Page 29 of A Warrior's Heart

“You saidour,” I stated.

Reif blinked at me before giving a slight shake of his head. “It’s been years since I’ve been on the force, but being around them these past few days has stirred many memories from that time.”

“What about when they take lovers?” Lorcan asked before taking a bite of fish. “Do they keep their faces covered then?”

“A man does not need to show his face in order to bed someone, my prince.”

Laughs echoed around the table.

“Who wants to hear a story?” Fletcher asked after our bellies were full and we were back on the main deck, the stars twinkling above us. Oil lamps were lit, and we sat in a circle as he grabbed his lute. He strummed his fingers along the strings once, then let the notes drift off. “You are all familiar with the sea, it’s true, but have you heard of the men whose skin is blue?”

Alek smiled at the bard. “Tell us, old friend.”

“Our story begins on an island, uncharted you see, where the mountains rise high from the depths of the sea,” Fletcher spoke in a musical tone, strumming the lute along with his words. “The blue men live beneath the surface, but what is their purpose? To drown sailing men? To lure them to their den? Answer me a riddle, one says, and you can go on your way. Fail to answer correctly, and forever here you’ll stay.”

My lids grew heavy, and I slumped against Malik’s shoulder.

That’s the last thing I recalled before being lifted from the deck. I looked around, confused. No one else was around and the oil lamps had been snuffed out.

“I fell asleep?” I asked in a sleepy voice, nestling closer to Malik’s neck and breathing him in. He smelled like leather and musk—a familiar scent that never failed to soothe my soul. I’d recognize it anywhere.

“Yes.” He smoothed a hand down my back as he walked. “Your snores added a nice backdrop to the bard’s song.”

“I do not snore,” I said before giving a jaw-popping yawn and closing my eyes again.

“Of course you don’t.” His cheek pressed to the side of my head as he knocked on a door.

“Come in,” Eva said from the other side.

He opened the door and stepped inside the cabin. The room was small, only big enough for a bed and a chamber pot. His large body took up the little available space as he walked over and placed me on the bed. My hand lingered on his arm, just as his gaze lingered on my face.

“Sleep,” he said, then stepped out of my reach. He nodded to Eva. “See you both at dawn.”

Once he left the room, I turned to Eva. Even in the dark, I saw the knowing gleam in her eyes.

“I do believe he’s smitten with you,” she said.

“Don’t be silly.” I fluffed my pillow before tugging the blanket up. “Romance doesn’t appeal to a man like Malik. All he cares about is his duty as a warrior. He has no time for anything else.”

“He seems to have a lot of time foryou, little brother.” Eva poked the tip of my nose. “Once you fell asleep on his shoulder earlier, he lost all interest in Fletcher’s story. I caught him brushing the hair from your brow and watching you sleep.”

There went the jellyfish again. I faced the other direction and closed my eyes, fighting a smile as I thought on her words.

I dreamed of Avalontis.

I stood on the training field and shot arrows into the targets, one by one. Once the quiver was empty, I lay in the grass and stared up at the dome surrounding the kingdom. Malik sat beside me, and between us, our fingers entwined.

I woke the next morning with peace in my heart, knowing that when all of this was over, we’d go home again to our golden palace beneath the sea.

Chapter Seven

Malik

“Dead,” I said, resting my blade at Nereus’ throat before withdrawing it. “Let’s go again.”

When he lifted his sword and faced me, I noticed how his arms shook. We had been training for over two hours on the deck of the Crimson Night. The sun was at its highest point of the day, and the sweltering heat made it hard to take a deep breath. But still, the young warrior bit back any complaints and did as instructed.

“Attack me,” I said.