Chapter 4
KYLER
I make it halfway to the door when another dragon comes in behind the prince, dwarfing him and blocking the exit. Every person in the tavern turns to look at the giant of a dragon.
The prince holds up his hand. “You’ll be able to leave momentarily, but please hear what I have to say.” His voice is deep, washing over me, and I wonder if the prince is part merfolk himself.
“His Majesty has granted me a Task. Retrieve the phoenix stone. As you know, that means I need a mer.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
A dragon shifter right in front of the prince laughs, and his friends join in. “They live in the sea.”
A playful smile curls the prince’s full lips. “Yes, of course. Thank you. But I’m hoping someone knows where to find one. I can pay handsomely.”
People chatter among themselves. None of them look familiar.
I usually stick with taverns closer to the docks.
The dragons mentioned no one has seen merfolk in centuries.
Few know I’m mer, outside of Captain Vex and the crew.
I always thought Vex kept my secret so he could sell me to the highest bidder when I’m no longer useful.
So why is Vex willing to let me buy my freedom? Something doesn’t add up.
The prince steps forward. “I’m offering coin today for information. And a generous sum if that information leads me to finding a mer in the next handful of days. As you know, it takes a while to get to the stone and time is a factor.”
More murmurs roll through the tavern. My heart pounds hard. I could offer myself right now, but that’d be one captivity for another. Besides, I’d never escape without Vex removing the spell that binds me to him.
I need to test the waters. “How will you treat the mer?”
The prince’s entire face lights up with delight. He seems to stand taller, and I take a step back.
“With respect, of course. They’ll be doing me a huge favor. I can promise luxury for the rest of their life. But I must confess, I also wish to study them.”
“What do you mean, study?” I take another step back. Ideas whirl around in my head. “Will you dissect them?”
He gives a rich, deep chuckle, his shoulders shaking, and I have to wonder if the seams of his uniform will hold.
“Skies, no. Talk, get their history, become friends, make alliances. That sort of study. Nothing so heinous as to pick them apart scale by scale.”
I shudder at the thought. Another favorite torture of Captain Vex’s is to pry off scales. There’s nothing special about mer scales on their own, at least that I know of. Vex just wants to add to his morbid collection.
“If anyone has questions, direct them to my guard, Damon.” The prince’s eyes don’t leave me. He waves me to a table. “Sit.”
With a swallow, I follow his orders. There’s no way the prince knows I’m mer. I’ve been careful, except for perhaps a few schemes where the victim may have gotten an eyeful of my tail during my escape.
My seductive haze washes over the prince, but he doesn’t react. No lustful eyes, no lip licking, no blown pupils—nothing like what usually happens. Strange. Perhaps he’s immune.
“Tell me what you know of merfolk.” The prince has an easy smile, directing it right at me, making my cock take interest.
“What makes you think I know anything?” I swallow again, but the lump in my throat won’t budge.
I should have kept my mouth shut. Then I wouldn’t have royalty watching me.
Royalty that smells like leather and apples, like he’s strolled through an orchard before coming to the tavern.
I imagine one of his long, thick arms reaching for an apple above me, plucking a plump red one from a limb and biting into it, juice running down his chin.
I have to keep from looking into his eyes—beautiful silver and violet. I want to try finding the little flecks of color I’ve heard are hidden inside. But best to look anywhere except that handsome face.
The prince catches a barmaid’s attention and orders two drinks. “I believe you know something because you’re concerned for the well-being of the mer. You’ve seen one, haven’t you?” He leans closer. “What was it like?”
I’m not entirely sure I’m allowed to talk to royalty. It never comes up in Vex’s never-ending set of rules. But I’ve already initiated communication; it’d be rude to stop now.
“It was a long time ago. I was a child.” I tug at my collar; it feels more restrictive than my trousers. I glance at the prince, then back to the table.
“Still, you remember something?” That deep voice rumbles through me, obvious glee in his words.
