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He bursts out laughing. The sound is warm and open, and it curls around me, caressing all kinds of hidden places.

“Ah, beautiful woman, I’d expect nothing less.”

I swallow thickly. Despite my best efforts, I haven’t forgotten his promise.“You never should have let me taste you. Now I’ll stop at nothing to make you mine.”

Calysian hasn’t forgotten that promise either. I see his commitment to that promise each time his gaze lingers on my mouth, his eyes hot, lips curved in a sensual smile.

And yet he’s waiting for me to go to him. It’s not what I would have expected from him. But Calysian excels at doing the unexpected.

When he continues walking, I have to catch my breath.

He’s the dark god. According to anyone who knows of him, he’s morally destitute.

And yet…men have been trying totakefrom me since before I grew breasts. Despite his vow that I’ll behis, Calysian has been achingly careful. He wantsmeto take fromhim.

This man chained you and would have kept you that way until he got what he wanted.

There is that.

But…some small part of me—the part that allowed me to survive in that tower—respects Calysian for besting me. Unlike Kyldare, he didn’t cheat. Didn’t threaten innocents.

He didn’t need to.

And when he realized I might truly be in danger…

He let me go.

The mud sucks at my boot, and I stumble. Calysian’s eyes cut to me and I wave my hand, gesturing for him to keep moving.

The deeper we travel into the swamp, the darker the water becomes, until I find myself staring into the depths, lungs tight as I wait for whatever lurks within to show itself. The ground shifts unpredictably between patches of firmer earth and stretches of sucking mud. The horses are slow, cautious, as we guide them through shallow pools of water in places where the track disappears.

Somewhere to our left, something splashes, and I jolt. Hope lets out a snort, and I tighten my grip on her lead rope.

Ihatethis place.

Hours later, I spot something I can’t ignore, close enough to the water to make my mouth go dry.

Inching toward the edge of the path, I watch the water carefully. When nothing lurches from the depths, I snatch the tiny trinket, shoving it into my pocket.

“What are you doing?”

Calysian’s gaze is hungry as he watches me. No one has ever looked at me like that before—as if they’re desperate to learn everything about me.

I shift uncomfortably, and he narrows his eyes. “I’ve watched you do this since the tower. Just give me this. Please.”

It’s the first time he’s ever saidplease, and my eyebrows shoot up. His lips curve in a crooked grin, his dimple flashing.

It’s the dimple that does it, although I’d never tell him that.

I pull the small handful of rocks from my pocket, each carefully chosen for its uniqueness. One is a strange shade of purple, while another is covered in tiny swirls. My favorite is a pebble so smooth it feels like glass in my hand.

“Daharak….” My throat closes as grief threatens to swamp me, and I take a shaky breath. Strangely, it’s Calysian’s eyes that help tether me to the here and now.

“She collected…collectsstones. Not just any stones. She loves the unusual. Sometimes, she wouldn’t even bother leaving the ship when we docked—she was always so impatient to get back to sea. But when she did, she would inevitably find some stone that delighted her.” I let out a hoarse laugh. “The wild pirate queen had a secret collection of pretty rocks.”

“And now you’re collecting them for her.”

I shrug, feeling my cheeks heat. “She likes them. They make me think of her.”