Artemis fell silent, feeling Raphael’s hot breath on her own skin, the riot of his emotions, anger, aggression and inner sorrow. She was really wrong about some of the words she said to him, but did it make a difference now?

- Sometimes, we all make mistakes. But a person is strong if he has the courage to admit his mistakes and try to correct them. What do you lose in this case? If you are afraid to accept their support, if you do not trust them, then this is your full right. No one can force you. But others need protection. After all, we really are not immortal, Raphael.

- And thanks to whom did I gain this cursed immortality? - he blurted out. – Did I ask for it? If you want, take it!

She exhaled heavily and sharply and covered her face with her hands, running her palms up and tangling her fingers in the thickness of her brown hair.

- It just doesn’t make sense. You reject everything I say. - she raised her voice again.

- Are we bothering you? Ivrim asked, but Raphael immediately sent him a couple of silencing phrases.

- What’s wrong with you? Are you so hurt that I took the body of the princess? Or is the reason for something else? I don’t understand you, Raphael. Hear me at last!!! - she shoved him hard in the chest, making him stagger on the spot. – Stop acting like an idiot already. Honestly, you’re just annoying. Get together and do something more than just chat. Do something to protect your people.

Her angry tirade was received with a commendatory ovation and applause when Raphael finally froze with a stunned face.

- Don’t look at me like that. - Temi added. – I also do not enjoy such an existence and the opportunity to die again. I just want peace. And first of all for you. I want you to be happy, loved, protected... But to do this, sometimes you need to listen to the words of other people in order to think more broadly and know where else a stone can fly into your garden.

He carefully removed her hand from his forearm and sat down on a chair with a thud, crossing his arms over his chest and expressing complete displeasure, albeit humbly.

- Well, that’s something. - She shrugged and also took her place next to him.

- We don’t know when and where Lilian and his army will start advancing. - Ivrim said. – But I suppose it would be more appropriate to send Artemis to Abion, away from ordinary people. She will become a decoy while the rest of the army pulls up. Vampires are strong, but the greatest strength is in unity.

- I don’t care. Do as you like, but if even a hair falls from Thea’s head, I will dismember each of you into millions of pieces. You will regret it very much.

- Well, thank you for warning us about this. We will try to be more careful. - The elf King quipped. – Now let’s finish our lunch before it is completely covered with ice. And then you will have another half day of free time before we arrange your relocation. We have wonderful baths, I definitely advise everyone to visit them.

***

The thin glossy surface of the water rattled with rippling ribbed folds when another bubble of air appeared from under the water.

It had been more than five minutes, and Raphael still did not appear out of the water, as if trying to drown himself.

Artemis sat down on the edge of the stone bathhouse, which was located in a vast wet grotto, illuminated by thousands of fireflies. The water was warm, even closer to hot, when she plunged her feet into it, splashing them and splashing water.

After they finished their chaotic lunch in silence, Raphael didn’t say a word and just left. She gave him some time to be alone with his thoughts, but still could not shake off a bad feeling, so an hour later she found him alone, taking relaxing baths.

But instead of just swimming, this psychopath seemed to be trying to drown himself, because he had not allowed his head to appear above the surface of the water for a considerable time.

Artemis knew it wouldn’t kill him, but it was still unusual to see someone holding their breath for so long.

She was overcome with sadness when she realized that she was so close to him and at the same time so far away from him, as if they were strangers to each other. But at some point, unexpectedly for herself, she realized in the blink of an eye that she was under water, and her mouth and nose were flooded with hot liquid.

Waving her arms and legs, she tried to throw off something that was holding her leg in order to float up as soon as possible. Because of the panic that gripped her, she didn’t even think about the fact that it was Raphael’s hand that grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the bottom. She just didn’t have time to think about it.

He pushed her out onto the side of the pool as quickly as he threw her into the water. Coughing and choking, she almost cried, trying to take at least one full breath of air, but it was in vain – she swallowed too much water.

Artemis’s body hung like a soft rag on the stone base as she felt a heady sense of the safety of her own life.

- You’re definitely crazy. - She whispered, her voice hoarse from coughing. – Why did you do that?

- It seemed to me that you were shy to go into the water. I just helped you. - Raphael replied, leaning on the edge and letting his bare chest rise above the water.

- When it seems – it is necessary to be baptized. - she hissed.

- And how does it feel to feel the fear of death again? – he asked the question that had been hanging in his head in the dining room.

He was so angry with her, because of her negligence in the matter of her own safety, because of her excessive trustfulness.

They had talked about personal things the day before, and yet he could not disown her, he still loved her. He was torn between Thea and Artemis, tried not to believe himself, but still returned his thoughts to his strife. And he still understood that he loved both of them. In different ways, but still loves.

How could she negotiate something with Ivrim behind his back? How could she trust an elf and agree to her being separated from him again? He was just furious. And then there was her outburst in the dining room...

Was he wrong in wanting to protect her more than anyone else? Was he wrong not to trust those who had already betrayed his trust once?

When Artemis entered the baths, he felt her presence too clearly, the flutter of her heart, the fettered shuffling of her feet, the uncertain gait. The girl who was so brave in words was too insecure at this moment.

He grabbed her ankle unexpectedly for her and pulled her down, forcing her to experience the full range of emotions that people who are on the verge of death usually experience. It was these feelings that she had already experienced once, but apparently forgot what it was. And he decided to remind her.