Chapter 12 Kai
Kai
Hours had bled into days, and without access to the outside world, I’d lost all track of time. All I knew was pain. So much pain.
But at least the sea witch’s efforts to sever the mate bond had been in vain so far. With each failed attempt, she grew more desperate.
My mother had little patience for those who disappointed her. I’d learned that from a young age.
“Malakai, wake up, son.” I forced my eyes open to find Daresh crouched beside me. He held a cup to my cracked lips. “Drink this. It will help heal you.” The liquid tasted foul, but I swallowed it down.
It eased the agonizing pain in my chest, and after a few minutes, the sludge in my head cleared somewhat.
“I’m trying to talk your mother around,” my father said. “But she’s stubborn.”
“You’re wasting your time but thank you.” My eyes closed as I lay back down on the cold stone floor. Water dripped from the ceiling, a steady staccato backdrop to my crushing desperation.
Daresh was the only one who’d shown me an ounce of love and compassion since I came home. He’d come to the cave every day without fail, waiting until the sea witch left before appearing.
Krillian had visited once. The minute he saw the state of me, he’d gasped in horror, but it wasn’t enough to persuade him to go against my mother.
Mother hadn’t visited in days. I suspected she was busy trying to cover her ass.
The guards knew I was home, so the court gossips were probably working overtime about reasons for my mysterious absence from the social scene.
The weeks following the winter solstice were typically a time for parties and celebrations and also when couples made their mate bonds official and existing harems welcomed new members.
As the mer queen’s son, I would have attended the first parties before heading back to the academy.
But right now, I wasn’t in a fit state to go anywhere, given I was barely alive.
“Stay strong, son.” Daresh patted me on the head and hurried away. With him gone, the mage lights disappeared, plunging the cave into semi-darkness.
I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander to my witch. She’d appeared to me in a dream, and that memory had helped sustain me ever since. Whether her presence had been a figment of my fevered imagination wasn’t clear, but from the look of horror on her face when she’d seen me, I suspected not.
The sea witch had cast an especially potent spell not long after, the effects of which had nearly killed me.
I prayed my witch wasn’t feeling the same pain as I was. I couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering. It was bad enough that I’d been foolish enough to leave her right after sealing the bond. She probably hated me for that.
I should have predicted what would happen when I broke the news to my mother.
But it was too late for regrets now. The best I could hope for was to survive what came next.
If the sea witch failed to break the bond, there was a small chance my mother would relent and accept Raven as my soul-bonded mate.
I held onto that sliver of hope with every fiber of my being.
It was all I had.