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Great. Just great.

He lifted his eyes and locked onto a familiar pair of magenta ones.

Bitter bones.

Raziel froze, not knowing if he should retreat or say something.

She arched a shimmering brow at him. “Spying on me, my king?”

A shiver of pleasure skittered down his spine at her words. He swayed toward her, his gaze devouring his wife. She wore a gray and white spotted bodice that fit like a second skin. He’d never seen anything like it. It looked slick like poured oil. What would it feel like beneath his fingers?

Raz shuddered. Why was she affecting him so much? It’s not like he was close enough for the Lure to take effect. Her other brow lifted.

Blast. She was still waiting for an answer.

“I came from the pyres,” Raz replied gruffly. “I needed a bath.” Like he had to explain himself.

She nodded slowly, her face losing any playfulness. “How many did we lose today?” she asked softly.

“Three.” It was only one word, but it hurt to speak it out loud.

His stomach dropped as an image of a smaller wrapped body flashed through his mind. Grief rose. The loss of children cut deeper than anything. How many little bodies had been burned over the years? When would the plague decide it had claimed enough life? When would it be sated?

Never.

Mer shifted closer. “Less than yesterday.”

But still too many.

His rib stung and he glanced down, annoyed at the cut that leaked blood. He needed to tend to it before it got infected. Time to go.

“You’re hurt,” Mer commented, her voice all too close.

His head snapped up and his eyes rounded. She’d snuck up on him and had lifted herself on the rock to look down on him. Raziel sucked in a breath and immediately regretted it, her scent sinking its claws into him. His mind fogged a little bit, but he knew he needed to leave. The last thing either of them needed was for Raziel to lose himself and try to maul her while completely nude.

He gritted his teeth and backed away, the water lowering to his hips. “I’m fine.”

The Sirenidae dropped back into the water and quickly swam around the point of the rocks, her pretty eyes narrowed on him.

“You’re hurt. I can help.”

His wife dove into the water, flashing him her entire bare back and disappeared beneath the waves. Panic crested over him, and he dropped his hands into the sea to cover his groin. While he wasn’t ashamed of his body, he didn’t want to scare Mer.

It was clear someone had taken advantage of his wife. He didn’t want her to think she wasn’t safe with him or that he’d come out here with the intention of watching her while he was naked.

Raziel grumbled to himself, “I only wanted a bloody bath.”

He glanced longingly over his shoulder at his clothes. There was nowhere to go where his nudity wouldn’t be exposed. He should have gone inside the cottage.

Turning back toward the open ocean, a fissure of fear skated down his spine as he spotted a murky shape that was neither human nor Sirenidae.

A shark.

He cursed, glancing at the blood dripping down his abs and into the water. Part of Raz wanted to run screaming for the shore, but knew the movement would only rile the ocean beastie. Perhaps if he held very still it would leave him alone.

His heart pounded as it edged along the outcrop of rocks.

Mer popped back up in front of him and he shouted, nearly scared out of his skin.