CHAPTER 118: SEASHELLS (2)

They started walking along the white sandy beach even while the storm clouds drew closer. Nova used the spear like a walking stick, her kills tied to the sharp end, the fish’s eyes glossed over and sad. She looked away, thankful she could not hear fish talk—if fish could talk that is.

She wondered if her gift depended on creatures with sharper minds, that perhaps she could only understand and hear those that were clever. To name a few that were more common were the birds, who constantly yapped, the pervy pink dolphins in the river, and just moments before that crab. She would be put off eating anything living if she could hear them all talk.

Nova shuddered at the thought. Yoa instantly wrapped his arm over her shoulders, though he knew it had nothing to do with the gust of wind rolling in from the sea. Her emotions trickled down the invisible golden string that connected them, the Serakai bond.

Clearing her throat, she asked about what had been worrying her since the first catch. "Will your mother really like this?" She lifted the spear full of fish.

"She will love them. They’re her favourite." Yoa grinned, pride filling his chest after watching Nova spear them. He’d been on the lookout for the Akhlut and wouldn’t let the water go past her hips. At the time, Atia and Aiyana also swam ahead, patrolling in the waters, ensuring the Ancient didn’t come close.

Nova worried her lip but tried to push it aside. Hopefully, his parents liked her. If they didn’t... Well, it wasn’t like she would have to battle it out, but if she had to, she would fight nail and tooth for Yoa. Approval or not, it didn’t change the fact that they were mates.

Yoa dropped to his knee beside her suddenly. She paused and stabbed the staff of the spear into the sand, and gently placed her hand in his mane of raven locks. "Yoa? Are you okay?"

Yoa’s hands went to her ankle, causing her brows to furrow, wondering what he was doing. Something light grazed her skin. One hand remained as he brushed it over the beaded thread now hanging from her ankle.

"What is that?" Nova asked in awe as he remained kneeling.

"It is a very late gift for becoming my Serakai," Yoa answered with a furrowed brow, those dazzling golden eyes flicking back to her.

"A gift?! You didn’t have to?!" Nova panicked, especially after seeing the craftsmanship of the anklet he’d made. It was remarkable and stunning.

The anklet held more than the smooth beads he had shaped with care—pearls and pale shells adorned its length, with a little jaguar figurine suspended proudly at its centre.

"It is tradition," Yoa answered with a shrug. "And I have been a terrible Serakai, waiting so long to gift you this. I do hope you are not mad... It took some time outside of my duties to make. The final pieces were the shells..."

How could she ever be mad at something like that? The slight smirk spoke volumes about his arrogance. He knew he’d done well with his gift, and she would never be irritated at him about it. Especially since she didn’t realise it was a tradition. At most, she thought there might be an anniversary.

"I haven’t gifted you anything!" Nova pouted. "Yoa! You should have told me about this tradition."

Yoa rose to her height, which didn’t take long for the giant as he remained ever so crouched, and kissed her softly, his hands on her arms, thumbs caressing them as he did. He pulled back. "There is no need. You are my gift, lux mea."

Nova released a breath and crouched to gaze closely at her anklet, her finger tracing the tiny jaguar. "It’s perfect," she whispered, then rose to her feet and leapt into his arms. He caught her, their lips colliding in a breathless kiss.

Thunder rumbled ahead of them, and, in the next instant, the skies split open. Rain poured like a waterfall, drenching them as Tempakar’s lightning tore across the ground and heavens alike. Nova yelped, and Yoa’s arms tightened around her as he glared at the mighty skies as if it were directly at the moody storm god.

Yoa shoved Nova off him, sending her sprawling in the wet sand as a thunderclap deafened them while light exploded in her vision. When she blinked, smoke curled upward from the earth, her breath taken with it.

Where the bolt had kissed the beach, the sand had transformed. It was no longer smooth and pale but scorched and... shattered. The sand had created a strange, glassy shape twisting from the ground like the roots of some blackened tree. Its surface glimmered faintly, wet with the rain, the hollow veins inside catching flashes of the storm.

Nova’s eyes met Yoas from across it, her chest heaving, heart racing from how close death had come.

"That’s why you don’t anger Tempakar!" Atia shouted over the storm and rain pounding down on them.

Aiyana rushed past them. "You coming? Or do you think being Tayun’s guardian gives you a free pass to Tempakar’s wrath?!"

The rumbling above them shot Nova to her feet. She grabbed her spear just as Yoa’s hand slid into hers. They ran from the beach, Atia and Aiyana hooting in excitement. Nova’s heart pounded fiercely as she kept up with them, or maybe they’d slowed down for her, but right this second, she didn’t care!

A grin split across her lips as she joined in, outrunning a storm. Or in this case... Just looking for shelter.

Nova yelped, hunching at the sudden spark to her right. Yoa’s hand shot up to shield her, but the threat was not to them. One of the trees had been struck and burst into flame before the downpour smothered it, leaving smoke curling into the storm.

Yoa gripped her hand tighter, and their pace quickened as they weaved through the jungle until they came across a cave.

"Oh hell no!" Nova halted at the entrance after Atia and Aiyana had already run into it. "I’m not about to face some naked vampire weirdos-"

Tempakar’s wrath, however, roared across the island and pelted more rain into her back, the wind slamming into her as she was blinded by white light again. This time, the trees behind them were in flames.

"Eek!" Yoa dragged her inside, and she let him, her body pressed against his as he glowered into the darkness, aware of the blood thirsty creatures already taking note of their new prey.