Page 37

37

Claira

“ T hat’s your name.” The three words trembled on my lips. Abyssal . It was like getting to know the final piece of him that had been missing.

I searched his eyes, finally witnessing a glimpse of the man behind the mask he’d so carefully maintained.

He nodded, a sliver of satisfaction evident in the pale curve of his lips. “My apologies for withholding it from you for so long.”

That’s right—I’d asked him over and over, but he’d never seen fit to share it with me until now. The thought stung, a tiny pinprick of hurt sobering me from my initial thrill of the moment.

“Was it… because you thought I didn’t deserve to know?” My voice wavered. “That I had to earn it somehow?”

His gaze sharpened as though the very suggestion offended him. “It was never about deserving or earning. It was about patience. Planning on my part.” His tone was firm. Unflinching. “Do you recall the deal you made during your first meeting with your grandmother? How you couldn’t speak of the cecaelia’s presence on the island in the company of merfolk?”

His words brought me back to the memory—me, struggling to convey why I’d disappeared from the casino to Barren, Leander, and Kai.

“Yes,” I murmured, nearly tasting the spell that had bound my mouth. “Your magic kept me from saying anything. I almost choked on my own damn tongue.”

A hint of shame shadowed his face. “Some things are like that for me as well.”

I stared up at him, struck by the vulnerability in his confession. “Like your own name?”

“Indeed. I’m unable to reveal it by any normal means.” He paused, lifting the parchment with a sly grin. “But interestingly, I’m not forbidden from answering the meaning of a certain glyph upon being asked.”

I frowned, still puzzled. “But why…? ”

Darkness clouded his gaze. “Your grandmother would rather I think of myself as nothing more than her puppet. That’s but one of the many ways she attempts to maintain control over me.”

A surge of sympathy struck me as I thought of the trident embedded within him, forcing him to obey my grandmother’s will. She really wanted to control him in every way one could control someone. It wasn’t fair. None of it.

“I hope you know you’re so much more than that. I’ve never once thought of you as her puppet.” I reached out, my fingers skimming the line of his jaw. “Abyssal.”

He was a masterpiece of smooth, alabaster skin and sharply defined features. When he leaned into my hand, everything stilled, and I swore even the currents must have stopped moving.

“You have no idea—” He cut himself off with a sharp breath, then began again, a dark, lonely whisper. “No idea how long I’ve dreamt of hearing you call out to me.”

My hearts couldn’t take it. How could someone like him, someone so powerful and captivating as the sea wizard, feel so unseen?

I found myself drawing closer to him, the space between us thinning like sand slipping through an hourglass. “You could have written that glyph on our very first lesson, you know.” I pulled up on him by his shoulder, my fingertips brushing against his cold cheek. “You know me. I would have pestered you until you told me what it meant.”

He closed his eyes, letting his face relax against my palm. “Ah—but then there was the risk of you saying it once and never again.”

I looked at him, truly looked, and the contradictions unraveled before me. How could he be so intent on running from me and then follow me all the way to Malkeevo? How could he deny our connection yet lean into my hand as if he were savoring my touch?

He was right, though. I might not have recognized Abyssal as a name and not just another word he was teaching me. “Abyssal is a bit… unusual, isn’t it?”

Just like he was. Unusual. But I was also unusual, and maybe that was why I couldn’t help but be drawn to him.

One of his eyes popped open. “Are you suggesting that my lady was unwise to urge her young spawnling of an apprentice to choose a new name for himself upon coming under her tutelage?”

That… was quite the question.

Before I could answer, a chuckle rolled through him. “Perhaps it wasn’t too wise. Lady Desmona only meant to help me sever ties with my past. But instead of letting go, I chose a name that brought back memories of a time before... this.”

He stretched out the arm bearing his trident mark, his tentacles fanning behind him.

I swallowed against a lump in my throat, remembering the story he’d shared of his abandonment as a child. “So, you came up with your name yourself? Just like you chose the title of sea wizard?”

He gave a self-deprecating smile. “Creative, aren’t I?”

“I actually think it’s perfect.” I offered a smile. “Abyssal. It suits you.” Even if it was an usual name, it felt oddly fitting, somehow. Familiar. Like an echo from a distant dream.

His cold eyes softened, a rare flicker of warmth touching his expression. “I’m pleased it has your approval, Claira.”

My stomach did a flip. Claira—not princess. There was something undeniably thrilling about hearing him say my name.

Honestly, he probably could have called me anything—even little captive —and I would’ve likely grown flustered just from the sound of his voice.

If things kept going like this, I would surely end up bringing up the thrall again. Would he push me away if I did?

