Page 54 of Claimed By the Depths

“No, but it seems”—he patted my shoulder twice, the strikes intentional reminders of our burning opposition—“it was enough to draw you from wherever your mind had wandered. Happy to have you consciously present again.”

I shrugged off his touch. “Yeah, whatever.”

Leaning forward, his mouth fell inches from my ear. “You know, I find it rather⁠—”

“Ace!” Leilani shouted, the single-syllable nickname enough to cease his pestering.

He fell back into my line of sight, offering me nothing more than an amused grin before he turned toward the woman who held his heart. “Yes, little fang?”

With his presence no longer blocking my view, I caught sight of the slain creature. Or what was left of it. Limbs discarded and chopped into pieces varying in length, its torso was nowhere to be found. Observing the smudge of inky black on the slightly dimmed portal, it became evident that it had either somehow made its way back to its home or been shoved into the yellow chasm by those responsible for its dismemberment.

Lips parting to ask whether they were stupid enough to let it out of their sight or stupid enough to toss it back into the spiraling chasm responsible for birthing it, I was cut off by Leilani’s utterance.

“This isn’t the only portal the Others opened. There are four more, but that’s not all…”

“What?” The query came from Kael, who stood just a few feet away from me. “What the fuck is that ominous statement supposed to mean?”

When no answer came, I moved from where I stood. Approaching Leilani, my eyes lifted to where hers remained transfixed. The harbor welcomed me with familiarity, but the sight it contained was one I never envisioned I’d have the privilege of witnessing—Ellira’s army.

Rohen had called for aid, and they’d answered.

CHAPTER 30

My Woman

ROHEN

Narrowly avoiding the blade that Caspian had scarred me with during our last altercation, I pivoted, chasing the length of his steel with my own. Sparks erupted between us as he challenged my strength, and I hissed between clenched teeth, trying to match the vigor with which he wielded his weapon.

Lips curling into a smile, his self-satisfied sense of superiority appeared in the form of those infuriating fucking dimples. “There’s that fire of yours, little siren. Give me more.”

“You’re fucking aggravating!” I snarled, shucking my sword down his.

“So you’ve made me aware.” His steps became deliberate, and he circled me as a bird would to pinpoint its prey. “Tell me, are you capable of forming any other insult or⁠—?”

My ire fueled my responsiveness, and I slammed my foot into the center of his chest. Using my heel as the driving force, I rode my momentum. His groan earned a grin from me, the intensity of the blow proving sufficient to knock him off balance. As he stumbled, I darted in, using my size advantage.

Distance no longer accessible, my forearm greeted his sternum, and I grabbed a fistful of his shirt. I ripped him to the right, and he met my boot, strategically positioned against the back of his ankle. With the kick of my leg, he toppled, but not without taking me with him.

Metal clanked against cobblestone first, its chime a warning of our proximity. Or perhaps a… celebration? An indication of all that Ellira had shared with me, things that made me question my sanity and my mental stability.

Blades no longer within reach, and with us fixated on our descent, it barely registered when Caspian’s fingers curled around my waist. In response, a searing warmth spread through my body, causing my breath to hitch. My core followed suit, tightening in a way it never had, and when I fell flush against him, I had to bite my cheek to bring me back to reality.

I never buckled to a man’s touch. Hell, I had never even considered the possibility of something so idiotic. So why now? Why Caspian?

“Hm. It’s as if I haven’t already enlightened you on the matter,” my mother hummed, reigniting my billowing agitation. “You may deny it for as long as you wish, but fate remains true, Rohen. He is your Mizani, your soul tie, your other half. No amount of denial or refusal will rid you of such factualities.”

“Shut up,” I snarled, heat spreading across my cheeks at her intrusion.

“I shall do no such thing.”

Palm planted against the chilled street, I forced myself back an inch to stare down at Caspian as he remained beneath me.

Crimson eyes glowing with hunger, he ran his tongue along his teeth. It was an expression I was used to seeing him wear, but when I caught a subtle flicker of blue in his irises, I recoiled. Rocking back, I tried to get off him, but he caught the motion. Grip tightening, he stalled me from my retreat. And when his fingertips brushed along a sliver of skin, I retrieved my dagger.

I pressed the sharpened edge against the scar on his throat and growled, “Get your fucking hands off me, Caspian Vayne.”

“Or what, little siren? Are you finally going to carve your way through my neck and bathe in my blood?” Testing the validity of my claim, he inched up my side. “Or is it easier for you to threaten harm because the mere idea of you contemplating anything else goes against all you believe you are?”