Page 82 of Pregnant With Their Babes

King Claus captured his gaze. “Oz?”

“Her son,” Llyr answered. He paused a moment before adding. “And my mate.”

“Llyr!” his father screamed. “You vowed you would cause no more trouble. If you broke that vow, I can break mine! I will have your humans flayed alive and Ryland ripped asunder!”

“No!” Llyr screamed.

“If you touch my sister’s son,I will destroy everything you hold dear,” King Claus threatened Llyr’s father. “You’ve taken enough from me already… I refuse to let you destroy the last piece of her.”

The two kings snarled at one another.

King Claus focused on Llyr. “Take me to this Oz.”

“I forbid it!” King Augustine commanded, blocking the door. “Llyr remains here. With me.”

“You denied knowing what happened to Deandra all these years, and I’ve always sensed you did!”

“Of course I knew,” Llyr’s father spat, appearing to drop any pretenses.

“All the fights along the border… the provocations… the threats of war… it was all because Iknewyou knew. Forty years, Augustine.” King Claus chuckled.

“I offered you my son’s hand in marriage to atone for that loss. To unify our realms once more. Is that not enough?”

“Of course it isn’t enough! That son can help me find closure—and meetherson. You speak in terms of reunification. That you seek to find peace, yet you still deny me the one thing you know I need most. Answers.”

His father glared at Llyr, growling. Turning to fully face his father, Llyr truly saw the anger in the man’s eyes. “You sought to use me as a pawn to assuage an old evilyoucommitted—and you have the nerve to be angry at me for this?Youexiled Deandra.Youstole her tail—keeping her from returning to the sea and her family.Youstarted a years-long conflict between our nations, killing thousands of our people—and must atone for it.Notme.”

“Youexiledher?” King Claus asked. The even tone to his voice belied the thread of violence Llyr thought he heard. “Youstoleher tail… preventing her from ever going home. Thwarting our witches and my Draugar from finding her.” His jaw clenched. “You hadno rightto do that, Augustine. She was not your citizen to condemn.”

“As if your father would have?” Llyr’s father asked, his eyes wild. “No… he likely would’ve let her wed the human she’d fallen in love with. He could never tell your sister no—even if it meant breakingmerlaw to do it. I refused to let that happen. It was bad enough she scorned me. To see her wed to a human? That I could not allow.”

“So you took the law into your own hands,” Claus said, shaking his head. “The council will hear about this.”

“First—you must make it out of my realm before you can tell them anything,” Llyr’s father murmured, an evil smile spreading across his face. A wild light glittered in his eyes, one Llyr had never seen before.

Fear gripped him. Would his father murder the King of Atlantia? An all-ocean war could be the only result.

Thousands would die…

King Augustine chuckled. “Kill them,” he instructed his guards.

Llyr’s father’s guards lunged forward, but the lone mermaid in the room—one of Claus’ guards—lifted a hand, and a vortex immediately opened up beside it.

She was no guard.She’s a sorceress!

Llyr swam into the nearest corner, curling up behind a boulder and protecting the pups inside him. Peeking around the edge, he saw the maelstrom grew as large as the witch. Llyr’s father’s guards backed off, screaming for reinforcements.

Before they could arrive, the Enchantress soon appeared at the center of the vortex, with Llyr’s brothers and Prawnsby at her side. Llyr frowned, confused as to their appearance. The water spout closed once they stepped out. Llyr swam higher, getting a better look.

Just in time to see a blade glide through the water like a shot—striking King Augustine between the eyes. Llyr’s father plunged to the cavern floor, his lifeless body floating in the water. Blood waved in tendrils around the wound to his head.

When Llyr lifted his stare, he saw the dagger had come from Amyr’s own hand.

No one moved or spoke for a few seconds.

“Amyr?” Llyr asked, confused. “Why?”

Amyr stepped forward, his expression grim. He regarded the guardsmen. “Stand down. There’ll be no battle here today.”

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