I cleared my throat, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction, just in case. “So, earlier, you mentioned that statue was Barren’s father?” I ventured, picturing the sculpted titan in my mind. “Barrentos Arwa. Do they really share the same name?”

It made me a bit sad to think that they might. Barren had never once mentioned it. As I recalled, even his driver’s license had been printed with the name Barren, although those weren’t exactly legitimate forms of identification, were they?

“Hmm…” Abyssal’s lips quirked. “Don’t you think that’s a question best saved for him?”

“For him?” I withdrew my hand, a warm flush rising in my face. “Right, like I’ll ever get the chance to ask him.”

Then I remembered the letter I’d just sent Cyre to deliver and struggled to suppress a wince.

Abyssal’s amusement only deepened. “Regretting that you didn’t get the chance to add that to your little message, are we?”

I gasped. “How did you?—?”

“I have my ways,” Abyssal said with a sly wink. Then he shrugged offhandedly, adding, “Aracos might have mentioned it.”

There it was. The traitor! Aracos really did care for his master more than me. “I don’t get it,” I blew out. “You knew, and you didn’t stop me.”

One of Abyssal’s eyebrows quirked. “You thought I would?”

I shot him an incredulous look. “Of course.”

“Oh?” A devilish smirk overtook his lips. “Why’s that?” he prodded.

“Well, because…” I hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “Because you don’t like them.”

He stared in silence, his eyes trained on mine.

Wait—he did dislike them, didn’t he? He’d always sounded so bitter whenever he mentioned them, even before Leander hit him with a lightning bolt hard enough that the wound refused to heal.

“Pardon my confusion, but who is it that I don’t like?” he finally asked, his tone dripping with mock innocence.

Ugh . Was he really going to make me spell it out for him? “My ‘lovers ,’” I ground out. “Barren, Kai, Leander.”

“Ah, them.” He seemed all amusement now. “And who told you that?”

“Well, no one,” I admitted, biting my lip. “I guess I just assumed…”

“I don’t dislike them,” he said coyly, a playful glint in his eyes. “They serve their purpose well enough. Though, I must admit, I would have preferred if they’d been more diligent in ensuring your safety.” He let his gaze linger on my eyes, then down to my lips and back up again. “But I can’t say I mind claiming the bulk of the glory for myself.”

So, he didn’t hate them. Huh . That was unexpected. Almost as unexpected as the way he was looking at me now. His eyelids had drifted into a slow, comfortable gaze, making me acutely aware of the intimate closeness between us, our lower bodies softly aligned.

Without warning, his face turned toward my hand on his shoulder, his lips a soft brush against my palm as he murmured, “I almost forgot.”

My insides shivered at the sensation of Abyssal’s lips grazing my skin. I willed myself not to react, not to do anything that might risk shattering this moment, keeping perfectly still as he continued.

“You solved my riddle, so it seems I owe you a gift.”

“A gift?” I laughed softly, though the sound came out far more breathless than intended. “But you already shared your name with me. That’s more than enough.”

He chuckled against my hand, sending more pleasant shivers rippling through it. “Are you saying you’re not the least bit curious?”

I bit my lip as Abyssal brought a hand between us, his long fingers elegant yet undeniably powerful.

Magic unfurled in the center of his palm like a flower blooming in the darkness. “This is the real reason I took you from that brute,” he murmured, his gaze admiring the dark orb of magic. “I wanted to give you this.”

He waited for me to reach out before gently placing it in my hand. As soon as it settled in my palm, the magic evaporated, revealing a delicate chain with a polished shell intricately wrapped in fine wire.

It was an abalone shell, similar to the one he’d once given me to break in order to contact the cecaelia. This one was far more precious, however, with its polished surface wrapped in swirls of wire that made it too elegant to ever destroy.

“It’s beautiful.” I turned the shell gently in my hand. Even the wirework on the back looked meticulously crafted. Thin, silver wires criss-crossed over the polished surface, hugging the shell’s every curve. “You made this, didn’t you?”

“Indeed, I did.” There was a softness to his voice that made me appreciate the gesture all the more. “I’ve been working on it for quite some time, but I finished it this morning. I’ve been wanting to give you… something special.”

My eyes snapped up to his. “It’s very special.” My thumb brushed over the shell, and I felt the faint hum of magic. “There’s a spell inside of it?”

Abyssal’s playful grin was full of secrets. “You know me so well.”

“Not a fertility spell, I hope,” I teased, enjoying watching his face pinch.

“No, nothing like that. It’s for protection,” he explained softly. He cleared his throat. “I’d be delighted if you chose to wear it.”

Protection, huh? So, the opposite of a fertility spell. I doubted that joke would resonate well away from land, so I let it go with a soft smile. “Thank you, wizard.”

