Page 80 of A Sea So Cruel
Kaid reached forward and wrapped his fingers around the cool metal staff that held a three-pronged fork at the end. A gentle glow emanated between his fingers, then drifted down the rest of the relic, the metal humming and warmingunder his touch. A familiar song infiltrated Kaid’s thoughts, the trident singing to him the way the ocean did, but with no distinguishable lyrics. It was the symphony of the sea—the smooth waves, the stirring currents, the sharp edges of the rocks below, all blending together to sing him a song of home.
The light traveled up Kaid’s trident tattoo on his hand, extending up his arm and illuminating the fine lines of the mark. It was like being reunited with an old, dear friend.
As if the journey to the Spellid Mountains hadn’t been hard enough, the journey back posed to be that much more difficult now that they were transporting a massive relic—and a heavy one at that.
Kaid took the first turn, strapping the trident to his back the way a warrior would secure a sword. Everyone rode in silence for the first day, likely reflecting on everything they endured during their thoughtrus assessments.
Everyone was also taking turns having Tova ride with them, as she was not fit to lead her own horse. She stared blankly ahead, every so often blurting out gibberish. Every time it happened, Asta would hold Tova’s hand, offering soothing words and cooing her back to silence.
During the second day of travel, the mood was a bit lighter. Soren began his usual storytelling while Gyrial mumbled softly to Revna regarding travel and battle plans. Kaid could not decipher if Asta was truly enthralled by Soren’s tales or if she was simply using them as an escape from their current situation. At the end of it all, they were preparing for war.
With one more day of travel ahead, they stopped a little earlier in the evening to enjoy a proper meal and good restbefore the last leg of the journey. Revna and Gyrial took off to hunt for any form of meat while Soren began building a fire.
“Help me forage?” Asta asked Kaid, nodding her chin to some prickly bushes a little further into the woods.
They walked in comfortable silence until they got to the blackberry bushes and began picking. “Do you think you can wield it? The trident?” Her eyes flashed to the golden prongs sticking up from behind Kaid’s head.
Kaid shook his head. “I’m not sure. All I know is that it feels right, having it in my hands. Like it belongs with me.”
“That’s because it does. You’re the long lost siren prince, remember?”
Kaid grinned. “And don’t you forget it.”
Asta rolled her eyes and dropped some berries into the small satchel they were putting them into. Kaid held up a plump blackberry between two fingers. “This one looks particularly juicy. Here, for you.” He held it forward and Asta went to grab it, but Kaid snatched it away. “Ah ah ah. No hands.”
Asta scowled, realizing how close to each other they had drifted, then opened her mouth enough to wrap her lips around the tips of his thumb and index finger, flicking her tongue over them before pulling the berry into her mouth.
Kaid’s breathing hitched and he dropped the handful of berries, letting them softly thump on the forest floor, before pulling Asta to him and crashing his lips to hers.
Kaid swept his tongue into her mouth tasting a mix of Asta and the blackberry. His arms wrapped around her, while hers brushed his face, his chest, his arms.Fuckshe tasted so good mixed with berries. Kaid wished they weren’t in the middle of the woods. He wished they were back in Orntali, locked in Asta’s suite where he could show her how intoxicating he thought she was. It was better than any black-out night he’d ever had.
“Ugh,go find another cave.”
The voice behind Kaid made his back stiffen, ice solidifying his veins. He knew that voice.
Asta backed away from Kaid, who turned around to look at Maren. Asta dropped the satchel of berries and pulled her sword from its sheath.
“Hi sissy. Miss me?” Maren asked. Svanhild stood next to her, sword aimed at Asta.
Kaid pulled his dagger from his hip, not entirely sure what he could do with it in a sword fight, but he would try. Maren stepped with slow, feline grace toward Asta. “I was here to deliver a message, but if you want a repeat of our last fight, I would be more than happy to oblige.”
“What do you want, Maren?” Asta’s eyes followed every move Maren made, so Kaid focused on Svanhild.
“Just checking in to see if you know where your sweet cousin is,” Maren smiled. “Because I know, and I also know exactly where a pack of Ryktarvans are headed right now. Funny, I think they might share the same location.”
The air left Kaid’s lungs.Halsten.He feared for everyone in the group, but Halsten was his best friend, his partner in crime. He couldn’t lose him. And Kaid knew that Asta felt the same about Linnea.
“What the fuck did you do, Maren?” Asta shouted, lunging forward and swinging for her sister’s throat.
Chapter 45
Grateful for his sword training, Halsten blocked the Ryktarvan warriors’ attacks. He had never had to use these skills in a real fight and practice meant nothing compared to the real thing.
When the traitor siren soldiers had first attacked, Halsten had shoved Linnea behind him and so far, he had been able to protect her. Liva was beside him guarding Niklas. If only Gyrial hadn’t left them—they would have stood a far better chance with a fae warrior here.
There were five grunts in total. Halsten knew it was unrealistic for him to think he could kill them all, but he hadto at least try to run them off. Did the enemy know that they possessed the mirror? Was that why they were here?
They were so damned close to home. So close to making it out of the journey unscathed. If they hadn’t been held back by a dangerous storm for almost a full day, they would be in Orntali right now.
