Page 20 of Whispers Beneath the Deep
I knew that, but I was being hunted right now. I wouldn’t put the mer in danger. I’d already been here too long. No. The safest place for me and everyone else right now was hiding in Maisie’s cove.
I started to turn. Stopped. “There issomethingyou could do for me.” I dug into the pocket if my tunic.
“Anything.”
So quick to agree… I thought with wry amusement. I flicked a cold coin at him, which he caught before it could spiral through the water.
“Take that to old mer Seth Spiketail. Tell him thanks for the cloak.”
Mr. James started to smile but I turned before I could see the full extent of his admiration. It wasn’t something I deserved. I professed myself a hero in their story and even in my own. Yes, I’d helped them evade Selection and start a new life. I kept them hidden and gave them money…
But I was still a criminal to the crown, after all.
Chapter Thirteen
Maisie
Waking up hours later hadn’t seemed to settle my exhaustion at all. My fins still ached terribly. I hiked the dress up, fingers reaching for my shredded fins. Massaging them lightly brought temporary relief, but soon my fingers started cramping up. Maybe I just needed to swim at a leisurely pace. Get up, stretch my limbs.
I did just that. My body felt tingly all over, like my every nerve had fallen asleep. I swam around the vast space of the room, hoping that the aches would ease. It only made them worse.
I was nearly tempted to call for a maid, to bring me a salve or something. The only thing stopping me from doing that was that if I told anyone, it wouldn’t be long before royal medics were rushed into the chambers to look all of me over and they realized the princess had scars that didn’t belong.
No.
Instead, I went over to the door, making sure it was secure, then went to the tapestry on the wall.
I needed to check on Elias, to see how he was faring. Hopefully his wound hadn’t gotten infected, I thought as I swam through the passageway and crawled through the muddy hole. I made it to the other side, dusting myself off. The light of two lava globes beckoned me down to the couch.
Elias lay there, his eyes closed. I froze beside him, and took a moment to observe him in his stillness. The shadows of the blue glow that the lava globe cast over his features was soft, making his dark features look even darker. Black lashes, long and thick, fell across the top of his cheekbones. His nose was straight, pointed, and his mouth was wide, lips full.
That mouth had pressed against my lips, tongue invading the most private aspects of me. He’d shamelessly tasted my flesh, and not for the first time, I wondered why he’d done such a thing. Had it really been a claim to the payment I owed him, or was his reason something else? Sinister? Dark? Selfish? Or had he simply wanted me in all my limping glory? I doubted it.
“Do you like what you see, little fish?” His voice startled me in the dark. Black eyes suddenly fluttered open to stare at me with an amusement that matched the smirk of his lips.
“Are you feeling better?” My voice was a raspy whisper that could have been contributed to the pain, but I knew that wasn’t it. I just hoped he couldn’t read the treachery in my voice. I hoped he couldn’t hear how much I wanted him, even when I shouldn’t.
He sat up straighter, dropping his tail from the couch so I could sit next to him. I did, keeping a modicum of space between the two of us.
“As better as I can be.”
My eyes went down to where his wound was and I narrowed my eyes. The prison rags and cloak he’d been wearing were gone, and in their place, a black tunic, belted at the waist with black seal leather, a scabbard, and his obsidian sword hanging from it.
My cheeks heated as I glared at him. “You went out!” I accused.
He grinned. “As lovely as that prison attire was, I couldn’t stand another moment of the stench.”
“What if you’d been caught?” I near-shouted.
He raised a dark brow, sarcasm lacing his every gesture. “Worried about me, little fish?”
Yes. Curse him to the abyss and back.
“That was reckless!”
“I’ve been known to do a reckless thing or two…”
Fuming, I shot up from my seat. “Stop joking!” I tried to take a stroke back, but my fin—blasted flipping fin—gave in. I cried out, nearly falling onto a pile of conches. But Elias moved like a shadow, pulling me up against his chest before I could fall.
