Page 12 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

Ardow brought four bowls with him to the cots, and when he sat down next to Venko, the sisters began a hushed conversation, but as Merrick—very unfortunately—was coming to know, a never-ending torrent of words spilled from their mouths, reverberating softly through the entire room.

Blocking them out, he focused on the blonde woman who’d slipped onto the chair by his side, much to Zaddock’s dismay, from the open glares he shot across the table.

“So you’re with Lessia now?”

Merrick nearly choked on the piece of bread he’d popped into his mouth at the openly hostile tone, the fierce blue eyes, and the lifted chin of the human beside him.

She didn’t seem frightened of him.

At all.

“Well?” Amalise tapped her spoon against the bowl.

“I am.” Merrick stared right back at her. “She is mine, and I am hers.”

“So you’re going to get her back?” Amalise raised her chin another inch.

“Of course I’m going to fucking get her back.” Merrick couldn’t help but let anger seep into his tone. “It’s the only damned thing I am going to do.”

“Good. You can’t be too sure with the Fae. I’ve heard some horrendous stories from Lessia. You seem to be pretty ruthless, so I wondered if perhaps you’d leave her behind.”

He couldn’t help it.

His whispers boomed through the room as a snarl dropped from his mouth.

“If anyone else doubts my intention to find Elessia and kill the king and every single fucking male or female who has hurt her…” Merrick emphasized each word. “Feel free to let me know now.”

Every person in the room turned a shade lighter at the thick air, and the souls, he knew, were whispering their innermost fears back to them.

Even Raine, the male who’d fought beside him for centuries, shrank into his chair.

When the whispers continued, Loche’s hands twitched toward his ears, but Merrick had to give it to the regent: he fought bravely, especially since Merrick allowed the souls to creep all the way up to him.

Zaddock flew from his chair when a small sound escaped Amalise, but the blonde pushed him away when he tried to wrap his arms around her to shield her.

“Good,” she huffed again. “You seem like you can protect her. Even if you’re fucking terrifying.”

A startled laugh burst from Merrick’s throat when he met her hard eyes—the ones that were not glossy from fear—and the whispers softened until only a low humming bounced between the dark wooden walls.

She was fucking testing him.

Merrick heard Venko mumble “I hate it so much. So damned much” to Ardow before Amalise spoke again, and that was enough for him to rein in his magic completely.

“Now that that’s settled… How are you going to find her?” Amalise demanded.

“Yes… tell us, Death Whisperer, how will you find her when she could be anywhere in the Eiatis Sea?” Loche’s voice sounded stronger than it should have, as his coloring still hadn’t returned to his usual shade, and Merrick wanted nothing more than to rip the regent’s smug face off.

But then…

Something flashed in those gray eyes.

Something he realized the regent was fighting hard to keep under wraps.

Fear.

Sorrow.

Heartbreak.