Page 98 of A Warrior's Heart

“My patience is wearing thin, Ezra,” King James snapped. “I know you are enjoying this reunion but get on with it.”

“Why do this?” Lorcan asked James. “The treaty brought our people peace. You had total control over your lands. Why incite a war?”

“Why does any king go to war?” James motioned to the land around him. “To defeat those who oppose him. To conquer.”

“The sea is not your domain!” Lorcan stepped forward, and Alek grabbed his arm to stop him. I sensed a layer ofsomethingin my friend’s voice. More than the upset of being trapped and cornered on the beach. He seemed wounded. Betrayed. “We had peace! You had free reign of the land. I don’t understand why that wasn’t enough for you.”

James’ topaz eyes narrowed. He seemed… puzzled.

“Triton must be stopped,” Ezra interrupted. “His very existence is but a festering wound. Better to amputate the limb than have the rot spread any further. King James understands this. True harmony cannot exist until the sea god is destroyed.”

“I admit my father is not perfect, but he is no threat to the humans. He allows human merchants to travel his waters, and he keeps to himself. All he wants is peace.”

“Your father is a wicked being who kills his own children,” Ezra growled, each word packed with venom. “Or have you forgotten what I told you four years ago?”

“You’re lying.” Lorcan glared at his brother. “My father is many things, but he would never kill an innocent child, his own blood.”

Ezra walked closer. “My mother was forcibly taken by Triton. When she learned she carried me in her womb, she placed a protection spell over me so he would not be able to find me. Do you wish to know the reason why? Because yourfatherlearned of a prophecy many, many years ago.”

Lorcan held the trident in one hand and put the other behind his back, his fingers brushing the pouch where he held his throwing knives. “What prophecy?”

“That he would die at the hand of his own son,” Ezra responded. “Just likehisfather died at his.”

Shock slammed into me. Malik’s shoulders tensed.

Lorcan froze. “You’re lying.”

“Am I? Ask yourself why the trident refused him then.” Hatred not only filled Ezra’s voice, but his eyes too. “He plunged the trident straight through Poseidon’s chest. For power. Sohecould be the one to rule the sea. The trident rejected him after being used in such a cruel manner. It vanished from his sight and barred him from using any of his powers to find it, to ever wield it again. By murdering his father, Triton was cursed to share the same fate. He then killed every one of his sons and continued doing so… untilyou.” His eyes flashed a brighter red. “What makes you so goddamned special? Why did he spare you but kill all the others?”

A single tear escaped Lorcan’s eye as he stared at Ezra in shock.

It was hard for me to believe that King Triton, a man who had taken me in after my parents had been killed, a man who treated me like his own son and only ever showed me kindness, would ever commit such horrible acts.

“Don’t listen to him, Lor,” I said, stepping up beside Malik. I refused to hide behind him any longer. “He’s filling your head with lies to make you doubt yourself. Don’t give him that power.”

Ezra’s piercing gaze moved to me. “Such strong words coming from a little, weak body. I wonder if you’ll still be brave when I have a blade to your throat.”

Malik snarled. “Touch him and die.”

“You are in no position to make threats, guard.” King James motioned to his men. “We have you outnumbered. If you all surrender now and hand over the trident, Imightconsider sparing your lives.”

“All except for yours,” Ezra growled, pointing his sword at Malik. “Your head is mine.”

“What will it be?” James asked Lorcan. “It would pain me to harm you, little fish. I hope you make the right decision.”

“You wish to know my decision?” Lorcan squared his shoulders. “Allow me to show you.”

Everything happened so fast.

Lorcan grabbed one of his daggers and threw it straight at Ezra. Ezra’s eyes flashed purple, and the dagger zoomed to the side before it could plunge into his chest. The attack caused the rest of us to spring into action. We wouldn’t surrender.

Fighting was our only option.

Spotting my bow and quiver of arrows where I’d left them on the shore, I rolled to the right and snatched them up. The force of men had descended on us. Swords clashed and sparked as metal hit metal, and roars filled the air.

Reif took down the two soldiers holding Eva and Cain to free them. Lorcan threw his daggers, each one meeting their mark in an enemy soldier’s neck. Shar moved around the beach faster than my eyes could follow, slitting throats and taking men down.

I readied an arrow and sent it whizzing through the air. It pierced one man’s eye socket, and he flew backward. Before his body hit the sand, I had another arrow ready to release. Adrenaline coursed through my veins.