Chapter Eighteen
The drive to the forest took a little over half an hour.
The further they drove from town, the narrower the roads became. Tall trees crowded both sides of the road, their branches reaching over the car until they formed a canopy that filtered the afternoon sunlight into soft patches of gold.
Aiden glanced sideways at Kael every now and then.
The naga prince sat quietly in the passenger seat with one arm resting against the window. He watched the passing forest with an unreadable expression, but Aiden noticed the subtle change in him. Since leaving town, Kael had become quieter than usual. His eyes lingered on every stream they crossed and every stretch of woodland they passed.
"You really think she's still out here?" Aiden asked.
"I believe she is," Kael replied. "Arith was never fond of cities. Even in my time, she preferred hidden waters to crowded places."
"So we're looking for a river goddess who hates crowds."
Kael looked at him.
"That is a rather crude description."
"It isn't wrong."
"...No."
Aiden grinned.
"I'll take that as a victory."
Kael simply shook his head.
"You celebrate very small accomplishments."
"They're still accomplishments."
Not long afterward, the road ended beside an old forestry track.
Aiden parked beneath the shade of an enormous oak tree and climbed out, grabbing the backpack from the back seat.
The air smelled fresh.
Birdsong echoed through the trees, and somewhere nearby he could hear water moving over rocks.
"This way," Kael said.
They followed a narrow path beneath the trees until the forest swallowed the sound of the road completely.
The shade was cool, and shafts of sunlight slipped through the leaves above them. Ferns brushed against Aiden's legs as they walked, and every now and then a squirrel darted across the path before disappearing into the undergrowth.
After several minutes, Kael stopped walking.
He looked around carefully before nodding to himself.
"No one is near."
Aiden looked around as well.
There was nothing but trees.
"What are you doing?"
Kael stepped off the path.
"We shall travel more quickly from here."
Realization slowly dawned on Aiden.
"Oh..."
Kael looked back at him.
"You understand."
"I think I do."
Aiden suddenly found himself smiling.
"I haven't seen your naga form since the night we met."
"You were considerably less calm then."
"I nearly died from fright."
"You screamed."
"I did not scream."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"You screamed twice."
"I would appreciate it if we never spoke about that again."
"I make no such promise."
Aiden laughed as Kael walked into a small clearing surrounded by thick trees.
The prince stood perfectly still.
Golden light slowly gathered around him, soft at first, before growing brighter. It flowed over his body like liquid sunlight, wrapping around him until his outline blurred.
Aiden watched without blinking.
Even though he had seen the transformation once before, it was no less breathtaking.
The light faded.
Kael stood before him once more, but his human legs were gone.
A powerful serpent's tail stretched across the forest floor in their place.
Aiden's breath caught.
The scales were darker than he remembered. At first glance they appeared black, but when sunlight slipped through the trees, deep shades of sapphire and midnight blue shimmered beneath the surface. Every movement sent ripples of colour racing across the enormous tail as though moonlight had been trapped inside each scale.
They were beautiful.
Not in a delicate way.
They were beautiful in the same way the ocean during a storm was beautiful—majestic, untouchable and quietly dangerous.
The tail alone was several metres long and thicker than Aiden's waist. Powerful muscles rolled beneath the smooth scales with effortless grace.
Kael's upper body remained human, dressed in the dark clothes they had bought together, but even that had changed slightly.
Fine scales traced the sides of his neck and disappeared beneath his collar.
His golden eyes had narrowed into elegant serpentine slits that seemed to catch every movement around them.
When he smiled, Aiden caught sight of a forked tongue slipping briefly between his lips.
It disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"I had forgotten how magnificent you look," Aiden admitted quietly.
Kael's expression softened with satisfaction.
"I know."
Aiden laughed.
"I should have expected that answer."
"You complimented a prince. What else would I sssay?"
The last word carried a soft hiss.
It was not exaggerated, but it was there.
The sound rolled gently over the letter, giving his voice a strange, almost hypnotic quality.
Aiden blinked.
"Your voice..."
Kael tilted his head.
"My tongue hasss changed."
Another quiet hiss slipped into his words.
"It makesss certain soundsss... difficult."
Aiden listened for another moment before smiling.
