Page 16 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile (Compelling Fates Saga #3)

Merrick

T hey’d only been watching Rioner’s ship for a few minutes, but Merrick couldn’t shake the feeling that they needed to get on board—that they needed to get Lessia and the rest out. Now.

Fuck, it was as if he hadn’t had centuries of training in war and fighting.

His entire being trembled as his eyes flew across the ship, one ear listening to Raine’s recounting of the minds he could connect to—not that it was likely to be accurate, given the king trained his soldiers against mental Fae—and the other trying to pick up anything from the ship.

But the water roared too loudly, and Ydren didn’t dare get out from behind the rock sticking up out of the water, offering them some protection from sharp eyes traveling their way.

That feeling roiled within him again, and he hissed “Quiet” when Raine asked what he wanted to do.

Something demanded his attention, and it was as if the gods themselves turned his head toward the center of the ship, where a rusty door slowly opened.

Merrick could barely believe his eyes when a half-naked Lessia stumbled out of it, and he immediately froze, every nerve and muscle standing at attention when his eyes caught on the red hue tinting almost every inch of her bare skin as she pressed herself against the wall.

A growl built at the back of his throat, and soon it echoed within Raine, while the wyvern made soft noises of distress.

Merrick didn’t need the scent of iron that tinged the wind to tell him how injured she was, but when it touched his nose, that growl within him tore from his lips so swiftly and viciously Ardow and Ydren jumped.

And when she limped, dragging behind her what looked like a sword that would be too heavy for her under normal circumstances, he couldn’t stand it.

He couldn’t read her, but it wasn’t difficult to understand what was happening.

She was out of options.

Lessia was desperate—willing to do whatever she could attempt in her fragile state.

Another warning growl rumbled in his throat, his vision tinting with darkness, and those souls began their whispers when Raine’s eyes found his.

“Don’t say it,” Merrick hissed. “We go now!”

He knew Raine wanted to plan.

Merrick would probably have suggested it himself if it hadn’t been Lessia walking there.

If what she was doing could be called walking…

He could almost hear the pain she must be in, and it wasn’t just physical, judging from the streaks breaking up the blood and dirt on her face.

But it was Lessia who slowly made her way across the ship’s deck. It was the female who’d stormed into his life and within a moment—a single second—had turned it upside down, had shifted it into something he could never have seen coming.

Not that he’d change a thing.

He loved her.

Utterly and completely.

With every dark corner of his mind and heart.

Even the souls loved her after watching her for so long together with him.

She was everything that mattered.

Another gust of wind brought her scent to him, and the urgency intensified, creeping up his neck.

“Go!” he roared when Ydren hesitated.

After the beast shared a look with Raine, she cried out, one of the battle cries that sometimes echoed within Merrick’s nightmares from battles fought long ago, and with a jerk that had Ardow nearly fly off again, the wyvern set off toward the vessel.

It appeared that the ship’s occupants didn’t hear the cry, or at least Lessia didn’t, as she continued her excruciatingly slow walk while the wyvern navigated the tough waves, diving and jumping and swimming atop them whenever needed.

Merrick still held on to the neck of Ardow’s jacket when they neared, and he didn’t even bother asking the male before he flung him off the wyvern onto the deck, where he tumbled into a heap of body parts.

Following as swiftly as he could, Merrick pushed off Ydren’s body, not giving a shit about her grumble of protest as he threw himself onto the ship.

His landing was better than Ardow’s—the man was still struggling to get to his feet—and after one roll, Merrick stood straight on the ship, his perked ears picking up on the footsteps nearing the corner, his eyes glued to the frightened ones of his mate.

She stilled when she found his gaze, blinking a few times.

Then she blinked again, her pale face crinkling.

“Hi,” he whispered when she only continued staring at him, tears filling her beautiful amber eyes, but he couldn’t take it anymore when her bottom lip began trembling.

Sprinting the three or so steps he needed to reach her—three steps that still seemed too many—he tugged her against his chest, careful not to hurt her further, even though the only thing he wanted to do was tuck her into him, find a way to hide her away from this cruel world.

She shook in his loosely encircling arms, but when she pressed harder against him, he locked his arms tighter, resting his chin on her bloodied hair.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he noted how Raine elegantly landed on the wooden planks before pulling Ardow into an upright position, each drawing his sword from his back as the rhythmic thumping of steps rang louder.

