Page 14 of Wicked Curses
She must have determined the same thing about King Firth’s thoughts. Cole settled a hand on her shoulder as he sought to soothe and reassure her that he was fine.
It had taken some time, but he’d regained his full strength. However, she didn’t like being reminded of his injuries or having anyone contemplating what it might take to kill him. She wasn’t a lycan, but she was just as protective of him as a lycan was their mate.
“We have come to ask for the repayment of our kindness promised to us by—” King Firth looked around, his brow furrowed, before focusing on Lexi again. “—a woman claiming to be your aunt who was with them when they came to Atlantia.”
Beneath his hand, Lexi tensed, but it wasn’t because of Sahira’s promise to this man. It was because her aunt hadn’t returned yet. It should have been a simple mission to locate Orin, but as much as his younger, more carefree brother irritated him, something was wrong if Orin hadn’t checked back in with them yet.
And there was a reason why Sahira was still gone. They needed to figure it out but couldn’t with the merfolk here.
“Was she lying?” King Firth asked.
“My aunt doesn’t lie,” Lexi said. “Of course we’ll repay you for your help.”
Cole could have pointed out that Sahira lied to Lexi for years by slipping her a potion to suppress her arach powers. Now wasn’t the time, and she’d done it to protect Lexi, something Cole was grateful to her for.
King Firth smiled as he lifted his trident from the ground before tapping the end of it against the stone floor again. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Beneath his hand, Lexi remained tense and unmoving. “What have you come to ask us for?” Cole inquired when she didn’t say anything more.
Firth’s smile widened as he met Cole’s gaze. “I don’t think you can help us with this, King Colburn. This is something your fiancée must do.”
A ripple of unease ran through Cole. He’d go to war with all these fish before he let Lexi do anything reckless for them.
Behind him, Alina shifted. As she did, she drew the merfolk’s attention back to her, as Cole suspected she’d intended.
Her presence was a good reminder to the merfolk of what they were dealing with in Dragonia. A war with the merfolk wouldn’t be good—they already had more enemies than allies—but he’d do whatever it took to keep Lexi safe.
“And what would you likemeto do?” Lexi inquired.
“The arach were renowned for their strong magical abilities. They made it impossible for anyone who wasn’t an arach to open a portal into Dragonia. We would like you to do the same for Atlantia.”
Silence descended as King Firth asked Lexi for the one thing she couldn’t do—use arach magic.
CHAPTERTEN
Lexi didn’t knowhow to respond to the man who had begrudgingly helped Cole save her life. Yes, they owed him for that, he deserved repayment, and she couldn’t have the merfolk as enemies, but she couldn’t do what he’d asked.
Even if she could figure out how to use her arach magic, Lexi couldn’t pull off such a feat on her own… or at least, she didn’t think she could. It took a lot of power and many arachs to seal Dragonia off from the other immortals; she didn’t have either of those things.
“We are tired of other immortals coming to Atlantia in search of riches and trying to take our people for sex,” Queen Mira said. “We gladly kill those who dare, but sometimes they get away. We wish our realm to be more secure and to be left alone. Our children deserve to grow up in peace.”
That they did, and Lexi’s heart ached for all the merfolk. They deserved the peace they sought, but she couldn’t help them with this, and admitting that was also admitting to a weakness she’d prefer to keep hidden.
They already had enough immortals plotting to take her down, even with the Shadow Reaver and dragons at her side. That number could grow if they learned she couldn’t tap into her arach abilities.
“I’d like to help,” Lexi said. “I truly would, but I don’t possess that power.”
Cole’s fingers tensed on her shoulder. She understood he was trying to caution her to tread carefully here, but she wouldn’t reveal that she couldn’t tap into her arach magic.
“It took alotof arachs to pull off such magic with the portals,” Lexi continued. “I can’t do it without them.”
“Which is something you knew before coming here to ask for this,” Cole said.
His gravelly, low tone caused a few merfolk to shift uneasily as they glanced at their king. King Firth’s jaw tightened, and the knuckles wrapped around his trident turned white.
“The arach were excellent at keeping their secrets. It’s what they did best, and apparently”—his eyes raked Lexi—“what they still do best.”
Cole’s fingers lengthened into claws as the shadows around them shifted. “Watch yourself.”
