Page 104 of The Nymph Prince

I expected most of them to fib, but I found that eyes often held truth where lips spoke lies.

“I…well,” Dathan stammered, and his already flushed cheeks turned a deeper red. “King Triton rules with an iron fist, punishing all those who speak against him or who do any wrong. Yet, that leadership is needed, especially in times of war when loyalty is essential to survival.”

“You think the king to be cruel?”

The poor boy gaped and looked as if he was going to be ill. “I did not mean for it to sound that way, Your Highness. Forgive me. I know not what I speak.”

“No, I wish to know what Father’s people truly think of him. Your words will not be used against you, Dathan. I value honesty above all else.”

The servant relaxed a bit, but the unease lingered in his honey-colored eyes.

“Do you love your king?” I asked, carefully watching him.

Dathan said nothing at first. I said I valued honesty, and he was thinking on his answer before uttering a lie. I appreciated it. Many other servants would never speak poorly of the king, even if they hated him.

“I respect the crown,” he said at last. “Avalontis is my home, and the people in it are my family. The king has given us a safe haven beneath the sea, where we may live our lives in peace. For that, I am eternally grateful for His Majesty.”

“Respect and love are not the same.”

“Correct, Your Highness, but it was all I could say without speaking a lie.” Dathan met my eyes, briefly. “If you were to ask the question of yourself, the answer would be yes to both. Many others would say the same. You are adored and held in high esteem, for you are not only a fair prince who would lay down his life to protect us, but one who truly values his people and cares for their well-being. And for that, I love you. We all do.”

I stepped back from him, unsure how to respond. I hadn’t expected him to think of me so highly. Compared to my father, my deeds had been nothing extraordinary. I’d thought the people viewed me as a spoiled prince. A brat.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get your meal now, my prince.”

I nodded, still too stunned to speak, and Dathan left the room.

With my mind replaying his words, I removed the towel and slipped on a robe. My plans for the evening involved staying in my chamber like a hermit crab, and so, trousers were unnecessary.

Dathan returned shortly after, carrying my meal on a covered platter. He placed it on the table in my small sitting room before bowing and leaving the room.

I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I smelled the fish and saw the steam wafting from the potatoes. Eating provided little comfort, though. As I ate, I wondered where Alek was. It seemed odd that he hadn’t come to see me yet. He and Eva must’ve finished their lesson hours ago. Maybe, just like me, he’d needed time to himself.

We hadn’t been on the best of terms lately.

But I wasn’t ready to tell him about the vision. How could I tell the man I loved that he would be the death of me? That he’d kill all of my friends; men who’d become his friends, too?

Later that evening as I tried—and failed—to sleep, I heard the slight creaking of the door as it opened and closed. Soft steps padded across the floor before the bed dipped behind me and a warm body snuggled in behind mine.

I knew it was my mage. Not only because of the connection that sizzled in his presence—the one we’d had for the better part of a year—but also because of his smell. Sun warmed rocks and grass after rain.

It was fitting that he would smell of the earth, for he grounded me. Even when it felt like I was caught in a strong current, fighting against a relentless force, Alek had a way of calming the waters. Of releasing me from the hopelessness and bringing back the sun.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” I whispered, holding his arm as it slipped around my waist.

He pressed his face against my nape. “I can never stay away for long, nymph. My heart is with you.”

“And mine with you.”

My skin tingled at his proximity, as if my soul was reaching out to him. He comforted me like nothing else ever could. I closed my eyes and tried to find sleep, but it was a ways off yet. So I listened to Alek’s soft breaths, focused on the warmth of him against me. I thought he’d fallen asleep.

“I know there is a thing you aren’t tellin’ me,” he whispered. “There’s been a change with us, Lorcan. I sense it. When I was on theCrimson,we could feel when a storm was coming. There was a shift in the air and the sea even reacted differently. I feel we are the same; waitin’ in the calm as a storm approaches.”

The storm is you, I nearly said,threatening to rip us apart.

“I worry, Alek. The battle we prepare for is not to be taken lightly. Andyouare in the center of it all: the mighty king who’s said to rise and lead the dark mages against us.” My heart was in my throat. “What happens once the humans discover who you are? All will be revealed that night. I didn’t think it through.”

There’d be a loss regardless of the outcome. If the dark mages were the victors, we’d all be killed. But ifwewon the battle, Alek might still be killed. Because he’s one of them. King James wouldn’t let Alek live once he discovered his identity. And if I stepped in and defended my destined mate, the alliance would be broken and everything I’d worked so hard to prevent would happen anyway.