Shahzar woke and reached instinctively for Roderick, her hand hitting the empty bed. She rolled on her side and opened her eyes. He stood by the window, wearing only a pair of pants. His long, curly hair looked so dark against his pale back. The morning light framed him from the open window. She got up and went to stand beside him. Part of her longed to sing the Shan-Sei morning prayer, but she remained silent, resisting the habitual urge.

“Good morning, Shah,” he said, turning. “I want to take you to the river today.”

She stretched her arms high and yawned.

“Did you sleep well?” His blue eyes held hers.

“Yes. I wasn’t cold at all.” She didn’t know if he understood the deeper meaning behind her words, but she didn’t feel awake enough to explain.

“Mm. I made something for you. I decided you shouldn’t go around in black, the color of death. You should wear green, for spring. It is my favorite color.” He held up a dress he’d been clutching in both hands. The simple garment bore a long skirt and plain straight sleeves. Shahzar took hold of one sleeve and examined the hem. The stitches were even and straight, almost perfect. She envied the craftsmanship, knowing all too well the precision she lacked at such tasks.

“You made this, with your own hands, not magic?” she asked.

“Of course I did,” he said, offended. “I can sew. I can make many things with my hands.”

She smirked at him, still disbelieving. “How long have you been awake? This must’ve taken hours.”

He frowned. “I always rise long before the sun. Time is never for wasting.”

She rubbed the fabric between her thumb and forefinger. “It’s beautiful.” The green showed like the color of the long grass that grew beside the river.

Roderick blushed at the compliment and smiled sheepishly.

“I only meant that it was very fine, too fine to be made without magic.” She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, making him flush worse. “Where is your bathing room?”

“That’s why I want to show you the river. We can bathe there and let the sun warm and dry us. I’ve made a new soap from bayberry and tea leaves. It will leave your skin softer than rose petals.” He smiled at her again.

She liked the shape of his face, the fullness of his lips and wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Shahzar ran her thumb over them and he nervously pulled away.

“Come, it’s best in the early morning, before the sun hits the water and warms it.”

She looked at the bed, wanting to pull him back into the fur coverlet and spend the rest of the day there.

“Come on,” he said again. He started out of the room, still carrying her dress. She waited until he was in the hall before chasing after him. The couple ran from the hold, past the gates and into the misty forest. Shahzar caught up to him and clasped her hand with his. They laughed as they ran past the trees and she concentrated on not noticing details. She wanted desperately to trust him, to let him lead her.

The rushing water greeted them at the bank. A monstrous waterfall crashed over slick, brown boulders in the midst of the river, spraying mist high in the air. Roderick hung her new dress over a bush and raced to strip off his clothes. He laughed, at ease with himself, as though it was normal to tear off his clothes and go bathing in a river at dawn. “Come on, hurry, the sun has just reached the crest of the hill. The water will be perfectly cold now.” He nodded toward the hill behind them and pulled down his pants.

“Cold?” She shook her head, suddenly wary. Her fingers brushed over her black robes.

“Yes, it’s invigorating. You can feel the true power of the water. Hurry!” He backed away from her, grinning. His bare feet met the muddy bank and dipped into the river. Shahzar craned her neck to look at the waterfall behind him. It fed over the sun-haloed hill beyond. She searched the cattails and high grass that edged the bank, her eyes lighting on any stray movement.

“Hurry, Shah!” he called.

“I don’t like cold water.” She stood her ground and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not going in there.”

“Oh, nonsense. The river flows from Edchir. You can feel the spirit of the three goddesses in it. They will speak to you when you touch the water. Come.” He held out his hand to her. Droplets of water clung to his bare chest and the few dark hairs in the midst of it. When she still didn’t move, he came out of the water, crossed the muddy bank and stood before her, his face solemn.

“Shah, this will help you. You must trust me.” He leaned closer, but she stood her ground. His face came within inches of hers, so close she could feel his breath on her cheeks. A white light, like the one that had surrounded Raynier, took shape around them both. Shahzar focused on his blue eyes. “Come with me out of your darkness,” he urged. “Let go of the Shan-Sei ways, and their robes, for they are nothing to you; they can only destroy. I want you to know the ways of Edchir. Come and be one with me.”

She narrowed her eyes, distrust plain in her inaction. “No. You have no idea how long it’s taken me to accept Ishas. I won’t cast her out, not now. I don’t believe the dark power is only made to destroy.”

“Just come in for a little while, Shah. See what the water has to tell you. The wind and rain listen to you and the river will be no different.” He moved closer, but she remained firmly planted in place, unwilling to move toward him or retreat.

“Maybe you need to seek the ways of Shan-Sei,” she offered. “Edchir might be wrong and the ways of Ishas the true path.”

He frowned at her words. His closeness tempted her. She pulled her arms apart and laid her hands on his chest. “You can’t change what I am, Roderick.” She ran her fingers over his shoulders and across his neck. “No more than I can change you.” Shahzar stood on her tiptoes, tilted her head and kissed his lips for the first time.

Roderick moaned deep in his throat. The white light he had conjured faded. He drew in a sharp breath and pulled back.

She looked down at her boots. It wasn’t until his fingers came forward to unclasp her robes that she met his eyes again. The dark fabric fell away. He pushed down the rest of her clothes and the two stood naked before each other. Roderick removed the bracelet he’d made for her and the amulet of Ishas, careful, she noticed, not to touch anything but the chain that held it. He took away the rings from her fingers and led her into the water.

The cold took away all other sensations and goosebumps rose over her dark skin. He kept pulling her closer to the waterfall, his face serene. Roderick’s hands felt warm in hers, unaffected by the cold. “Close your eyes and listen,” he said. “The water will speak to you.”