Page 42

MER

She woke with a gasp, her heart racing.

Mer blinked hard, trying to get Coven’s face out of her mind. She brushed the hair from her cheeks, trying not to wretch. Her body trembled when she noticed a large arm slung over her waist. Mer froze, her gaze flicking up to the man whose legs were currently tangled with hers.

Raziel, the Methian king.

Bile burned the back of her throat. And she slithered away from him, her breath sawing in and out of her lungs. She invited him into bed so they both could find some peace, not so she could curl into his arms like she belonged there. The only person she’d ever belonged to was Ream.

What are you doing?

Her panic rose and she found herself creeping from the bed. The room felt too small, her skin too tight. She needed to get out now.

Mer slipped to the driftwood door and lifted the side. She paused in the doorway, looking back at Raziel. He muttered in his sleep and reached for her, stilling.

Several times through the night he’d cried out, waking her. Mer had hummed and soothed him back to sleep. It seemed she wasn’t the only one with demons. The realization hurt her heart.

He was getting too close.

She fled the small home, feeling like she couldn’t get enough air.

Mer ran to the sea, the cold water rolling over her feet, causing the scales along her arms to rise.

Her chest heaved as she gasped, tears streaming down her face.

The full moon glimmered over the water, lighting up the cresting waves.

How could everything turn upside down so quickly?

Mer couldn’t handle any feelings for the king. She hadn’t even properly mourned Ream. Nor could she let her guard down when men like Keventin roamed about unchecked.

Coven’s face flashed through her mind.

She hadn’t missed the broken fingernails, the missing clothes, or the scratches on the girl’s shoulder. Nor the fact that someone had drowned the girl.

A haunting tone teased the air and Mer’s head snapped up. She scanned the waters, looking for the source of the sound. This was not in her imagination. The song seemed to vibrate through the water.

Her gut clenched. She had a feeling the culprits for Coven’s death weren’t far. And now they were taunting Mer.

She swiped the tears from her face and waded into the water, the icy feeling creeping up over her toes, then to her knees and chest.

“Mer!”

She turned as Raziel sped out the cottage, his silver eyes wide, powerful strides eating up the sand.

“Get out now.”

She took another step toward the open sea. He really was beautiful. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t you?—”

She plunged into the water, icy needles biting her body.

The change took over, forcing the air out of her lungs and water through her gills.

Her eyes burned as she pushed forward as fast as she possibly could, diving deeper and deeper, following the call.

She yanked a sharp shell from the crevasse of a nearby rock and palmed it. It would do in a pinch.

Mer shut away her pain and fed the rage that seemed to always be brewing beneath the surface.

She reached the open ocean, just hovering over the sandy bottom, shafts of moonlight dancing far above. The song stopped.

“You’ve called me, and I’ve answered. Show yourself.”

Nothing but silence echoed back.

Mer slowly spun in a circle, searching for any movement. She didn’t know what kind of creature she was dealing with. One like Coven? Or something more insidious?

“You’ve been following me since I arrived in Methi. I felt your presence the very first time I experienced the cold waters of the North. I heard you sing for the kraken.”

The silence seemed to be listening now.

She kept rotating, to keep her limbs moving. It was only a matter of time before she needed to return to the cottage. The water was too cold.

Mer drifted down until her toes touched the sand and she walked on the ocean floor.

“I heard you again in the bay. Let’s not pretend you don’t exist. What do you want?”

“What everyone wants,” a voice whispered behind her.

She swiveled but there was nothing. So they wanted to play games. She worked her fingers as they slowly turned numb. Not a good sign.

“All I want is a good night of sleep.”

A deep chuckle sounded from her right, but still, she could see nothing.

“Lies. You and I both know you crave blood.”

Mer stiffened. While she was a fantastic fighter in the water, there was no telling what she was up against. Clearly the voice was dangerous. She pushed away from the disembodied voice to the south, but her limbs shook, not wanting to cooperate.

Time to go. This had been a stupid idea. She should have never left that cottage. When would she stop making such stupid decisions?

“Was your craving for blood sated when you took Coven?” she demanded on a hunch.

“Her heart was full of betrayal,” the voice whispered directly in her left ear. “She earned her death.”

Mer gasped, flinging her hand out with the shell. “She was just a child!”

A dark gray clawed hand wrapped around her wrist and squeezed until she felt her bones break. She screamed, dropping the shell. Tears filled her eyes and drifted away immediately, revealing the abomination before her.

A massive Sirenidae stood before her, but he was deformed. He was bulky like the king, with dark gray skin covered with pulsing ribbons of blue light. His waist melded into tentacles that writhed against the ocean floor. He held a black bone trident with wickedly sharp prongs.

His fingers were webbed, and she jerked as he reached for her face. Mer snapped her teeth at him as he caught her chin in his grasp. She punched him in the ribs, but he didn’t even flinch.

She screamed as tentacles slithered up each of her legs and her uninjured arm, rendering her immobile. He tipped her chin up, forcing her to look into his face.

“Such fire,” he murmured, black eyes pinned to hers. His blue lights pulsed. “You’re just what I have been waiting for, Mer Thalassan.”

“I am at a disadvantage here. It seems you know me but I don’t know you.” Her words slurred slightly and the world began to waver the tiniest bit. He was going to kill her. She no longer struggled in his grasp, barely feeling anything.

Her heart beat in her ears, slowing.

He smiled, his teeth all pointed. “That’s a shock since you’ve been looking for me.” The monster leaned into her space and brushed his nose against her own. “Welcome to my domain, Mer. I am Ceto.”

His words echoed in her ears.

Mer summoned one last burst of energy and tore herself from his grip. There was no way she was outrunning the creature, but she could put him in a watery grave.

She lunged for his trident, grabbing it with her uninjured hand.

A tentacle wrapped around her ankle and yanked, pulling the trident from her grasp as if she were a mere child. She spun, slashing at the appendage with her nails, drawing blood.

Silver blood. Sirenidae blood.

Ceto roared, releasing her.

Mer managed to stumble to her feet and flee, but each movement was sluggish.

She tipped her head back and pushed off the ocean floor, determined to get to the surface, get to warmer water. The hair rose along the back of her neck.

Two tentacles wrapped around her feet and towed her backward.

She screamed and fought off another tentacle as it tried to steal her shell.

“It’s futile. You are mine.”

“I belong to no one.”

“Wrong.”

She found herself facing the huge male that somehow seemed to tower over her and surround her from all sides. Mer shook, her breath coming shorter and shorter.

“Let me go!”

“Don’t you know? There is no escape.” He grinned. “Try not to die.”

He slammed his head into hers. The world went fuzzy and turned black. Before Mer lost consciousness, she heard him whisper, “The Warlord promised me a beautiful bride. Let’s just hope you learn your place quickly.”