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“I agree!” Sprig stood up, his hand in the air. “Who seconds he should walk the plank?”

“Shut the hell up.”

“You know what? I second that.” Kat held up her hand, a smirk in her eyes.

“I like you.” Sprig bounded to her, leaping on her shoulder, pointing at his eyeball. “All say eye?”

“It’saye.” My hands rolled into fists, trying to show the slight difference in the words.

“That’s what I said.Eye. E-y-e!” He shook his head at Kat like I was losing my mind. Which I might be.

“It’s A-y-e.”

“Eye doesn’t start with an A!” He threw up his arms. “You must walk the plank—on the decree of the one-eyed pirate named Matty. Because you’re an idiot.”

“Oh, my gods.” My head fell into my hands. “That’s not…” I gave up, knowing he’d never get it. Breathing in, I rolled my shoulders back. “Can we get back to business now?” I pointed at him. “You open your trap again and I will gag you with your tail.”

“I won’t kink shame you.”

Taking another deep exhale as Vane and Scot snickered and snorted, I let my gaze drift to Katrina. A familiar sensation dropped to my dick, wanting to take every one of my kinks out on her.

It was a moment, a flash, a picture of what I could do to her. Her bent over the helm as I spanked her. Heat burned up the back of my neck before I slammed the door on that thought, disgusted with myself for even thinking it. Especially with AB here.

Moving my gaze away from her, I spoke. “Kat and I were attacked this morning.”

“Wondered how you got your wound.” Zid sat down, waiting for our meeting to be over. The smell of stir-fry coming from the kitchen was enticing us.

“Uh, that was from another fight.”

“Another pissed-off husband?” Scot questioned, a grin on his lips.

“Fuck off.”

He let out a burst of laughter, hitting the target.

“The latest attack was not, and the little information we could get out was they wanted to scare us. Stop us from going after this nectar.”

“How the hell did they know?” Scot sat up at the seriousness of this. “Did you tell anyone?”

“Only person I said anything to was Duan Ru. And I know he wouldn’t talk.”

“Are you sure?” Zidane kicked his boots up on a bench.

“He was freaked out and wouldn’t help us.” Kat lifted the shoulder Sprig wasn’t on. How fast she seemed comfortable with him being there. “He practically ran out. What if it was him? He’s the only one who knew.”

“Makes no sense, though. He seemed almost scared of it. Wanted nothing to do with it.” I shook my head.

“Unless it was an act and he’s going after it himself,” Cooper said, tying up his shoulder-length blond hair in a knot. “The awareness of this substance is growing, at least with the people dealing in black-market items and who can afford to be in the know.”

Like Emperor Batara.

Like Lars.

The Demon King had a history of going after powerful mythical items. His need to obtain the four treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann led to so much destruction and death in the past. Why was I surprised he would go after this, too, after all that happened? He was happy with his mate, Fionna and their daughter, Piper. Why would he go down this road again?

“Only thing that makes sense,” Vane added his opinion.

Duan Ru sending people to scare Kat and me didn’t fit right, but I couldn’t think of anything else. How else would anyone know we were pursuing it?