Chapter Forty

I had barely finished my stew before the entire ship rocked and a roar rent the air. Grinning, I shot to my feet.

"Hey, baby," I said with a glance out the porthole. "Took you long enough."

The door to my cabin burst open, and Captain Aras strode in. "Don't look so smug, Your Grace. We were expecting this." He grabbed me, his claws closing around my throat, and shoved me into the corridor.

Aras marched me out to the main deck, his grip never wavering. Up there, I found my mate in his sea dragon form, gripping the bow of the ship, half of his body on the forecastle deck. He wasn't destroying anything yet, but violence frothed in the air around him. Vax only controlled himself because wanted something more than murder—me. He was demanding my return even as I stepped out on deck. As soon as I appeared, enormous dragon heads peered at me from all sides, more claws clinging to the ship. It was a miracle the thing stayed afloat.

"Here he is, Your Majesty," Aras said as he stopped me near the mainmast. "But you can't have him."

"If that's what you think, you're wrong. Dead wrong," King Vaxarion snarled.

"Vax, I'm so sorry. I was distracted, and they grabbed me," I said. "You were right. I should have taken guards with me."

"It's all right, love," Vax said. "Are these the men who took you before? Is that the Hulfrin who tortured you?"

I glanced at Aras. One word from me would end his life, but I couldn't lie to Vax. "Yes."

Vaxarion roared. As the echoes of it still rang in my ears, he said, "Release my mate now, and I will make your death quick! Hesitate, and I will tear you to pieces and force you to eat each one."

"Shit," I whispered.

Even more impressive was Captain Aras's lack of fear. He actually grinned at Vax. "Threaten me again, Your Majesty, and it's your mate who will be losing a piece of himself."

Vax growled but then went still. "You will pay for that."

Aras transferred his grip to my wrist, lifted my hand, and set his claws over my wrist. "Shall we start with his hand?"

"Stop!" Vax roared.

Aras dropped my hand and went back to holding my throat. "Good. I see that you understand the situation now. So let me explain what's going to happen. You are going to fetch Ensarena's Eye and meet us at the Royal Castle of Gavemor. There, we will exchange your mate for the Eye."

Vaxarion took in a deep breath and stared at Aras. I knew exactly what he was doing, and it wasn't seeking calm. Rather, the opposite. He was committing Aras's scent to memory so he could find him no matter where he went. The Captain was a dead man. I almost felt sorry for him.

"Harm my mate in any way, and I will sink your ship with all your men aboard, then let my men feast," Vax said.

"I will allow that threat because I understand how difficult it must be for a king to admit defeat," Aras said. "But you have lost, Your Majesty. I hold what's most dear to you. That being said, I swear to keep him safe. I know he's valuable, and I never destroy treasure. He will be waiting for you in Renris, unharmed."

Vax grunted. "I will see you there." Then he fastened his stare on me. "And I will bring you home, Mate."

"Vax, no!" I said. "You can't give him that stone."

"I can't live without you, Zix."

"He'll burn the world down!"

"Let the world fucking burn!" Vaxarion roared.

The echo of it shivered over me and through every person on that ship. They all went still, staring up into the furious eyes of the Sea King.

Vax's great chest puffed out, then dropped. Now he was trying to calm himself. Finally, he said in a tender tone, "Only you matter, my sea butterfly. Only you."

"What about Morilren?"

"I can defend my kingdom against Lyrandir, even if he possesses the Eye. Let the Land Dragons deal with him. Fuck, let Ensarena look after her children for once. I'm done protecting them from themselves. They don't care. Look at this fool holding you, doing Lyrandir's bidding even though it will ensure the end of his race. I won't risk you for him. Not for any of them. So, again, I say, let them burn."

"Vax."

"I'll see you soon, mate." And with that, Vax slid back into the water.

Moments later, his guards growled and snapped at the Hulfrin sailors before doing the same.

Aras snorted. "You see? You're valuable."

"And my mate's right. You are a fool."

Instead of growling, Aras just laughed and escorted me back to the cabin.