Page 129 of Across an Endless Sea

If I’d just kept my mouth shut and obeyed my father, I could’ve been at the head of the new fleet beside him, reaping all of the glory that finally winning this war would’ve brought with it. I might’ve finally gained his respect, beaten Bres’s memory. I probably wouldn’t even have this damned curse…

I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself, either.That insidious inner voice—the one which got me into this mess in the first place—cuts through all of my fantasies with the sharpness of unvarnished truth, and my head falls back against the wall with a thunk.

No. I could never support anything that turned Rose down the same path that killed my mother. It’s unlikely I could’ve said anything that would’ve changed my father’s mind about his plans for Rose, either.

So, I suppose my path here—and my slow, lonely death at the hands of the fae—was inevitable.

Noise at the top of the stairs makes my head jerk up. Voices break the gloomy silence with the harshness of a heated argument.

“Nicnevin, please. This isn’t right.” Is that Prae? Begging?

What in the names of the Ancestors is going on?

“Shut up, Fomorian. This is the only way,” the wolf says, and I bristle at the aggression in his tone.

“Praedra, understand, this is not a course of action we’ve taken lightly.” I could be mistaken, but that sounds a lot like the high priestess. “In the long term, it will save his life.”

But Prae isn’t calmed. “It’swrong. Rose. You know it’s wrong. Please.”

The knight commander growls. “It’s already decided. She’s been practising all week. Don’t interfere.”

“Practising!” Prae gasps. “She can barely use it! The first knights she ‘practised’ on are still spouting random compliments everywhere they go.”

Jaro leaps to defend Rose. “That was an accident, and she mostly fixed them.”

“It was hilarious,” the redcap retorts. “Next time she should make them do it naked. The repressed homoerotic tendencies of the military are…” He finishes with a wolf whistle.

Whatever Rose thinks of their argument, she says nothing. Prae breaks off and races down the last few steps, stumbling for my cell, her good eye frantic with what looks like… fear.

Why the hell is my cousin afraid?

“Don’t look at her,” she whispers. “Caedmon, whatever you do, don’t fucking look at her eyes!”

Florian grabs her arm, trying to steal her away, but Prae rears back and slaps him.

“If you make her do this,” she hisses at him. “I will never, ever forgive you.”

Florian doesn’t retaliate. He doesn’t even look shocked at the pink hand print blooming over his cheek. He’s immortal, and already the bruise is fading, but Prae’s not one to hold back, so that had to sting.

Thenshe’sthere. Rose. Taking all my focus from everyone else. Today she’s wearing a soft green tunic that hugs her waist, and a pair of dark leggings that cling to her legs in a way that makes my cock stiffen. Is it terrible that I want her to turn around and bend over? Probably.

“Can you give us some privacy?” Rose asks her entourage, who are filing into the room around her.

Is there a hitch in her voice? Now that I look at her, her shoulders are slumped, and she looks almost… resigned?

My brows furrow and my jaw clenches. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Your Guard should be here,” Jaro replies, ignoring my question. “You never know what he’ll try…”

They’re all staring at her with solemn but firm resolve. All except the púca, who looks a little like he might be sick. Rose takes in the wall of certainty with a soft, sad sigh, then finally turns her violet eyes on me.

“Caed! Don’t fucking—” Prae’s protest cuts off, and I growl as I realise Florian has covered her mouth with his hand and is whispering something in her ear.

Of course, he should know better than to think my cousin is the kind of female to be soothed by pretty words. Her elbow digs into his abdomen—hard. The knight commander withdraws his hand with a curse, revealing Prae’s mouth, which is splattered with blood where she bit him. She spits a mouthful of red liquid onto the floor before she can speak again.

“You should at least do him the courtesy of telling him what’s going on before you turn him into your magical fucking puppet.”

Rose’s violet eyes have a wet sheen to them, and my blood chills.

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