Page 20 of The Nymph Prince
“And the basket?”
“Same.” Humor danced in the blue depths of his eyes. “Pirate, remember?”
“I often forget,” I said, looking at the slices in my hand before eating one. “You’re unlike other pirates I’ve met. You never fully gave in to their rougher nature. I watched you a while before ever making myself known, mage. And your heart is pure.”
Alek scoffed, but I didn’t miss how his cheeks darkened with the compliment. “My heart is far from pure, Lorcan.” Regarding me with eyes the color of the sea, he added, “I’ve killed men before. Horrible deaths, too. I’ve whored in all the brothels along the shoreline. I’ve lied, thieved, and cheated. I’m a bad person.”
Yet, even after he confessed all of that, my opinion of him remained the same.
A man’s past didn’t have to define him. Could you really condemn a beggar for thieving when he only stole enough to help dull the ache in his empty belly? Motive mattered. Alek, I was certain, hadn’t committed any of those acts to be cruel.
“Your eyes are not the eyes of a bad man, Alek. Perhaps you’ve not made the best decisions in life, but your heart is still good.”
“You need to eat,” was all he said before looking away.
Knowing that was a subtle way of saying the discussion was over, I inwardly sighed and ate the rest of the apple before grabbing some bread and cheese. Honey on bread was one of my favorite snacks, but since there was no honey, I placed the cheese on the bread and ate it that way.
With the silence, I thought over my dream.
It was impossible for there to be a battle in Avalontis. No outsiders could enter our kingdom without permission. It must’ve only been a dream then.
Malik stayed in his spot in the sand, not moving when the tide began rolling in around him.
I wondered if he saw the horizon he faced, or if he was seeing something else. Memories. Dreams. I was ashamed for mentioning him finding love, as it had clearly upset him.
“Who is he to you?” Alek asked. “When he found us, he held a blade to my throat. But once he saw that I was healing you, he sat at your side and allowed me to continue.”
“How did you heal me?”
“I’m not sure,” he answered. “It was not my intention at first. I pulled you from the water and panicked. There was so much blood, Lorcan. I am no physician, but I know wounds of that area of the leg are severe. Many men bleed to death before they can ever get help. And just like that, I felt the tingling in my hands and placed them over you.”
His powers were triggered by strong emotion.
He’d beenthatworried about me?
“I’m no fool, clever nymph,” Alek said, drawing my focus back to him. “You haven’t answered my question. Who is Malik? He cares for you as if you were his own son.”
The truth was bound to come out sooner or later, and I’d rather Alek hear it from me than from someone else. Of course, that didn’t stop my heart from thrashing around in my chest.
“He’s my personal guard,” I answered, looking at the last piece of bread in my hands. I was no longer hungry for it.
“Your guard.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded anyway.
“Why do you need a guard, Lorcan?”
I met his questioning gaze. “Because I’m a prince.”
He gaped. “A prince? As in, what? The prince of the sea?”
Again, I nodded. “My father is King Triton.”
“So not only are you a prince, but the son of a god?” Alek eyed me in a way that suggested anger. “How long were you goin’ to wait before telling me, nymph? YouknewI was worried for my captain and his curse. And here you are, the son of the very being who Kellan was told to find.”
Malik suddenly appeared and placed an arm across my chest, glaring at the mage. In his other hand, he had his dagger aimed at Alek’s throat. “Lower your tone or I’ll lower my blade.”
“It’s fine, Malik,” I said, grabbing his arm and moving it to the side. “He has every reason to be upset with me.”
