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“People are coming,” he whispered. “We should go inside. Get you warm.”

The soft words undid her.

Mer threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

“I’m going to hug you,” he murmured. “Just tell me if I do something you don’t like.”

The king wrapped his arms around her tightly and ran his hands over her hair. He maneuvered onto his knees and rocked Mer gently. He skated a soothing hand over her spine and then stood. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he hitched her higher.

“Do you want to stay with the sea or go to bed?” he asked gently.

Another shiver wracked her. “Bed.”

He slogged out of the surf, through the sand, and into the house. Heat blanketed her back, and the sound of the crackling fire reached her ears.

“I’m going to set you down.” She untangled her legs, toes touching the warm wood floor. She wavered as he yanked the knitted blanket from the bottom of the bed and wrapped it around her naked body. “I’ll be right back.”

The king disappeared out the door and spoke in a low voice to someone. He rustled around outside and then brought in a tall piece of driftwood. Numbly she watched as he set it up as a makeshift door. Mer blinked slowly when he approached her and reached for the blanket.

“May I?” he asked.

She nodded, feeling outside her body.

Briskly, he toweled the remaining water from her body and then squeezed out the ends of her hair. Raziel took her hand and led her to the bed. A momentary blip of panic rose when he pulled back the covers, but he only tucked her in and pulled the comforter up to her chin.

Mer blinked up at him, shivering.

Slowly, he reached inside his wet shirt and pulled out her shell blade.

He placed it in her palm and curled Mer’s fingers around the handle. “So you feel safe.”

Tears once again fell from her eyes. She averted her gaze, staring at the fire, unable to voice her thanks.

He retrieved her blanket-turned-towel and moved to the bathing area. She registered the sound of wet clothes hitting the floor. Raziel returned to her view with the wet blanket wrapped around his waist. They stared at each other as he sat on the floor, then began to feed wood into the fire.

His dark red hair dripped water onto his chest that shined in the firelight. Mer studied the handsome man on the floor, noting bruises that were already starting to show.

Bruises she’d given him.

And yet, he’d still given her a blade after everything she’d done.

Maybe he wasn’t the monster she believed him to be.

Maybe . . . she was the monster.

Chapter Thirty-Three

RAZIEL

Someone had hurt his wife.

And Raziel would kill them.

His jaw clenched as he dropped more wood onto the burning pyre, his eyes watering from the smoke.

Three days since she’d attacked him.

Three days since she’d spoken more than ten words to him.