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“I used to run ten miles every day when I was younger. Still do from time to time.”

“Do you want a prize?” she teased, settling in on the opposite side of the pool, making sure there was plenty of space between them.

“I have a crown. That’s better.”

Katana smiled and they fell into silence. An owl quietly cooed in the canopy of trees above. Crickets chirped in the grass around them. The heat of the water warmed her face, and was it that or him that made the air feel charged? “You have not said anything about me being naked,” she mused.

He tried not to smile. “Should I have?”

“Many males would at least try to peer through the water or make lewd comments about me so casually disrobing in front of them.”

“Ah, well, the water looks black from here so it’s not as if I could see anything if I wanted to.” He lifted a shoulder. “I doubt you’d appreciate lewd comments or me leering. I do have morals and manners, goddess.”

“But you did watch me walk down the steps.”

He smiled now. “I did. I’m afraid I have weaknesses. Admiring beauty like yours when it’s on display is one of them.”

She suddenly had the burning desire to know if he had any undergarments on. Not that it would matter, she wouldn’t be moving from her spot, and he looked content to stay where he was at.

A strange tingling sensation ran through her, recognizing a familiar presence. She swore she even smelled the sea in the air. Her stomach plummeted and her heart raced. If he saw her naked in a pool with another male…

“I should probably head back inside,” Katana whispered. “I did not realize the hour.”

“You can stay. I’ll go.” His hand splashed through the water as he gestured toward the steps.

“No,” she said, panic rising. Atlanta could be near watching them even now. He would kill Thane. It was better that she get out and face him… Or, All Mother above, maybe she was paranoid and allowed the demons of her past to get to her head again. How would he find her here? How could he even know she was alive?

He slowly waded through the water, drawing closer to her. “What’s wrong?”

The shadows around them seemed to take form. The creak of the trees above made her jump. The crickets and rattling in the bushes sounded louder. She pressed her hands to the sides of her head and slammed her eyes shut. The moving shadows were only in her mind. There was nothing out there to get her. Synick was locked up. Atlanta was in another realm—and yet she felt him close.

“Hey.” Thane’s voice was gentle. A soft hand touched her shoulder, and she flinched curling her arms in on herself. “Katana, I won’t hurt you. Open your eyes.”

His face was close, and the soft expression eased the tension coiled in her body. Gently, he wrapped his hands around herwrists and slowly lowered them down into the water. “It’s alright. You’re here in Palenor, and no one is going to hurt you.”

She slipped her hands into his and squeezed like he was her anchor to this world. “Alright,” she whispered. She leaned forward and pressed her cheek against his wet, bare chest. She had a difficult time trusting people, males especially, but there was something about him that was different. She hoped her instinct didn’t betray her. “I think he is here.”

“Who?”

“Atlanta.”

Thane tensed and placed a hand on her upper back and looked over the landscape. “He’s never going to raise a hand to you again.”

“He is a primordial. He could hurt you if you try to stop him.” Her heart still raced. It felt like beating drums in her chest.

“I’m not afraid. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“What if he tries to take me?”

“He can try, but he won’t. He not only has me standing in the way but your sister too, and when she’s angry, she’s—frightening.” He chuckled and the sound and vibration of it seemed to magically slow her rapid heart. Even her breathing came easier.

“She really is.” And that made her smile. She only wished she was as brave as her. Assassins attacked the castle, and all Katana did was cower in the corner while her sister killed them all and saved everyone.

As suddenly as the presence of her old husband appeared like a hand clenching her heart, it vanished. The weight of his briny sea magic lifted. She listened to the leaves flutter in the wind and peered out into the darkness. Maybe he was never even here, and it was her paranoia. There was only she and Thane, and she became acutely aware of her nakedness and his, and how close they stood together.

She lifted her chin. “Thank you for not judging me.”

“We all have our demons, Katana. Some of us are just better at hiding them.”