Chest tight, I turned to face him. “Tell me how to break it.”
Arenn chuckled.
“You’re going to tell me, or I will have my dragon drown you over and over again until you beg me to finally rip all the air from your lungs.” My tone was deathly low.
His smile dropped. “Calm yourself.” He cleared his throat before turning to address his family. “Father? May we borrow your dagger?”
The merfolk soldier guarding King Bevan shot me a look. With a scowl, I allowed him to remove his dagger andslide it across the floor towards Arenn.
“Don’t do this,” Lyssandra hissed to me.
Ignoring her, I stopped the dagger with my boot moments before it reached the prince. “You have no need for this.” I plucked the red-hilted dagger from the floor.
“No, I don’t,” he mused, “but you do.”
I scoffed. “You’re going to tell me to stab myself, I presume? Cut out my own heart to prove that I love her?”
“That would be too easy,” Arenn laughed. Leaning closer, his voice lowered. “If you want to break our bond, you have to cut out hers.”
What?My blood ran cold. “No.”
“He’s telling the truth.” Lyssandra winced. “To break a bond like this, you have to take the heart of the person that you love most. That’s the cost.”
“Then she can take mine,” I breathed.
Sadness tugged at her brow as she spoke breathily. “She doesn’t remember you, Lukas. How can you love someone you do not know?”
Pain throbbed in my chest. I glanced back at my dragon, still wrapped around her shivering form. Was there really no love for me inside her? Did she truly remember nothing?
Arenn fell back on his elbows, sighing. “You want her heart so badly, then take it. Otherwise it’ll be mine forever. The choice is yours.”
“I will not hurt her,” I growled.
“Then her heart belongs to me.” He grinned deviously. “And if you’re not willing to take it from her chest yourself, then I suggest you leave so we can continue on with our wedding ceremony.” Rage curled in my throat. “I have a bride I’d quitelike to claim and I bet claiming her will be sweeter than honey.”
“Do not speak of my wife in that way!” I charged towards him, aiming the dagger at his throat.
Arenn tsked. “Naria’s that way.” He motioned past me with his eyes. “Just make sure you cut out her heart. It’s in her chest, in case you weren’t aware.”
“She’ll die,” I snarled.
“But at least she’ll be yours,” he taunted, winking.
The back of my hand struck his face before I could stop myself. He groaned, spitting blood on the stone floor.
“Enough fighting. Please!” Lyssandra begged. “Just take Naria and return to your kingdom. Together, with our Gifts, we can make sure Arenn doesn’t bother her again.”
I could barely hear her through my rage. I wanted to beat him again. I wanted to drive my fist into his grinning face over and over and over until he begged me to stop, begged me to drag the dagger across his neck and end his pathetic life.
But if what he said was true… If his death would hurt Naria, I couldn’t risk touching him again. Taking her heart could be the only way to save her from a lifetime ofhim, but I couldn’t do it, could I? The thought of driving a dagger into her chest hurt worse than if she were to ever drive a sword into mine.
I could never hurt her.Never. But Arenn’s cruel laughter echoed like a disease in my mind.
Swallowing down my emotions, I charged over to my dragon.
The beast slowly unfurled itself from around Naria, its yellow eyes boring into me as if pleading for me to change my mind. But I’d already decided. The choice had been made. AllI had to do was use the dagger.
“Naria.” My voice was soft, broken. In the distance, I could hear Lyssandra crying out for me to stop, but her protests were smothered by my guards.
