Page 35 of Claimed By the Depths

“I fed it to him,” she interrupted, canines glinting beneath the rays of gold slipping through the canopy.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

“You made a man eat his own cock?” Kael asked with a subtle hum.

Jutting a finger toward him, I groaned, “Don’t encourage her.”

“The whole thing,” Rohen crooned, flicking the dismantled flower into the bushes. “Though it wasn’t that big. Far more comparable to a small appetizer than a main course.”

Laughter tumbled from the newly self-appointed king. Chin tipped skyward, the joyous sound filled the otherwise quiet clearing. Sun kissing his skin, the dark stubble lining his cheeks and jaw became far more apparent, painting him in a way that I wished to capture. It had been years since I’d touched graphite and parchment, but suddenly, he made that desire ignite tenfold.

Wiping the corner of his eye, he looked at her. “Honestly, I can’t even blame you. I’m certain it was deserved, and even if it wasn’t, it was rightfully delivered.”

“By the grace of Ysalyne,” I murmured. “The two of you really ought to stay away from one another; the last thing we need is⁠—”

The start of claps cut me off, their pace slow but each connection harsh. At the first crack, our hands darted to our weapons, and I unsheathed my sword. With the second, my attention scoured the treeline in search of whoever the noise belonged to. And with the third, they made themselves known.

A dark boot stepped from a sudden plume of shadows, and a body followed, easily towering over me in height. Lithe in frame, the male glanced between us, the glow in his emerald stare haunting in a way I could not place. Leathers clung to his body, their lightweight yet armored design similar to what an assassin would wear, but I knew he was far more than a mere executioner.

“I was beginning to wonder if I’d be able to find you three.”

Daggers raised, Rohen spat, “Why do you reek of Sorva?”

Black waves falling to rest just above his brows, he dipped his head to the side as his hair followed. Running his tongue along his bottom lip, he showed his teeth to offer us a sinister smile. “Because I am her son.”

“Rohen, we need to⁠—”

He moved faster than any of us could react, and what had been feet became inches as he appeared in front of us. Inky sword raised, he carved downward, its sharpened point encroaching on Rohen with every intent to kill.

Time seemed to slow with the approach, and just when I expected her life force to splatter warm against my skin, steel caught steel. The wind the action summoned caught strawberry-blonde waves, brushing through them with natural grace. Honeydew glower trained on the otherworldly male, the newly arrived female held her ground, weapon angled and unmoving even against his strength.

“You fucking bitch,” Sorva’s son spat, and with his wrath, the glamour he wore briefly faded, showcasing his relic-marked flesh and his marred left eye. “I should’ve executed you in those chambers.”

“L-Lorelie?” Kael sputtered, the shock in his expression a match to my own. “How…? How did you get here?”

The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. “Lovely to see you again, Kaelivan. As much as I would love to chat—” Foot sliding through the grass as the Other pushed forward, she growled in frustration, her demand unwavering as sparks ignited on the downward sweep of their blades. “I need you three to run. Now!”

CHAPTER 19

Draconic Court

LORELIE

Tendrils of flame danced between my fingers as I dove into the well of power Ellira had granted me access to, ensuring her daughter remained protected. Pinching the air between my hands, I traced the manifesting chain that connected my two daggers. Their hilts followed, nestled in my palms as a tongue of flame lapped at each tip.

“Your kind are such a hindrance,” Sorva’s son spat, shadows curling around his thighs and forearms. “Tell me, Lorelie Alreja, do you miss your home?”

The corner of my mouth twitched with a snarl. With my uptick in wrath, scales spread from my wrists to elbows, their iridescent sheen catching the sun’s rays. “The home that your poison has threatened to consume?”

His sinister grin grew. “Who’s to say Narvendor hasn’t been decimated by now? Your allegiance with the Damned is precisely why your lands have so rapidly deteriorated. Had the Fae, Divari, and Shifter races on your continent come together, then we wouldn’t be standing here, would we, dragon?”

I felt my canines elongate at his taunt, my abilities slightly asphyxiated by the Others’ influence on our mirrored realms. Knowing he was leveraging his words to draw forth my true form, something that would leave me exhausted and unable to protect, I swallowed the charring indignation that crawled up the back of my throat.

Spinning the weapons in each hand, I tugged once on the metallic links to indicate that I wasn’t putting up with his bullshit. “You indulge in speaking more than you do fighting, Evrexiths Draekhar.”

Dark brows furrowing, his ire became palpable as his shadows slithered through the long grass in the clearing. “How the fuck do you know my name?”

“Well, isn’t it quite improper for a lady not to learn a gentleman’s name?” I mocked as I slid the sharpened edges of my blades against each other, flames spewing. “I figured⁠—”