Profound Devotion

Chapter 15

July 25th
Monaia

  I wasn't sure what time it was when I awoke the first time, but the sun was high in the sky, its beams trickling through the sheer curtains of the guest bedroom.

  I was still safely tucked within Cassius' embrace, my back now pressed against his firm chest and his arms possessively curled around my shoulders. His hot breath fanned my neck, and his modest snoring told me he, too, had finally gotten the sleep he needed.

  Without wanting to disturb him and ruin the comfortable position we found ourselves in, I fluttered my eyes back closed and let myself drift off into another deep, dreamless sleep.

  It was hours later when I came to again, but this time I was alone. I couldn't help the trickling disappointment as I sat up in the bed and stretched my arms over my head to relieve the soreness within my muscles.

  Maybe Cassius was ashamed to have given in to me last night and slipped away before I had a chance to realize. Either way, the unofficial rejection was embarrassing, and I tried not to think about it too much as I forced my legs over the edge of the mattress to the floor.

  Once I'd moved from my room and curled up into him, all the nightmares that had been plaguing my sleep for months seemed to disappear. I was finally refreshed, and there was no way in hell I was going back to the way it was again.

  The village was bustling with energy once I emerged from the house, now changed into a pair of black gym shorts and a simple blue tank top. My scar was just barely visible under my thin strap, and I chose to leave my hair down to cover the exposed area.

  "Hey, Naia!" Syrene called from the gardens; her soft blonde hair tied up into a messy bun that gave her an innocent appearance when paired with her knee-length, pink sundress. I offered a fatigued smile and crossed through the rod-iron gate that separated the lush, colorful flowers from the rest of the village. "We missed you at breakfast this morning." She patted the spot next to her on the wooden bench, scooting to the side to offer me a place to sit.

  "I, uh, slept in this morning." I blushed at the memory of Cassius' warm arms holding me tight against his muscular body.

  She smirked and flattened her skirt with the palm of her hand as a breeze whisked through the field. I let my eyes fall as I embraced the calm, faint squeals of playing pups that rang through from the village down the narrow path.

  "The girls and I are going down to the lake soon. Would you like to come with us?" Her wide, sapphire eyes watched me as I returned to the present, and I knew then that I couldn't say no. She looked so excited. As I nodded, her welcoming smile brightened. "Perfect! I'm going to go get my bathing suit on. Meet us by the fire pit in ten?"

  I nodded once again and watched as she practically skipped down the stone trail through the garden. My nerves were already settling in, but I swallowed them down and found my way back to my bedroom to slip on a swimsuit beneath my clothes.

  As the stretchy fabric slipped over my skin, I was already starting to become self-conscious of the way it revealed the dark gashes along my skin.

  At the last minute, I dug through my dresser for a thin white t-shirt and slipped it over my head to cover my blue top.

  Raian loitered in the living room, his head resting on the back of my brother's couch as my feet hit the main floor. "Hey! Where are you headed?" His voice slowed me to a stop right in front of the back door.

  My fingers pried at the hem of my shirt, swiping along the wrinkles that were already forming. "Syrene invited me swimming with her friends." Although now that I was dressed for it, I wasn't sure why I agreed.