Chapter 19
Ihid from the storm under the tiny overhang of rock, hoping Caspian would come and hold me, but he never did.
It was the first night we’ve spent alone since we bonded.
Sleep evaded me, so I shivered and wept.
The only comfort I found was the short period of lust and pleasure I felt from Hunter’s side of the bond.
Phoenix was finally making him feel good.
I don’t know why it took so long, but I felt Hunter grow stronger from the interaction.
I was grateful for that, but it made my own bonding sickness more acute.
As waves pummeled my tiny island, and lightning struck the surrounding sea, I tried to imagine what they were doing.
The images I conjured had slick pouring down my rain-drenched legs, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find relief.
Caspian’s anxiety clobbered me from one side of the bond and Hunter’s pleasure from the other, and it was too much. Because I was alone.
Last night was the first time since I was captured that I let myself cry. I sobbed into the darkness for hours, my heartbreak louder than any thunder.
But now, as the sun rises over a glassy, calm sea, my eyes are dry. I will get off this rock. Whatever it takes. I’m going to get back to my mates. All of them.
When the guards toss me a fish and some seaweed for breakfast, I ignore it, knowing my stomach can’t handle it right now. There are other things on my mind.
Firm in my resolve, I dig through my dry bag, looking for my phone. I know I haven’t gotten a signal before, but I’ll try again and again from every corner of this rock. It’s all I can do for now while I wait for another opportunity.
“Looking for something?” The voice is hard as ice. Though I haven’t heard it in days, I know exactly who it is.
The Queen of Tythas lifts above the waves, tail flicking gracefully below the water. Her eyes gleam with a predatory light that makes my blood run cold.
“Your Majesty,” I grit through clenched teeth, dipping my head in a semblance of a bow.
I despise her, but showing that will do no good.
Honey catches more flies, and I have to believe that will be true with her as well.
If I can just figure out her soft spot. It’s clearly not her children, but there has to be something she values, something she wants, something I can use.
She snarls, revealing sharp teeth. It’s as if she knows there’s no respect in my deference to her title.
I sit at the edge of the rock with my feet in the water.
We lock eyes in a silent standoff that seems to amuse her.
But I won’t look away first. Alpha presence emanates from her, but I hold steady.
I’ve spent my fair share of time around domineering parents.
Despite my omega designation, I’ve never been one to cower.
“How are things in Tythas?” I ask, trying for a casualness that belies the moment.
“I assume you know why I’m here,” she says, not answering the question.
“I can guess.” My little escape attempt clearly wasn’t to the queen’s liking. Still, I’m surprised she came herself.
“There will be consequences if you leave your cage again.” She gives me a pointed look.
“What kind of consequences?” I probably shouldn’t press her when she’s looking at me like she’d love nothing more than to chew me up and spit me out, but I need to know how far she’s willing to go.
She grins as if she was waiting for me to ask just that.
In the next breath, she’s right in front of me.
The tip of a tiny pearl-handled knife digs into my shoulder hard enough to draw blood.
The shock of it rips a scream from my lips, even though the cut isn’t deep.
I jerk back, but she’s faster, grabbing my leg and keeping me from getting away as she makes three shallow cuts on my calf.
“You know… we have sharks in these waters.” She lets go, and I scramble away from her as fast as I can, though there’s nowhere I can go. “My guards will ensure you’re always bleeding.”
She turns to leave, but freezes as if she’s seen something. I follow her line of sight to the edge of the horizon. Is that a ship? They’re too far away to tell, but the chance gives me hope.
“Help!” I scream. The odds of them hearing are slim, but perhaps the wind will carry the noise. “Hel—”
I’m cut off before I can finish the word, dragged beneath the water by the queen’s brute strength. Her hand covers my mouth even though my lips are sealed.
She says something in that strange, beautiful language, and both guards are there in an instant. Gopher takes me from her as she backs away. He bands his arms around mine, locking me in place, his chest against my back. I kick and squirm, but it’s no use.
The queen studies me for a moment. She exchanges more words with her guards, and I’ve never wished to understand their language as much as I do right now. For all I know, she could be ordering them to kill me.
The second guard disappears before reappearing and shoving one of the little harmonica breathers between my lips.
I guess they figured out what they do after watching me use them for my daily swims. Okay, so not trying to kill me.
At least, not yet. I have no doubt that the queen would feed me to the sharks without batting an eyelash if she thought it would best serve her interests.
She says something else before swimming off with the other guard beside her, leaving Gopher and me alone. I struggle half-heartedly, knowing it won’t do me any good, but I hate the thought of just letting him hold me down here. Eventually, I wear myself out.
I wish I could ask him what’s going on. Maybe if we could communicate, I could even win him over or get him to help me. I doubt it, but it’s possible. Since we can’t, though, I’m stuck.
The other guard returns. Gopher asks him something, and the two of them talk for a while. I can’t see Gopher’s face, but the other guard fiddles with his spear throughout the entire conversation. His eyebrows pinch together, lips turned down. They’re concerned.
The longer they keep me down here, the more convinced I am that what I saw was a ship.
One that wasn’t supposed to be there. I get the impression that this isn’t a normal shipping route.
In fact, from what Caspian has told me about not knowing humans existed, I’d venture to bet boats never come this way.
My heart beats a little faster, and I tug on the bond with Hunter. Hope soars down his end, a mix of urgency and determination. Is it stronger than before? Closer?
I think it might be. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking.