Page 82 of Bride of the Sea King

I nodded, and Eila took off at a run across the sand. It only took her a moment to wade into the water and dive down into the depths.

“You didn’t know about the monsters?” I asked quietly.

“No,” Triton admitted. “I wish I had. My people do hold a grudge against the selkies, but children of all species are treasured. We would never have allowed that to go on without intervention.”

“Can you handle the monsters, though?”

“Of course. I’m the scariest thing in the ocean, remember?”

I snorted, his words taking me back to the first day we met. “Sure.”

Triton chuckled, dragging me into his arms and hugging me tightly. I returned his hug. My eyes stung as the stress and weight of everything that had happened seemed to crash into me at once.

“I had to throw Rayna into the sea with the selkies. Do you think she’s okay? I?—”

“Wesson already has her. They said you saved her life.”

A relieved breath escaped me. My eyes stung more fiercely. “I guess maybe I did.”

“Evve tah, Sweetheart.”You’re perfect.

I choked on a watery laugh. “More perfect than a fever dream? Are you convinced that I’m real yet?”

His lips brushed my forehead, then my shoulder. “You are far better than anything I could have ever imagined, even in a fevered fantasy.”

“So are you,” I admitted.

“Well, I am the king of the sea.”

A laugh escaped me, and I swatted him on the back since he was still holding me to his chest. “You are so full of yourself.”

“You’re still the only one who gets that privilege.” He nipped at my throat

I shoved him away with another laugh. Everything spun when I did, though—so Triton grabbed me again, concern knitting his eyebrows.

“Did you push yourself too hard?”

“Just a little.”

He growled, sweeping me off my feet and into his arms. My crown yanked on my hair again, and I winced.

“Do you have the magic to hide that thing again? It’s kind of heavy, and I’m out.”

“I don’t know, I like seeing you wear it.” He was being playful, but his hand brushed my ear almost immediately, storing it back in my hoops. “You need to rest.”

“We need to get everything settled before you hide me away in our room,” I countered, as he started carrying me back to thecastle. I knew he planned on forcing me to take a break for recovery’s sake, but the timing wasn’t right.

“It can wait,” he said.

“No, it can’t.”

“You come first for me, Aria. I don’t give a damn about anyone else when you’re struggling.”

“Well,Icare about them. We have to make sure everyone is okay before you force me to rest. If I eat something, I’ll feel less dizzy.”

Probably.

“I heard yourprobably,” he grumbled, but I could tell I had convinced him.

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