The Midnight Star by Marie Lu Page A

deeper, the world disappears into shades of light and muffled sound. Through the water I catch a glimpse of Magiano’s bare body, gliding like a balira down toward the broken archway. Then I catch sight of what he wants me to see. At the very bottom, the archway hasn’t completely blocked off the private chamber behind it. There is still a narrow entrance under the water, one that looks just wide enough for a person to swim through.
    Magiano goes first. His movements send up a cloud of bubbles. I follow in his wake. The light in the water darkens, turning black, and for a moment, I feel a suffocating sense of fear.
What if I have entered the Underworld? What if I will never surface again?
The whispers in my head stir, chittering.
What if he is leading you in here so he can drown you?
    Then I feel Magiano’s familiar hand close on my wrist again, pulling me up. I surface with a gasp. As I brush wet hair and water from my face, I look up to see a chamber lit only by the faint blue glow of moss on the walls.
    Magiano watches me as I take in the sight. He turns in the small secret chamber, gesturing along the walls to wherethe plants have started to grow. “Amazing, isn’t it,” he says, “how quickly life finds a place for itself when no one is around to keep it out?”
    I stare in wonder at the moss’s faint glow. “What is this?” I ask, reaching a hand out to the blue-green vegetation. It feels as velvet as the finest fur.
    â€œFaery moss,” Magiano replies, admiring the view along with me. “It thrives in damp caves in Merroutas too. Once it finds a good slit on the wall where it can seed, it spreads everywhere. They’ll have their work cut out for them once they fix the archway and reopen this chamber.” He grins. “Let’s hope it takes them a long time.”
    I smile. The glow adds a hue of blue to the edge of Magiano’s skin, softening his features. He drips water. I draw closer to him, suddenly bolder. “I suppose you come in here often, then,” I say, half teasing. “Bringing your maids and admirers?”
    Magiano frowns at that. He shakes his head. “You think I’m bedding every maid I speak to?” he says and shrugs. “Flattered, Your Majesty. But you are very wrong.”
    â€œSo, what you’re telling me is that you come to this secret space alone?”
    He tilts his head in a flirtatious way. “What’s wrong with a thief wanting a little private time now and then?” He comes closer. His breath warms my skin like the fog that hovers over the water. “Of course, here you are. I suppose I’m not alone, after all.”
    A blush rises on my cheeks as I become very aware of mybare skin, both above and below the water. My energy stills, as it tends to around him, and I find myself aching for his touch. He leans down so that his lips are just a breath away from my own, and there we hover, suspended in time.
    â€œDo you still remember the fire? Under the stars?” he asks, suddenly shy, and I feel innocent for the first time in a long while.
    â€œI remember what we were doing,” I reply with a small smile.
    A laugh escapes his lips. Then his expression turns serious. “You asked me whether or not I miss my old life,” he whispers, his voice now hoarse. “Do you know what I miss the most? That night.”
    My heart skips a beat, aching in sudden sadness. “And what about the girl you once sat beside, on that night? Do you miss her too?”
    â€œShe is still here,” he answers. “That is why I stay.”
    Then he closes the distance between us, and his lips touch mine. Around us is nothing but the sound of water lapping gently against overgrown stone and the faint glow from the moss. His hand trails along my bare back, tracing the curve of my spine. He pulls me close so that our chests are pressed together. His kiss goes from my lips to my chin, and there he