Page 68 of Wrath of the Dragons (Fear the Flames #2)

There was a point years ago when Ryder spiraled after his lover was killed.

He’s the one who found her after searching all night.

I never saw him cry as he did then, never saw his eyes so broken and dull.

He began drinking more and eventually moved on to taking lovers night after night.

I spent more time sleeping on my floor than in my bed and took jobs nearly every night to let Saskia have my room to herself.

Whenever anyone is remotely interested in Saskia, Ryder chases them away.

He’s never said it aloud, but I think he’s always trying to spare her any possible pain this world has to offer.

He’s taken on the role of a father in a way, and sometimes I think he still sees her as the little girl with bows on the ends of her braids.

“You need to pull yourself together,” I say once the others are out of sight. “We need Zarius as an ally.”

“I know,” he bites out, taking a steadying breath as he shakes his hands. “I know.”

“He’s a prick.” I shrug. “I don’t like him—”

“You don’t like anyone.”

“And I still stand by that philosophy being the wisest,” I add. “You don’t have to make things pleasant for him. You don’t even have to speak with him. Just stand by while we solidify the deal to secure Galakin.”

He drags a hand down his face and nods. “Elowen mentioned drinks?”

I slap him on the shoulder. “I’ll hand you the bottle.”

He laughs weakly as we stride down the gangplank and cross the rocky cove.

Laughter floats through the air as soon as we exit the cave.

Palm trees conceal us in this oasis, and I kick off my boots where Elowen discarded her sandals.

She stands ankle-deep in the crystalline water, plucking seashells from the sand and dropping them into her bunched-up skirt.

Her eyes light up when she spots me coming closer, swaying slightly when a wave crashes into her ankles. I look back at Finnian and quirk a brow. He holds up a half-empty bottle of rum and points at his best friend with a proud grin. Good gods.

“Cayden, look at these! They’re like little treasures,” she slurs.

“Very nice, love.” I gently steer her away from the water, and she drops beside Finnian. They give each other cheeky smiles as they twist their arms together and take drinks from individual bottles before handing them off to me and Ryder. Saskia claps, looking much lighter than she did on the ship.

“I’m not getting that close to you to take a drink,” Ryder says.

“How you wound me,” I flatly state, making him snicker.

The next hour goes by quickly, all of us taking turns with the bottles while Elowen and Finnian teach us the drinking games they grew up playing.

We must guess which of three statements is a lie, and whoever doesn’t guess correctly has to drink.

It gets harder as the game goes on, and it seems everyone but me can’t keep a straight face when they lie.

“I’ve never swam in the ocean,” Elowen slurs, her head dropping to my shoulder.

I chuckle, bringing the bottle to my lips again. “You need to drink water first, and I’m not getting naked with any of these people so—”

“Truth!” Saskia shouts.

“Lie!” Ryder adds.

“That wasn’t part of the game,” I respond. “And that’s the fucking truth.” Elowen shoots up from between my legs and begins sprinting toward the water like fire licks at her heels. “Why does alcohol give her more energy than usual?”

“Go, Ellie! You’ve got this!” Finnian shouts as I get to my feet.

Her hair and skirt whip behind her as I close the distance, throwing her over my shoulder while the other three drunkenly cheer. Her fists lightly pound against my back. “You didn’t run this fast when we were fleeing Imirath.”

“I’m open to debating that,” she states, pointing to the ocean. “You just told me I need to drink water.”

“Not saltwater.” I smack her on the ass, and she laughs again as I turn back to the others. “Don’t follow us.”

Ryder gags in response and Finnian makes a series of kissing noises.

All hells, how did this become my life? I take us to a section of beach hidden by a lush forest filled with palms and hibiscus flowers and set Elowen on her feet.

I tug her skirt down her legs and lean forward to playfully bite her thigh.

She squeals and smacks me on the shoulder as she tugs her top over her head.

“I am a married woman, sir.” She gasps, swaying her hips as she walks into the sea.

“Damn right, you are.” I remove my pants, and catch up to her, wrapping her legs around my waist as a warm wave crashes into us.

She shrieks, tightening her limbs around me as it barrels past, and I swim out past the break far enough that she’s able to enjoy the swells without being pummeled by them.

“Do you miss the ocean when we’re in Vareveth?” she asks, gliding her arms across the crystalline surface.

“Sometimes,” I answer truthfully.

“What’s Imirath like in the summer?”

I think back to blurry memories from childhood.

“When I would venture into Zinambra, the ocean was a lighter blue than it was in the winter and a lot warmer. Some beaches had towering waves and others had small ones. People would fry fish on the docks for only a few syndrils and others would sit along the streets eating dishes of various seafoods and rice, washing them down with fruity wine. It was cooler in the mountains, but wildflowers grew all over the forests and in some places the tree cover was so thick you couldn’t see the sky. ”

Elowen sighs, looking to the horizon. “I’ve been thinking about what comes after all of this, and I know you love the sea…so I was thinking we could spend the warmer months in Imirath. I…I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live in the castle again, but we can build a new one right on the water.”

I know she’s drunk, but the sincerity is real. “I’d like that.”

She smiles softly, resting her hand against my scarred cheek and pressing her lips to mine. I dip us under the surface, keeping us locked together as the tide blocks out the world around us.