(Apollo & Adelaide)
Apollo sank to a knee, bringing her closer to the surface. Warmth rose in a thick wave from the pool, stroking over her already overheated skin. Every bruise, every strain, every overstretched part of her screamed at the idea of being moved again.
But his arms didn’t jostle.
He shifted his grip carefully, one hand supporting the back of her neck, the other beneath her knees, and lowered her into the water as if she might break.
The first touch of heat around her calves made her gasp. Not in pain—though it was hot, hotter than any mortal bath she’d known—but in shock. The water gripped her like liquid silk, thick with mineral weight, cradling her skin instead of stabbing it. The sensation stole a tremble out of her, a long shiver that ran from her ankles up
