I stepped forward with my eyes—and my heart—open, determined to see what this man brought next.
18
REYLA
By letting this man in, I stroked the line between daring and caution. It was a small, almost imperceptible shift, the way I tilted my body toward his.
I didn’t miss the flicker of happiness in his gaze. His eyes lightened, softening at the edges, and the tension in his frame loosened enough for me to notice, as if he subtly released a breath.
He’d been worried I’d pull away. That I’d avoid him again, bolt when things got too close, too tangled. Like I’d done yesterday. Like I'd done this morning when Lord Briscalar suggested I visit with him here on the deck.
The thought that I mattered enough for him to feel that flicker of vulnerability, even if he hid it behind a confident exterior, made me pause. There was something honest and sweet in the way he couldn’t mask that hesitance, as if he worried one wrong move would scare me off like the timid fawn he’d namedme. His readiness to protect, combined with the gentleness I saw now, impressed me more than I wanted to admit.
And maybe, just maybe, it softened something in me as well.
Heat prickled along the back of my neck, but I shrugged it off and gave him a smaller smile than I should. “Alright. I think I’m ready now.”
“Ready for what?” His voice dropped, followed by a half grin that stopped my thoughts much too easily.
“For that walk we talked about.” The pulse of tension tightened around us before his lips curled wider, a genuine, almost relieved warmth spreading across his features.
He nodded. “Well then, Fawn, lead the way.”
I rolled my eyes at the nickname but didn’t argue about it either, then stepped forward with him at my side. We strolled around the deck a few times before stopping at the rail. I watched him from the corner of my eye before looking out at the sea. Waves sloshed across the surface, rippling with sunlight that bounced up at us. It was peaceful here, deceptively so, and it was hard to grasp that a short time ago, someone had tried to kill him, an attack he'd ended with frightening ease.
“You handled it well,” I said, giving myself time to appreciate the way the sun teased my face and arms exposed by my cap-sleeved gown.
His gaze shifted from the water to me, and curiosity softened the intensity in his eyes. “Handled what?”
I darted a glance his way, enjoying the way his dark hair gleamed. He really was pretty. Prettier than Lore.
Don't think about Lore.
“The incident on deck,” I said. “You handled it calmly, like it wasn’t your first time.” He’d handled it grimly, actually. In that brief time I'd stared at him, my belly had churned. Despite what I'd been through fighting for Lydel, let alone with my father, I'd noted that while Merrick hadn't enjoyed the need to take care of the problem, he must’ve long since accepted that he had to. What kind of life had this man led that he’d resigned himself to doing things like that?
Hedidhave a bodyguard, and Lore didn't watch over the king because he was pretty.
Disgust flickered across Merrick's face. “It wasn’t the first time, and it won't be the last, though I'm fairly confident I eliminated any current threats.”
“It was one of the crew?”
He nodded. “A new recruit. I trust the rest—mostly.”
Was there anyone he trusted other than Lore? Maybe not, and I found that sad.
“How often does someone try to kill you?” My voice came out lighter than my thoughts, but I couldn’t hide the concern in my tone. I hadn't known him long, but I already considered him a friend. And there was no denying I'd enjoyed his kiss. For better or worse, we were married. My future rested in his hands and my life by his side. A threat to him was a threat to me.
I protected those I cared for . . . And I was beginning to care about Merrick.
His gaze remained on the horizon, only flicking to me before focusing again on the water. “More often than I’d like.”His eyes met mine. “At Evergorne Court, ambition runs deep. Loyalty runs shallow.”
His words echoed in the air. My eyes narrowed on the railing as I replayed them, my instincts prickling. “I'll keep that in mind.”
“Do.” His lips didn’t curve into a smile this time, and sharpness gleamed behind his façade of calm. “You'll live longer that way. Better to trust no one fully.”
I tilted my head, arching a brow at him. “Not even you?”
His silence lasted too long. “Not even me.”