"I actually like it."
Kael looked faintly pleased.
"I am glad."
Aiden hesitated before speaking again.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You may."
"Can I... touch your tail?"
Kael stared at him.
"You wish to touch it?"
"I've never seen anything like it before."
There was a long pause.
Finally, Kael gave a slow nod.
"You may."
Aiden stepped closer.
Carefully, almost nervously, he reached out.
His fingertips brushed against one of the large scales.
He expected something rough.
Instead, the scales were unbelievably smooth.
They felt cool beneath his fingers, almost cold, like polished stone that had been resting in the shade. They were firm, but they shifted ever so slightly as powerful muscles moved underneath.
He gently ran his hand along another section.
"It feels incredible."
"It is merely a tail."
"It is definitely not merely a tail."
Kael watched him with amusement.
"You humans enjoy touching strange things."
"You are the strange thing."
"I am aware."
Aiden laughed before finally stepping back.
"Okay. I got distracted."
"Its okay, i dont mind."
"Thanks."
Kael extended one arm toward him.
"Come."
"You really plan to carry me?"
"You cannot travel at my speed."
"I suppose that's true."
Aiden stepped forward.
Kael slipped one arm beneath his knees and the other behind his back before lifting him effortlessly.
Aiden instinctively stiffened.
"This feels embarrassing."
"It is efficient."
"It also feels embarrassing."
"If you continue squirming," Kael said with a quiet hiss, "I shall assume you wisssh to fall."
"I do not wish to fall."
"Then hold on."
Aiden reluctantly wrapped one arm around Kael's shoulders.
The first thing he noticed was how cool Kael's skin felt.
Even through the fabric of his shirt, the prince's body carried almost no warmth.
It was not unpleasant.
It simply reminded Aiden that the man holding him was not human.
"You really are cold."
"I am cold-blooded," Kael replied. "Warmth comes from my surroundings."
"I knew that."
"Knowing and experiencing are different."
"They definitely are."
Kael smiled.
"Ready?"
"I don't think I have much of a choice."
"No."
With one smooth movement, Kael pushed forward.
The world lurched.
Aiden tightened his grip almost immediately as the forest flew past them.
Kael did not run.
His enormous tail flowed over the forest floor in long, graceful waves, carrying them between the trees with astonishing speed. He moved so close to the ground that branches swept harmlessly over his shoulders while the rest of his body glided beneath them.
The movement was unbelievably smooth.
It felt less like riding a living creature and more like flying just above the earth.
The wind rushed against Aiden's face with enough force to steal his breath.
His hair whipped wildly around him, and tears gathered in the corners of his eyes from the speed.
"This is unbelievably fast!" he shouted.
"I know," Kael answered, his voice carrying its gentle hiss even over the wind.
"You could have warned me!"
"I believed the demonstration would be more effective."
Aiden laughed despite himself.
He buried his face against Kael's shoulder for a moment to escape the wind before peeking up again.
Trees blurred past on every side.
Sunlight flashed between the branches.
The smell of pine, damp earth and wildflowers filled the air as they slipped deeper into the forest.
For the first time in his life, Aiden understood what freedom might feel like.
Kael moved through the woods as though he had been born from them.
Every turn was effortless.
Every fallen log, every boulder and every twisting root seemed to appear exactly where he expected them.
He never hesitated.
He simply glided forward with confidence.
Several minutes later, Kael gradually slowed.
The trees began to thin until they finally emerged into a wide clearing hidden deep within the forest.
A crystal-clear lake rested quietly at its centre.
The water reflected the blue sky so perfectly that it looked almost like another world beneath the surface.
Wildflowers grew along the shore, and ancient willow trees leaned over the water, their long branches brushing the surface.
There were no footsteps.
No fishing boats.
No picnic tables.
No signs that another person had visited the place in years.
Kael gently lowered Aiden onto the grass.
Aiden took a slow look around before turning back to him.
"You were right."
"I usually am."
Aiden smiled.
"I was talking about the lake."
Kael's eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.
"So wasss I."
A gentle breeze stirred the surface of the water.
Kael's expression became serious as he looked across the lake.
"If Arith still remains in this world," he said softly, "she will hear us here."