“I—yes. Uh. Iridescent violet scales. Webbed fingers.” I twist my hands together under the table. Why did I say that?
Prince Gavin gasps in surprise and leans in even closer, like an excited puppy, if puppies were at least seven feet tall and muscular. “Did it have blue skin?”
“What?” My word comes out sharper than I mean. Why would mer have blue skin? How ridiculous. The question pulls me out from under whatever spell it is he holds over me. At least for a moment.
He tips his head, studying me. “The books say if it’s an ocean mer, it’ll have blue skin. Green for river mer.”
I cock a brow, questioning his intelligence. “Pirates say merfolk come in the same colors as humans, and that’s what I’ve seen too.”
“Pirates?” He narrows his eyes.
Barnacles. Why did I mention pirates? “I need to get back to the…” I scuttle to the edge of my seat, but before I can get away, he snatches my left hand and turns it over.
“Not a pirate,” he mumbles, relief obvious at not finding a P or X brand on my wrist.
“No. Not a pirate.” But technically, yes. I tug my hand from his calloused grasp and rub it. Not that it hurts, but it gives me something to do.
His brows knit together.
My palms itch. If Prince Gavin had taken my right hand, he’d have seen the binding spell.
“Other hand. Sometimes the branders confuse the sides.”
“I’m not a pirate.” I flick my left hand over the right to activate the shield that covers Vex’s binding spell. Then I present my hand.
When he takes my right wrist, his thumb caresses me, as if testing the softness of my skin.
“Forgive me; I had to be sure. That madman with the red flag and white teardrop—”
“It’s not a teardrop,” I mumble. “It’s… supposed to be…
” I motion my hand as if to pleasure myself, wanting him to figure it out without speech.
I don’t want to say the word out loud. Cum.
A horrible flag to symbolize stealing innocence, and luckily the ship isn’t Vex’s.
I couldn’t bear being on a ship with a despicable captain like Reynolds.
The prince’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline. “I should have known. He’s been hounding our shores for people to sell into the sex trade. Our navy hasn’t been able to catch him, though.”
Relaxing, I settle back into the seat. “No, the sex magic trade. Fear and anger are potent. Or so I hear.”
He cocks his head, studying me, his eyes flitting over my features. I squirm under the scrutiny, pressing my fists to my thighs to keep my legs from bouncing under the table.
“Your hands again.”
“Why?” I have to hold back panic.
Gavin’s lips form a thin line, tipping more to a lopsided smile than irritation. “You question a prince of the realm?”
“You’ve seen I don’t wear the brand.”
He softly taps his fingers on the table before holding out a hand. “Some pirates are clever and use spells to hide the mark.”
I forget to look away from his mesmerizing eyes. When I drop my glance to his mouth, I find him smiling—just slightly, but it’s there.
With a swallow, I display both hands, palms up, on the table.
He drags a thick finger across my left palm, drawing some design on it.
Whatever it is doesn’t break the spell that makes my hand look whole.
I’ve been missing part of my pinky and ring finger for years.
Punishment. Like all the other scars over my body.
I don’t want him to stop touching me. The heat from him isn’t stifling like the sun, but delicious, tingling through me.
When he pulls away to give the same treatment to my right, I stiffen.
Pain shoots through my arm. Vex’s spell fights to stay hidden, pulling energy from me, but I don’t allow my face to show the agony.
Finally, he stops toying with my hands, and I let out a sigh of relief.
Prince Gavin leans back, easing into a relaxed position. His long legs knock into mine when he adjusts them under the table. He takes his time moving them out of my leg space. Neither of us acknowledges the touch.
“How do you know what the red sail pirate does if you’re not a pirate?”
I contemplate telling the truth—that I’m a captive of pirates, so I know a fair amount about crews.
But then I’d have to explain why I’m not with said pirates at the moment.
He probably wouldn’t believe I’m bound yet have roaming privileges.
Merfolk can’t be cooped up without making them deathly sick.
