Page 38 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

And for the family she’d left behind in Ellow.

Merrick’s chin dipped an inch as he eyed her, and that feeling—the feeling that he understood her better than anyone—caused a sense of awareness to prickle over her skin.

Rubbing her arms, she fixed her gaze on the slightly swaying Raine when Merrick spoke again. “I also sent eagles to Kerym and Thissian.”

Ardow’s eyes widened. “The Siphon Twins? I thought they’d left this realm.”

Raine broke in. “They have. They won’t come, Merrick. Last I heard, they tried to get as far away from here as possible.”

“Siphon Twins?” Venko asked.

Lessia shot him a grateful look.

The nickname sounded vaguely familiar, but she knew little about the warriors Merrick had fought beside.

Only that the four of them were absolutely lethal.

“They drain the emotions—the energy—of others, making themselves stronger.” A chilling smile spread across Raine’s face, making Lessia question her wish to know more about them. “People think Merrick is terrifying, but it’s those two that you should have nightmares about.”

Venko clenched his jaw as his eyes shifted down, and he murmured something incomprehensible.

Lessia didn’t blame him—they didn’t sound like Fae she’d want to encounter if she didn’t have to.

“Why did you ask them to come?” Ardow asked with eyes fixed on the cowering Venko.

Merrick sighed. “We need anyone we can convince on our side. If we’re to try to convince Loche and Rioner, we need numbers—as many as we can to make them stop and listen.”

Reaching over the table for a nearly empty bottle, Raine shook his head, his reddish hair flying around his face. “I told you they won’t answer the call.”

“Then so be it,” Merrick snarled.

When Raine rolled his eyes, Merrick slammed his hand down on the table. “We used to face these threats with a smile, Raine. We used to believe in protecting our people. Doing what’s right. Do you think these Oakgards’ Fae will stop at Havlands? They’ll come here too.”

Raine shrugged, an infuriating lazy smile that reminded her too much of Loche spreading across his face. “Ydren will keep them out. Besides, the others here have some tricks up their sleeves, should it come to that. We can protect our sanctuary.”

The anger boiling inside Lessia turned hotter at Raine’s indifferent tone, and she couldn’t stop herself from hissing “Yoursanctuary? From what I can tell, this is merely a hiding spot for cowards and drunkards. I used to savor the stories about you growing up! You used to be a hero, and now you’re nothing more than a bitter shell.”

“Look at you fighting back.” Raine grinned at her, the smile a little lopsided from finishing yet another cup. “If you survive this, come back in a few centuries, and we’ll talk about cowards.”

Her nostrils flared as she bore her eyes into his hazel ones, which seemed almost green now, turning lighter from the alcohol perhaps. “If I survive this, I’ll never go anywhere near you again.”

“Thank gods.” Raine lifted his cup toward her. “You’re quite irritating.”

“Raine,” Merrick warned in a low voice.

“And you’re a coward,” she snarled back, her pulse thundering in her veins.

“Perhaps. But there are more of them in this room. Aren’t there?” Raine raised his brows as he shot a glance at the seething Merrick.

Leaning over the table, she opened her mouth to argue, but then Merrick flew from his spot, and his hand slipped across her face, silencing her.

Dragging her backward so forcefully she stumbled into his chest, he growled at Raine, “That’s enough.”

Raine winked at her. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”

She shook from restrained anger, her entire body itching to charge at him.

“Save your energy for training. Raine has offered to help us, and since he’s drunk about ten of those cups already, you might even get a hit in,” Merrick hissed into her ear.

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