Page 150 of Cruel Tides

“And do you usually sleep naked?” I asked, feigning surprise as I crawled out of the bed. “Because I know this might be shocking, but I don’t usually sleep dressed in one solitary bikini top.”

“Shirtless, usually,” he said as he pulled back the sheets. Crawling back in first, he looked like he couldn’t wait to get back to his pillow.

Well, if he was going in naked, I was going in naked, too.

Although he didn’t lift his head, one of Barren’s eyebrows rose as I slipped off my bikini top. Then I crawled in, settling in close enough that my breasts brushed against his chest. He let out a grunt, but then bent down to meet my lips in a tender kiss.

“I’m not sure you should be sleeping,” he said as my fingers trailed down his stomach, lightly tracing over his muscles.

“Well, how about I promise to stay awake?” I whispered, my hands fully settling against his warm skin. “You need sleep, Barren. You look exhausted.”

“Mmh. I am tired,” he said with a yawn. “We should both stay awake.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I chuckled. He wouldn’t last five minutes. “Good luck.”

We lay there, still and quiet, our bodies pressed together as I listened to the steady rhythm of his heart. My eyes fell to his scars, and a wave of nausea hit.

I hated his sister. Maybe his kingdom, too, for so easily tossing Barren aside. Their hatred for cecaelia made them blind to his suffering, or perhaps they never cared to begin with.

But as I watched his steady breaths, my heart filled with admiration. Despite everything, Barren had risen above it. Even living as an outsider on this island, he’d found joy in walking his own path.

“Are you still watching me?” I asked, but when I glanced up, Barren’s eyes were closed, his body at ease.

“Barren?” I whispered, but he didn’t stir. He really had been tired.

Silently, I crept out of bed, careful to tuck the sheets back in around him. The only thing on my mind when I pulled on fresh clothes was Barren’s kingdom and their tumultuous relationship with the cecaelia.

If only there was a way for the merfolk to let go of their superstitions, then maybe, just maybe, it would spare Barren from more pain.

There was… one way.

Usually, when it came to the affairs of merfolk, I was reluctant. But not this time.

I felt it deep in my bones. I knew what I had to do.

Sneaking around the bed, I opened my suitcase, digging out a notebook and pen from the bottom. Flipping to a blank page, I thought a moment before putting my pen to the paper. I only managed to write the wordsdon’t worry, I’ll bebefore pain seared through my hand.

What the heck?

Irritated, I cut to the chase, attempting to write the letterc,when another jolt caused me to scratch a rogue line over the paper. “Dammit,” I muttered. It appeared there was more to this silencing spell than just saying words.

I tried drawing a picture next, but only managed to scrawl one tentacle before my hand jerked, ruining what I’d done with a scribble. Hunching over the paper, I took a deep breath, deciding I would try something else entirely.

Circling the wordsDon’t worry,I drew a new picture in the space underneath them. Four hearts. Perfect. Only my conscience wouldn’t let me set it down until I drew a tiny sea lion next to them.

Okay, now it was really perfect. Or at least, as perfect as it was ever going to get when I wasn’t allowed to drop any clues as to where I was going.

Sighing, I sat the note down and then went over to my bag, fishing the shells out from its bottom. My fingers curled around the smooth surface of the abalone shell as I gripped it in one hand, my magical switchblade in the other.

This was my chance. To help Leander free himself from his trident, and maybe help how Barren’s kingdom saw cecaelia, as well.

Knowing the guys would try to stop me, I did the only thing I could do.

I snuck out the patio door.

35

Claira

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