Page 93 of Venom Sweeter than Honey
My fingers drift along the gills at my neck as my eyes travel the walls decorated in baubles, oddities, jewels, and everything the sea gifts me. If only it were real.
No matter how I try to resist, my eyes fall to where my legs once were, now replaced with a long, thick, frilly, and shimmering tail of darkest purple, shimmering lilac, and hints of blues and greens.
“You have such a beautiful tail. I’ll never understand why you let anyone stand in the way of enjoying it.”
The words aren’t spoken, but projected through the aether, into my mind, clear as a bell. And despite my breasts being fully exposed, Somnus’s eyes never waver from my face.
The emotion this place always conjures makes my words sharp with annoyance.
“Are you so desensitized that no matter how traumatic the memory, you remain unfazed?”
“Desensitized? No. Healed, yes…” His tail gives an agitated flick. “Mostly…”
A beat of silence passes between us as Somnus’s lips tilt in a smirk.
“I’m happy for you, Raia. Truly.”
A stab of pain lances through my chest at the name and the myriad of memories it dredges up. “Please don’t call me that.”
The smirk on Somnus’s face wilts.
“Have you spoken with him?”
“A little, yes.”
“And?”
“He’s been through a lot. Is capable of cruelty, but has an even greater capacity for love. Like you.”
My heart pinches, too afraid to hope.
“If only you’d get out of your own way... Stop burying all of?—”
The mere mention of what I’ve buried has me ready to burst out of my skin. My tail propels me towards the exit. “Somnus, we’ve been through this.”
Somnus remains in the cavern’s entrance as I rush into the cold, dark sea beyond. The growing distance between us does nothing to quiet his voice in my mind.
“Killing your father won’t change anything, Violette.”
I come to an abrupt halt. I want to rage as much as I want to flee.
Rage wins, as per usual.
I turn, torpedoing back to where he waits by the cavern. The male is nearly twice my size, and power radiates from him with such an intensity I can feel it vibrating into the very molecules of my being, but it does nothing to tame the anger bubbling at the surface of my emotions.
“I made a vow?—”
He arches a brow. “But not to your own detriment; worded carefully enough that you could break it.”
The words tear from my throat, piercing the waters around us.
“I don’t want to break it!”
Somnus’s face remains impassive as ever. It makes me hold my temper. My mother would be ashamed if she saw me behaving in such an unrestrained manner. She’d warn me that no male will accept such an untamed female.
I don’t want to be tame. I want to be free. Free of this pain, this grief, this disappointment and heartbreak. Free from the burdens of this world.
The only sound is the deep, ethereal hum of the sea’s currents. My gaze drifts to the increasingly dark depths in the distance.
