“Oh, I know what it is,” I hissed with a snarl. Zaela’s eyes narrowed in on me. “She’s in love with you, and she hates that you’ve been sweet to me!”
Her teeth clenched, and my eyes moved to Lia for a split second as her hands flew to cover her mouth in disbelief—her eyes frantically moving back and forth between Zaela and me.
Zaela let out a vicious, bone-chilling cackle into the sky as her head flew back. She stormed up to her cousin and ripped the bottle of rum from his grasp.
“Zae,” Jace growled.
She held a finger up at him with one hand as she finished the bottle of rum with the other, silencing him.
She threw the bottle overboard—the sound of its splash echoed through the breezy air. She then wiped her lips with her sleeve as she stalked toward me. Gage moved to put a foot in front of me, but I pushed around him. Despite lacking the training that Lia had, I was determined to stand my ground.
Veli silently crept forward as the scene continued to unfold, coming into further view beneath the torchlight. Zaela's gaze landed on her briefly, then quickly shiftedelsewhere.
“You think I’m in love with Gage?! He’s like family to me, practically my brother!” she shrieked. “I don’t want you near him because I refuse to watch him fall in love with someone who will chew him up and shit him out when they’re done with him. He isnota shiny new trinket for a princess to play with when she’s bored!”
“Zaela!” Lia and Jace shouted in tandem.
“This only proves that you know nothing of me because I would never!” I bellowed, my voice carrying across the sea’s waves.
“Ladies, ladies…please don’t fight over little ole me,” Gage joked, placing his hand on his heart.
Jace accidentally laughed with him as he gestured to him with his hand. “Gage, shut the fuck up for a second, please.”
“You don’t believe me?!” Zaela whispered wildly. She spun slowly, her gaze lingering on each of us as she completed her full turn. “None of you believe that what I speak is true. You all believe me to be jealous of the princess.”
Her gaze snapped to me as her jaw locked, and I crossed my arms in response, a rare snarl working its way across my lips.
She turned to Lia then, who had been abnormally quiet considering the circumstances. Zaela cackled as she threw her head back and looked at the sky. “I know at least one of you believes me.”
“Lia, what does she mean?” Jace asked.
“It’s not my place to say,” she answered, and he shot her a look.
“Zae, I think you have had enough to drink,” Gage offered. “Why don’t we move on to something different? Nobody believes you to be jealous. I was only joking with you.”
Her eyes shifted back to Veli, and all of our gazes moved with hers to the witch. “I haven’t had nearly enough to drink for what I’m about to do.”
Before anyone had time to process her words, her feet moved to swiftly carry her across the deck to where Veli was standing. Her strides were strong and unyielding, as if she couldn’t get to the witch fast enough, yet Veli appeared to be unphased as the mortal woman stalked toward her.
Zaela’s steps came to a sudden halt directly before her, and she towered over Veli’s small stature as they stood barely an inch from each other. The witch’s knowing violet stare bore into her.
All of us inched closer, the air thick with confused tension. My face whipped in my sister's direction, but her flared eyes were fixated on the scene.
My attention moved back to them as well, just as Zaela’s jaw popped open, searching for words she couldn’t seem to find.
Veli’s lip tilted into a menacing grin. “I do not have all night, Zaela Cadoria.”
What in the realm?!
Zaela's hands trembled as she reached up to touch the witch’s face, and then pressed her lips against Veli's as she gently cupped her cheeks.
“Holy gods,” Gage breathed. “Hell yeah,Zae!”
“Well, that’s one way to tell everyone,” Lia said softly, not seeming surprised in the slightest.
“Oh, this just got interesting,” Jace joined the chatter.
My heart raced as my eyes remained fixated on the two of them. “Oh gods,” I whispered.