As he reached out, carefully retrieving the delicate chain from my hand, I caught my slip.

“I mean, thank you, Abyssal,” I corrected, watching his long, skillful fingers deftly find the clasp. “Even though you are, technically, still a wizard.”

He chuckled. “May I?” His smooth voice turned my playful mood into something entirely different.

“Y-yeah, sure.” As soon as I nodded, tentacles slid up my waist, holding me in place.

His expression gave nothing away as he swept my hair aside, exposing my neck. Then his gaze traveled downward to the spot where the shell would rest, and the dark rings in his eyes seemed to thicken.

“I hope it’s to your liking,” he murmured, his voice a soft caress as the abalone brushed against my collarbone.

“It’s perfect,” I breathed out.

He responded with a low hum, his fingers lingering on the clasp at the nape of my neck.

He didn’t move them.

His gaze, so raw and intense as he looked down at me, somehow spoke volumes. I recognized it for what it was: the look of a man whose reluctant hands were currently betraying his unspoken desires.

If I dared to mention it, would he confess what he was feeling? Would he let his guard down and admit what we both knew to be true?

“And what do I owe you for such a perfect gift?” As soon as I asked, the clasp finally slipped from his grasp.

“You owe me nothing,” he replied, but he didn’t draw away. His touch remained, those gentle fingertips becoming a permanent fixture at the base of my neck.

I reached up, stroking the shell, tilting my head to look at him through my lashes. “No strings attached? That’s not like you,” I said, my voice a silky tease. “I thought you loved making deals.”

Abyssal’s eyes flickered with something new, something dangerous. His tentacles shifted, sliding against my waist and hips in ways that they never had, pulling me ever so slightly closer.

“If you’re so eager to strike a deal with me,” he murmured, his voice flowing like a dark current. He dipped his head, and there were those wickedly cunning lips again, lightly grazing my ear as he continued, “Perhaps we can arrange something.”

A month ago, hearing those words from the sea wizard’s lips would have sent warning bells ringing through me. As Abyssal spoke them now, though, all I could feel was the thrill of anticipation, accompanied by a deep flutter within me that refused to still.

He leaned back to look at me, but he was far from letting go. His tentacles’ touch lingered, so gentle yet possessive, as if they were staking a claim with every slow, measured movement.

How was it possible to feel this safe but so unguarded at the same time?

I matched his intense gaze with one of my own as I whispered, “What do you have in mind?”

His gaze sharpened. I’d evidently asked the exact question he’d wanted to hear.

“How about this?” His thumb traced a soft path along the back of my neck. Even keeping to a whisper couldn’t keep the longing from seeping into his voice. “You keep my gift, and in return…” His voice trailed as a second hand cupped my chin, tilting my face toward his.

He studied me as if savoring the shy curve of my smile and every flick of my lashes.

Then his thumb brushed the corner of my mouth, and my smile sobered.

“A kiss,” he decided, his voice smooth and coaxing, like a silken thread drawing me in. “Just one.”

A kiss? It was dizzying, the possible reality that could stem from those two words. From this arrangement .

As he awaited my answer, his thumb continued to trace a small, deliberate circle at the edge of my mouth. His gaze was relentless, searching, and every bit as seductive as his touch had turned into. With the hand on my neck, my lips, and the way his tentacles tightened just a fraction more… It was as if he were holding me in place but not forcing—never forcing.

How could he have been forcing me when suddenly there was no urge inside me to be anywhere else but here with him?

His mouth hovered just out of reach, and I could almost taste the darkness on him, faint and elusive, like the furthest depths of the sea.

“All right,” I breathed, the words barely there as I let my eyelids flutter shut, giving in to the pull. I would let his darkness consume me as long as it meant I could have him beside me in the shadows. “One kiss.”

Agreeing to it felt like a formality. In truth, I was already his.

“ Claira. ” His voice came out as a tormented rasp, as if my agreement had been his breaking point, finally shattering something inside him he’d been fighting to keep intact.

Then it happened—he moved in, closing the distance with a sureness that left my hearts stuttering. And when his lips claimed mine, firm and insistent, nothing about it made sense.

Because he kissed me like he’d done it a thousand times.

Like he already knew every curve and contour, every reaction he could pull from my whimpering throat.

Even in my confusion, there was a sense of rightness. Each brush of his lips and flick of his tongue somehow felt inevitable, as if we were simply reclaiming pieces of us we’d lost along the way.

Perfectly dark and intoxicating, his every touch wrapped around me like magic. And I found myself sinking into it, losing myself to the darkness. To him.

A thumb brushed my jawline, guiding me to tilt my head and give him the perfect angle to take what he wanted—what we both wanted.

I gladly surrendered.

