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Mer blinked hard, trying to get Coven’s face out of her mind. She brushed the hair from her cheeks, trying not to wretch. Her body trembled when she noticed a large arm slung over her waist. Mer froze, her gaze flicking up to the man whose legs were currently tangled with hers.

Raziel, the Methian king.

Bile burned the back of her throat. And she slithered away from him, her breath sawing in and out of her lungs. She invited him into bed so they both could find some peace, not so she could curl into his arms like she belonged there. The only person she’d ever belonged to was Ream.

What are you doing?

Her panic rose and she found herself creeping from the bed. The room felt too small, her skin too tight. She needed to get out now.

Mer slipped to the driftwood door and lifted the side. She paused in the doorway, looking back at Raziel. He muttered in his sleep and reached for her, stilling.

Several times through the night he’d cried out, waking her. Mer had hummed and soothed him back to sleep. It seemed she wasn’t the only one with demons. The realization hurt her heart.

He was getting too close.

She fled the small home, feeling like she couldn’t get enough air. Mer ran to the sea, the cold water rolling over her feet, causing the scales along her arms to rise. Her chest heaved as she gasped, tears streaming down her face. The full moon glimmered over the water, lighting up the cresting waves.

How could everything turn upside down so quickly?

Mer couldn’t handle any feelings for the king. She hadn’t even properly mourned Ream. Nor could she let her guard down when men like Keventin roamed about unchecked.

Coven’s face flashed through her mind.

She hadn’t missed the broken fingernails, the missing clothes, or the scratches on the girl’s shoulder. Nor the fact that someone had drowned the girl.

A haunting tone teased the air and Mer’s head snapped up. She scanned the waters, looking for the source of the sound. This was not in her imagination. The song seemed to vibrate through the water.

Her gut clenched. She had a feeling the culprits for Coven’s death weren’t far. And now they were taunting Mer.

She swiped the tears from her face and waded into the water, the icy feeling creeping up over her toes, then to her knees and chest.

“Mer!”

She turned as Raziel sped out the cottage, his silver eyes wide, powerful strides eating up the sand.

“Get out now.”

She took another step toward the open sea. He really was beautiful. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t you?—”

She plunged into the water, icy needles biting her body. The change took over, forcing the air out of her lungs and water through her gills. Her eyes burned as she pushed forward as fast as she possibly could, diving deeper and deeper, following the call. She yanked a sharp shell from the crevasse of a nearby rock and palmed it. It would do in a pinch.

Mer shut away her pain and fed the rage that seemed to always be brewing beneath the surface.

She reached the open ocean, just hovering over the sandy bottom, shafts of moonlight dancing far above. The song stopped.

“You’ve called me, and I’ve answered. Show yourself.”

Nothing but silence echoed back.

Mer slowly spun in a circle, searching for any movement. She didn’t know what kind of creature she was dealing with. One like Coven? Or something more insidious?

“You’ve been following me since I arrived in Methi. I felt your presence the very first time I experienced the cold waters of the North. I heard you sing for the kraken.”

The silence seemed to be listening now.

She kept rotating, to keep her limbs moving. It was only a matter of time before she needed to return to the cottage. The water was too cold.