Page 87 of Waves
I strode forward then, and swiped my index finger under Raj’s beard, forcing his chin upward. “Still having fun?”
"I suppose it depends on what you're going to do next," Raj purred. "Toss a thigh up here."
Felipe's fist crashed into the sultan's cheek before I knew what was happening. Pain clouded my vision for a split second before it was shoved aside like it was a house fly, little more than a nuisance.
The water slowed Raj's fall so it wasn't nearly as satisfying as it might have been on land, but I smirked a little anyway until a flash of black anger bolted through me, and I had to fight against the desire to deck Felipe.
Dammit.
Blowing out a breath, I strode across the room until I was able to shove Raj's feelings aside and find my own. Mr. Whelk gave a tiny peep and swam over, forcing his head under my elbow until I started to pet him. The movement was soothing for both of us as my exhausted brain rattled around options.
This entanglement was dangerous. I debated wishing that the sultan's emotions were blocked off...but they could prove valuable. Clearly, he had some kind of warped attachment to whatever game he was playing with me. Whatever the game, it was deadly, and I needed to find out who he was working with and knock them off the board. And once my heart was out of his chest, I needed to end the sultan.
As Ugo and Mateo sorted out the chaos on the other side of the room and Keelan continued to stare blankly in his near-catatonic state at nothing, Lizza limped over to me. Under her breath, the undead woman whispered, "I'm going to need time."
"How much?" I whispered.
"A while. We're going to have to keep him alive for a while. But only just. You can probably still get a good bit of torture in. I've got some pliers?—"
I held up a hand, cutting the witch off. Based on the remnant of the sting still left in my cheek, torture was out of the picture. Anything physical was.
Wait...
Anything physical was off the table, but that didn't meaneverythingwas.
Glittering revelry danced through my chest.
From across the room, Raj called out, "Oh, what are you thinking now, my devious queen?"
My lips pressed together, but even his ability to detect my plan didn't mean he'd be able to stop it. "You want to keep my heart?"
His mouth ticked up in one corner as I released Mr. Whelk and reached for the ring. "I wish you'd stop any attempt to undermine my reign. I wish you'd cut off any contact with anyone who does not support my reign. I wish that any thought you have of attacking me or my men gets turned into thoughts to protect me."
"Granted. Easily." His answer was smooth as butter.
"Excellent." I pretended to turn away but then turned back, as if I'd only just had a new thought. "Oh and I wish you'd complete a thousand kind, selfless tasks with no hope of reward in return for them."
Raj's jaw stiffened and his throat bobbed as I asked for something that was the very antithesis of his entire existence.
It was my turn to smirk.
"I'm fairly certain that there's a stall or two in the stables that need cleaning. Perhaps a whale who needs some barnaclesremoved." My eyebrow rose imperiously. "What's the matter, Raj? Not up to this tinylittletest?"
"Nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all. Granted. Easily."
But that anger cinching my belly contrasted his words. It told me my plan would work…keep him busy while Lizza unearthed the spell we needed.
I gave Raj a jaunty little finger wave as the enraged djinn stomped from the room.
Chapter 38
Raj
Blood feathered the water around me as I stared down at the pimpled stable hand who clutched his broken nose. The desire to do worse rumbled through me and I gritted my teeth against it.
“What is going on?” An obnoxious voice made me turn away from the towering royal stables toward the path that led to the palace.
Avia’s favorite little guard, a mer with more muscles than sense, glared at me.
