Page 26

Chapter Twenty-Three

MER

Mer sucked in a deep breath as they crashed through the water.

Icy prickles shot through her body at the frigid temperatures of the bay. Fish darted away from them, a few inky shadows of sharks lurking about, sensing the commotion.

Her gills flared, inhaling water and shoving the air from her lungs, but she hardly felt the burn.

The duke thrashed in her hold, but Mer managed to wrap her legs around his arms and waist, locking her ankles together so he couldn’t move. The vile man tossed his head back as if to headbutt her, but she caught it between her palms.

Fear and disgust writhed in her gut from just touching the man.

A song of hate and prey rose from her lips as they drifted down the sharp slope of the bay toward open water. Tears burned her eyes.

Don’t kill him. Think of Phia.

Her last straw had snapped when he’d caressed the skin of Mer’s lower back. She’d dealt with his wild stories of taming a seacat and all the innuendoes the entire morning.

The veiled threats were the worst.

Familiar shapes appeared in the distance, advancing toward them.

Keventin convulsed in her arms, fighting harder as the largest leviathan Mer had ever encountered swam closer. She shivered, trying to keep her mind from fogging. The water was just so cold.

A pregnant female with many scars along her sleek striped body.

The beast hummed in reply, its rows of sharp teeth visible. She was hungry and looking for a fight.

Mer held the duke tighter and whispered in his ear, “You came to me in the dark like a coward. You may think you hold power but know that I hold the ocean in my hand, and you’re fortified Keep hovers over my domain.

There is no place you can go to escape me.

If Phia or Sienna are harmed in any way, I will make sure you suffer the most gruesome death imaginable. ”

He shook, the stench of his fear in the water.

She dismissed the man and locked eyes with the leviathan, turning her song into something softer, pleading, peaceful.

The beastie didn’t retreat. Mer released her hands and held them out, making herself bigger.

They would not become the creature’s meal.

Her fingers tingled, moving slowly from the icy water.

A different tune reached her ears, and Mer fought not to break the stare off with the leviathan. Lack of dominance could get her killed. The song grew sharper.

Another Sirenidae?

The beastie darted forward and passed them, chasing a smaller shark that had come too close.

Mer released the duke, who clumsily clawed for the surface, his movements sluggish.

She pushed her short hair from her face and searched the depths for the song, which had abruptly cut off.

Just the creatures of the sea feeding off bay scraps.

It was only your imagination.

Grief and exhaustion crashed down on her, and all she wanted to do was lie down on the silt sand and sleep. The shivers increased, the skin around her gills aching from the cold.

Move.

Mer pushed off the bottom of the bay and swam toward the surface. The duke had slowed, his movements sluggish.

Don’t let him die.

Catching him underneath the armpits, Mer gritted her teeth and towed Keventin up. Movement near the docks caught her eye. The king hovered in the water just a few feet beneath the surface, his silver eyes narrowed as they neared the surface.

A thread of panic wound around her heart. How much had he seen?

Human eyesight was poor in saltwater.

Mer pointedly ignored the king and helped the duke reach the surface. He coughed and spluttered, gasping for air when she pushed him against the slick dock, holding them both up, her legs gently kicking to keep them afloat.

The dock was pure bedlam.

Warriors were shouting at each other, and court ladies were crying in dismay. Mer locked eyes with King Raziel over Keventin’s shoulder. He held onto the edge of the dock, his wet red hair so dark it looked like spilled ink.

No worry creased his brow. Only anger.

He’d seen what she’d done.

That didn’t bode well for her plan of winning him over just to destroy his heart.

With her gaze still on the king, she whispered in the duke’s ear, “I keep my promises. Remember what I said. Return Phia to the keep.”

“As you wish, my queen .” He leaned into her body with a groan, his hand reaching for hers. “I am a man of my word too. I’ll have you soon.”

She jerked away, bile burning the back of her throat as he turned in the water, grinning, his pupils blown wide from the Lure. Nausea churned in her belly. He reminded her of a shark. Cunning, smart, and dangerous.

“Everyone onto the ship,” Gideon ordered.

The warriors followed the command, ushering the ladies up the bridge onto the warship. Sienna paused watching Mer tread water, no emotion on her young face. The girl tipped her chin to Mer, a small act of defiance before hustling onto the warship.

Mer’s teeth began to chatter as Gideon helped Duke Keventin out of the bay.

The hulking duke stumbled away from the water’s edge and brushed off his help.

He spun to smile at Mer, and her blood went cold.

This was not nearly over. She wanted to shrink under his gaze, but somehow, Mer managed to keep her head up.

Duke Keventin held his hand out to her. “Let me help you out of the water, my queen. What an adventure!”

The thought of touching him again just about made her retch.

“Your Grace,” Gideon called, flashing his bright smile. “Come and get warm. The captain tells me they have dry clothing for you on the ship.”

Annoyance crossed Keventin’s face before he masked it. “Of course.”

She watched as he disappeared onto the massive ship.

That just left Gideon, the king, and herself.

King Raziel hauled himself up, water pouring down his wide shoulders and muscular back. An unwelcome flicker of heat surged in her belly. He was too handsome for his own good.

He knelt and held his hand out to her, his face an impassive mask. “Gideon, you need to move back, away from the queen and me.”

His blue eyes widened. “Of course. Be careful. I don’t want to go in after you.”

They thought she was going to drown him. While the idea always had merit, not today. The only one who deserved a horrid drowning was the duke.

Slowly, she bridged the distance between them, assessing the king as his pupils expanded.

He coughed, and a shudder ran through his body when she slipped her hand into his large calloused one.

A squeak flew out of her when he yanked her from the cold sea and into his arms. She stumbled, catching herself against his chest. Water poured from her gills and then sealed shut.

“Cloak?” the king grunted, pulling her fully against him. “Why are you always almost naked?”

Gideon handed over his own, and the king brusquely slung it over her shoulders.

She blinked up at him, shivering. “I’m wearing a full dress.”

“One that is see-through .”

Her teeth chattered together, and everything hurt, but she managed to shrug. “It’s just a body.”

“One that doesn’t belong to them ,” he muttered.

“Nor to you.”

He stilled. “As you say.”

She scanned his features, and the urge to cup his face nearly overwhelmed her. He was upset, and she wanted to soothe him.

What is wrong with you? Remember who he is. Stick to your plan.

The plan to capture his heart and then break it. Maybe she should just touch his face anyway… all in the name of vengeance.

Mer stamped out the desire and yelped when the king swept her into his arms bridal-style, holding her close as he stalked down the dock, Gideon in tow. His wet robe slapped against his boots.

“I can walk,” she objected, not wanting to be close to anyone. At least he wasn’t touching her skin. Just the large cloak that cocooned her.

His fingers flexed against her body just as his nose brushed her temple. “I couldn’t let you go even if I wanted to,” he growled in her ear.

Right, the Lure.

“Where are we going?” she asked, shivering and hating herself as she cuddled closer to the king’s warmth, glancing over his shoulder.

Captain Velicu hovered by the railing and lifted a hand in goodbye.

Mer smiled at the formidable woman, but her smile dropped as the duke stepped up to the captain’s side.

There would be consequences for what she’d done today. Keventin’s eyes promised retribution.

“Home. Where you can’t try to kill anyone else.”

She stared out at the open ocean, wishing she could have said a proper goodbye to the sea.

Something out of place caught her eye.

It looked almost like a face?

She blinked and it was gone.

Wishful thinking on her part.