Scoffing, her glower deepened. “What do you want,CaptainVayne?”
“What else would I be here for,Morwenna Duskryn? Or would you prefer I call youWenny?Like the good—” I blew out a breath between clenched teeth as she pierced my flesh. “Fucking hell.Fine.Would you believe me if I told you I just wished to see your beautiful face?”
“Liar.” Her hum rolled forward, deep and enchanting as she planted a kiss on my stubble-lined jaw. “You are aliar,Caspian. I smelt it the moment you walked in and confirmed it with a mere touch. You’re here because of a copper-haired woman, aren’t you?”
Nipping at the inside of my cheek, I narrowed my gaze. “If you are already aware of what I want, then why waste your own time?”
“What if I simply do not wish to tell you? To leave you pondering until you coil fresh rope around your throat and hang yourself? That is much more appealing than enlightening you on what your future holds.”
Raising her hand, she snapped twice, and the sound of wings followed. Her esteemed familiar came to nestle on her shoulder—a full-grown raven with a stare as piercing as hers. Its head dipped to the side as it examined me, a gurgling croak escaping from its throat.
“It seems Ebon agrees.” Unbothered by my continued pressure around her neck, she curled her clawed fingers beneath the bird's chin and scratched gently. “I have nothing to offer you, Caspian Vayne.”
“Not even if my blood comes into the negotiation?”
She paused, her reaction mirroring every other instance I’d offered my lineage—a familial line even I wasn’t familiar with. Throughout the years I’d visited her, I still hadn’t figured out why she was so drawn to the sticky crimson substance, but it always seemed to spark intrigue.
Inhaling deeply, her aqua gaze met mine. “How much?”
“What do you need?”
“That’s a dangerous question, Caspian Vayne.”
“How much do you fucking need, Morwenna?”
“The cravings, they’re?—”
“Answer my godsdamned question!” I shouted, my palm slapping the wall beside her head. “You tell me how much, and I will see what I can do.”
“A chalice.”
“For drinking?”
She dipped her chin.
“Then get your dagger. I don’t have any more time to waste.”
The sharp clang of our swords flooded the beachfront, solidifying the predicament I’d placed my crew in as a result of my idiotic curiosity. We’d been followed, and while I wasn’t surprised, it didn’t lessen how hard I was kicking myself for allowing RohenfuckingLevitte to drive me mad enough to visit Morwenna.
She’d happily taken my life force, the bandage coiled around my palm, something I knew Syoran would scold me for, but my offering had earned me a continued chance at life and a thirteen-word answer to what I’d asked.
Why am I so enthralled by Rohen Levitte?
Her utterance settled in the back of my mind without any true clarity, serving as a reminder of my failure to ask her about the journals.“Like you, she is born of the Damned—Ellira. You two are Mizani.”
I had a feeling she had been cradled by the Goddess of the Sea. But Mizani? What the fuck did that even?—
“Caspian Vayne,” Malrik snarled, the venomous bite his words intended to inflict drawing nothing more than a grin from me.
Through gritted teeth, I pushed back, my sword shrilling down the length of his. “Malrik Ravelle,” I seethed, my shoulders rising and falling with each rapid breath. “By what grace do I owe the pleasantries for your unwarranted appearance?”
A black bandana held back his lapis hair, numerous strands woven into tight braids. Settling just below his chest, beads clung to its length—a variety of gold, royal purple, and black. Dark facial hair lined his jaws and cheeks, and the scar, traversing from just below his right eye to the corner of his mouth, seemed to stand out against his olive skin.
“Unwarranted?” he laughed, our blades clashing again. “I believe you have something that belongs to me.”
Pivoting, the rough edge of my weapon pinned his steel before diverting it. With a simple tug, I sent his protection sailing, watching as its tip burrowed itself in a patch of sand yards away from us. The hilt of my esteemed saber danced between my fingers as I spun it back into its preferred position, its sharpened end coming to rest beneath his chin.
“Perhaps, if you didn’t want anyone purchasing this ‘someone’youspeak of, you shouldn’t have let her slip behind the door of Seirdra’s Veil. Regulations do not exist where the gods lay claim, even if the Others try to deem otherwise. As far as I’m concerned,Leader of Assassins,you’re a bit far from the comfort of Serevalen. On the sea and among the waves, no law requires me to return her to you, especially considering I paid a hefty amount of coin to ensure she wasmine.” The corner of my mouth curled into a sneer as I pressed the metal deeper into his skin. “Let this be a lesson to value what you have before it slips from your grasp, and, if I have any other piece of advice, I’d maybe suggest getting off your ass when you see your bitch engaging with someone you despise. You know, so you can keep entertaining your pathetic excuse of a prick with her cunt?”
