I give a shrug. Hello. Apparently, not everybody. "Must have just slipped my mind. Being as I grew up here and all."
He makes a face at me. "I like it when you're extra feisty. Freshwater mermaids are beautiful, thoughtful, and kind. They are joyful, but can be very opinionated, stubborn creatures. Too bad only a few people know of their existence, I can't wait for you to meet them. They won't just see anybody. You have to make a special appointment, and unless they deem it absolutely necessary, they will never agree to a meeting."
"Well, I am the Chosen One. I guess that's all it took for them to say yes." I assume.
"No, in fact, that's the reason they didn't want to meet you. The merfolk think you're not ready and that you need to prove yourself first before you can lead. They think before we can deal with Mayra and her accomplices, we should go to war with the Kori and take back the throne for the Fitzgerald’s. Theycan be a bit superstitious and feel like every member of the new Guardians of War should be related to one of the First Five. The Kori will try and rig the tournament there, but I say that Douglas Fitzgerald, the true Kori heir, will be one of the top victors in the Ice tournament. Vengeance has consumed him, and he is fearless." Ethan rubs my back giving me time to digest this new information.?
"Eleanor mentioned the King of the Kori, and she doesn't think I should trust him. She said that the Maritime people are no longer welcome in those waters. Have you ever met him?" I've only known Eleanor for a short while, but I trust her explicitly. She's telling me the truth.?I'm anxious to hear his thoughts on the matter. My new family will surround me during my time in Pyralis. However, we have no idea how it will be during our visit, in Barrowice Falls, the Kori capital. Nausea gathers in the pit of my stomach. Not a lot is known about this King.?
Ethan breathes a breath of frustration. "I've heard some stories about his early military days. He is a ruthless man who has lived on the edge of the law and got reprimanded often but never enough to get a dishonorable discharge. I've only met him once a few years ago. His eyes were lifeless, like he'd sold his soul to the devil. Don't trust him, Arabella. You have to be careful, and you can't let him suspect your distrust towards him."
My heartbeat quickens, and the air flees from my lungs. "That could pose a problem, as I'm not great at hiding my facial expressions. Do you know why he was allowed to take over the throne?"
"On the record, no. Off the record, yes. Devin Fitzgerald, the true King, is a good man, but also an alcoholic. His eldest daughter died in a terrorist raid, and he started drinking heavily shortly afterward. We were about to step in when Diodyous took over. Allowing that was a mistake, but the people seemed happy,and all was well for about a year. After that, the Kori slowly drifted away, and we have little contact with the new King now. He visits on special occasions or mandatory meetings, but we never get invited to go there."
We continue walking at a leisurely pace. "Do the freshwater Mermaids live amongst the Maritime?"
"They do. They formed a secret treaty years ago and are always welcome in their waters."
Chapter 16
A Choice is Made
Sebastian is like a shadowed storm.
-Arabella
We walk until we see the lake in the distance, which is on the opposite side of where I met Eleanor. It's swampier in this area, and weeping willows line the muddy pathway through the wetlands. Our feet slosh in and out of the mud, and the crickets begin chirping under the late afternoon sun.
I scream as Sebastian comes from behind one of the trees, startling me. His jaw clenches when he notices our joined hands. Gone is the lime green of his irises. They are now black with unleashed cold, brutal fury. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to piece together that Ethan and the dark Prince hate each other.
Ethan smirks at him while I try to de-escalate the situation by unlacing our fingers. Guilt forms like icy shards slicing through my heart, but we've done nothing wrong, so why is my heart shattering into a million different pieces? I'm not sure I even like Ethan after today or why my emotions are so strong like this.
"You know that she's mine," Sebastian growls.?
Ethan's laugh is cold and calculating. "She has already made her choice." He pulls me into his arms.
I push him away from me. Was he only acting like he was interested in me to get at Sebastian? "No, the hell I haven't!"The dark Prince gets in his face, and I quickly jump in the middle. "Stop!"?A warm, shadowed arm reaches around me and gently thrusts me out of the way, but I'm not so tender when I place myself back into the center of all the chaos. "Y'all need to calm the fuck down!”
Ethan growls. "No, I won't share what's mine."
My glare turns icy. "I don’t belong to anyone.”
Ethan rolls his eyes at me. This condescending side to him is not my favorite. "You're what I say you are, Arabella."
Okay, we'll see about that, big boy. Backing up, I lean heavily into Sebastian's muscular arms. "Ethan, you can go back to the palace. Sebastian will take over as my escort."
He defiantly stares at me for a long moment. Just when I think Ethan won't leave, he walks away in a childish huff. "We'll talk later."
Sebastian is seething, his breathing is coming in and out in angry puffs. One of his shadows turn me around, his face is unreadable. "I told you to stay away from Ethan. I also told you not to roll your eyes at me again."
Swirls of black and gray float through the air around us. Sebastian has ten shadowed arms coming from his body and a whirlwind of dark confetti hovers above our heads. My words get stuck in the back of my throat, not from fear, but from the sheer beauty of the Shadow Kissed before me. His anger is palpable, and call it female intuition, but I know he won't hurt me.Aset of arms pulls my plush body against him while one hand firmly wraps around my neck, making my pulse quicken, and my blood run through my veins like hot molten lava. Moisture pools between my thighs, causing a moan to escape my lips. Sebastian dares me to defy him while his eyes penetrate to the depths of my soul. "I'm through with being fucking nice, Arabella, but make no mistake. You. Are. Mine."
He releases his hand as his perfect lips crash down on mine. Our kiss is intensely violent, both fighting for control and dominance. Never has this savage raw need taken hold of me with anyone else. Our bodies are so molded together that I'm unsure where he ends, and I begin.?One of Sebastian's hands reaches inside my panties and grips my mound. He hisses as his fingers feel the wetness gathering there, and I feel a prick of his fangs nipping at my neck. He plunges two digits inside of me, stretching me with the vast size of them. A primal growl sounds in my ear. "This is mine, and only mine. I'll kill Ethan if he ever touches you again. I'll kill anyone that touches you."?
His naughty words should scare the hell out of me, but it has the opposite effect. The possessiveness almost throws me over the edge. My anger from minutes before is still simmering at the surface, and that makes me hold back because I want him to work harder to get the victory of my release. Sebastian's fangs find the crease of my neck, making me cry out, but the pain quickly turns into a form of euphoric pleasure. I come as he hooks his fingers at just the right place inside me. He continues to drink his fill, sending shivers down my body, and I come again.?
He licks the blood away from his lips, then unbuttons his black leather pants. My mouth pops open in a perfectly shaped "O" as he begins to pump his thick cock with the come-soaked fingers that were just inside of me. He moves up and down withprecision. My mouth waters as I get on my knees before him. The need to taste us together on my greedy tongue overwhelms me.?