Page 68 of Of Song and Darkness

The smile that rendered the sea witch’s face had me longing to pull my sword from its scabbard at my hip and slice her lips from her face.

Rhea swam over to the rope ladder as the sea witch shot a burst of magic through the water toward her. Rhea’s face scrunched in pain, but she did not cry out this time, much to the disappointment of the sea witch, judging by the scowl on her face.

Rhea slowly made it up the ladder, and I was there waiting at the top to pull her over the railing and wrap her in my shirt. I swallowed her in my embrace, burying my face in the crook of her shoulder. “You have thoroughly wrecked me. I haven’t had a moment’s peace since you left,” I whispered in her ear.

Rhea pulled away, her honey-colored eyes shining with emotion. Her smile touched my very soul, further breaking through its darkness.

“Isn’t this sweet? The reunion of the monster and the monster hunter.” The sea witch’s bone-grating voice cut through the air as she hoisted herself over the railing.

I extended my shirt to Rhea, inviting her to slip her arms through. My gaze snared on the deep purple blemishes that marred her otherwise creamy skin.

“Who did this to you?” I growled, lightly gripping her arm.

Rhea pulled her arm from me, slipped it through the shirt, and began working on the buttons. “It’s nothing.”

I stepped closer to her. “It looks like a handprint.” The words came out more of a snarl than actual words.

“I had a little problem with Orm,” she barely whispered.

“Did you carve his heart out like I told you to?” I secretly hoped that was why he was not here.

“No.” She exhaled as her eyes finally climbed to meet mine.

“Good.” I pulled her closer. “That means I will have the pleasure of doing so.”

Rhea shivered as fear shot through her eyes. I didn’t need to turn around to know that the sea witch was lying in wait behind me. An unreadable emotion flashed across Rhea’s face as she gripped the trident tighter. I angled my body toward the sea witch.

“Make no mistake. I am my father’s daughter. If you do not remove every drop of Dark Water from his veins, I will turn you into sea foam,” Rhea threatened, making her point as the trident in her hands started to glow. Her threat enticed a smirk of pride from me. She was certainly not the same unsure princess I had picked up off the beach all those months ago.

The sea witch’s face scrunched with anger as she slid toward me. She rubbed her hands together, and a hazy dark smoke rose from her palms. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I very seriously doubt you will survive this.”

Before her threat took root, she plunged her sharp nails into my chest, digging into my skin. A roar of pain ripped from my lungs as her nails dug deep, nearly grazing my heart. The sea witch cackled with malice as the mist poured into my body.

Rhea stepped forward, as did Cael and my entire crew. I managed to lift a shaky hand, staying their attack. The extraction was excruciating, but I could feel it working. The lesions the sea witch caused in my chest started to leak a combination of my blood and Dark Water. I glanced at Rhea, who had tears pouring down her face. To alleviate her fears, I nodded once.

I felt it the moment the last drop of Dark Water left my body. The sea witch ripped her claws from my skin, and I fell back onto the deck. My back and head slammed against the railing.

“Kai?” Rhea questioned. Her eyes flitted between me and the sea witch like she didn’t know whether to hold her ground or hand the trident over.

I reached up, wiping a hand across my chest. All that was left behind was the crimson stain of my blood. “It’s done.”

Relief flashed across Rhea’s face before she tossed the sea witch the trident.

The sea witch hugged the trident to her chest in a fit of hysterical glee. “It’s mine! It’s finally mine!”

Rhea fell to her knees beside me, her face hovering nervously above mine. My skin pulled together, healing the holes created by the sea witch. Energy surged through me, pounding with relentless power, making the glow of my skin return.

Rhea smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear before leaning down and brushing her soft lips against mine. “I thought I lost you.”

“Never.”

Rhea’s eyes roved over my face. “How are you feeling?”

“Good as new,” I answered, sitting up straighter.

The sly smile that brushed against Rhea’s lips had me wanting to do unspeakable things to her. “Good, then go get my father’s trident back.”

Heat flooded my body as I realized this was her plan all along. Blackheart Kai may not be able to stop the sea witch, but Kai, son of Poseidon, could. “As you wish, my little sea demon.”

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