“Please, Tatiana. Lift this monstrosity off the porthole and I’ll explain everything and make it up to you, right now.”
“You’ll never touch me again,” she sneered.
Azor grunted in his attempts to push the table off the hole. “You’re in shock over what’s happened at the compound and hearing things. And why are you holding your head?”
“Shock? I’ll say. I just found out my mate has been making a fool of me. We’re done, Azor.”
“Please,” he said, grunting again, this time gaining leverage. “I care about you more than anything. And with this revolt, I’ve decided both of us need to move into the palace, get away from the compound and the madness. I’ll shower you with beautiful things, whatever you want. Just tell me how I can make it up to you. Please.”
Tatiana crossed her arms, turning her back on him. “Are you freaking kidding me?” She laughed. “You’ve had your chance.”
She jumped when the granite bookshelf crashed onto the floor. Yet he was there in a flash, his arms tucked around her waist and lips caressing her neck.
She waited for the promise to kick in and make her all lovey-dovey again. Typically, her pulse would be performing aerial stunts in her veins over this, but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.
“I care for you, Tatiana. Let me show you,” he said against her ear.
She leaned into him anyway, just to toy with him. “Oh, Azor,” she crooned. “You’re so right. How could I not see your love for me? And how wonderful you are? I’ll never second guess you again.”
“That’s right. You were only hearing things.” He brushed his hand down her hair. “So beautiful. So perfect. Have I told you that?”
She laughed inside at his manipulation. Before, every cell would have been alive and screaming, begging for him to hold her, to love her, to promise he’d be her lover forever.
“No,” she said with a fake whimper.
“I can’t remember a day I didn’t want you. All that time when you were in Tahoe; I waited so long to make you mine.”
He pulled her into a tight embrace and his heat drove into her body, proving his desire for her. Her stomach churned, unable to handle the knowledge that he’d been telling Xirene the same things.
With a sigh, she snuggled into him. “You promise me you’re not cheating.”
“Of course not,” He took her hand and kissed her fingers. “Let’s go in the bedroom.”
“Over my dead body,” she hissed. She punched her elbow into his ribs and jumped off the couch before he could grab her.
Azor groaned and clutched his ribs. “Why in Hades did you do that?”
“Because you’re a slimy sea snake. I caught you, red-handed and…” She eyed a bundle of white fabric under the couch. With a quick snag, she produced the offending garment. Azor’s face blanched at the sight of a white skirt, trimmed in blue. “You have the audacity to deny it? This is a servant’s skirt.”
Azor leapt up, lunging for her hand. “Tatiana, you’re jumping to conclusions.”
“Am I?” She pivoted and ran to the kitchen, keeping the island between them, vividly aware the knife was within reach.
“Yes,” he said, holding out his hand. “Please. Don’t let that spoil the moment. I love you. I need you.”
“You need a cold shower.” She remained poised, ready to bolt the opposite direction or stab him if he came closer.
“Please, let’s go home,” he held out his hand.
Tatiana laughed. “I’m not going anywhere with you—” Her eyes snapped to the black promising tattoo on his finger, vibrant and visible.
She held up her unchanged ring finger toward him. “If you haven’t cheated, then where is my promising tattoo?”
Azor’s face blanched. “Uh—I”
Even with the truth, clear and undeniable, he wouldn’t admit his wrongdoing. He
had
kissed someone else before Tatiana and the thought sickened her.
She scanned the doorway, plotting her escape, when Xirene walked from around the corner, her eyes narrowed. In her hand was the white pillow.
Tatiana blinked, slow and deliberate. Her gaze focused on Xirene’s naked belly, round and firm. Filled with life. Pregnant.
At the revelation, Tatiana almost passed out.
30
: : :
Truth
A scream quelled in Tatiana’s throat as a rush of wind sped through her mind and slammed into her, stealing her breath. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Xirene’s stomach.
A baby? She’s having his baby.
And then, her eyes darted to Xirene’s bare hand. There, under the golden glow of the sun-tunnels illuminating the kitchen, a promising tattoo shone—bright and shiny as a new dime.
Tatiana’s eyes glazed over, the rejection hitting hard. If he was already promised before the ceremony, why kiss her? Why torment her?
“Riri.” Azor held his hand to Xirene.
