The air smelled faintly of cinnamon and myrrh, obviously emanating from Theseus. The scent was intoxicating, a sweet and warm smell that was nostalgic. The fragrance evoked something in me, something that I fought to push down.

“We’re in this together, but I’m not sure I can trust you,” he confessed under his breath.

I finished tying the knot I was working on, my hands shaking slightly, unnoticeable. “You have no choice. _We_ have no choice.” He pulled his hands through his light brown hair, which was now wet from the rain. I tore my eyes away from the sight of him.

He clasped my hand, the hand holding the knot. “You always have a choice, Dieana.” His words stuck with me and I avoided the green eyes that were undoubtedly looking at me. I knew he was talking about a whole different thing altogether. Something I refused to acknowledge. Slowly, reluctantly, I pulled my hand away from the strong, warm grip of Theseus’.

I grabbed another rope and started making another knot. Just then, there was lightning in the distance, and thunder was heard seconds later. The storm brewing above seemed to get worse by the minute, and the sky now looked bruised, with greys and blues mixing in ways I never thought possible. The waves were growing in size, and the chances of us getting out were slim.

Theseus’ eyes were on me as I knotted the last piece of rope. In the corner of my eye, I saw him tense, as though he wanted to reach out, or at the least, say something.

“You should get some sleep,” said Theseus. I shook my head hard. He sighed. He had been with me long enough that I never dared to sleep during a storm or in the night. Not during battle.

“There’s no one here, Dieana. Go get rest. You need it.” I stood up immediately and looked at him, taking deep breaths to calm myself.

“Theseus, that could change in a second. I would know. Just… stop, okay?” My vision blurred as memories flooded my head. Tears fell, tracing a path across my cheek, and I turned away, not wanting him to see me.

The stairs creaked when I walked up them, leaving Theseus alone on the lower deck of the boat. My hands gripped the wheel guiding the boat and I commanded myself not to cry. I focused my thoughts on the water, the storm, and guiding the boat to safety.

“Theseus!” I screamed from the freezing water. By the time I called a third time, Theseus had tied a thick rope around his waist, tethering himself to the boat and dived into the waves in search of me. The dark water was engulfing me and I was losing my grip on what was real and what wasn’t.

As I fell into the deep abyss of unconsciousness, my sleepiness fighting against me, I heard a voice, full of urgency.

“Dieana!” the voice yelled desperately. My tired brain managed to realize that the voice belonged to Theseus. I felt a burst of energy at the sound of his voice I I knew there was a hope of surviving. I wanted to say something, anything, but my body was not cooperating.

Moments later, I felt a strong arm around my waist pull my head all the way above the water. I clung to him, like he was the only person left on Earth, and I tucked my head into his shoulder. The peace only lasted for so long, and a wave crashed over us. I instinctively held on tighter to Theseus, pulling myself closer to him.

Just as fast as the wave came, we were above the water, gasping for air, clinging to each other. Theseus started swimming, his strong arms managing to hold us both against the current. My eyes landed on Theseus and for a moment, my breath caught. His light brown hair was in his eyes and I fought the urge to brush them out of the way so I could see his eyes better. Eyes that showed a determination I’d never seen before. I loosened my death grip on his neck as we approached the boat. I saw Theseus’ gaze flicker to my hands, and he pulled me closer to him, his arm still not leaving my waist, not for a second.

The adrenaline from the danger was fading and I truly acknowledged the cold of the water biting at my skin for the first time since I had been in the water. A shiver went down my spine and I had to lock my jaw to stop my teeth from chattering.

“Hold on, Dieana,” Theseus told me, his voice low and tired from the exertion. I obeyed his command and tightened my hold on him. He let go of my waist to grab onto the rope ladder. He propped me up and I climbed the ladder happily. I collapsed on the deck, thankful for the solid ground under me. My soaked clothes stuck to my skin like a second, extremely uncomfortable layer.

Theseus pulled himself up onto the deck and untied the rope at his waist, his chest heaving. He then walked over to me and looked me over for any signs of injuries.

“Thank the Gods you're alright,” he said, his voice laced with relief and worry. “What happened?”

I coughed when I tried to speak. Theseus’ eyes widened when I wouldn't stop and stepped closer to me, his hand on my back, worried. He patted my back softly, not knowing what to do exactly. After a moment, my coughing fit lessened, and I cleared my throat thoroughly.

“The wave. It was… huge and it knocked me off the boat,” I said in a weak voice. Theseus’ hand on my back lingered as he stood up to go get me a blanket. He came back with a bundle of blankets and wrapped me in the thickest one. Despite the dry, coarse fabric that was enveloping me, I still shivered. I watched as Theseus assed the damages that the boat undertook. One of our sails was torn, the hull battered.

“Thank the Gods,” I muttered under my breath sarcastically as I observed Theseus. I ignored the rapid beating of my heart that had nothing to do with almost drowning.