Page 54 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

To her mother.

To Frelina.

Black spots danced before her eyes and she thought she might faint, when a strong arm snaked across her back.

Glancing up, she could barely make out Merrick’s tight face as he mouthed something.

She shook her head as she stared back at him, the blood rushing in her ears drowning all other sounds.

Clasping her chin to stop the movement, Merrick glared right into her eyes. “I’ve told you before. You’re stronger than you think.”

Lessia only blinked.

“After all you’ve been through, you’re strong enough to handle this.” Merrick captured her with his gaze. “You made it out of Rioner’s cellars. You escaped the blood oath. You even survived the election and L…” He trailed off, his eyes hardening when she stiffened.

The fingers holding her chin tensed, but when he moved them to cup her heated cheek, they were gentle.

“Trust me,” he whispered. “You are strong enough.”

She wanted to look away from the swirling flecks, the silver reminding her too much of another pair of eyes, darker, which had once held the same conviction of her strength.

But when some of that certainty flowed into her, the hushed words working to pierce the shell of doubt that pressed on her chest, she squared her shoulders.

It wasn’t like she had a choice.

She had to be strong enough.

There was no other way.

“Well, she needs to be strong to handle tonight.” Raine smirked.

She moved her gaze his way. Her face must have betrayed her confusion as he offered, “It’s Zehmkell tonight, and the Fae living on the other side of the island like to celebrate.”

A groan left Merrick as he dropped his hand from her cheek. “I’d forgotten you still celebrate.”

“Wh-what is Zehmkell?” she asked hoarsely, pushing the dread deep down into the dark abyss that held on to all the pain and hurt and fear she’d experienced through the years.

When Raine’s lips curled into a mocking smirk, she frowned.

She recognized the name but couldn’t place where she’d heard it before.

“It’s a tradition amongst Fae soldiers.” Merrick sighed. “It’s said the gods encouraged it to strengthen the bond between Fae before battle.”

“But now it’s merely an excuse to drink and fuck once a month.” Raine snickered.

She fought with everything in her to keep a blush from spreading across her face when Raine wiggled his brows.

But she mustn’t have succeeded because Raine burst out laughing, and when even Merrick let out a muffled sound, she gritted her teeth.

Stupid males.

Stupid damned bastards.

While she waited for Raine to calm down, her fingers flexed, twitching toward the daggers by her waist, and she wondered whether her decision not to stab any of them again had been a bit hasty.

“Perhaps you should stay back?” Raine asked when he stopped laughing. “If you can’t even hear the wordfuckwithout looking like you stayed out a little too long in the sun, Zehmkell isn’t a place for you.”

The thought had also crossed her mind, but being alone in her room with only the thoughts of her father arriving with the next sunup keeping her company made her shake her head.

---