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“Yes.” Kyree’s lack of remorse in the simple word made Honour look up, despite her desire to keep her eyes turned away.

The lack of remorse, the total absence of any regret snapped the last tenuous thread of Honour’s resolve. Her control. She sucked in a sharp breath, her chest hurting from the move. She shook her head slowly as every muscle in her body tensed to the point of pain.

“And you chose not to tell us?Me?” Honour’s voice was so quiet, barely above the raging sound in her ears. She’d never felt this betrayed before. It felt as though she’d been stabbed, the sharp point twisting hard and ripping her in two. She couldn’t do this. “Because of course, why would you tell us any of that? Why would you trust me the same way I’ve trusted you? Why are you really here, Kyree? Why did your people send you?”

Honour knew that accusation had to hurt. She’d worked her tail off to broker an agreement with the deep sounding mers to help with this war, and all they’d sent was one slimy mermaid who kept secrets and never really helped.

Kyree opened her mouth and then silently closed it. Her gaze was downcast. A sick sense of bitterness made Honour smirk at this show of shame. It made the kernel of self-hate inside of her grow and twist darkly. She knew the road she was heading down.She’d never been here before, but it was wide open for her to see. She and Kyree weren’t going to come back from this break.

But then the hesitation from Kyree grew.

It was too much.

“Tell them we’re done. The kingdom of Reine won’t work with those who hold back the truth of their visit, or what they can bring to this war. Go home.” With a sharp glare at Hudson, Honour felt that bitter twist as more pain turned darker, growing into a sadistic nastiness. “Or go with her. She’s got her own agenda. She’s strong enough to protect you, not that you need it.”

“Don’t be a fucking idiot.” Hudson spoke as though she were scolding a small mer for sneaking out with the last piece of eel from the stores.

“Screw you.” Honour seethed out between clenched teeth. This was the hill she was going to die on, and Honour was making sure that she was ready for the afterlife.

“Oh.” Hudson smirked and a sexy chuckle escaped her lips. She moved with sensual speed into Honour’s space, dragging her stomach and fluke up to brush along Honour’s body until they were face to face once more. “But you’ve done that already. And those sounds of pleasure weren’t fake.”

Honour’s stomach flipped once more.

The nastiness evoked words in her mind. Words like shame at debasing herself. But that part of her, the part that had truly believed in the connection between the three of them pushed the nastiness away. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything else she would regret. And she hated knowing she already regretted words that had slipped out in anger.

Besides, the words would have been lies. All of them were lies. She didn’t want to contribute to any more of them.

She was so sick of secrets and lies.

“I’m leaving.” The words stuck in her throat as she forced them out. “Do whatever the hell you want, both of you. You always do, anyway.”

Without a backward glance, she headed toward home. The water was colder here, or perhaps that was just her imagination of it. But goosebumps ran along her arms, raising her skin into little pimples that she promptly ignored. She didn’t need this. She didn’t need them.

“Honour.” There was regret in the call. A sweet sadness that floated from Kyree’s voice.

But it wasn’t enough.

She turned around briefly, putting her hands out to her sides and shaking her head as she moved backward slowly. “I don’t associate with liars. And I refuse to be with anyone who isn’t going to give every part of themselves to this war.”

“To the war or to you?” Kyree said, that same firmness back in her voice now that she’d had before. It was the confidence that she kept deeply hidden from the outside world, as if she was trying to put on this image of innocence and unworthiness that she never really believed.

Honour couldn’t handle it. Not anymore. “I am this war. It’s what I was born and bred to do.”

With one last flick of her tail, she faced Reine and home. She had to find Soulara. There was no doubt in her mind now that no one was going to help her. Soulara’s life rested solely in her hands. And she was going to do everything in her power to save her princess.

Love wasn’t worth it.

It never had been.

She wasn’t worth it—not for love anyway. She was only good for her brawn, for her muscle, for her ability to serve and protect her queen. And she wouldn’t fail at that.

23

Kyree watched with growing nausea twisting in her stomach as Honour’s tail moved with a ferocity she had never seen before. At least not from behind.

She was leaving her.

She was leaving them.