The sound of her name on his lips oddly hurt. When their hands interlaced, Tatiana’s limbs began to shake and her vision blurred. He’d captured her by stealing her soul, imprisoning her spirit, with no intention of ever loving her.
“Don’t freak out, Tatiana,” Azor said simply.
“Freak out? Why would I freak out? I honestly couldn’t care less about
her
, you bastard!” She splayed her hands on the island to keep upright, her own untattooed ring finger mocking her. “This is my house, for God’s sake. My house!”
Xirene gently slipped under his arm, molding into his side. Her satisfied smile made Tatiana’s face burn. The jet-black locks of her hair were adorned in pearls, white against the evil that she was. Tatiana could picture them together, encircled around each other as humans in
that
bubbled room, while Tatiana slept alone. Tatiana almost hurled on the tabletop, thinking of the abuse she’d suffered this entire time.
I’m going to kill him,
Tatiana thought as she envisioned a hundred ways to choke him, starting with the strand of pearls from Xirene’s head. She curled her fingers into fists, the knife inches from her hand.
“Why?” Tatiana asked, her voice raspy, her eyes filling with tears. “Why have you tortured me like this?”
Azor’s evil grin perched on his lips. “To finally show you what it’s like to care for someone and have them reject you. And when your father made a fool of the King, I couldn’t think of a fitting punishment than to steal his daughter, make her mine. Too bad I couldn’t steal your virginity, too.” Azor took a deep breath and stroked Xirene’s lustrous curls. “But I’d never do that to my Riri. She’s the only one who has loved me for me and knows how to make me happy.”
Tatiana’s breath came out short, relieved they’d never actually mated, though she’d thought they might have. “How long were you planning on keeping this up?”
“Until our merling came. My son,” Azor said with a lift of his chin. “And won’t it be so tragic that your abduction by the rebels caused you so much trauma you died in childbirth?”
She blinked, speechless, her heart lurching. He still was going to kidnap her. Kill her. A cold sweat broke out over her body. Together, they’d set this all up: the excuses, the drugs, the ambush. It wasn’t a royal Azor was talking to that first night in the hall, but Xirene. This whole time Jacob had been right, so terribly right. And since Jacob hadn’t come for her, where was he?
Without a further thought, she ran. Straight for the porthole, straight outside, and right into the arms of an awaiting Dradux.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he said, latching his arms around her, grinding his pelvis into her backside. “Hmmm, this’ll be fun,” he lisped in her ear. Her skin crawled knowing the cymothoa parasite on his tongue could touch her, lick her.
With a full body shiver, Tatiana opened her mouth to siren when his other hand clamped over her lips. But he didn’t cover her mouth entirely, and she bit him—hard. He wailed and Tatiana was free. With a hard pump of her tail, she sped away from him, spitting his flesh.
She darted left, then right, zigzagging between houses, looking for a place to hide. With no other mers around to dilute her smell, the Dradux followed her scent like footprints in the sand. Escape would be impossible. Why did she take off the cape?
With repetitive looks over her shoulder, Tatiana moved between the houses, hoping to confuse her trail. Water filled her gills, rough and erratic, which didn’t help matters as she sped from him. She flitted toward the compound, when another group of guards came into sight—dressed in green cloaks with scythes in their hands.
Dradux.
They’re going to kill me.
With a yelp, she maneuvered down and slipped behind a rock wall to catch her breath. But the Dradux’s heads turned in her direction in unison and flew at her.
Holy crawfish!
She darted between more houses and headed toward the palace, then turned east.
A gate. If I can only get to a gate!
On her wrist, the gold bobbed against her skin, fighting the current.
Chiton!
She’d forgotten the poison. She cursed Azor’s name under her breath. His plan of revenge was so revolting that she couldn’t imagine anything worse. She’d never wanted Azor to feel unwanted, but she couldn’t force herself to like him. How could he unleash such evil on someone?
The closer she swam to the Bermuda gate, the more she hoped the poison wouldn’t kill her immediately. Maybe she’d have time to get to the safe house. With the Dradux hot on her tail, she didn’t have much of a choice.
She pressed on, ready to embrace what was to happen. With the cadenced rise and fall of her hips through the current, her heart settled into a fast rhythm. She had to make it, or maybe there wasn’t any poison at all. Just a threat. She tried to slide the bracelet off her wrist. A barb poked into her skin. Withholding her scream, she slowed, cradling her wrist.
