Austin cupped his throat, his eyes burning. He reached for his juice, downing several mouthfuls to soothe what felt like a burn. Once he caught his breath, his limbs heavy, he reached for the stone once more. He pressed it to his throat and stared at the water.
“Spin,” he ordered. Austin winced as the stone flared hot, but he clutched it tighter, weathering the pain. It was no worse than the first prick of a needle sinking into skin. Less distressing than watching a drill burr into bone. “Spin,” he repeated, hoarse. Certainly less enjoyable than Tristan massaging his calves, though!
Austin dropped the stone with a snarl. He coughed down the rest of his juice. Agitated and sore, he went to his dresser and sifted through one of the jewellery boxes. Austin didn’t even realise he’d been actively searching for something until he found it.
Nestled among the gold and silver lay a choker. Thin metal strips had been woven together into an intricate band, cradling a huge, gaudy emerald. Austin might wear green to match Tristan, but he’d never wear something so ugly. The emerald was the size of Austin’s fist. The size of the cursed stone.
Austin returned to his cushion and carefully peeled back the fine filigree metal holding the emerald in place. Perhaps it was fate that the stone slotted perfectly into the emerald’s place. Austin stared at it for a long time. It was horrifically ugly.
But itworked.
Austin ignored the way his mouth trembled as he put the thing on, clasping it at the back of his neck. The metal choker was warm and didn’t feel unpleasant, but the stone was hot beyond comfort. Austin felt like he did when Connor got too far away and his skin began to crawl.
“I can talk normally,” Austin said. “But when I try to use my power, it’s stopped. Spin.” He shut his eyes and groaned, clasping his pillow as the stone flared hot, and the choker heated with it, a band around his neck. It hurt. Ithurt! Like needles and drills and pills and poison!
The door opened as Austin reached up to rip it off.
Eli entered the room. “Letter’s sent. Reba took one of your horses. You know they’re the only horses he can ride? All the others get spooked by his wings—”
He stopped as he came around the couch, catching sight of Austin’s choker.
“What’s that?”
Austin managed a croaky “I—”
Eli launched himself at him. Austin was so caught off guard he fell flat onto his back, Eli on top. “You are not wearing that!” He reached for the clasp on the back of the choker.
“Get off me,” Austin snapped, hoarse, surprised. Textures and sounds and smells overwhelmed him, but Eli leaping at him—Eli’s weight over him—was worse. “Nobody tells me what to do!” Austin snarled. He fought Eli’s hands, but he couldn’t get Eli off him, his attendant’s lithe body deceptively strong. Eli wrestled Austin’s wrists down against his stomach and pinned them beneath his knee.
“You arenotwearing this thing.” Eli ripped the clasp open and plucked it neatly from Austin’s throat. He sprang to his feet and was already by the door when Austin scrambled up, body shuddering in relief.
“Give that back,” Austin ordered. His voice cut harshly through the air, but harmlessly around Eli.
Eli stood tense in the doorway, ready to bolt. “You can’t order me while I’m holding this, and I’m not giving it back. You’re hoarse, and you’re bleeding.” Eli cast him a furious look. “You should have known better than to press something designed to harm you right against your throat.”
“It’s a shield.”
“It’s a shackle. Nobody should be able to wrestle you to the ground like I just did. This makes youvulnerable, and that’s exactly the kind of person who gets betrayed!”
Austin wanted to charge Eli. Instead, he clutched the back of the couch, legs shaky. He shied away from even thinking about approaching the cursed stone. “I am not vulnerable.” The briny air trembled with his anger, except for the protective bubble surrounding Eli.
Tristan walked through the open door, hair wet from the ocean. Eli scuttled behind the merman, glaring at Austin from behind Tristan’s back. As ifAustinhad donehimsome wrong!
Austin snarled. “Tristan will do whatIwant, not you,” he croaked.
Tristan’s eyes snapped to Austin’s throat. “What happened?”
Eli brandished the choker. “He was wearing this.”
Tristan spotted the stone in the choker and stiffened.
“I want that back.”
Tristan was slow to look up from the choker, and when he did, there was conflict in his expression. A muscle twitched in his jaw. Austin saw him wavering, caught between giving Austin what he wanted and denying him. Austin tensed, waiting to see which side he would fall on.
Eli narrowed his eyes at Tristan. Took a step back. “I’mnot handing it over.” He hightailed it out of there. Tristan could have stopped him. Didn’t.
Austin stared through the empty doorway, feeling only bodily relief now that the stone was gone. He became aware of Tristan’s gaze and turned away from him, slumping onto the couch, kicking at the pillow on the ground. He felt as though he’d just crossed the ocean, his body an exhausted wreck.
