Dark Faïz (Book 2) [Completed]

Chapters 14-3

After several minutes walking on the beach, we passed under a huge rocky arch that could only have been sculpted by the ocean itself, then we joined a small path that led directly to a rocky promontory overlooking part of the cove.

At the top, the landscape offered a thousand shades of colors. The Kobolds were right, this place had the power to heal souls. At the edge of the precipice, an imposing green tree stood surrounded by large lianas, almost enthroned above the ocean. Faïz invited me to follow him.

"Ready?" he asked me, placing a hand on the masterful trunk of the tree.

I raised an eyebrow, afraid of having misunderstood. He still looked at me with an amused look.

"Zoe, let's go on the swing!"

Panicked, I looked around, searching for some wooden board. Faïz then pushed a thick curtain of foliage, revealing a large seat, connected by lianas on each side, which seemed to be suspended from the much higher branches. When he had finished unrolling the traditional swing of the thick trunk, he came to stand on it, feet as close as possible to the void.

"Come on! Come," Faïz insisted, holding out his hand to me.

I crossed my arms, shaking my head.

"There's no way I'm riding this thing! I think we are flirting enough with death. Why add a challenge, more extreme and without any security, to our list of things to do? Are you really that short of adrenaline?"

"Stop being a baby," he mocked. "Sit on my lap. Don't you trust me?"

"That isn't the question!" I replied with arms crossed, looking away.

"Come here. Otherwise, I'll come get you by force."

I stepped back, threatening him with my eyes. No, he won't dare! Before I realized what was going on, he grabbed my waist and flipped me over his shoulder.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, trying to stifle a nervous laugh.

"Too late! You shouldn't have said no to me."

He loosened his grip slightly when he made me sit on his lap, facing him. This proximity didn't displease m; quite the contrary.

"If you're afraid, close your eyes," he murmured, wanting to be reassuring. "I'm holding you and I don't intend to let you go, even for a second."

Issei's words came to mind. Taking control of my emotions made perfect sense at the time.

"Do you trust me?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck before I answered.

"I'm not afraid anymore," I whispered, planting my gaze in his.

"Perfect! On three. One—"

Before he could say another word, the swing darted into nothingness. A cry of fear escaped from me, tearing the silence of the night. Thrown into the air at an extraordinary speed, I still decided to open my eyes slightly, then turned my head to look at the horizon behind me. At the time, I felt like a bird flying over the ocean. I released my arms from around Faïz's neck to open them wide, and leaned my head back so that I could feel the freedom of my body in the void, with the sensation of embracing immortality. The speed of the swing gradually decreased. I straightened up and my eyes dived into Faïz's. His eyes were filled with passionate tenderness and a devastating smile appeared on his lips. I then moved my face to his to take a soft kiss from him.

"And now? How are we going to get back down?" I said in a low voice so as not to disturb this magic moment.

"I have no idea."

"Seriously? We aren't going to sleep here, right?"

"There aren't thirty-six solutions. We're going to have to jump into the water."

"No!" I cried, panicked.

"What did you imagine, Zoe? I'm not going to teleport or throw webs everywhere to hang on the cliffs."

"Shit! The end of this plan is really—"

I groaned in anger as I ran my hands through my hair. It was inconceivable for me to have to throw myself into the sea, just below us. The idea, however, didn't seem to disturb the young man in front of me, who was reveling in the situation.