Page 98 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

Still, it had the desired effect when Merrick’s eyes followed it instead of her shuffling back, positioning her feet wide, anticipating the attack she was certain he was planning.

But Merrick didn’t lunge at her.

Instead, he took another slow step forward.

Another.

And another.

Until he finally stood with the tip of the blade pressing into his leather-clad chest.

Her hand shook as she glanced from the sword to his eyes.

“What… what are you doing?” she whispered.

“What you should have done as soon as you got the sword away from me,” Merrick growled. “You. Do. Not. Hesitate.”

Lessia tried to plaster the smile back on her face. “I was just playing around.”

Merrick’s eyes captured hers. “There is no playing in war.”

“I know.” Lessia tightened her grip on the sword. “But you and I aren’t at war.”

“Aren’t we?” Merrick raised a brow, and Lessia’s face heated.

When she remained quiet, silently cursing the cheeks she expected to be bright red, Merrick shook his head.

And within a second, he’d disarmed her, his chest pressed against her back as he breathed into her hair.

“You should finish what you start, Lessia.” Each word came out on an exhalation, the warmth of his breaths brushing her neck. “Or you might find yourself in a… tricky situation.”

Her body reacted instantly, melting against Merrick’s, before she regained control over her muscles and straightened her weak legs, although she still had to fight against her frame’s wish to merge with the one behind her.

Itapparently wanted to find itself in whatever tricky situation Merrick referred to.

“Are you teaching her to flirt her enemies to death, or what is happening here?”

A snarl escaped Merrick as his head snapped up.

After blinking for a few moments, her blurry gaze following the swirls of mist that now completely swallowed them, Lessia also lifted her gaze.

Kerym grinned at them both from where he was perched on a wooden mast, legs dangling out over the sea, which had begun foaming around the ship.

Releasing her, Merrick took a step back and sheathed his sword. “Whatever will save her life.”

“Right.” Kerym arched his brows as he hoisted himself off the beam, landing gracefully before Lessia and Merrick.

“So… I’ve heard you’re a pretty strong mind-bender.” Kerym strolled up to her, his finger dragging over Lessia’s collarbone, the nail scratching against her leather tunic. “That you were able to keep even Raine out of your head.”

Lessia shot a quick glance at Merrick, who followed Kerym’s movements closely before looking back at her.

Don’t lose focus.

She could almost hear his growl in her mind.

Snapping her gaze back to where Kerym pranced around her like a wolf assessing its prey, she nodded. “I can only control one person at a time, but my magic also worked on Raine’s wyvern.”

“Ah, so not just on humans, shifters, and Fae, but also on magical creatures. That’s interesting.”

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