Stavanger Bay [m] the sparrows drag me down

Whether she bared throat or not — his teeth had sunk in. Marina's options, then, were to submit to this fate, or to fight to free herself.

And it was Dutch's salvation that she would tear from his jaws. He knew it even now, and there was a sharp edge to his gaze until they finally touched. Whether it fade or not was unknown; his eyes slid shut as her warmth suffused him, as her scent enveloped him the way it had that night. Only, things were different, now. There was no greater web of connections for him to fall deeper in love with. There was only her, and him, and the fleeting promise of their heartbeats.

They were alive. They had found each other. What else was there?

"Show me," he said, though he showed signs of wanting to linger here. He pressed his nose into her scruff, drawing deeper breaths, as if just breaking for air after a dive.