Chapter Thirty-Nine

"Vax?" I groaned as I rolled over.

I was on a bed, but not the one I'd grown used to. There was no coral canopy over it and the mattress was too hard. It was more like my old bed—narrow and tucked against a wall. I felt the swaying of the sea and knew it wasn't just a wall. It was the hull of a ship.

"Fuck." I sat up abruptly.

I was in a ship's cabin. Small, so not the Captain's, but still, it was private, which meant it belonged to one of the officers. There were no personal items in the cabin, nothing to tell me who normally bunked there. Or who I'd been kidnapped by.

Then I remembered.

"Oh, great Gods," I whispered. I'd been taken by Hulfrin and there was only one group of Hulfrin who wanted me enough to snatch me out from under a sea king's nose. How the fuck had I managed to get captured by them twice?! Then I looked down and saw that my diamond was gone. "Fucking bastards!"

The door opened and Captain Aras strolled in. Perfect timing. It was as if he'd been standing outside, waiting for me to wake up. But I doubted that. This wasn't a guy who waited outside doors for anything or anyone. He was the guy who stormed in, killed everyone, and took exactly what he wanted. Aras grinned at me as if he could hear my thoughts, showcasing those damn Hulfrin canines.

"Welcome back to the Tiger's Claw, Zixin," Aras said. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you this time. You're too valuable now. A Sea Dragon's mate! And a king, no less. Well done."

"How the fuck do you know that?" I growled.

"How do you think I know that?" he growled back. "King Lyrandir. Remember him? He's the Dragon who wants what you stole. He told me all about your new status and how you swam off with his property. Do you know why he was so chatty about you?"

I grimaced. "Let me guess; it's me or you, right? You bring me to him or he kills you."

"Something like that." Aras crossed his thick arms. "My men spent some time in Shasenai. They're very welcoming down there, especially to landers. My boys were a hit. Everyone was eager to talk to them. That's how they learned about your visit to the crab races today. People were excited to see their king's Neraky mate."

"Unbelievable," I muttered. "As if I wasn't already furious with them."

"Oh? You're not happy with your subjects, Duke Zixin?"

"They're nearly as bloodthirsty as you." I lifted my chin. "I don't know where the Eye is."

"That doesn't matter. Your mate does, and he will trade it for you."

"No, he won't. He can't. And you shouldn't want him to. If King Lyrandir gets his hands on that stone, he will become consumed by it. The magic will overwhelm him and he'll burn all of Serai."

Aras snorted. "I think you've severely underestimated Ly."

I went still. "Ly?"

Aras's face went blank, then hardened. "King Lyrandir. He's stronger than you know, especially his will. Ensarena's Eye will not conquer him."

"Are you seriously willing to risk the entire planet to give your boyfriend a power boost?"

"He is my client, not my boyfriend. I was hired to deliver the Eye, and that's what I'm going to do." He opened the door and waved someone inside.

"Whatever. I know a pet name when I hear one."

A Hulfrin came in with a tray of food. He set it on the tiny round table near the porthole. Then he grinned at me, looked me up and down, and left.

I scowled at the man, then at the food.

"I assure you, neither he nor the food will harm you," Aras said with a glare at his sailor. "As I said, you're valuable now."

"Your men drugged me."

"Just to get you out of the city quietly." He bowed. "I apologize for the mistreatment, Your Grace." With a smirk, he stepped out. As he closed the door, he said, "Best eat up. You'll need your strength to face King Lyrandir."

"Yeah, we've met," I muttered, but Aras was already gone.