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The quiet, moonlit cove outside Treviso was still and serene, with the gentle lapping of water against the shoreline the only sound that broke the peace. It was the perfect place for a lesson—or so Lucanis had thought when he led Rook here earlier in the evening. Now, standing ankle-deep in the cool water, he was reconsidering his choices.
“Explain to me again how you’ve been on ships for years and don’t know how to swim?” he asked, his tone hovering between incredulity and frustration.
Rook, hands on her hips and a wry smile curving her lips, shrugged. “I’m usually on the deck, not in the water. I mean, I’ve fallen in a few times, but that’s what ropes are for, right?”
Lucanis pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ropes. And how many times have I had to fish you out since we met?”
“Four,” she said cheerfully, holding up four fingers. “Five, if you count that time in Minrathous.”
“I absolutely count that,” Lucanis muttered. He gestured toward the water. “That’s why we’re here. Tonight, you’re learning. No more excuses. I am sick of airing out my boots.”
Rook rolled her eyes but complied, kicking off her boots and rolling up her trousers. She hesitated before glancing over at Lucanis. “You’re not going in fully dressed, are you?”
Lucanis frowned, then sighed. “Fine. Smalls it is.”
He turned away as he began stripping off his shirt, though not before catching a glimpse of Rook doing the same out of the corner of his eye. He resolutely focused on the water, though his pulse quickened as the sound of fabric rustling behind him grew impossibly loud. By the time they were both down to their underclothes, the air between them felt charged, a tension neither seemed willing to acknowledge.
Lucanis steeled himself and turned to face her. Mierda, she was beautiful. He forced himself to focus on her face, to not allow his eyes to drift past her delicate collarbone. He definitely refused to acknowledge the way Rook seemed to have no such compunction as her eyes dragged over every inch of his own exposed skin.
“All right,” Lucanis said, stepping deeper into the cover of the water. “Come here.”
Rook waded in, shivering slightly as the cool water lapped at her legs. “This is your fault if I drown, you know.”
He shot her a flat look. “If you drown, I’ll kill you myself.”
That earned a laugh, light and melodic, and Lucanis found himself smiling despite the situation. When she reached him, he took her hands in his, his larger, calloused fingers wrapping securely around hers.
“First things first,” he said, his voice softening. “Floating. You need to learn to trust the water. Lean back, let it hold you.”
Rook hesitated, her green eyes darting to the dark surface of the cove. “I don’t know about this,” she muttered.
“You trust me, don’t you?” Lucanis asked, his voice low and steady.
She looked up at him, their gazes locking for a moment too long. Then she nodded. “Fine. Don’t let me go.”
“I won’t,” he promised. Never , he thought.
She leaned back, her body stiff and unyielding at first, but under Lucanis’s patient guidance, she began to relax. The water cradled her, and a surprised smile broke across her face.
“Hey, I’m doing it!” she said, her voice filled with wonder.
“Of course you are,” Lucanis replied, his own smile softening the sharp edges of his features. “You’re not as hopeless as you look.”
She splashed him in response, sending a wave of water across his chest. “Careful, or I’ll take you down with me.”
He laughed, but the sound faltered as his gaze dipped, lingering for a moment too long on the way her wet underclothes clung to her form. Realizing his lapse, he cleared his throat and looked away, suddenly hyper-aware of the proximity between them.
“Let’s move on,” he said gruffly. “Try paddling. Use your arms and legs to keep yourself up.”
She obeyed, floundering at first but quickly finding a rhythm under his watchful eye. He stayed close, his hands hovering near her waist to steady her when she faltered. Each time they touched, a spark of heat flared between them, the tension growing thicker with every accidental brush of skin.
Finally, she managed to stay afloat without his help, her laughter echoing across the water. “I’m doing it! Look at me!”
“Well done,” Lucanis said, his voice softer now, pride evident in his tone. “You’re—”
She turned to him, her smile radiant, and whatever words he’d intended to say died in his throat. The moonlight danced across her wet skin, her hair plastered to her face, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe.
Before he could stop himself, he closed the distance between them, his hands cupping her face as his lips found hers. The kiss was fierce and consuming, weeks of unspoken tension erupting in an instant. She responded with equal fervor, her arms wrapping around his neck as they sank deeper into the water.
Take her. Yesyesyesyes.
Reality crashed down on him moments later. He broke the kiss, stepping back as if burned. “This… this was a mistake,” he said, his voice rough.
Rook blinked up at him, her lips swollen and her expression dazed. Then her brow furrowed in challenge. “Mistake? Really, Lucanis? That’s what you’re going with?”
“You don’t understand,” he said, his voice tight. Guilt clawed at his chest, its jagged edges sharpened by the ever-present voice of Spite in his mind. Ruin it. Precious Rook, they sneered. That is. What you do. Lucanis, Spite’s voice hissed his name and his head throbbed. Everything you. Touch is lost. Rook will-
Rook stepped closer, her voice cutting through his spiral. “Oh, I understand just fine. You’re going to run away and brood, aren’t you? Shut me out like you always do when things get complicated. Just like the pantry.” Her tone softened, her hands brushing his arms. “I’m not some fragile thing you need to protect from yourself, Lucanis. I’m here. With you. Now.”
He stared at her, torn between frustration and something far more dangerous. Finally, he let out a weary sigh. “We’re done for tonight,” he said, turning toward the shore.
As they dressed in silence, the air between them still crackling with unspoken words, Lucanis felt Rook's small hand on his back, gentle, followed by her forehead resting between his shoulder blades. He tensed, fighting the urge to turn and envelop her in his arms once more. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. “Thank you, for the lesson.” Her hot breath on his bare, cooling wet skin sent a shiver down his spine. Before he could turn, she was gone once more.
Lucanis stood there for a long moment, staring at the water’s surface, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. The memory of her touch, her breath against his skin, lingered like a brand, sharp and unrelenting. He felt the familiar ache of remorse settling in his chest, weighted and suffocating. Selfish. Coward. Spite hissed in his mind, a shadowy echo of his own guilt. You’ll hurt her. Hurt. Rook . Nonono no .
But even as the voice clawed at him, he couldn’t deny the longing that burned beneath it, insistent and impossible to ignore. Despite himself, despite everything, he still wanted her. That truth twisted in his gut as he turned to gather the rest of his things, the sound of her laughter and the warmth of her presence haunting him all the way back to Treviso.