Siren - Hazel Grace Page 0,50

already know there’s only one person who warms my skin the way he does.

Spinning around to face him, I’m about to yell at him to release me until I see the blue tint in his face from lack of oxygen. His chest heaves violently, begging for more air to fill his lungs that are probably filled with water.

My head is yanked back, almost taking my whole body with it, but with Dagen’s hold on me, it stays there. Bringing my arm in, I propel it back, connecting with the side of Atarah’s face. I shove Dagen back, hoping that he stays afloat on his own for a moment longer.

I twirl around to see my sister’s eyes as white as the clouds in the sky, furious with betrayal locked in them. Except, she was disloyal to me when I clearly stated that nothing would happen to the Viking.

“He has to die, Davina,” she seethes. “He’s a danger to us all.”

“He didn’t kill our mother,” I return. “You went against me.”

“To save you. All of us.”

I point an index finger at her. “Don’t follow me or I’ll kill you. Don’t forget who wields more power here.”

“You won’t land a—”

“Won’t I?” I rally. “You defied my words and took it upon yourself to take action. This isn’t your island anymore, your home. It’s mine. Don’t step foot on it again until I tell you it’s okay to do so.” I inch closer to her. “And if you betray me on the other issue at hand, Atarah, I will rip your throat out.”

I’m referring to Tobias, and she knows, deep down, that if she ever uttered a word about him, not one person in this world would be able to stop the wrath I’d rain down on her.

Not waiting for her to respond, I tuck myself under Dagen’s arm and help him to shore. Brylee intelligently stands aside, letting me get him inside and into his room. Once I lay him on his bed, wet and cold, I make my way to his small dresser until his hand jolts out to grab me.

Without thinking, my skin immediately warms in warning. But I settle myself down, trying to contain my fury that is literally burning from the inside out.

“How many more times are you going to save me, Blood?” he proclaims weakly.

I don’t know how to answer that. Don’t understand why it’s so important to keep him breathing and defy my family. Again, it must be because of Tobias.

“As many times as it takes,” I offer, pulling my arm from his hold. Quickly, I gather up some dry clothes and sit along the side of his bed. “You have to sit up for a moment.”

He does what I request, and I help him position himself so I can pull his wet shirt over his head. I demand my eyes to not linger down the length of his body, down to the muscled torso and chest that I’ve seen once before when he was chained to the floor and bathing himself with a cloth.

I toss the shirt to the floor before retrieving the dry one and pull it over his head. He puts his arms through, wet hair dripping onto it as I gather another shirt to dry his hair.

“You don’t have to do this,” he tells me. “I’ve been through worse.”

“You’re lucky I came just in time,” I disclose. “Another minute and you’d be dead.”

“How did you know where to find me?” I can feel his eyes on me, going up and down my body like he’s studying his prey.

Like he’s going to learn something.

“Not sure.”

Lies. I felt it.

“I was thinking about you,” he replies. “How I was about to die without feeling what your lips felt like. How you’d feel underneath me as I kiss every inch of you—” I start from the bed and back away from it.

He shouldn’t think of me that way. I shouldn’t want to save him. We shouldn’t even be around each other, but he trespassed into my home, and here I am saving him from death.

“Watch yourself,” I caution. “I told you to trust me, not tell me all your emotions.”

He lays back on the bed and looks up at the ceiling. “I never thought I would either. I guess I’ve never been so close to dying before.”

“You said you’ve been injured many times before.”

“I have, but not drowned, Blood.”

“Were you scared?”

He’s silent for a moment before he says, “Just scared of the things I haven’t done yet.”

I