Page 80 of Sworn to Revenge
I fight the urge to grab her by the arm and rip that filthy mark off her chest.
“You’re all misunderstanding the curse,” Bay says quietly, her back to me now. Her voice is calm, but there’s an unsteady edge, as if she’s bracing for the fallout. “I’m not his bride. He’s not looking for a bride. I am him, and he is me.”
What is she talking about? My thoughts swirl in confusion. Her words are the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard, and they do nothing to calm the storm inside me.
“You are him, and he is you? Bay, now you sound like you’ve lost your mind,” Alin snaps, her voice mirroring exactly how I feel.
“I already explained this to Queen Lora—the heart of Morlay wouldn’t have worked even if we had tried. The Guardian doesn’t want to bond with me—the Guardianisme, a part of me. He’s inside me now, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.” Her voice is distant, and now she turns slightly, glancing back at me, making sure I hear every word.
“The moment I bonded with the Dark Magic, I became Black Blooded,” she says, almost reading the questions racing through my mind.
“And what does that mean for you? What does it mean for us?” I ask, unable to hold back the first questions that crosses my lips, ignoring Alin and Queen Lora’s concerned stares.
“I don’t know exactly how things will go from here, but I no longer belong to any pod—I belong to a dangerous, unknown breed of Black Blooded now,” she explains, her voice calm, though the war in her eyes betrays her.
“I need someone here to explain what the hell that even means!” I raise my voice, but I never break eye contact with her.
“We don’t have much information on Black Blooded. The only ones we know of in our ocean are Jocelyn and the Guardian. And now Bay,” Queen Lora answers, swimming closer to us.
“I’m sorry, Bay, but I can’t risk the safety of our entire city by letting you stay. You don’t belong to the royal bloodline anymore. Even your affiliation mark has turned purple,” she says, addressing Bay. The words ignite a fire in my chest.
“Why is it that every time I come here, I have to watch you all throw away a family member so damn easily because of your idiotic beliefs?” I snarl, swimming toward the queen, though I manage to control the electricity coursing through me this time. The queen’s face falls, hurt flashing in her eyes, but she doesn’t respond, only holds Bay’s hand as if offering an apology.
“Don’t you dare touch her!” I growl. “You’re all playing with Bay’s life like she’s just another piece of metal you can toss away when you’re done with her!”
Alin and the queen both turn to me, mouths open in shock, but I don’t let them get a word in.
“None of you deserve to call her family! Unlike all of you, I’m not giving up on her that easily!”
“Pedro, none of us are giving up on her,” Alin tries to reason, her voicesofter now, though there’s still frustration. “But we can’t just bring her into the city like this. You don’t know what this means for her powers—for all we know, this could drive her insane. She could become another Jocelyn at any moment!”
Her words match the cold logic that runs through this damn family, and I can’t stand it. I narrow my eyes in anger as I swim between her and Bay, grabbing Bay’s arm and pulling her behind me protectively.
“She can lack morals, she can lack control, she can lack fucking common sense for all I care, but she’ll always have me!” I snarl, feeling the currents surging in my chest, but I force them down just in time.
Without warning, Bay’s arms wrap around my chest from behind, her face pressed against my back as she starts to cry.
I clench my fists hard. “I’ll see you in New York,” I say coldly toward Alin before I break Bay’s hold on me and turn to face her.
I cup her face in my hands, pulling her close, and kiss her hard, staking my claim. When I pull back, I lock eyes with her. “We’ll finish this at home—ourhome. I’m not leaving your side,” I say, my voice low and firm, making sure she feels every word.
“I love you,” she whispers just as I push her out of this damned room.
She’s not staying here. Not ever again.
Bay
“She can lack morals, she can lack control, she can lack fucking common sense for all I care, but she’ll always have me!”
Pedro’s words keep replaying in my head, not letting the pounding in my chest settle as we swim away from the city. No one has ever fought for me, protected me like that. What did I do to deserve this man in my life? A warmth spreads through my whole body as I swim forward quickly, hugging his arm tightly, as if this touch is the only thing keeping me grounded, reminding me this isn’t a dream.
Maybe that inferior creature isn’t so bad after all...
“Can you shut up already?” I snap at the Guardian, gritting my teeth.
The more you hate my presence, the more I’ll enjoy bothering you.
Great.Stupid dragon!
