Chapter 21: The One Who Ran
Caspian's arms were still wrapped around her when the warmth hit him.
For the first time in what felt like centuries, he wasn't cold inside.
Her heartbeat pulsed against his chest, their breaths tangled together, the water singing low around them like the sea itself had blessed this madness.
'Is this what the bond is made for?'
Nadeira stirred, moved against him, and she brushed his skin.
Caspian almost sighed…Almost…But then she stopped moving in general.
Her eyes opened wide. She looked at him, at herself, at the way their bodies were still pressed together in the glowing water.
"Oh no," she muttered.
Caspian blinked. "'Oh no'? That's not the usual thing one says after saving a life."
But she didn't answer. She shoved him harder than he had expected.
For a human, she had surprising strength, especially when full of panic. Caspian fell back deeper into the water, his legs splashed, nearly swallowing half the pool.
"What—" he sputtered.
Nadeira was already scrambling out of the water, dripping, clutching her clothes to her chest. "I—I can't believe I did this! This was not—I didn't—ugh!"
He lifted his head, watching her hop awkwardly on one leg while trying to put her dress back on, muttering curses under her breath.
She looked like a dragon trapped in human form.
Caspian's lips twitched. Then, suddenly, he laughed.
Somehow, it didn't sound like a polite or gentle laugh.
Surprisingly, this laugh was real, from deep in his chest, the kind he hadn't felt in so long. His body shook with it, bubbles slipping from his mouth as he clutched his stomach.
"This is not funny!" Nadeira shouted, shoving one sleeve over her arm while nearly tripping on the hem.
"It's…" he wheezed, still laughing. "It's very funny."
Her glare could have sunk a ship. "Don't you dare."
"You looked at me like you'd just murdered someone," he said between breaths, still chuckling. "Like you committed a crime."
"I did commit a crime!" she snapped. "I-ugh-I touched you!"
Caspian raised an eyebrow, still floating lazily in the water. "Yes, Nadeira, and I must admit, I rather enjoyed not dying in the process."
She stomped her foot, half-dressed, dripping wet, and red in the face. "You're impossible!"
And with that, she turned, gathered the rest of her clothes in a messy bundle, and bolted out of the chamber.
She forced her steps to be so loud, Caspian could hear them echoing down the corridor, leaving wet trails on the floor.
Caspian tilted his head back against the pool's edge and let out a long, shaky breath. The laughter faded, leaving him with that rock pulled out from his chest.
He had almost died…
Caspian had almost left her, left everything unfinished, left the sea to mourn another prince.
But she…she had saved him. Not just with her body, but with her choice. Nadeira had given him her will, her strength, and fire.
And now she was running from him like he was plague-ridden.
"Stars above," Caspian muttered, running a hand over his wet hair. "She's going to avoid me for days, isn't she?"
He sank deeper into the water, moving his legs lazily. The glow that had surrounded them earlier was still visible, like the bond refused to fade.
He could feel it humming in his veins, a strange tether that pulled him toward her even now.
He smirked kindly. "You can run, little flame. But you can't outrun the sea."
Later That Night…
Caspian dragged himself out of the water, his tail shifted painfully back into legs. His body was still weak, but much stronger than before.
He wrapped a cloth around his waist, in his mind every ridiculous detail of what just happened was repeating like a forced memory.
The way Nadeira had shoved him, the way she had panicked, the way she had bolted with her clothes clutched to her chest like a thief fleeing a crime scene.
His lips curved into a smile. He shouldn't be amused…He shouldn't even be thinking of her like this. But gods, she made him laugh when no one else could.
He wandered the halls until he reached her door. Caspian didn't knock, but just got closer against the wall, listening.
Inside, muffled noises reached him…her nervous pacing, her groans of frustration.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered loudly. "Why did I do that? Why did I let him-ugh, Nadeira, what is wrong with you!"
Caspian bit back another laugh, biting the inside of his cheek. She sounded like she was scolding herself after stealing sweets from a shop.
He almost knocked, and almost teased her, but stopped himself. She was already too flustered.
Pushing her more tonight would be just evil…
Instead, he whispered under his breath, so only the bond might carry it. "Thank you. Even if you regret it, thank you."
Then he turned and walked away, his shoulders felt lighter.
That night, lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, his hand resting over his chest. The bond pulsed beneath his skin, flowing with warmth that wasn't his own.
It was Nadeira's warmth…
"Hahaha…" He laughed again, mindfully this time.
Of all the ways to be saved, he hadn't imagined this. He hadn't imagined that the fierce, reckless, storm-hearted girl would tie herself to him without even realising what it meant.
She'd probably scream if he told her.
Still, the bond was there. She couldn't erase it, couldn't undo it. And no matter how far she ran, she was his now.
Caspian closed his eyes, smiling like a kid, the sound of her panicked voice wasn't leaving his head.
"Impossible," she had called him.
Maybe he was. But so was she.
And somehow, impossibility had just saved his life tonight, until…
*thumb! Thumb! Thumb!*
"Caspian!"