“I’m so sorry,” Merrick echoed, the words seemingly the only ones he could utter as he tried to keep his voice from sharpening when his eyes rushed across her body and he noted the scratches, the burns, the carved marks on her back—his own fucking name, for gods’ sake—the broken hand and the bloodied one, and the deep cut she still bled from on the back of her head.

Still… he could tell those weren’t the worst wounds.

When Lessia tilted her head upward, he nearly crumbled right there and then.

The Death Whisperer thought he’d known horrible, agonizing pain.

He’d seen it in war after war, after all. In the souls that passed on but didn’t find rest. In his brothers and friends.

But this…

What filled his mate’s beautiful eyes…

There wasn’t a word for it.

No human or Fae language could ever come near describing what she was feeling.

It was as if she wasn’t there anymore.

Like this was Lessia… but it also wasn’t.

It wasn’t only Merrick who noticed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Raine’s crestfallen face even as he whipped his head back and forth, ensuring they weren’t taken by surprise.

Ardow’s face was worse. His mouth opened in a silent sob as he took a step toward them, but when Lessia’s eyes drifted to meet his, he stilled, his arms flying to wind around himself.

The steps sounded louder now: they’d be here any second.

Merrick could feel a rage build within him. One he hadn’t ever felt before—and he was no stranger to anger.

But this one…

It was wild.

Uncontrolled.

Primal.

So vicious he nearly stepped back from the woman he loved to protect her.

But then…

“Hi,” she whispered in a voice so broken it sounded like someone else’s.

Fuck, it hurt just to listen to it.

He loved her so damned much.

“Hi,” he urged back. “Hi. I love you. I’m here now. You’re safe.”

He sounded like a rambling adolescent, but he didn’t care when she dropped the sword and wrapped her arms around him.

And maybe he loved her too much, because the sound of steps faded from his ears.

There was only her.

“You’re real?” she whispered, and damn, Merrick’s eyes burned, and not from rage.

“I’m real.” Merrick leaned down to kiss her softly, praying that her bloodstained lips could take it. “I’m real. It’ll be all right. I’ll make it all right. I promise, I promise, I promise.”

Lessia’s eyes remained closed as she got out, “He’s dead.”

He didn’t need to ask who. Not when he knew there were only a few people that could have shattered her heart in this way.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Merrick pressed featherlight kisses against her full lips, managing to clear his mind enough to hear Raine call “Any second now,” and shifting this beautiful creature into the corner of the wall they stood against.

“I’m sorry.” He couldn’t tear his lips from hers as he continued, so the next words were muffled.

“I’m sorry, Elessia. I just… I need you to hold on.

Just for a little longer. Okay? Just a little longer.

I need to take care of these men. But I’m here.

You just… just call my name and I’ll be right back by your side. ”

She didn’t protest as he moved her so she stood fully covered in the shade, and while he knew it didn’t matter—not with how warm the air was here—he tore his jacket off and wrapped it around her.

“I love you.” Merrick bore his eyes into her dim ones. “You promised me more than one night, remember? We’ll have that next one tonight.”

When she nodded, the sight so reassuring the Death Whisperer thought he might cry for the first time since he was a child, he bowed his head in return before spinning around.

“Ardow!” Merrick couldn’t help but bare his teeth when Ardow didn’t move fast enough as he waved him over.

Taking hold of his collar again, he dragged the male the last step, positioning him in front of Lessia.

“You protect her with your life, you hear me? With your fucking life!” His whispers emphasized his order, but to his credit Ardow only gave him a sharp nod before planting his feet wide, his sword raised so quickly before him that Merrick had to spin out of the way.

Good.

Guilt drove Ardow’s determination, but it didn’t matter now.

Merrick had seen his goodbye with Venko.

He’d die for her, and that was all Merrick could ask for.

Something flashed to his right, and Merrick didn’t have to think as his mind snapped into battle readiness.

Four guards flew around the corner, their swords raised and faces mirror to his own.

Merrick grinned—one of those smiles he’d noticed Lessia didn’t like.

But he couldn’t help it. Those guards might be armed to the teeth, but he’d always been better than them—magic or not.

Not even bothering to unsheath his sword or let his whispers free, he met the Fae guards straight on, ducking under the dagger that whistled by his head.