Page 166 of Cruel Tides

I brought my hand close, watching my blood leach from the side of my palm, clouding the water.

This is all my fault.

I’d been perfectly happy—the happiest I’d ever been, in fact. And I’d ruined it.

Leander, Kai, and Barren had made me feel so incredible that I bought into the idea that maybe Iwasspecial. Only, I wasn’t special at all. I was as cursed as I’d always known myself to be.

How had things gone so horribly wrong that I might actually be the thing they hated most?

Leander loathed the dark spawn. Kai hated them a shocking amount, considering he loved just about everything. And Barren… The cecaelia had ruined his life. Stripped him of his rightful place as a king. He’d lost his arm just fromtouchingone, and—Poseidon, help me—I’d touched him. I’d touched hima lot. I couldn’t resist touching any of them.

And now I knew with certainty that the cecaelia were as terrible as the merfolk judged them to be. Cold darkness and lies. That’s what they were.

My chest constricted, the weight of my guilt and shame almost too suffocating to bear.

If I were one of them, would that mean I could never touch the three of them again? That revolting thought had bile rising in my throat, threatening to choke me.

What if none of us were in thethrallat all?What if I’d inherited whatever terrible magic made Queen Sagari able to surround herself with so many doting males?

Oh—oh, god.

Sobs were still shaking through me when I heard a rustling at the entrance of the chamber.

“Princess.” The voice was calm and flowy like liquid smoke. “May I come in?”

My stomach plummeted as I stared at the entrance. I wasn’t a princess—I was as far from a princess as anyone could get. I was Claira, a fisherman’s daughter. Nothing more and nothing less.

There was a momentary silence before he spoke again. “I’ll return later, then.”

“Wait—” I called out, my pitiful voice breaking. What was I wanting, exactly? To be comforted? To be saved? I didn’t know. “Don’t go.”

All I knew was that I couldn’t bear being in here alone, waiting around for the queen’s pawns to return.

There was another beat of silence before he said, “Very well.” Using the prong of his trident, he pushed aside the curtain, and I immediately pulled myself up straighter.

At least the sea wizard was safe.

Safe? No, he wasn’t safe. Why had I even thought that? But he was the only one who might have the answers I needed.

He presented himself to me with a bow, his tentacles rolling in gracefully behind him.

Swallowing hard, I ignored the pain burning in my throat as I gazed up at him. “Please. Don’t call me ‘princess.’”

The side of his mouth quirked. “Regrettably, that is one wish I cannot fulfill.”

As if sensing my unease, he kept his distance, though his eyes never left mine as he said, “You’re trembling, princess. Are your accommodations not to your liking?”

I slumped down in disappointment. “So, you came here to mock me,” I said bitterly, fighting to hold back a sob.

He slid closer. “Not at all. Although I’m surprised to learn that all three pawns survived bringing you here.” With a hint of amusement, he raised an eyebrow. “I fully expected you to carve out their hearts.”

I scoffed. I couldn’t help it.

“They’re lucky I didn’t slice them up,” I mumbled, remembering how hard I’d worked to hold back my rage “But I didn’t think your queen would be thrilled with me attempting to take out her pawns.”

My heart sped as he leaned in closer. “You should have done it,” he said with a cunning smirk. “Believe me, she has plenty more to take their place.”

Ugh—although I didn’t doubt that, it was a sickening thought.

---