Page 56 of Cursed Waters

As I watched her, something in my chest felt heavy… and also light. It was adorable how she was eating around the red lines. Like she didn’t want to ruin the design I’d made for her.

Turning back to the food, I decided on a hushguppy first.So good.

Well, now was as good a time as any. “You know you don’t have to stay here, right?”

“Hmm?” she mumbled through a mouthful of bird eggs.

“With the Atlantic. They can’t hold you here if you want to go back home. I know we promised we wouldn’t take you through the gates, but you can leave on your own. If anyone tried to stop you, I’d—”

“I get what you’re saying, and thank you for that.” Her mouth opened and closed half a dozen times, like she was searching for the right words to say. “I know it sounds crazy, but I think I need to stick around. Just until King Eamon gets his trident. I think then I can finally move forward and put all this craziness behind me for good, you know?”

Resting her fork on the corner of the container, she leaned back to look up at the ceiling. Was she frowning?

“Thank you for worrying about me, though. You’re so sweet, doing all these things for me when we hardly even know each other.”

A cold sweat broke out over my back, my palms, even my upper lip. Her voice overtook my senses like she’d sung an incantation. Each syllable was so weighted with magic that the air nearly shimmered with it.

The echo of her words swam around me, swirling and tightening like a warm embrace.

It was the first time a mermaid had ever directed a seduction glamour at me. One of my older brothers, sure, butme?

“Are you okay? Your face just turned kind of pale.” It all disappeared, evaporating like smoke and leaving me sticky with sweat as her voice returned to its natural tone and pitch. Had she meant to do it? Did she even realize?

“I—I, uh…” My tongue failed me for the first time since birth. Unable to gather a coherent thought, I did the only thing I could do without thinking. I shoved a handful of hushguppies into my mouth and chewed.

21

Leander

“The fuck is taking them so long?” I paced the length of the warehouse, fighting the urge to smash a fist into the metal building. I wasn’t actually angry, not really, but I could hardly hold back the raw fury that welled up as my anxiety built.

They’d closed the front of the building for the night at least two hours ago, and it had been about five minutes since the last time a captain came to me on my father’s behalf to ask if I had the trident situation under control.

Control?I had nothing under control. Not even my own fucking emotions. But my lies came as effortlessly as my urge to smash a hole into the side of this fucking building.

My father would have exploded hours ago, bashing metal and any miserable soul who happened to witness his unkingly outburst, but not me. Holding back my rage was probably one of the few useful things he’d inadvertently taught me. No matter what, I wouldn’t let my anger rule me. I wouldn’t end up like him.

I veered sharply to pace another line. What did normal merfolk do to keep from going insane when they were stressed as hell? And more importantly…

Would she actually come back?

Despite the chill in the air, sweat pooled at my lower back, nearly freezing my shirt to my skin. “Poseidon help the next captain he sends out here to check up on me,” I grumbled, rubbing a hand over my knuckles. I didn’t know what I’d do if that side door opened again. There’d been too much whaleshit to deal with today, and none of it fucking mattered one bit. The only thing that mattered, the one thought I couldn’t get out of my fucking head, was—

Twin lights flashed in the distance, and I froze mid-thought. “Claira.” Her name slipped out with my next icy breath.

Gravel crunched as the car pulled up to the warehouse. I dropped my fists and straightened my back, relaxing my shoulders to hide the fact I’d been out here stalking the front of the warehouse like a hungry wrasse for the last two hours, just waiting for them to return. By the time the car stalled, my anxiety prickled all the way up to my scalp, and I ran my fingers through my hair to suppress the odd sensation. She’d still be with them, right?

My fist closed hard around a handful of hair. Shehadto be with them. Or I—I’d…

A door swung open, and laughter exploded from the space inside. Her laughter.

What thefuckwas making her laugh like that?

“No, no, I’ll give it back now. You still have to get back to your hotel,” Claira’s sweet voice spoke, sounding so lighthearted and relaxed it made my pulse skip. Relief surged through my body, but a new annoyance prickled at me.

Her head popped up over the car door, and a dark silhouette of hair swung out behind her.

“Yeah, and you’vestill got to get inside,” a voice answered from inside the car. Kai. Why the fuck did he sound so damn delighted?

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