Page 124 of A Warrior's Heart

I kissed him.

My mind rebelled at the action, telling me Malik was evil. Memories ran through my head of him tormenting me. However, my heart warmed with each pressing of our lips. My fractured soul knitted itself back together.

The memories began to chip away, become distorted.

“Malik,” I panted against his mouth. His name was like a melody my mind had forgotten, but my heart remembered every note.

He softly whimpered and kissed me deeper. The kiss only lasted a moment before he pulled away. “You’ve returned to me.”

His orange eyes did something strange to my chest. More memories filled my head. Real ones. I recalled being in Malik’s arms in a moonlit room, the ship gently rocking with the tide. I remembered swimming through the sea with my hand secured in his, my heart full and light. And I remembered making love to him beneath the waves, our bodies connected just like our souls.

“I should’ve killed you,” Ezra said as his red-eyed gaze landed on me. He roared, and King Triton flew backward—not far, but enough for Ezra to push to his feet. “You’re worthless!”

A dagger flew at my face. Malik pulled me out of the way and tugged me to his chest, shielding me.

Lorcan swung the trident, sending a blast of energy toward his brother. Ezra deflected the attack before countering it with one of his own. But Ezra’s magic wasn’t as strong as the weapon. Lorcan blasted him backward, the force of the attack so great it sent Ezra to his knees.

“Admit defeat,” Lorcan said, pointing the tip of the trident at Ezra’s throat. “And call off your army.”

Ezra’s smile was wicked, and blood trickled from his busted lip. “The power of your voice has no effect on me, little brother.”

“Because you share the same blood,” Triton said. “It’s why it never worked on me either when you were younger.”

In his rebellious teenage years, Lorcan had tried using his power on Triton to get his way, and it had resulted in him being sent to his chamber for three days as punishment. No one had been allowed in to visit him, but Malik had let me sneak past him as he stood guard at the door. Lorcan and I had then eaten sweets and laughed about it while Malik sighed audibly from outside.

Such simpler times that had been.

Lorcan moved the weapon closer to Ezra’s throat, the sharp prongs touching his skin. “Call. Off. Your. Army.”

“Or you’ll do what? Kill me? Could you live with yourself if you did that?”

“I would lose no sleep over it,” Lorcan said. “You are no family of mine.”

“Easy now, little fish.” King James approached, wiping blood from his sword before holstering it.

“James,” Lorcan growled. “I see you’ve managed to find your spine for this battle instead of hiding in the trees while your men die for you.”

As I stared at James, I remembered being chained to Ezra’s bed and the king doctoring my wounds. He had showed me kindness. Had that been real? Or was it another false memory?

“Hand over the trident, and the battle will end,” James said. “No more of our people have to die today.”

“You dare ask me to yield when I have the advantage?” Lorcan asked, pressing the trident a bit into Ezra’s neck. Thin streams of blood ran from the shallow puncture marks. “In chess, I do believe this is checkmate. Game over.”

“Ah, but you’re wrong.” James heaved a sigh. “While you closed in on my king, you left several of your own pieces unattended. Pawns are the lowliest players, the most disposable, yet they have their strengths. They can often go unnoticed, sneaking their way across the board.”

“Stop speaking in riddles, James.”

“Very well. Allow me to show you.” James motioned with his hand, and three soldiers came forward.

“Alek?” Lorcan asked, his hard expression fading into shock.

Alek’s hands were tied in front of him and a cloth covered his eyes. Blood poured from a wound on the side of his head as he swayed in place, held up by the men on either side of him. Theron was in the third soldier’s arms, his small body shaking with fear.

A sharp blade rested at the toddler’s throat.

“You see?” James turned back to Lorcan. “You have one of my men at your mercy, and I have two of yours.”

A gruff laugh escaped Ezra. “Well done, James. I see you had a plan of yours all along.”