“Promise me.”
I breathe away the anxiety, seeking control, logic. With a deep breath, I close my eyes, focusing on the feel of my dagger against my thigh, hidden beneath my skirts. I pat it once, and my mind begins to steady. One thing becomes clear. I cannot make any kind of bargain with Melusine. “I won’t.”
Her fangs flash, lips peeling into a snarl. “Promise me or I will make you regret the day you denied my mercy.”
“No.”
She lets out an angry roar. The ocean responds, sending its waves to echo her, rising from the sea toward the sky. Shark fins break the surface, jaws snapping from the waves. The sirens begin to wail a harrowing tune.
I hold my ground, ready to meet it. As powerless as I am against the sea, I refuse to run.
Melusine’s gaze locks on me, eyes like a swirling tempest as she slithers forward, arms outstretched, monstrous waves at her back ready to crash over my head.
“Mother.”
Melusine freezes, head darting to the side. The waves are thrown backward, dousing me in a cold spray. I gasp, the chilling water drenching me from head to toe. In the blink of an eye, the sea is calm again.
“Aspen, dear,” she hisses through her teeth.
He strolls towards us at a leisurely pace. “Didn’t you know it’s considered treason to attack the mate of a king?”
Her composure relaxes and her lips pull into a smile. Her tail is the only thing that betrays her, swishing wildly, erratically, in the sand. “You mistake me, my son. We had an argument that got out of hand. Nothing more. You do know how my temper can be.”
“I do,” he says. “Regardless, you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
She lifts her chin. “I wouldn’t call anything I received a welcome. You’ll have to try harder tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” A look of surprise interrupts his stoic expression.
“The council meeting,” she says. “You didn’t forget, did you?”
The calm returns to his features. “Of course not. I’m simply surprised you aren’t sending an ambassador in your stead.”
“Not for such an important meeting. Until then.” She smiles, then dives into the sea, sinuous tail snaking across the sand until it disappears beneath the waves.
Aspen puts his hands on my shoulders and turns me to face him. “Are you all right?”
My hands ball into fists, fury roaring inside me. “You.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Me?” Aspen smirks. “What did I do to spark your displeasure this time?”
“Was she right? Did you keep the truth about the Bonding ritual from me?”
His smile fades.
I take a step away, pulling from his grasp. “She was right, wasn’t she? You were going to let me break the treaty without realizing it.”
“Yes.”
“Why? After everything you told me about protecting the balance. How could you do this?”
“You said you wouldn’t do the ritual. I wasn’t going to force you.”
I throw my hands in the air. “I may have reconsidered if I’d known the truth. You should have told me. You should have told me everything from the start.”
His lips press into a tight line. “You weren’t the easiest to talk to.”