Something grabbed her tail. Sirening, she recoiled and folded at her waist. A zigzag of twine snagged and pulled at her arm. Tiny knives pulsed into her skin all at once, bursting fire into her limb. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing would come out.
“Princess,” the voice said, “what are you doing out here?”
Her eyes fluttered to find the voice. Concerned eyes stared back at her from under a green cloak. She tried to siren again, unable to find her voice, unable to free herself of the net.
“Oh, Princess,” he said, defeated. “Hold still.”
Fogginess covered her vision as the Dradux cut the twine away from her arm. Bright green fluid mixed with the wafts of blood rising like steam from her skin. He grabbed her torso, lifting her body against his. He was going to take her back—to him—to the monster. She wanted to tell the guard to let her die now, to leave her alone.
Weakness consumed her muscles. She couldn’t fight anymore. Death would be the best and she willed her aching heart to stop beating.
: : :
At Badger’s warrior cry, Jacob startled awake. A battle ax twirled above Badger’s head, aimed to smash into the intruder wading in his porthole.
“Wait!” the Dradux called out and flipped off his hood. “It’s me! Grommet!”
Badger cussed and strained to stop the weapon, slamming the ax into a nearby trunk with an ear splitting crack. “Oye, mate. Whatcha be doing wearing that getup? I almost sliced open yer head like a coconut.”
Jacob exhaled; his head fell back onto his pillow.
“It’s a long story.” Grommet popped up on the porthole ledge with the Princess flopping helplessly in his arms.
At the sight of her, Jacob struggled to sit, pain jolting through his chest. “Tatiana,” he croaked.
“Aye…” Badger froze. “Sandy, come quick!”
With a gasp, Sandy rushed to Tatiana’s side and ripped off the blue vial that dangled around her neck. She tilted Tatiana’s head and poured the contents into her slack mouth. At first Tatiana fought the liquid, then she swallowed hungrily.
“I need towels and soap. Quick!” Sandy shrieked.
Badger brought the supplies. Working frothy foam in her hands, Sandy cleaned the cassava off of Tatiana’s arm. Then the two of them helped Grommet move Tatiana to a chair. Sandy smoothed her hair aside, and Tatiana’s eyes finally fluttered open.
“You’re one lucky mermaid,” Sandy said with a smile, wrapping up her arm in a white bandage.
“Sandy?”
“Yes, darling. I was just about to get you, but you’re okay now.”
“My wrist aches,” she groaned.
“Oye, the tea,” Sandy said, jumping up and disappearing in the kitchen.
At Tatiana’s raspy voice, Jacob gripped the side of the couch, unable to see her through the small crowd. “What’s going on?”
“I tried to stop her before she hit the nets, but her arm got tangled. She’s a speedy little thing,” Grommet said in a rush.
“I thought you were a Dradux,” she said softly, her voice weak.
“No,” he said in disgust. “I wanted to blend in, so… There’s no more guard, as of the ambush. And after I heard what they were planning, I’m glad I found you first.”
Tatiana groaned just as Sandy reappeared, clattering a teacup on a saucer.
“Princess, you are no longer safe with them, with any of them, especially Azor,” Grommet continued. “He staged the ambush to make it look like the rebels had mer-napped you for a ransom. And since you got away, the Dradux are searching every house right now for you.”
Jacob’s body tensed. He knew what she’d say. That she’d stay at the palace, that she’d ask for Jacob to guard her. She’d never leave Azor or Natatoria, even if she did believe Grommet. And he didn’t have the strength to fight her anymore—make her see reason.
“Princess,” Grommet said softly, his voice more urgent while she sipped the tea. “We won’t be able to hide you. I can distract the Dradux from your location for now, but…” He paused a beat. “I know it will be difficult, but you must leave Natatoria. We’ll take you with us. We’ll find Jack.”
Dreadful silence lingered on. He couldn’t bear to hear her excuse this time.
“Where’s Jacob?” she asked in a whisper. “I won’t go without him.”
What did she say?
At the admission, Jacob’s heart stopped for a beat. His eyes popped open. Deep happiness filled his wounded spirit. He turned and reached for her, willing Grommet and Badger to move aside. He wanted to touch her, be sure this was real.