Page 37

The little Sirenidae was scared of heights, it seemed.

How idiotic.

Raz huffed when the healer pierced his neck, tying off another stitch. He hadn’t bothered with numbing. He didn’t deserve it after his loss of control. His new bride had tried to kill him, and in return, hetorturedher. With the scent of ash in his nose and the taste of rage upon his tongue, he’d lost all sense. It had taken every bit of self-control he had to keep calm until he had her on Skye’s back.

He darkly chuckled at himself. As if the princess would break at the threat of death. Despite her obvious fear, she hadn’t given him what he sought.

The truth.

From the moment she stepped up onto the dock, he could sense she bowed to no one. If he’d kept his cool, he could have seen that a little trip through the storm wouldn’t give him what he wanted. Raziel would have to be strategic with his new wife. He’d have to break her walls down little by little to get what he wanted. Scaring her would get him nowhere.

The needle dug deeper and Raz gritted his teeth.

“This cut is deeper than I’d like,” Levay commented. “And it’s a clear cut. What caused it again?”

Raziel peeked at the healer from the corner of his eye. Levay was as skilled as she was nosey. “I didn’t say.”

She sighed, clearly annoyed with his antics.

The healer had been with his family since his birth. She was one of his most trustworthy and loyal companions. She’d bandaged all his scrapes and cuts, nursed him back from the brink of death, and never judged him.

Might as well admit what you’ve done.

Raz sighed. “My new queen tried to slit my throat.” He tapped the sharp ornate shell blade in his sheath, his fingers lingering on the elegantly curved handle. “With this.”

Levay whistled. “You must not have made a very good impression.”

A snort escaped him as he rubbed his hands over the tops of his thighs. “I hadn’t even spoken one word to her.”

“And the black eyes, claw marks, and bites?”

His lips turned down. Those he deserved. “She headbutted me.”

“Why would she do that?”

Time to tell the truth. “Because I threw her off the back of Skye,” he admitted in a rush. Levay paused in her stitching, her disapproval evident. Raziel stared down at his calloused palms. “You examined the bodies from theZephyr, did you not?” he rasped.

“I did,” she replied softly.

“The attack was an act of war, but I don’t know how to fight the enemy, let alone find them. My new queen is accountable for her people’s actions. Someone has to pay. I did what I had to in order to get the information that I needed.” It was a weak excuse, even in his own ears.

Levay hummed and continued her stitching with steady hands. “And did you learn what you sought?”

Shame and guilt surged again. “No.”

The healer tied off the last stitch and then set the needle and thread aside. His neck ached, but that was to be expected.

Levay edged around the cot, her loose linen pants swishing as she took a seat on the cot in front of him. She groaned, rubbing her lower back before studying him with her metallic sage-green eyes. He forced himself to hold her gaze, even though it felt slightly accusing. Like she was scolding him without a word.

“May I speak freely, my lord?”

A small smile lifted the corner of his lips. “Whenever have you not?”

“True.” She paused as if gathering her words. “Loss and fear are powerful motivators. Take it from me. Our minds aren’t equipped to deal with tragedies, especially the ones you’ve seen. That being said, choosing cruelty in the name of justice is a slippery slope, my lord. Most times, the ends do not justify the means. You are our king. It’s unfair to ask perfection from an imperfect person, but it comes with the title. You are the best of us. You must be.”

Her words pierced him.

Today he let his emotions get the best of him. Raziel had made a cruel, rash decision that could have cost him everything, all because he’d been drowning in grief, fear, anger, and self-loathing. He’d already made the decision to punish the Sirenidae princess for what her people had done. It hadn’t mattered whether she deserved it or not.