Chapter Twenty-Eight
THE GENERAL
Finn shot me a warning glare as I struggled to compose myself.
The curves of her body demanded my attention.
And I wasn’t in a sharing mood. My shadows betrayed me by responding to her presence, and I allowed them to restrain Bowen so that he followed far behind us.
I held firmly to her arm, my glare threatening violence toward anyone who dared look in her direction.
We wound through hallways and under archways; mermen with tridents and sharks at their sides hovered every few feet. Queen Thaleia had done well for herself, and that boded well for me.
Entering the great room, we approached the raised dais where we were seated at a high table with the mermaid queen. I sat to the queen’s left. Her consort reclined on her right. Rue sat across from me, next to Bowen. Foka. My entire body tensed at their proximity. It was going to be a long night.
I ignored the agitation simmering beneath my skin.
Finn sat on the other side of Bowen, next to a mermaid whose dress left even less to the imagination than Rue’s.
I recognized the swim suit that Gemma had provided Rue back in Yarit.
I was grateful she had brought it, but I refused to let myself explore why it mattered.
Most of the food laid out was a variation of fish or mussels or clams. The flavors ranged from briny to buttery.
I ate my fill, while keeping an eye on our hosts and our surroundings.
Rue’s presence was a complicated, though not entirely unwelcomed, distraction.
The queen reclined at my side, asking polite questions about Lyrae, avoiding the true nature of our visit.
I studied the room, noting the guards and the multitude of merfolk that filled the space. It seemed Queen Thaleia’s court was well-ordered and relaxed. It was said that Queen Thaleia had once been cursed. Once she was able to break it, her realm had expanded as her power increased.
The queen raised her glass. “Tonight, we toast our guests. It’s been too long since another realm has made the journey to us.
May the evening be filled with the best delights the Nereids have to offer.
” Glasses clinked and my gaze caught Rue’s.
I wanted her beside me. I forced myself to study my food instead.
The queen leaned toward me. “We may discuss your concerns and requests tomorrow morning. Bring your water wielder as well. Tonight, General, is for merriment.” I nodded, setting my glass down, resigned at having to wait longer for potential answers and curious at Rue’s inclusion in our meeting.
Musicians began to play a haunting melody. Above us, purple smoke hazed through the water. It spread among us, fading to a pale lavender. Several people at the dinner erupted in applause at the sight.
A tingling sensation traveled through my magicked gills and a metallic taste hit the back of my throat. I vaguely noticed myself unwinding. Sounds became increasingly muffled as my ears attuned to the melody of the musicians.
Rue’s laughter speared through the haze of my thoughts.
What brought on her unabashed delight? And why wasn’t I the source of it?
I watched her leaning toward Bowen, her arm brushing his.
I smoldered as I observed the touch. I shouldn’t watch her.
But I just needed one more glance. She was a vision of beauty so striking and fierce, I felt paralyzed by it.
Something inside of me opened, possessiveness bleeding out. My fork began to melt. I restrained the metal magic that punched beneath my skin. Finn shot me a warning glance, then disappeared with the mermaid that sat next to him, his intentions abundantly clear.
I shifted in my seat, willing this predatory feeling to subside. Shadows began leaking from my knuckles, swirling in the water around me. I shoved my fists under the table. If Rue desired Bowen, I would not interfere. Even that thought had my rings forming tiny blades.
I wanted to be the one to tease out her laughter, her sighs. My mind grew sluggish, and I focused my concentration on my erratic magic. But I couldn’t pry my eyes away from Rue.
Queen Thaleia’s lady in waiting, Aydrielle, came forward, brushing her hand down my arm.
I turned toward her; the sensation of her caress tingled, warming me.
I struggled to keep my thoughts clear. Something felt off.
There was nothing that we had eaten or drank that could have affected my senses so sharply.
And still, Rue pulled my attention harder than the tides bending toward the moon.
As if she could feel it herself, our eyes locked.
I was riveted by the soft lines of her face, the graceful slope of her nose, and her dark lashes.
Her dress shimmered, and the shadow of her breasts beneath the ethereal fabric made it difficult to focus on anything else.
