Page 41 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

“I saw that.” Amalise twisted her lip as she glared between them and wagged her finger in Merrick’s face. “Do not justify him. He’s an overbearing bastard.”

“But you’re here. You’re alive.” Merrick’s words appeared to strike a chord because Amalise only opened and closed her mouth a few times before a pink tint crept up her cheeks, and she bowed her head, stepping back with the overbearing bastard following closely behind.

The two sisters were the last to approach.

The one with long hair—Pellie—placed a small hand on Merrick’s shoulder. “Save the others too. Especially… especially the dark-haired one.”

“She took a fancy to him in that awful cabin,” Soria whispered theatrically, ignoring her sister swatting at her. “But please do. Lessia only just got her family back, from what I heard, and she, out of anyone, deserves to have those she loves around her.”

“She’s right.” Pellie squeezed his shoulder before releasing him. “On both accounts. I wouldn’t mind jumping that Kerym’s?—”

A mix between a chuckle and a huff left Merrick as Soria slapped a hand over her sister’s mouth, pulling her back again and urgently berating her for being so blatant.

Those two were something else…

But he could imagine Kerym taking a liking to either of them.

With a final glance out over the deck, ignoring the heavy raindrops that now fell from the sky, Merrick told himself again this was the only way.

He would find her.

He would.

Somehow, he could feel her even from this distance, and something within him told him this was what he must do.

He might have cursed the gods many times… more than he could count, honestly.

But they’d made him her mate for a reason, and damned if he was going to let her down.

Merrick didn’t look back as he pushed himself off the railing, nor did he look to the side to see if Ardow and Raine followed.

The water slammed into him, the height making it feel more like jumping into hard-packed mud instead of water, but he angled himself right, and without breaking anything, Merrick slipped under the cool surface.

He lingered there for a while, savoring the silence—a rarity, something those souls seldom offered him.

He could feel Lessia better down here.

She must be sleeping, or perhaps resting, because the emotions that touched his soul were not those of fear or even anger.

It was love that filled his mate right now.

Deep, devastating love.

The love he’d seen in her even before he got to experience it himself.

The love she had for a world and for the two people who had done nothing but hurt her.

He’d thought it was maybe an act at first, but Lessia truly didn’t blame the world and the humans or Fae for her fate—she directed her ire to the gods instead.

And…

Maybe… just maybe, she was right in that.

Something touched Merrick’s arm, and he reluctantly opened his eyes, muting the connection with Lessia, expecting to meet either Ardow’s brown eyes or Raine’s hazel ones.

But they were wide violet ones that met his, and he had to stop himself from reaching for his sword when sharp teeth came into view next as the beast opened its maw.

Ydren. It was Ydren, he told himself as every nerve within him ignited, his muscles coiling and his senses screaming at him to defend himself.