Page 84 of Cruel Tides

“Eleven,” Kai groaned, sounding like a part of his soul was leaving his body. Leander grumbled curses under his breath.

Maybe it won’t be so bad, I thought, though I found it hard to believe.

Leander recovered from his foul mood long enough to pull up beside me and hook an arm around my waist. “You doing okay, beautiful?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, enjoying his nearness. I’d felt so isolated from him and Kai during the flight, and it was nice to see him with an expression other than a scowl. “So, what was it like?” I asked, and he arched a golden eyebrow. “Surveying your entire kingdom from above, I mean. I bet you never thought you’d fly over it.”

Leander’s mouth curved into a smirk. “It was complete whaleshit. I couldn’t see a thing.”

My cheeks heated. Ah—that’s right. He’d been stuck in the middle aisle. “Maybe on the ride back?” I said, attempting to sound encouraging. But I had a hard time picturing what our return trip might look like. Would Barren return with us, or would he be forced to stay back with his kingdom once his queen’s trident was returned?

My stomach twisted sharply at that thought. So much so that I almost collided with the back of Barren’s legs when he suddenly halted in front of us.

I swung my head around to see why we’d stopped. Two men in dark suits stood in the hall before us, blocking our way. Whoa—they were tall. Dark eyes scanned over each of us, the men’s expressions cold and unyielding. Were we about to get into a fight or something? Instinctively, I drew nearer to Barren and reached back to pull Kai and Leander in closer behind me.

When the atmosphere became so agitated that I wasn’t sure what would happen next, Barren gave a single nod. The two mysterious men spun around, wordlessly leading us through the empty hall.

As we drew further away from the stream of people rushing through the airport, I looked around, baffled. “This is our next terminal?” I asked. No one else was even down here, just us and the two large strangers.

Kai’s lips drooped in worry as he jogged up to Barren, placing a hand on his upper arm. “They know to bring Laverne on our next flight, right?” Barren gave a slight nod, and Kai’s shoulders sagged in relief.

To deepen the mystery, we walked right past the waiting area. My anticipation built as we approached the boarding area, and the men walked through it without a delay.

Now this was strange. Were they expecting us to board already?

Without waiting for airport staff, one of the men pushed open a door that led to steps going down to the runway.

“We’re going outside?” Kai asked as the light from outside streamed in. The men said nothing.

“I guess we are.” I shrugged, following in Barren’s shadow. Although the morning sun beat down my face as I descended the steps, the air was brisk. It was so frigid, in fact, that I felt the chill from the tarmac seeping through the soles of my shoes as we walked across the runway.

Then my gaze fixed on the impressive aircraft sitting in the distance, and I stopped in my tracks. There was no commercial branding or logo on the plane to be seen. “Barren,” I called. “Is this a private jet?”

Barren looked back, and our eyes locked as he nodded. “Mmh.”

I knew I shouldn’t be surprised, yet I couldn’t help shaking my head. “Hotels, an island, and now a private jet. Is there anything your kingdom doesn’t have?” I asked until I remembered the two men in suits who were still in front of us. Oops.

I swallowed, leaning over to Barren to ask, “They’re, uh…” Only I wasn’t sure how to say it. Not without giving even more possible secrets away. Keeping my lips sealed, I made a swishing motion with my hands. One I hoped he’d recognize as the movement of a tail if it worked. “Aren’t they?”

“Yes,” he said gruffly. “They are subject to my queen’s authority.”

I exhaled a tremendous breath.Thank goodness. It wasn’t too surprising, considering how inhumanely tall they were. Were all Indian Ocean mers tall? Well, I supposed I would soon have my answer.

When we reached the aircraft, the two men halted, dividing to both sides of the stairs that led to its entryway. I gazed upward, marveling at the plane’s smooth lines and shiny surface. So it belonged to the Indian Ocean. How bizarre.

Now that we were away from other people, I expected the men to greet their prince with the same reverence the Atlantic Ocean showed to Leander. But the men stood rigid, not speaking a single word or even a nod to Barren as he passed up the stairs. Perhaps customs were different in the Indian Ocean?

When it was my turn to take the stairs, Leander stepped up, positioning himself between me and the bigger of the two men. “After you, beautiful.” Although his voice was smooth and casual, I could tell he didn’t trust either of them.

My fingertips met the cold metal of the staircase, and the chill spread through my fingers as I clutched the railing. So, this was it. Next stop, some remote island somewhere. “Thanks for coming along, guys.” I turned back to give Leander and Kai each a smile. “Really. I know you didn’t have to.”

Leander chuckled, leaning in to give my forehead a kiss. “No need to thank us.”

When he pulled away, I stole one last second to look around, taking in what I could of London before entering the plane. I wasn’t prepared for what was waiting for me inside.

The interior opened up to a spacious lounge area filled with plush leather recliners arranged around a polished wooden table. “Dang,” I said, clicking my tongue. On the far wall, a television hung, even larger than the one Dad kept in our living room.

Soft lighting and muted colors created a cozy atmosphere, but I only had a moment to appreciate the plane’s luxury before a body came barreling toward me.

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