I bit my tongue until I tasted blood, a futile attempt to cast away increasingly volatile thoughts. Foka.
Aydrielle’s fingers trailed along my shoulders, and unwelcomed warmth followed as I instinctively leaned in her direction. Her sultry voice drifted toward me. “I hope you’re enjoying the venom of the vampire eels.”
My attention swayed toward the queen’s siren. “Vampire eels?”
She smiled knowingly, still dragging her fingers along my arm. “Their venom lowers inhibitions and creates a thrall. Think of it like a truth-telling aphrodisiac, or a more potent form of nymphian wine. It’s a unique gift found only in our realm.”
I jolted. No wonder this dinner became so much more charged.
My words came out pressured, now actively seeking to resist the enticement of the venom’s control and the allure of the siren next to me.
“I must take my leave,” I blurted, standing quickly.
I barely prevented my chair from toppling to the floor.
The pull on my emotions and my body created an irresistible trance.
Aydrielle put her hand on my arm, gently coaxing me closer to her.
The scales on her cheeks shimmered and her hungry eyes locked on mine.
My body pulsed with desire, even as my magic revolted against it; the object of my desire was not the nymph in front of me, it belonged to the enchanting woman beyond her.
“I would be happy to accompany you to your rooms. It would be a shame for you to get lost.” Her sensuous tone pressed in on me. The musicians continued their hypnotic melody, weaving their lusty invitation throughout the room. My heart pounded as longing grew in my stomach.
Gritting my teeth, I reflexively searched for Rue. Still leaning toward Bowen, Rue allowed him to touch her. Yet, her fiery stare bored into me. Was that jealousy blazing under her piercing gaze? The water around her fisted hands crystallized. My own possessiveness responded.
“Excuse me,” I forced out. Aydrielle released my arm as I lunged toward Bowen and Rue. A growl had Bowen backing off, making himself scarce. Rue gazed up at me. The purple in her eyes shone brightly in the glow of the sea, exuding a hunger that incinerated me.
She licked her lips, and I barely contained my groan. “We need to get back to our rooms. Now.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, harsh in the growing din. Every muscle in my body strained to hold myself back from grabbing Rue and tasting her right there. My mouth watered at the thought.
My mind played out multiple scenarios of my body pressed against hers, pinning her wrists above her head. What would she sound like when I brought her to the edge? I blinked hard, the muscles in my clenched jaw ached. This was for her own protection. I think.
She backed up a step, her eyes half-mast. It took every drop of will to keep my focus on her face and not look down to the sheer veil of her dress and the seductive curves it clung to. Her body may as well have been made from a siren’s song.
I implored her, “We are under the influence of a drug. We need to get out of here before…” She reached toward my face, her focus on my lips. I grabbed her wrist to stop her, my chest tightening with the self-restraint.
Undeterred, her other hand brushed my cheek.
Her soft touch splintered me. “Sometimes, I find myself wondering what we could have been in any other life than the ones we have. I would have liked to have been a woman worthy of your affection.” I could barely swallow.
Her words struck me like no fist ever could.
She couldn’t know how much my soul had always called to hers. She couldn’t know that there could never be an “us.” The fate of the realms rested on me alone, and Elyon had spoken through my dreams, through Xuri, regarding what the cost would be. It was my job to protect her. Even if it was from me.
My control eroded. “Rue, let’s go,” I begged her, my arousal unyielding.
Hurt clouded the water between us. The sound of a disappointed kitten escaped her lips. I couldn’t dwell on it.
She reluctantly followed me out of the dining hall, her hand clasped in mine. Heat coursed up from the place where we touched. The further away we walked from the luring melody and the venom-saturated dining room, the more clarity took its place.
My anger hitched at what nearly happened. We should have been warned. I clutched Rue’s hand for fear she would bolt back to what was very soon to be an orgy. I did not want to let go of her. But she wasn’t mine to hold on to. I laced our fingers together anyway.
By the time we made it to our wing of the palace, the lustful haze had nearly vanished, though the tension in my shoulders remained and my aggression toward Bowen hadn’t wavered.
I couldn’t bring myself to release our entwined fingers.
I glanced down at our clasped hands. The scars on her wrists contrasted starkly against the rest of her skin.