"Are you sure? It sounds kind of big.."
"Yes, I'm sure. But swimming is easy for us—"
"Everything is easy for you," I griped, remembering the time he had made me faint by being so good at kissing.
He waited, his expression amused.
"I won't interrupt again, I promise."
He chuckled darkly, knowing the distinct value of a promise, and finished his sentence. "Because, technically, we don't need to breathe... "
"You what?—" I began to accuse.
"No, no, you promised." He laughed, putting his cold finger lightly to my lips. "Do you want to hear the story or not?"
He lifted his hand, moving it to rest against my neck. The speed of my heart reacted to that, but I persisted.
"You don't have to breathe?" I demanded.
"No, it's not necessary. We simply do it to appear more... human."
"How long can you go without breathing?"
"Indefinitely, I suppose. I mean, I don't need to breathe to keep living, and I'm probably never going to die, so... "
"So you don't need to breathe at all?"
I wasn't paying attention to my own expression, but something in it made him grow somber. His hand dropped to his side and he stood very still, without breathing. His eyes intent on my face. The silence lengthened the sentence. His features were immobile as stone.
"What is it?" My hand whispered to his face as it glided down his marble cheeks.

339

Chapter 16

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