Page 10 of A Warrior's Heart

“I’m coming with you, Mal,” Troy said. “And I’m not asking this time.”

An argument was on the tip of my tongue, but the determination in Troy’s eyes stopped me. If I turned him away, I suspected he would keep trying to sneak out of Avalontis and come after us. Eventually, he would succeed and then be alone in the surface world as he searched for us.

He smiled as he took in my expression. He knew he’d won.

“Very well,” I said, not pleased with the turn of events but knowing it was the best option. I moved closer to him and spoke low in his ear, “But you doeverythingI say without complaint. You followmyorders. Understood?”

A shudder passed through Troy. Was he afraid?

“Yes,” he responded. “Understood.”

“Good.” I pulled back and looked down at him, yanking off his hood. His violet eyes and exquisitely curved lips made my heart pound a little harder. “Go on.”

Troy grinned and took off toward the portal, jumping through it. When he transformed, he was a remarkable sight—a violet tail and red fins on his forearms. His cloak and shirt covered his torso, but if I could see his skin, I knew there’d be a gold dusting on his chest. He flipped and rolled as he swam, his tail fanning out and sending ripples through the water. The smile he wore was jubilant as he circled Eva, Nereus, and Reif.

His excitement warmed my chest, yet the knowledge of the dangers we faced made it cold once again.

I would never forgive myself if something happened to him.

***

The blue-green water and fine white sand beaches of Emerald Cove never failed to astound me; a type of beauty not seen in Avalontis. The cloudless blue sky did nothing to stop the warm sun from heating our skin, though having been without the sun for many weeks, it bothered me not.

The flourishing town of merchants, smiths, inn keepers, bakers, and tinkerers welcomed travelers from all over. We meandered through the marketplace as people laughed and shouted from all different directions, some trying to entice customers to spend their hard-earned coin while others sought companionship.

“You look like a strong lad!” an older man wearing a bandana and an eye patch said to a group of young men. “Step right up and test your strength!”

“Is that so?” the lad responded, swaying a little. I would’ve wagered all the coin in my bag that he and his friends had just come from the tavern. “What must I do, old timer? Takeyouon?”

The men with him chuckled.

“Oh, not me.” The man touched his chest and shook his head, playing at innocence. He then motioned to a contraption behind him. It was a tall, wooden post with a column going up the center and a circle at the top. A splitting maul leaned against the post, the handle of the axe long and heavy in appearance. “A coin for three swings. If you swing hard enough, you’ll send the ball up and hit the circle. Simple.”

“What do I get for winning?”

“Only this large bag of coin, of course!” The man lifted up a bag bigger than his head.

Troy stared wide-eyed at the exchange. He had journeyed to the surface world before, but he wasn’t familiar with towns and the people who dwelled in them, as we had mostly stayed out of sight during past travels.

“Fine.” The young man tossed a coin at the older one and grabbed the maul. “Watch how it’s done.”

“Can it really be so easy?” Troy asked me.

I shook my head. “The old man wouldn’t give away that much coin if it was. The game is rigged.”

Sure enough, the lad swung the hammer and sent the ball up the column, but it didn’t come close to the marked circle. He placed the hammer between his knees and wiped his hands on his trousers, earning encouragement from his friends, and then he took hold of it again and swung it down on the metal, meeting the same fate.

“But that’s cheating.” Troy frowned.

“You have much to learn in the way of humans, brother,” Eva chimed in, tossing an arm around Troy’s shoulders. She then threw her other arm around Nereus. “Come. Let’s find a drink.”

As the three of them headed for the closest ail house, Reif and I followed.

“Not that I hold complaint, but what’s the purpose of coming here?” Reif asked, moving a gaze amongst the people. He and I both had a habit of closely observing our surroundings. “To visit the prince and Alek?”

“King Triton insisted that the prince accompany us,” I answered, stopping on the path to allow a man pushing a cart to walk past. “And if I know Prince Lorcan, he’s not going to be happy about this.”

“Aye.” Reif faced the tavern that Troy and the others had entered. “Should we wait outside while they have their fun?”