And the sword slicing through his head…
Nausea swirled within me, and I couldn’t stop myself from vomiting in the nearby bushes.
A memory burned itself in my brain, searing.
The sword had gotten caught on something, bone more than likely, when I had tried to cut off his head. I had only meant to quicken his death, to grant him relief from the agony he was experiencing. But I had only prolonged it. It wasn’t a clean slice through skin. It was jagged and brutal, and I would never forget the pain in his eyes.
Z’s small hand touched the bottom of my back, but even her comfort couldn’t stop the storm raging in my mind.
A murderer. I was a murderer.
“I need to heal you guys,” Bash said tersely. He stood in the doorway, body rigid and his focus on Z. However, he didn’t step towards her. He didn’t hold her like I knew he wanted to.
“Dair first,” Z answered immediately, and I couldn’t help but smile. If she thought there was a chance in hell Bash would heal me before her, she was crazier than she looked.
Bash continued to stare her down, his typical, no nonsense stare. When Z saw he wouldn’t relent, she released a huff and wobbled up the front steps.
Both Ryland and Lupe rushed to steady her.
She was even more injured than I had realized. If I had arrived even a second later…
No, I didn’t want to think about that. I shot those thoughts from my mind vehemently.
What I needed was a scorching hot shower, a chance to wipe the excess blood off my body. I also needed to swim in my Mermaid form. Already, my twelve hours as a human were coming to an end, the familiar itch begging to be scratched.
A part of my curse. Twelve hours as a human. Twelve as a Mermaid.
Tavvy had always preferred his human form.
Tavvy...
I could still hear my brother’s laugh. I didn’t think that sound would ever fade completely.
At the end of the day, he was just a sick, twisted boy in desperate need of help. Did that make me feel guilty for killing him? No, absolutely not. Did I feel guilty because I didn’t feel guilty? Yes.
“You know you’re going to be punished when you get back,” one of the twins, Idol, said.
I sighed.
My legs were a gift, and like with any present, they could be ripped away and returned.
At least I had enjoyed them to the best of my ability while I had them.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Z
There was a sort of tension in the air. A sickly cloud that hung ominously over our heads. Not palpable, but just foggy enough to be noticeable. A mist glissading over the land.
The tension remained as we pulled up in front of the Capital, parking near the stone fountain.
Two familiar figures were waiting for me when we arrived, and I unbuckled my seatbelt and flung myself at them.
Both sets of arms immediately wrapped around me before Devlin pushed me away with a scowl.
“What the fuck happened?” he whispered, hand tracing the bruises and cuts on my face. I captured his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, knowing that he needed it.
Bash had tried to heal me the best he could, but he had quickly tired.
“I sense something in you,” Bash had said suddenly during the healing session, brows creasing. My mind had immediately drifted to Zack and his talk of poisons. When Bash had waited for me to answer with a raised brow, I had meekly shrugged in feigned cluelessness.
Despite my protests to take a break, he had continued with a renewed vigor until he abruptly slumped forward, passed out. Still, I was ten times better than I was before. I couldn’t imagine what my other mates would’ve said if I had come back without any healing.
“I’ll explain everything,” I promised Devlin now.
Keeping my hand in his, I turned towards my Incubus. His red hair was tangled, and he had dark shadows beneath his eyes. My brows furrowed at the helpless expression on his face, the need to comfort him driving me.
“What’s wrong?”
Before he could respond, the doors were pushed open, and the Mermaid King stepped outside. His blond hair was swept away from his face, once more revealing eyes a spitting image of his son’s. Or...not his son’s. Those eyes fixed on me with a predatory gleam.
I straightened under his gaze. It was time that I proved myself. It was time that I demolished the game board, emerging victorious.
I was no one’s fucking pawn.
“I completed your task,” I said, refusing to tack on the dreaded “your highness” at the end. If he noticed my intentional slip of protocol, he didn’t react. His eyes continued to glimmer in the sunlight.
Everything was painted in a pale pink and orange, the sun just barely cresting the horizon. It was just another reminder of how little I had slept the last few nights. My sleepless days were finally catching up to me - my body was tired and weary.
I had tried to eat on the car ride back, but everything landed like lead in my stomach, tangling with the ball of nerves and fear.
I waited now, listening to my mates move behind me. It was Ryland who appeared a moment later, Jakob’s red-haired head in his hands. Without preamble, he tossed it at the King’s feet.
“Very good,” he practically purred, surveying the man whose only crime was defending the woman he loved. My throat tightened with emotion, making it impossible to release anything louder than a croak.
“I completed your task,” I repeated. “I’m done.”
“You’re not done,” he countered. His lips were still curved upwards in a cruel smirk. He was a beautiful man seeped in poison. Everything about him was dangerous, exuding raw power. Even his smile held thousands of hidden meanings.
I waited silently for him to continue, hands on my hips. My posture screamed disobedience.