At every port, I can roam as I please, but whenever it’s time to leave again, I’m confined to the ship with everyone else.
If I attempt to abandon Vex, the binding spell would sear my body with unimaginable pain. I’d rather lose more fingers.
“My uncle is a merchant; his ship’s the Golden Goose. We have run-ins with pirates every once in a while.”
The barmaid finally arrives with our wine. I try and fail to stifle a moan because this wine is better than the last. Gavin watches me over his own cup.
“I haven’t heard of the Golden Goose. Nor have I ever experienced someone have an orgasm drinking wine.”
Choking on the wine, my cheeks blaze like the fire of a thousand suns.
“I did not just—just…” I refuse to acknowledge what he said.
Wiping my hands down my shirt, I find my composure.
“We don’t usually sail in Lane. We stick to Avondra and Lefania.
” It’s truth enough; we only make it to Lane about twice a year.
Another smile tugs at Gavin’s lips. “What else might you know about mer?”
I take another drink, keeping my eyes on the wall and not on the prince still watching me.
When I set my cup down, I shrug. “Just what I’ve said.
I can ask my uncle if he knows more.” Of course, it’s a lie.
I have no uncle, and Vex isn’t about to spill the secrets he holds over me—secrets even I don’t know about myself.
“Please do.” The prince snaps his fingers, and the imposing giant of a dragon shifter walks over.
Upon joining us, the guard’s head tips as if trying to remember something.
His eyes narrow on me but quickly soften.
I’ve only known one other dragon so big—Captain Vex.
This dragon’s eyes remind me nothing of the captain’s, cheerful brown instead of intense orange.
He’s handsome, though I much prefer the prince.
“Damon, pay him ten silver coins.”
Damon digs in the pouch around his waist, then hands me the shiny coins before turning to watch the crowd again.
“Your name?” Prince Gavin asks.
I stare at the coin. “Thank you,” I whisper. Recovering, I add, “You could ask merchants what they know.”
“That’s an excellent point, and where we started. Speaking of, I heard several interesting stories about a boy. Long blond hair. Green eyes, I think? Or was it blue?” He leans over the table and tips my chin to look at my eyes better. “He’s merfolk, apparently. I’d like to meet him.”
I have to force myself from squirming under the examination. His calloused finger on my skin sends my senses into overdrive. My haze of desire pours from me like a waterfall. I would leap off a cliff if it would get me from under that silver gaze.
Gavin releases me, and I take a deep breath. He lowers his voice to say, “But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? You’re not in Lane often enough.”
“Everyone that works on the docks has heard the stories.” They’ve started well before I began my shenanigans several years ago. The old stories of merfolk gave me the idea of pillaging ships in the first place.
“One of our navy captains said the mer stabbed him. But left immortal jellyfish essence to heal him. Strange, don’t you think?”
“Very. Did this captain say why the mer stabbed him? Maybe he was trying to capture him, and the mer didn’t want that.”
Gavin shrugs. “I’ve often thought about stabbing Farol myself. He probably deserved it. He’s usually an ass.”
I snort. Indeed, he is.
“But enough about that. You haven’t told me your name.”
I flick my eyes up, again dazzled by his silver ones. I’m too muddled to lie. “Kyler.”
“Kyler.” He says my name slowly, like he’s savoring it. “I’m Prince Gavin. Send your information to me or my guard, Damon.” He gives me a quick smile before leaving with Damon to join the humans, who flag him over.
I could melt into a puddle. I grip the rough wooden edge of the table just to stand.
Perhaps the prince uses seductive magic?
That’s why I’m so mesmerized. I shake my head.
That isn’t it. The prince is a vision, and I want to lie beside him.
I have to get it together. No one, and especially not a prince, would ever want me next to them.
I tip my head back with a sigh before deciding to venture out into the exhausting summer sun once more. Who knows when the ravens will wake or the wolves will find me, and I need to be far away. At least I’m ten coins richer than when I entered, and I don’t have to suck cock for it.