Oh, not this motherfucker again. My stare shot to the Neraky. Now what?
“I want my necklace back,” the pirate said.
“What necklace?” Aras demanded.
“Oh, that's cute. You know what necklace. The diamond. I was wearing it when I was taken. Now, I'm not. Give it back or I'm not going back.”
King Vaxarion shouted, “You stole from my mate?! That jewel belonged to my mother!”
Astonished, I looked at Aras. “Did you?”
“I did not.” Aras looked from me to two of the crew members standing against the wall. “Hand it over! Now!”
The two men winced and then looked at each other.
“Now!” Aras growled again. “Don't make this any worse for yourselves.”
“We didn't think he'd miss one necklace,” one of them muttered as he came over and pulled a diamond necklace out of his pocket.
Aras snatched it away from him. “We are not thieves!”
I pushed down a relieved smile. I didn't think my mate was so dishonorable, but I was still discovering things about him. I would have been disappointed if he had stolen that necklace. My relief, unfortunately, distracted me.
It distracted Aras too. While his attention was on his sailors, Zixin jerked out of his grip and dove for King Vaxarion. The Sea King instinctively reached for his mate. But Zixin didn't grab him in return. He went for the Eye.
No!the Eye shouted.
That fucking pirate snatched Ensarena's Eye away from his own mate and shouted, “Everyone stay where you are!”
King Vaxarion gaped at his mate. Then he said, “Zix, give me the Eye.”
“No, babe,” Zixin said. “You can't use it.”
“I can if necessary.”
“Let me rephrase: you won't use it. And I don't want you to risk yourself. I, however, am not a Dragon of any kind.”
I got up and growled, “And that only means that using the Eye will destroy you.”
“Will it?” The Neraky lifted a brow at me as the Eye began to glow. “Or will it destroy you?”
Take me!the Eye screamed.I am right here! Take me! The survival of your kingdom depends upon you gaining the power only I can give you!
I went still. Now it was my entire kingdom at risk? That felt like a slip-up.
“Leave,” Aras said to Zixin. “Just go now.”
Leave? My mate was sending the Eye away when it was within my grasp?!
“No!” I roared. “The Eye belongs to me!” Rage suddenly filling me, I shouted at Aras, “Get me what you promised, Captain!”
“Fuck you,” my mate said.
The room went silent.
“What did you say to me?” I hissed.
“You heard me, Your Majesty,” Aras said. “Fuck you. I'm done with this. As far as I'm concerned, I've fulfilled my end of the bargain.Thereis the Eye.” He pointed at it. “If you're not strong enough to take it, that's not my problem.”
