From behind my lowered eyelashes, I slid my gaze down the sharp ridge of his jaw to that place on the side of his neck just above his shoulder where I imagined his skin would feel smooth and warm, where the scent of him would be the strongest. If only I could press my nose to it and breathe him in.
Straining my senses, I caught a tendril of his masculine scent in the rich smell of the ocean. The two complemented each other perfectly—salt, sunshine, fresh air, and that potent musk of a male that would drive a woman insane if only...if only this woman could get just a little bit closer to him.
He sucked in a breath, as if hunting formyscent in the evening breeze too.
“I’ve never felt so in tune with someone else’s desires, so aware of them, yet so helpless to fulfill them,” he groaned.
“I care disturbingly little about my survival when I’m with you,” I made my own confession. “When it comes to you, I’ve lost my instinct for self-preservation.”
The breeze shoved a strand of my hair into my eyes, and Kye blew on it gently, moving it away for me. I licked my lips, unable to stop looking at his. They were perfectly shaped for a kiss right now, slightly parted and ready to receive mine.
A light moan fluttered from my lips like a butterfly as I reached for him. In a graceful gesture, Kye brought a finger to his lips, blocking his mouth from me. Pushing away from the pillar, he straightened, and I could see it on his face how much it cost him to take a single step back from me.
“There are moments,” he said, “many of them, my darling, when I would gladly die for a single kiss from you. I am, however, not prepared to letyoudie for it, no matter how devastating my desperation may be.”
Chapter 16
Maren
Prince Arnon’s palace was a modest structure in comparison to Kye’s royal monstrosity of glass. From outside, it almost looked like a sprawling one-story bungalow constructed over water with support from the gleamingly white coral columns. But since it was a siren’s dwelling, one could rest assured that there also was plenty of living space underwater as well.
“Promise you’ll try to get some sleep tonight,” I said to Kye when we stopped on the path that led to the entrance guarded by two armed men.
One of the guards slipped through the doors into the palace, probably to let the prince and his family know that their night tenant had arrived.
“Do you want a formal promise?” Kye asked with a teasing squint at me.
I shook my head. “No.”
A formal promise meant putting one’s life in danger, binding them to something that might not even be possible to fulfill if the circumstances changed in the future. As tempting as it felt at times to demand a promise like that, I never wished to exert that kind of power over anyone.
“Just... Take care of yourself, please.” I said, then smiled. “So we can have fun tomorrow.”
The doors to Prince Arnon’s palace opened wide, and a dark-haired woman ran out.
“Maren!” she exclaimed, rushing to me. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She sank into a bow for Kye next. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Evening, Princess,” he greeted her too, and I spotted no particular emotion in his voice, no warm inflections but no chilly animosity either.
Since he addressed her as “princess,” I assumed this must be Princess Dorelea, Prince Arnon’s wife.
She wore a pale pink gown that matched her pearly pink skin. Her straight, ink-black hair spilled unbound over her shoulders and down her back all the way to the floor. The only adornment she wore on her head was a coral-pink circlet crown, decorated with long strings of pearls that shimmered in her black hair like milk drops.
“I didn’t expect you to honor us with your visit, Your Majesty. Will you join us for dinner?” the princess inquired cheerfully.
It was a bit late for dinner, in my opinion, but then again, what did I know about the habits of the sirens in Lyrei? I had spent most of my time with Kye, and he didn’t strike me as a man who closely followed domestic customs or traditions.
“No. Thank you,” Kye declined unceremoniously. “I need to speak with your husband, however. And I would prefer to do it here rather than inside, as I’m sure he would too.”
Prince Arnon appeared at the entrance of his palace before his wife had a chance to send for him.
“Good evening, Your Majesty.” He walked down the path but stopped a safe distance from Kye and bowed. “My apologies, my king. I didn’t know you were personally delivering...um,” he glanced my way as if trying to figure out what to refer to me as, “Maren,” he wisely settled simply on my name.
“She’s my most precious possession,” Kye replied. “It’s only natural that I would bring her here myself for your safekeeping. I also have to warn you about the power that’s after her. And I hope you were able to find out what the fuck is happening in the Abyss and why its inhabitants are encroaching where they don’t belong?”
The two men walked aside to talk as Princess Dorelea grabbed my hand, leading me toward the palace’s entrance.
“Are you hungry, Maren?” she asked.
