Arise (Cruel and Beautiful World Book 3) by L. Stoddard Hancock

Author:L. Stoddard Hancock [Stoddard Hancock, L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 34

After everyone took their turns with the gravpack in the new location - all but Deryn getting into the air without much struggle - they began the long walk back to Blackbird.

It was Nita’s idea to stop at the lake, stripping down to her underwear and jumping in before anyone could object.

Deryn sat on the bank with her knees to her chest, watching as her old friends, and a couple of new ones, splashed around in the water. Sam even did several backflips that had everyone clapping and hooting in approval.

Xander sat beside her, leaning back on his hands and stretching his neck, trying to get a kink out of it.

“Why aren’t you going in?” Deryn asked him.

“Because I don’t know how to swim and the person who promised to teach me is sulking on dry land.”

She narrowed her eyes and said, “I’m not sulking.”

“Then what are you doing, love?” he asked with a sideways glance and a smirk.

“Going over plans in my head. I can hover with my boots using an Element. Why can’t I use that same method to help me fly?”

Xander raised her eyebrows. “You want to make boots that work like a gravpack?”

“Yes. If I can. But it won’t be exactly the same. Our technology is different from Sam and April’s. I’m hoping they’ll let me study one of their packs.”

“I’m sure they will.”

A long pause passed between them.

“But you are sulking.”

Deryn sighed and placed her chin on her knees. “I want to swim.”

“Uh huh.”

“But other than my arms and face, none of these people have seen the extent of my scarring yet.”

“Back to this again?” Xander rose to his feet. “Then perhaps they’d all like a good, long look at my back. It’s a hell of a lot worse than yours, and nice and fresh.”

He tore off his shirt, followed shortly by his shoes, socks and pants. He stood proudly in his underwear, hands on his hips as he stared down at Deryn.

“Do you find me repulsive?” he asked.

She laughed softly and shook her head.

“Then take off your clothes and get in the fucking water.”

She didn’t move.

Xander stepped backwards until his feet left the bank and entered the murky blue lake. “Holy fuck, that’s cold!”

“It’s best to just jump in!” Nita shouted from where she floated on her back in the center of the small lake. Dakota jumped on her and they both went under.

Still facing Deryn, Xander took another step back, and then another. Soon he was ankle deep. Then up to his knees.

“It’s not getting any fucking warmer.”

“It gets colder the deeper you go,” said Deryn with a grin.

He groaned. “Well, that’s just great. I’ll be a damn icicle by the time you - SHI ...”

Xander’s voice cut off as he went one step too far, sinking down into the depths of the lake. Deryn jumped to her feet, but Xander resurfaced and managed to crawl back onto the shallower part of the lake. He gasped for breath but then suddenly became very still.

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