Indomitable

t w e n t y - f o u r

"You have to follow me."

Killure didn't look the least bit pleased at having to get in the water, but Remi couldn't understand why. As she pulled back her hair, she couldn't wait to get out of the humid air and hot sun, and dip beneath the cool, refreshing waters. Surely he felt the same way.

Seeing that Killure wasn't about to move, she grabbed his clawed hand and gave it a yank. Of course, he didn't move.

"Please?" Remi asked quietly, widening her eyes and giving him the most innocent, doe-like look she could muster. It almost pained her to make that face, but when Killure averted his gaze and scowled as he slid off the rock into the waters with her, Remi was glad she'd done so.

He'd retracted his wings and tail, but he still looked every bit as dangerous and deadly as before. With his high cheekbones, bladed nose, sharp jaw, and large, muscular body that loomed over her, Remi couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated.

"See? It feels great," she muttered, pulling him deeper into the water.

"Perhaps to someone who is sweating."

"Shut up."

Remi kept walking towards the waterfall, eventually letting go of his hand when the waters became too deep and she had to swim the rest of the way.

As she neared the waterfall, water sprayed her face in a fan of mist, washing all the sweat from her face and dampening her hair. She grinned at the feeling—it was refreshing and incredible.

She glanced back to see Killure a few feet behind her, holding a vicious water snake by its neck, unfazed by the snapping jaw of the bloodthirsty creature. In one swift movement, he chucked the creature out of the water into the jungle.

Remi rolled her eyes at him. "They only bite if you provoke them by stepping on them or kicking them."

He arched a brow at her. "These snakes are known to rip apart little humans like you, and they're everywhere in this pond. You're not scared?"

She hated bugs, but snakes were a different story. Her cousin Soren was always obsessed with snakes when they were kids, and Remi supposed that was why she somewhat liked them now.

"I like snakes," Remi shrugged with a small grin, gliding in the water towards the waterfall. "Are you scared of them, Killure?"

His stare was blank. "Do I look scared?"

No, no he didn't. He looked far more deadly than the water snakes—not that she'd give him the satisfaction of saying that out loud.

"Come on," Remi laughed, diving straight into the waterfall. It pelted her hard with water, angry and unrelenting, but she didn't mind.

Remi emerged on the other side a few moments later, walking up out of the shallow pool of water that led to the cave floor.

She was never able to get used to this amazing sight.

Glowing, blue bats hung from the ceiling, the light coming from their little bodies so strong that they lit up the cave. Their light reflected brilliantly off the crystals covering the walls in irregular patterns, accentuating their unique colours.

The cave was beautiful.

Killure flitted through the waterfall. His clothes clung to his body, hugging every muscular ridge and dripping water down his strong, long legs. His hair had lost most of its curl and dropped water down his face, curling around his stormy eyes and pausing at his cheekbones before racing down.

Remi couldn't stop her mouth from watering at the sight of him. He truly was handsome, and other than all the light brown scars covering his body, he was flawless.