Page 104 of Gods of the Sea

“Henrik?” I asked. “What on earth—?”

“Shut up!” he barked. “I’m sick of the sounds of you bloody sirens. Stop trying to get inside my head! You won’t have me!”

I stepped back further, not understanding his rage. He wasn’t like this at all. I hadn’t known him long, but even in our few months together I knew this wasn’t him. Or was Henrik like this all along and I just never knew it?

“Ignore him,” Adrian said to me. “He’s lost his mind. Same as Uncle Leo. He went into the same fits of rage right before he died.”

I shuddered at the idea of Henrik suffering the same fate. “Henrik’s not usually like this…is he?”

Adrian’s eyes dimmed. “Not until recently.”

I tried to meet Henrik again, pulling my shoulders back. Henrik looked at me with contempt, nearly foaming at the mouth as he huffed.

“Henrik,” I said sternly. “I know the honorable gentleman I met on that ship is still in there. Please let me speak to him. I don’t want to part like this.”

His eyes flickered, a flash of sorrow filling up his irises before disappearing. He narrowed his eyes, rage filling them again.

“Save your sentiments,” he spat out. “Your words are poison. I don’t want to hear any of them.”

His siren handlers took this as their cue to leave, and they started to drag Henrik off to the edge of the lake. I could only watch, all the words I was wanting to say drying up in my mouth completely.

“I’ll take a goodbye,” Adrian said gently beside me.

I turned to him, taking a step forward.

“I’m sorry…” I began.

“For what?” he asked. “You haven’t done anything wrong.I’mthe criminal, remember?”

“Even so, I didn’t want it to end like this.”

A heartbeat passed.

“You know,” Adrian said, “I was only supposed to come for your blood.”

“What?”

He smiled dreamily.

“The night of your party,” he said. “I was supposed to collect your blood in a bottle and take it back to the ship. But the moment I saw you, I wanted you for myself.”

I swallowed as my stomach fluttered.

“If you’re a siren, that explains why I was put under your spell so quickly,” he continued, “but make no mistake: even if I lose my life in the next few minutes, I won’t regret having you by my side for as long as I did.”

Losing all my breath at the sincerity in his eyes, I could only breathe out his name.

“Adrian…”

A disgusted grunt echoed beside us. I jumped as I saw Jacques. How long had he been standing there?

“This aura is incredible,” Jacques grumbled, looking between us. “Somehow your siren hold on him is stronger than last time. Either you’re incredibly careless with your powers, Esmeralda, or you truly enjoy this little pirate captain’s affections.”

Adrian gave Jacques a playful grin as he shrugged.

“Get him to the edge of the lake,” Jacques told Adrian’s handlers. “I can’t stand looking at his face anymore.”

“Can I at least have a last word?” Adrian asked. “You can have your shot at her once I die, mate.”

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