Page 122 of I Summon the Sea

Now the spell broke, now that I hear myself, I realize my voice is breathy, vibrating, resonant, slightly high-pitched and…I lift a hand to my neck, behind my ears. Hidden by my loose hair, the gills have reappeared and make rustling sounds when I speak.

My voice is back, but my power isn’t.

Is it Jai’s doing? Is it the pleasure he gave me? He’s somehow skimmed a layer off the spell, returning my voice and probably my ability to breathe underwater to me. That’s it.

It’s something.

But it’s also a giveaway, a tell that could betray me.

Beggars can’t be choosers, I remind myself, reeling from the shock, coming on the heels of my release. At least now I can ask questions.

And the first one is—can he restore me fully? Does he want to? Does he even know what he has done and how?

How did he lift a layer off the spell? That was the last layer, the last thing she took from me to hide what I am. He’d have to dig deeper to peel off the rest.

His dark eyes have turned a fathomless black, shielded by those long lashes. “You have magic. Are you even human? Who are you?”

“Will you give me in?” I answer his question with a question of my own. “Will you tell the king or the telchin about it, and have me excluded from the games?”

“What in the hells are you saying? Of course I wouldn’t fucking tell them.” Red blooms on his cheekbones, making his dark eyes glitter. “They’d execute you on the spot for lying.”

I nod, because he’s right. They would. “Maybe you did it on purpose. Giving me my voice back.”

“Me?” He shakes his head. “I didn’t do this. I didn’t know this could happen.”

I narrow my eyes. I don’t know what to believe.

Silver flashes through his eyes, turning them pale and brilliant for a single moment. The bunched muscles in his armsand the line of his jaw speak of tension. “By the Eosphors, Rae. I wasn’t supposed to kiss you, the gods know I tried my damnedest not to, but I couldn’t fucking help myself!”

He’s beautiful. So beautiful it’s damn distracting.

Is he telling me the truth? I wish I had a dragonbone relic that could tell me if someone is lying. It would save me so much anguish.

“Well, I don’t know if I can trust you.” I push at him, though I don’t expect him to budge. “You serve the fae king. How do I know you won’t betray me? You…”

I’m staring. Where I ripped his black shirt open earlier, I see his bared chest, I see… silver lines. They overlay in places the dark swirls spilling from his neck to his collarbone and shoulders. They are raised, pressing against my palm.

Scars.

This time, he does pull back. “I don’t enjoy serving him, believe me,” he bites out. “I wish I had a choice.”

“What are you talking about? You have plenty of choices. Didn’t you double the numbers of humans coming to the games? That was your doing.”

He holds my gaze, mouth tight. It takes him a long moment to reply, and then he says, “Phaethon is becoming stronger. When he takes over me, he sometimes acts before I can stop him. It’s still my responsibility.”

My heart starts to pound all over again. “Are you saying this was Phaethon’s doing?”

“I wish I could kill Phaethon.” He clenches his jaw, grinding his teeth. “I wish I could kill the king. But I fucking can’t.”

“But the king took you in. I heard the stories. Don’t you love him for adopting you?”

“Love him?” A choked sound leaves his lips. It might have been laughter, but it’s bitter and jagged like shattered glass. “Wrong guess, princess. There’s no love lost between the kingand myself. When he first took me in, I thought he wanted to help me, but he quickly showed his true face. I can’t kill him, and I can’t stop him from leaving this world, though I’m trying my best.”

I’m trying my best.His words are slowly sinking in. His voice rings true, angry and honest.

“Are you forced to do his bidding?” I ask softly. “Is he holding something over you?”

His jaw clenches so hard a muscle leaps in it. “I can’t tell you more.”

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