Page 154 of Cruel Tides

He leaned in, the angular slope of his nostrils flaring. His gaze slid to my lips. “So that’s your chosen offering? A kiss?”

“No, I—” It was too late for me to move away; he’d already caught me. “I wasn’t choosing that one,” I threw back, tugging at his tentacles, attempting to untangle them from around me. “It just… surprised me. That’s all.”

He released some of them, but held his ground, leaving me little room to maneuver in his grasp. “Do you wish to know how I control my trident or not?” he asked.

I shifted my focus from his tentacles to shoot him an annoyed look. “Of course I do. Just give me a second,” I snapped. “Let me think.”

Well, I certainly wasn’t going to give up my voice. That left my hair or maybe more blood? Ugh. The most disturbing part was not knowing what he woulddowith any of these things if he got them. Unsettled, my face contorted into a grimace. “What would you even want with my voice?”

“Perhaps I’ll start a business,” he said smoothly, his arms crossing back over his salt-stained chest. “Use that sweet voice of yours to become an erotic audio performer.” A momentary pause, then a smirk crept across his face. “Or maybe I’ll keep it for myself.”

My mouth dropped open, and I—well, I certainly didn’t know what to say to that.

“No?” He looked as if he was trying to stifle a laugh. His eyes crinkled with dark amusement. “Well, how about I counter your request with one of my own?”

This was a bad idea, wasn’t it? I swallowed hard, holding back my uncertainty. “What kind of request?”

His smirk broadened. “While you’re down there, there’s a chance the queen may ask you to look into her mirror.” It was chilling how quickly his tone turned serious. “She’s obscenely fixated on it at the moment. If she does happen to show it to you, I ask for you not to speak of the first thing you see when you look into it. Reveal it to no one—except for me.”

For a moment, I just stared at him, surveying from his white eyes down to the dark mark of his trident. It seemed a simple enough deal—a trade of knowledge—but why would his queen show me her mirror? Then I recalled her desk and how trinkets covered every inch of it. Could she be proud of her collection?

“Accept this deal, and I will enlighten you on all my trident’s many secrets.”

“Is there something special about this mirror?” I asked, thinking over every angle. “Or is it like the other knick-knacks she keeps in her office?”

He gave a small snort. “I’ll let you judge that for yourself. The second thing you notice when you look at it, the third, and so on—those you may speak of if she does inquire about your thoughts.”

“So, you’re seriously going to spend your half of our deal hoping that your queen will show me amirror?”

“You needn’t worry about me, little captive. I’ve never made a deal that wasn’t in my favor.” Slicking back his dark hair, the sea wizard held out a hand. “Do you accept?” he asked, his voice a dark riddle all of its own.

So I just couldn’t mention the first thing I noticed about the mirror to anyone but him? What a strange request. “This sort of feels like I’m signing over my firstborn,” I mumbled, my eyes narrowing on his outstretched hand. “I’m not, am I?”

The corner of his lips twitched. “That sounds like quite the hassle for me. I would much prefernotto be hunted down by your ever-increasing assortment of lovers.”

My cheeks flushed, but I refused to be ashamed of the bond I shared with my guys. Most probably wouldn’t understand it, but that was fine with me. Our happiness was the only thing that mattered.

The sea wizard leaned in close, as if sharing a secret. “I’m quite elusive, but with a noisy babe in tow, I worry one of them might succeed in catching me.”

“Not an aspiring father, are we?” I asked with a snort.

“My kind isn’t as paternal as the merfolk, I’m afraid,” he said, straightening back up. “I have no recollection of my father. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

As his long body shifted with the incoming tides, I realized that, despite our banter, I knew nothing about this cecaelian man. Not even his name.

His hand hovered in front of me, an open invitation to accept his bargain.

“Are you sure this isn’t a trap?” I asked.

The sea wizard’s dark eyebrows lifted. “Why would I need to trap someone I’ve already caught?” His tentacles cinched again, pulling me snugly against him.

“Ugh, very funny,” I muttered. “I came to you willingly. You didnotcatch me.”

“Whatever you say.” He chuckled, his grin spreading as I took his hand.

When my fingers wrapped around his, I consciously chose to believe the cunning look in his eyes concealed good intentions. Well, good intentions when it came tome, at least. I didn’t care what his intentions were toward his queen, as long as we could all still come up with a cure for the merfolk together.

“Speaking of catching, I never caught your name,” I said, suddenly surprised at how much not knowing it bothered me.

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