Page 55 of Daughter of the Dark Sea
“Why would I go there?” His hands tensed on her shoulders. “I have no reason to go.”
“Blake, your family. They could be involved in the resistance movements. They could be hurt or—”
“They’re not,” he cut her off sharply. “Don’t concern yourself with that.”
Kora stumbled back at the coldness of his words, and she scanned his face, but it’d smoothed out into cold indifference. At her withdrawal, Blake sighed, looking at the dried grass and soil beneath their booted feet. He flexed his fingers, and they brushed the dainty leaves of the mint bushes surrounding them.
“I’m sorry . . . I don’t like talking about it—aboutthem.”
His hands quivered, and he took a step towards her. A low-hanging lemon gently bounced against his head, and he reached for the yellow fruit, his hand enveloping it as he snapped it off the branch. Blake held it out to her and she took it tentatively. It was much larger in her hand, and she was surprised by the heavy weight of it as she clasped the peace offering between them.
“I’m sorry for pushing,” Kora murmured. “I understand your past is difficult.”
Their eyes met, and the electrifying connection passed between them. They both possessed secretive, troublesome pasts that pained them. They both yearned for escape from the shadows haunting them, finding solace within each other’s arms.
A strong breeze drifted through the courtyard and the lemon trees groaned, thick green leaves falling from the gust and floating around Blake as his raven hair ruffled. She instinctively reached up, pushing his hair out of his dazzling eyes.
He leaned into her touch as the leaves caught in his hair and settled on his shoulders, making the green of his eyes blaze. He tugged her forward eagerly, and she dropped the large lemon, its fall cushioned by the grass. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his lips captured hers.
The leaves fell from his hair, tickling her, and she was enveloped in the swath of green nature. Blake deepened the kiss, backing Kora towards the trunk of the nearest tree, his hands reaching up to grasp the lowest branches, pinning her in the middle from all sides.
The trunk curved, moulding to her body. Its branches and shrouds of leaves closing in on her from everywhere, touching her skin. An earthy darkness scraped its talons down her back—or was she imagining it? Her muscles coiled as the threat of a wooden cage loomed.
Blake gripped the branches so tight his knuckles turned white, and he inhaled deeply, seeming to consume the scent of lemon and mint, savouring the moment. Kora knew instinctively he felt more at ease on land, within nature.
Just as he would feel more at ease as commander of the armies, instead of her first mate. But those words between them always laid unspoken. His future always shrouded in darkness, always uncertain. Always dependent onher. He’d repeatedly assured her he was content by her side, but with the king’s expansion . . . now she wasn’t so sure.
A flurrying trail of kisses dragged her from her thoughts.
Kora’s hands explored down the length of his chest, and brushed against his groin teasingly. Blake jerked at the sensation, causing another cascade of leaves around them and he smiled wickedly, a growl echoing from their rendezvous in the hallway. Her core ached, desperate for release, and heat rushed down to the apex of her thighs.
“I can’t get enough of you,” he moaned, his body flush against hers.
The smell of lemon and mint coursed through the air, and she nipped Blake’s lip excitedly in the heat of passionate kissing. Gods, he was so handsome. She was so lucky to have found him, to be with him, through the horrors of losing her family, her memory . . . her life. She’d come out the other side, avenging her family one pirate at a time, with Blake supporting her the whole way.
She would be dead without him. Dead in the barren pits of the Darkoning Trials. Dead at the bottom of the ocean in Davy Jones’ Locker after warfare with pirates. She wouldn’t reside in the spirit realm of Umbra with her lost loved ones or Finlay. Not after everything she’d done. Not after killing innocents onboardDemon Sea Siren.
Jack was right—she was a murderer.
“Are you here with me?” Blake reared back, stroking his thumbs across her cheeks as her mind soared.
No better than a filthy pirate. No better than the killers of her family. She didn’t deserve to be captain. Not really. She didn’t deserve the friendship Finlay had offered. Didn’t deserve the towering male before her who would follow her to the ends of the earth. Kora’s heart clenched, her throat constricting with overwhelming emotion and a familiar throb in her head.
Water splashed in the distance and she froze.
“What is it? Is someone coming?” Blake scanned the courtyard.
She risked a sideways look towards the trickling fountain. Puddles of water soaked the tiled floor, stretching across and blending into an oblong shape, reaching in their direction. As if it had been crawling towards them.
“No—nothing. I thought I heard something.”
Blake’s eyes swept over the fountain and training grounds through the archway before he pulled away, and Kora’s skin pimpled at the chilled air between their now separated bodies. He rotated his arm on his wounded side and winced.
“Are you still hurt?”
“I’m still healing. I’ll be fine for the journey.” He tapped his side lightly. It was remarkable how quickly he was healing, considering how badly he’d been sliced open by his own sword. Lucky bastard. “By the way, we were personally asked for this escort of the sentinel.”
Her brows raised in surprise. “Who requested us?”
