A Thousand Salt Kisses Later (Book 2 of Salt Kiss series)

Did I get It Wrong?

Enlightening? Hmm. What does that mean? Does it mean anything at all?

I nodded, and we returned to a deafening silence.

"So... why did you go like that?" I asked, broaching the topic of what had happened between us.

He was silent for a moment.

"Did I not tell you?" he asked, frowning.

"Erm... well you said you weren't interested in magic..." I began, trailing off. I was beginning to feel stupid now.

"Yes," said Spirit calmly, "So... that is why. I don't like to dabble in it."

I nodded and looked away. Well, after my dabbling this evening, I have to say, I don't blame him. Maybe he was telling the truth after all.

"Why?" asked Spirit suddenly. "Did you think that there was some other reason?"

I looked at him. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and they glinted knowingly. He knew what I had been getting at, and I felt embarrassed. Did I get it all wrong?

"No," I replied putting another camul in my mouth. "Just making conversation, that's all."

"Is that what you people do?" asked Spirit. "Make conversation, for the sake of making conversation?"

I scowled at him. Idiot.

"I can see you are offended, but I am genuinely curious," he said, getting up suddenly and swimming over. I tensed from head to tail. What is he doing, coming over like this? His face was right in front of me, and his body floated horizontally behind him. "I'll have a camul now, please."

I nodded and held the box out to him. He took a couple and was about to put some in his mouth when he paused. "You stink," he said.

I flushed red and got up. How dare he!

"Do you know what?" I said. "I hate you."

"I hate you too," he replied. He floated upwards and backward so that his face was level with mine.

"Good," I spat, "Because... I would hate it if you didn't hate me."

"Well, I would hate it if you didn't hate that I hated you," he said.

"Well... " I retaliated, "I would hate it if you didn't hate that I..."

Dammit, he's confused me now.

"...Didn't hate that you hated me?" Spirit offered, his body now vertical, and inches away from mine.

I looked at his face, and I could see he was about to laugh

My mouth twitched a little; I couldn't help it.

"Something like that," I said, trying to pull a straight face again.

"You really do stink, though," said Spirit. "You all do."

Suddenly I remembered. "Oh God, it's the snake blood."

Spirit raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Snake blood; I sacrificed one, and then they squeezed it all over us. The lords, or Selfies – I mean Selkies," I blabbered.

"And you're asking me why I left," said Spirit, rolling his eyes.

"It's sacred blood!" I protested.

"Oh, it's sacred, that's alright then," said Spirit. "These magic people, they can get away with anything, so long as they call it sacred. Days ago you convulsed at a mere eel, but now you speak casually of a serpent because it is sacred."

I couldn't help but giggle. "Stop it!" I said. "It was the most hideous moment of my life, but if you disrespect it, it may not work."

He grabbed my arm suddenly and pulled me closer to him. I looked down; I could feel his eyes on me. I felt that surge of attraction again, it was like a magnetic force pulling me closer to him, even though we were now just millimeters apart.

"You so desperately want it to work, don't you?" he said somewhat softly.

Once again, there was an undertone to his question, but unlike before it was not of an undermining nature. He wanted to know if I was hoping for another chance with Llyr.

I didn't know or even want to think about the answer, and I found myself shrugging awkwardly in his hold.

I looked up at him. He was watching my face calmly, and if he was bothered by my response, he didn't show it.

"Well, of course," I said, eventually. "Don't we all?"

He nodded, and then his vision shifted to behind me.

Jasper appeared to be stirring. "Where's the camul?" he mumbled, eyes half closed.

I looked down. I still had the box in my hands.

I swam towards him and handed it over, now keen to get to bed myself.

"I'm so very tired," I said to Jasper and Spirit. "I have to go... crash."

Jasper mumbled goodnight, and I smiled politely at Spirit as I left. I swam out from the room and up the winding vertical corridors to my bedroom.

I went straight to my bed and lay on my grassy mattress, gazing up through the hole in the ceiling. Through the waters above I could see a faint but blurred circle, and I realized it was the full moon, shining brightly above the sea.