Page 114 of Stone Temptation

She swam in a loop, incensed. “He did what? Where is he?”

“It’s—” I stopped myself. “He’s not worth it.”

“That steaming pile of excrement!”

Asher handed me a glass of water and the paracetamol, offering a frozen box of fish fingers.

“For the cheek.”

“Thanks.” The cold against the slap zone really helped.

“I’ll burn his eyes out with those wretched joints of his!” Maren yelled.

“Wow. That’s super supportive.” Was it wrong to take some pleasure in that idea?

Maren swam around us. “I need answers, Luke. What has been going on?”

Asher touched the side of my face with the back of his hand. I shivered, leaning into it.

Safe…

He attacked the weaver for me.

He really is my protector.

Thankfully, none of my bones were broken, just rattled. And the last of the dizziness had passed on the flight back here.

“I have to tell her,” I said to Asher. “I trust her and my friend Tom more than anyone. They’ve been my rocks.”

“Then tell her. But not the king part.”

After another sip of water, I filled my friend in, keeping King Declan’s name out of it.

She lowered to the floor, curling her tail beneath her. “I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s a lot to process,” I said.

Her hair swirled about her head as if she were underwater—it did that sometimes—while her brows pinched in thought.

I let her think.

“I really need to swim,” I said.

“Yeah?” Asher responded. “You’re not hurting too much?”

“It’ll do me some good.”

Swimming would smash through the onslaught of thoughts in my brain. Help me process this, temper the rot of loathing for Seth.

He didn’t get to make me feel anything.

He didn’t get to have me anymore. Screw everything he’d said about changing my life. There would be no conversation about rent or any of that crap. We would test the ring and nothing more.

I was so, so done.

TWENTY-SIX

Asher

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