Page 66 of Of Song and Darkness

Something flashed across his eyes, and it wasn’t relief or joy. He dropped his hand from my face. “You could have been killed.”

“But I wasn’t, and everyone is safe.”

Everyone except Kai. The thought resurfaced, reminding me of what I was here to do.

A rare smile tugged at my father’s lips. “I’m proud of you, Rhea.”

A piece of my heart felt like it broke off and floated away in the current. My father never told me he was proud of me, and here I was, getting ready to betray him yet again. Tears clouded my vision. I blinked, and they blended with the salty sea.

The smile on my father’s face quickly faded as he glanced down at my waist. “What is this?” he questioned, reaching for the dagger hanging from my middle.

I closed my eyes, scolding myself for not hiding it before entering Aquarius. A million lies flooded my brain, tempting me to take the easy way out, but I grew increasingly tired of lying to my father. I wanted him to know the truth—even if it meant breaking his heart and mine—but I knew that wasn’t an option.

“The important question is who gave it to her.” Orm’s voice slithered into the room, and I turned to find him hovering in the doorway.

Instead of slicing his face, I should have carved his heart from his chest just as Kai had told me to. If I had heeded his words, I wouldn’t be in the situation I was in now.

My father’s glare ventured between Orm and me. The hue of his irises turned a deeper shade of jade, and the vein above his forehead started to pulsate, hinting at his building rage. I felt a chill crawl up my spine as he focused on me. “Who gave you this weapon, Rhea?”

I glared at Orm, desperately wishing he would drop dead in the doorway to keep me from having to tell my father the truth. Lying was out of the question. No matter what I said at this point, Orm would argue.

I inhaled a shaky breath, meeting my father’s scowl. “Blackheart Kai.”

I eased back as my father’s face reddened to the point it appeared purple. I genuinely feared he might implode. Time seemed to freeze, and its icy fingers gripped my chest as I witnessed every emotion sweep across my father’s face simultaneously.

“What…is…he…saying…Rhea?” My father ground out every word like his tongue had swollen in his mouth.

Orm ventured into the room, stopping beside my father. “Yes, what am I saying, Rhea? Tell your father why we are here.”

I couldn’t even acknowledge Orm or his taunts at the moment. I was too afraid to take my eyes off of my father. Emotion rose with a lump in my throat, and I swallowed. I took my eyes off him for one second to glance at the foreboding golden trident he had a death grip on.

“I came for the trident, Father. I need it to save Kai.”

Power exploded from the trident, taking out a column and a chuck of the ceiling, and I ducked. Debris crashed to the ocean floor, engulfing me in a flurry of sand. I was too frightened to move. I had never seen my father lose it like that. He had often lost his temper with his words, but nothing this violent. I blinked up at the hole in the dining hall, still not believing he had destroyed the roof.

My father was directly in front of me and gripping my arm before I could evade him. “How could you even consider betraying your people like this?” he roared in my face, and I just swayed there, taking in his fury. “How could you even speak to someone like Blackheart Kai, let alone try to save him? It was probably he who killed Valeria!”

“It wasn’t,” I said breathlessly.

My body trembled uncontrollably at his harsh words. I knew he would bring up my elder sister’s death. She was his everything, and to him, my actions murdered her all over again, but Kai was not responsible for her death.

“Will you at least let me explain?” I pleaded, hoping for an opportunity to douse some of his rage.

My father released my arm, and I fell backward before catching myself. “No words you speak will ever persuade my forgiveness.” Hurt penetrated my heart as his words turned into a spear, making my chest feel like it was being punctured. My father turned to Orm. “Take her to the dungeons and out of my sight before I forget she is of my blood.”

Orm rushed forward, gripping my biceps, and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “Maybe some time in the dungeon will give you a chance to reconsider which male you want to spend the rest of your life with. I would rather see you dead than with anyone other than me.”

My body jolted at his words. I knew he wanted the kingdom, but I had no idea that his power-hungry lust had transferred to me. I turned to him, my face calm and utterly void of emotion. “When Kai comes for you, don’t beg me to save you. I expect you to die like the strong male you claim to be.”

Orm went slack, his eyes boring into mine. “He’s not coming for you. In fact, he’s probably already dead. No man can survive Dark Water.” Orm began dragging me toward the door.

“I’m giving you one last chance to hear my petition,” I said, angling my body toward my father as I pulled against Orm’s death grip.

He refused to even look in my direction. “Get her out of my sight,” he whispered.

Orm pulled harder against my arm, his fingers digging deep into my skin with the promise of leaving behind bruises.

My lips parted, and my siren song hummed in my throat as it left my lips, casting an invisible tether to me and anyone within earshot. Orm’s hand fell from my arm, and his head swayed to the side as he went slack-jawed. I focused my attention on my father.

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