“Ah—” He groaned, low and pleased, his lips never leaving mine as his hand on the back of my neck slid up into my hair. It tangled gently, a slight tug at the roots, just enough to make me gasp.

“Abyss—” It proved to be a calculated move because he took advantage of my open mouth to deepen the kiss. All I could do was hold on, my fingers curling into his chest, clinging to him as if letting go meant losing more than just this moment.

But I wasn’t the only one clinging. His grip tightened in my hair—not painfully, but still with a desperate urgency, as if the idea of any space between us was unbearable.

That thought was unbearable. He was always so elusive, like smoke slipping through my fingers, forever just out of reach. I couldn’t let him disappear now.

My hands slid up to frame his face, to hold him here like I could make this kiss last forever. So that maybe I could keep him with me, just like this, always.

He responded in kind, but instead of hastening his efforts, once I had my hands on his face, everything softened. His pace slowed, leading us into a new rhythm that unfolded like a dance. It wasn’t rushed or frantic, but a languid sway of lips that made everything else melt away.

And Abyssal kept going. His gentle exploration of my mouth didn’t stop until he’d made it perfectly clear that this wasn’t just a kiss—it was a confession, a wordless admission of all the darkness held within him, every secret he kept hidden.

And in this moment, I felt capable of forgiving him for anything.

Our lips finally parted, but he didn’t let go. His forehead rested against mine, our ragged salty breaths mingling in the water between us.

The sensation of the thrall was still buzzing through me, heady and intense, but I didn’t dare mention it.

Instead, I looked up into Abyssal’s eyes and caught him staring off into the water. The moment our gazes met, I was struck by the anguish he tried to conceal.

A sickening twist of fear curled in my stomach. “What’s wrong?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, a barely perceptible shudder traveling through him before he steadied himself. “Princess,” he murmured, his lips, which had just been so tender, now pressing into a tight, distant line. “My apologies.”

“Don’t apologize.” I reached up to brush my thumbs along his cheekbones to let him know that there was no need to put his guard up with me. Not anymore. “That kiss was?—”

An abrupt shake of his head cut me off. Wait —was he trembling? “I must go.” His voice was startlingly deep, the urgency in his words jolting me out of the tranquil bubble we’d created with that kiss.

“Go?” I repeated, but instead of explaining, his tentacles were already retracting, his shoulders posturing like he was preparing to teleport. “Hey, hey, hey, wait a second!”

That’s when I noticed the rotund fish swimming beside us. Something billowed out of its clamped-shut mouth. As I vaguely processed what was dangling, I gasped. “Wait, is that a bra? ”

It was indeed a bra. A cute one, too, with a tasteful amount of lace like the ones I liked to wear on land.

Maybe the kiss had been magic, and it was now triggering some unexpected hallucinatory side effects.

Even more strangely, the fish seemed to glance at me, pause, then turn around, swimming away like it was afraid I was going to either eat it or steal its brassiere.

What in the world had Abyssal’s lips done to my brain?

“I have work to attend to in the Undersea.” The bitterness in Abyssal’s dark admission pulled me right back to him. “Regrettably, I must return you to Jagati’s care.”

“Jagati?” I gasped. Dammit. Anyone but Hari’s brother. He was probably pissed beyond reason that I’d been taken from him in the first place. “That seems rather… unfair, don’t you think?”

Abyssal’s face became rigid, his expression freezing over. “Trust me, I would rather not leave you alone with that brute.” He sighed. “But it’s unavoidable.”

“Why don’t you just take me with you?” I suggested, winding my arms around his shoulders. “I’d rather spend the time with you, anyway.”

Instead of drawing me closer, his body tensed beneath my touch. “Unfortunately… I cannot.”

So, this was his way of creating distance once again. Why was that not surprising?

“Fine,” I said, pulling back slightly but still holding his gaze. “I’ll let you go, but only if you promise me that this isn’t about regretting our kiss. I need to know that’s not why you’re leaving.”

That got his arms back around me. “I could never regret kissing you,” he said smoothly. He leaned in closer, his voice taking on a sultry edge I wasn’t prepared for. “Have you forgotten? I never agree to a deal that isn’t stacked heavily in my favor. And for you, that wasn’t a fair exchange.”

My insides fluttered, either from his voice or from the memory of the kiss. “I don’t know. It seemed pretty fair to me.”

He chuckled softly. “You gave me far more than I gave you.” But then his gaze grew colder, and his arms dropped from my waist. “Unfortunately for me, it’s time for me to return you.”

“It’s unfortunate for me, too,” I replied, struggling to keep the frustration out of my voice.

He smirked, although the emotion didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Before I could try to get the last word in, Abyssal gave me a fleeting smile. Then, with a swift burst of magic, we teleported.