Page 21 of Ruthless Scoundrel
“So stop this,” I whisper. “Take me home.”
He purses his lips and I already know the answer. “I can’t.”
Anger sears through me from my stupidity. How could I possibly believe he’d have any shred of empathy for me?
He sighs heavily and picks up the manacles. “We need to find food, pack our water, and get back to the raft. I want to be off this island before sun fall.”
“I’m not wearing those,” I say indignantly.
Amusement is plain on his face as he clips the manacles to his belt. “I’m not going to make you wear them while we’re alone. I can trust you not to kill me when I’m your only prospect for survival.”
He turns and walks deeper into the cave.
“Where are you going?” I ask, not wanting to just blindly follow him without question.
“Leaving.”
I cross my arms. “How do you know that won’t get us deeper into the island rather than off it?”
“I know.”
“How?”
“I just do.”
“Some specialselkiemagic?” I ask.
He glances over his shoulder with a wink.
I wobble over the rocks to follow him. “Itisspecial selkie magic, isn’t it? I’ve heard your kind are the most powerful creatures in the seas.”
“That Ki’ah Ohn know of,” he says.
“Ki’ah Ohn?”
“It’s our word for two-legged assholes that ravage our villages and enslave our people.”
Ah. He’s talking aboutmeandmypeople. My mother did just have several ships in the Emerald Sea going after rumors of selkies. I have no idea if she captured them or not. I didn’t even consider it after the initial rumor spread around the Upper Kingdom.
Maybe I’m a two-legged asshole, after all.
The light of the moons dwindles the deeper we get into the cave and my other senses go on high alert. Random drips and splashes draw my eyes, despite not being able to see them. Sounds echo around us, creating an ambiance that raises the hairs on my arms and makes me shiver.
It’s colder here and I’m wet, that’s all.
“So, what is the most powerful creature in the sea?” I ask.
“A horror beyond your imagining.”
“What do you call it?”
“You’re speaking to me quite a lot for all that hate you supposedly harbor.”
“I just want to know the name of the creature I’ll summon to destroy you,” I say smartly.
I slip, my ankle twisting as I go down. Jasper grabs my arms, catching me before my knees hit the rocks. He grips my forearms tightly and pulls me up. Opal light is glowing in his eyes, transfixing me in his gaze. I can’t look away. It’s so beautiful.
Jasper smirks. “Steady on, princess.”
