Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 162269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 541(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 541(@300wpm)
“Cass,” Mars bit out on a warning.
“Domitia, can you please take our new visitors to the red room?” Cass inquired.
“B-but, of course, Cassius,” Domitia stammered.
“What’s going on?” I whispered to the back of my husband’s head.
“Not a word,” Mars said, to whom I did not know, though I knew it wasn’t to me.
“But, Mars—” Ha-Lah began to reply.
“Not a bloody, fucking word,” Mars demanded.
“Of course,” Ha-Lah whispered.
With that, Mars turned to me, bent so his face was in mine and said simply, “It is my duty to protect you, and you must allow me to do that.”
I blinked.
What was he on about?
“Yes, my love?” he prompted.
“Yes,” I breathed.
He pressed a hard kiss to my lips before he turned and prowled out of the room, Cassius, True, Lahn, Frey, Ian and Mac going with him.
Chu remained behind.
No doubt to see to me.
Aramus was nowhere to be seen.
I looked left to right, begging to know, “Please, someone, what’s happening?”
“It will all be all right,” Ha-Lah assured, coming to me.
Elena appeared to my one side, Farah to my right.
“But, what’s happening?” I repeated.
“Soon you will know,” Ha-Lah said, then laid a gentle hand on my cheek, and I saw her beautiful crystal eyes were warm. “And you will be happy.”
King Mars
Informal Salon, “Red Room,” Sky Citadel, Sky Bay
AIREN
“We didn’t know you were here,” Aramus stated. “You were last reported in the Night Heights, which is a many days’ ride away. And I’ll wish to know how you were even there, for before that, you were reported in Wodell, which is a many weeks’ ride away.”
“We rode through the city in procession not an hour ago, Aramus,” Mars growled, scowling at his friend.
“We did not ride in procession. We did so with some care, and more stealth, for we did not know the leanings of the Bay,” Aramus replied. “We learned quickly but thought it best to carry forward cautiously.”
Mars decided to let that go in order that he could find out what the fuck was going on and not leave his Silence wondering and worrying.
“And who is he?” he demanded of Aramus, referring to the tall, powerfully-built, silver-eyed man at Aramus’s side.
“He is standing right here, and you can direct your questions right to me,” the silver-eyed man said.
“You have her eyes,” Mars clipped to him.
“She has mine,” he retorted.
“You do know who I am,” Mars stated.
“I do, but you don’t know who I am,” he returned.
“You do not understand my meaning,” Mars said slowly. “When I say, you do know who I am, my meaning is, I am her husband.”
The silver-eyed man fell silent, with that, Mars suspected, understanding his meaning.
“You share blood,” Mars bit.
“Yes,” the man grunted.
“And you know she exists,” Mars continued.
“Yes,” the man replied.
Mars felt blood roar in his ears and watched the man’s eyebrows go up when, Mars knew, he caught the flames in Mars’s eyes.
“And you and yours left her to neglect and abuse?” he whispered sinisterly.
The man took a step back as if Mars had delivered a physical blow.
“Neglect and abuse?” he whispered back.
But achingly.
At that, Mars fell silent.
“What’s happening?” True, at his side, demanded to know.
Mars turned to him.
“Johan of the Arbor is not Silence’s father. He cannot sire a child, but desired one, so he sent Vanka out to lie with someone for the purpose of conceiving.” He ignored True’s expression assuming a look of shock before it melted to anger and turned back to the man. “Your father? Uncle?”
“Father,” the man said low.
He turned back to True. “His father is Silence’s sire.”
True instantly looked to the man and demanded furiously, “And why is he not here?”
“He has passed,” the man answered. “And before I endure any more of your ire, I did not know, and he did not know, we had blood on land until I heard reports the new Queen of Firenze had silver eyes.”
“On land?” Frey asked.
The man looked to Aramus.
Aramus nodded with what appeared to be encouragement.
The man looked to Mars.
“I am Jorie. King of the Mer,” he declared.
The air in the room went static.
Mer?
Fucking hell.
Aramus’s voice cut through it as he asked carefully, “Mars, does Silence know she’s a mermaid?”
Her advanced hearing.
Her shadow.
Were these Mer traits?
He did not ask that.
He answered tersely, “No.”
Aramus took in a visibly deep breath and let it out.
“She is a Princess of the Mer,” Jorie said.
“She is the Queen of Firenze,” Mars returned.
“I am not your enemy,” Jorie replied. “I am, in the now, solely a brother who seeks an introduction to his sister.” He took a step toward Mars, stopped, and finished, “I have no siblings. My mother and father tried…”
He didn’t finish.
“Mine as well,” Mars grunted.
“Without fortune?” Jorie asked.
“I had a sister, she passed,” Mars shared.
“My mother died in the trying.”
Mars felt a vein throb in his temple.
“What would you do for a sister?” Jorie queried quietly.