Page 134 of The Nymph Prince

I winced, if only a little, before focusing on the raging battle. The faces of the fallen—merfolk, human, and mage—would haunt my dreams for many nights to come.

The only night that was of any significance was this one.

A chill shot down my spine as the hairs on my nape lifted. An odd sensation knotted in my chest, and I placed my hand there, confused. It was similar to the pull I’d felt that had brought me to Alek for the first time.

And just like that, the grief returned. My hands shook and my heart was in my throat.

Then, I saw him.

Although the battle continued around me, time slowed. Bodies fell, blood sprayed, and bone-chilling cries tore through the air, but all I saw was him.

Alek stood on the steps of the temple and smiled as he watched the chaos unfold.

“A-Alek?” I stumbled as my knees threatened to give out. But it was him! He was so close to me. Ihadto reach him. I mustered the strength and moved toward him, going from a walk to a run. “Alek!”

I dodged a blow from a rusty sword and pivoted out of the way from another. My eyes were fixated on my mage. My beautiful Alek who was somehow alive.

I didn’t think about why I couldn’t sense him, why I couldn’t feel his heart beating. I didn’t contemplate how he was alive. I just ran toward him, desperate to feel the warmth of his skin. To know he was real and not a phantom from a cruel nightmare.

When I reached him, I stopped cold.

A man was beside him, holding onto Alek’s waist and kissing the top of his shoulder. A man who looked so much like my father.Like me.

“Hello, brother,” he said before tilting Alek’s face to his and kissing him, moaning as he did. When he looked back at me, his eyes glowed red. “I wondered when I’d be seeing you.”

“Brother?”

“Oh this again, is it?” The man sighed and walked forward. “I do hate repeating myself.”

“Not too close, my love.” Alek grabbed his hand, not letting him go too far. “He cannot be trusted.”

I stared at my mate…and felt nothing. It was Alek’s body; his eyes and lips. It was his voice. But it wasn’t Alek. Though faint, I still felt the connection with Alek. Yet, it wasn’t coming from the body in front of me.

“My name is Ezra,” my so-called brother said. As blood-curdling screams of men dying sounded around us, he rolled his eyes. “Battle is so noisy. Here I am, united with my baby brother, and I cannot even hear myself think. To make averylong story short, Triton is my father. He’s killed all of his children apart from you. But my mother placed a protection spell on me. As I grew, so did my rage.”

“What do you mean he kills his children?”

No, I couldn’t have heard him correctly. Father would never do such a thing.

Ezra gaped before throwing his head back with a laugh. “This is precious. You had no idea, did you? Your father is wicked to his core, dear prince. Afraid of being challenged one day, he kills his offspring. And for some reason, he’s letyoulive.” Red eyes narrowed. “Is it because you’re too weak to ever overthrow him? Too kind? Possibly.”

“Liar!” I gripped the hilt of a dagger and took aim.

Alek waved his hand as I released the blade, sending it off course.

“Do not attack my lover again,” he growled as his eyes glowed purple.

“Lover?”

“Haman is my heart and my soul.” Ezra smiled as he joined their hands. “And together, we will rule the world, both land and sea.”

Haman.

Alek never had a chance. We’d believed he’d be able to refuse the darkness, but instead, they’d killed him and placed another soul into his body.

The vision I’d had of this night returned to me. It hadn’t been Alek I’d seen kill me and my friends. It’d been Haman in Alek’s body.

My sweet and foolishly stubborn mage had left my side in the middle of the night to come to Black Hallows to try to prevent this battle, because he’d been afraid of hurting those he cared about. It was for naught.