward him, the toes of my boots edging up to the spring. “Or did you see it in a dream?” My pulse thrumming triple time the second the words leave my lips. But I have to know, and there’s no way to ask coyly, no other way to phrase such a thing.
Was he really there too—or was it all just a product of my wildest imaginings?
“Waking life—dreaming life—who’s to say where reality lies?” He grins, a glorious flash of sparkling eyes and white teeth, before he goes on to add, “This place is like a dream, but I’m pretty sure we’re awake.” He fingers his arm, gives himself a quick pinch. “Yep, I’m awake—you?”
My eyes roam the length of him—drinking in strong shoulders, a smooth bare chest, stopping where the water dips low at his hips. So distracted by the sight, I nearly miss it when he says, “But to answer your question, it was my mom who introduced me to this place when I was a kid, and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since.”
I swallow hard, noticing how gracefully he avoided my question, but I decide to let it pass, there’s no reason to push it.
“So, you coming in?” He motions toward the bubbling space just beside him, as I look to Raven for guidance. Only to watch him flit from the tree to the back of a beautiful, black horse I hadn’t noticed ’til now. He’s brought me where he wants me—it’s up to me to see it through.
“I’m not really dressed for it.” I sweep a hand over my jeans, point toward my boots. Not exactly the clothes I wore in the dream, and I’m hoping that’s a good omen.
Dace lifts his shoulders, causing tiny droplets of water to sluice down his sides. “You’re gonna let that stop you?” He looks at me, slicks a hand through his hair, as I gnaw the inside of my cheek, unsure what to do. His voice warm and coaxing when he says, “C’mon, water’s great. Besides, I promise not to peek.”
He makes a show of turning away and placing his hands over his face, as I stand before him—weighing my options.
Should I do what Raven wants and join Dace in the hot spring, which could turn out as badly as the dream?
Or should I ignore them both and be on my way—even though I’m not really sure where that is?
Remembering what Paloma told me about Raven having more wisdom than me, that it may not always make sense but I have to learn to trust him—I slip off my jacket and shoes, shimmy out of my jeans, then yank my tank top well past my thighs and wade in. Unaware I’d been holding my breath until I reach the far side where Dace waits—taking my place beside him like I did in the dream.
He lowers his hands, revealing a face so kind and disarming, I’m tempted to believe this couldn’t end badly. But knowing better than to believe what I see, I take a moment to grab a large, sharp rock from behind me. Folding my fingers tightly around it as I settle it onto my lap. If his brother shows, he won’t stand a chance. I’m more than ready to bash in his ugly demon head at first glance.
“The first time my mom brought me here, she said a lack of money was no excuse not to travel to enchanted places.” His gaze wanders to a long-ago past. “But she didn’t take me very often, she liked to save it for special occasions. Didn’t want me to grow bored of it—though I can’t imagine such a thing.”
“Do you come here a lot now?” I ask, observing the exact moment he returns to the present.
“Whenever I can.” His voice going soft and wistful when he adds, “But between work and school, it’s hard to find time.”
“And yet you found time today.” I glance all around as I pat the rock in my lap, reassured by its sharp edges and heft.
He settles against the stone ledge at his back and spreads his arms wide. Fingers drumming just shy of my shoulder, he says, “I had an irresistible pull to come here, so I followed my instincts, and now I know why.”
He grins in a way so hopeful, I can’t help but meet his smile with one of my own. Though the look is deceptive, just underneath my heart beats in a frenzy, worried that pull he felt was less about running into me and more about reliving the dream.
He holds the look for a moment, then takes a deep breath and disappears under a blanket of bubbles, only to emerge a few seconds later so glistening and gorgeous, it takes my breath away. The two of us sitting in silence—he with his eyes closed, his face soft and dreamy—as I sit right beside him, tense and alert, fingers clenching a rock I have every intention of using if his brother shows up.
The quiet broken when he pops one eye open and says, “So tell me, how’d you find it?” Then opening the other, he adds, “How’d you get to the Enchanted Spring?”
I rub my lips together, unsure how to answer.
“You’re the first person I’ve ever run into.” His face is thoughtful, gaze appraising.
“So that means you’ve never come here with Cade? Never even told him about it?” The words rush from my lips before I can stop them.
Dace frowns, face dropping as though my words have left a bad taste. “Why would I do that?” he says. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not exactly close.”