Page 131 of The Stolen Crown

Erik made a gagging noise in the back of his throat. “Gods, I hated her. The way she withheld care for her township, I would’ve taken her head for that alone.”

It was the ruse Erik used to disguise her murder. Skelfing had been a boneweaver who corrupted the people of her small township near the House of Tides. There were rumors she had folk tortured if they did not pay into the coffers, then she would not heal them until they paid again—with coin or their bodies.

A depraved woman.

Erik did not use his blood on her. The king had each member of the crew take a piece of her, peeling her apart slowly.

I would never forget when it was my turn. The need to make her suffer overtook every rational thought. I took her fingers slowly, one knuckle at a time. Then her hands at the wrists.

I despised her hands.

I took more pieces than anyone on the crew, and looking back now, I had few doubts it was because Erik knew. He allowed me to torture the woman more than anyone.

“Tait.” Erik rarely said my given name, but he spoke direct and firm now. “Harald told me you hated me for killing my maj, and I chose to fall into the lies. Just know”—he paused—“I want you to know the moment I heard Harald was selling you, a darkness took hold inside me. I’ve only felt such rage two other times. When Thorvald made me kill my mother and when Larsson took Livia. Maj, my queen, and you have drawn out the truest rage I keep inside.”

Sweat gathered on my palms, and my pulse quickened. “I told you when we went after the queen, you are my brother, Erik. You always have been. Harald never took that away, not really, and it’ll never change.” I cleared my throat. “Since this is open now, thank you, for, uh, giving me the chance to witness the suffering of everyone who bartered with Harald and the dark fae.”

Erik scoffed. “What I would give to bring them all back, just to do it again and again.”

“Let them rot in the hells. I plan to live now, free of them.”

Silence stretched for a moment until the king spoke again. “I expect you’ll feel the same, that we have no need to speak of this again?”

“I’d prefer it that way.”

My cousin grinned. “I do have one final question.”

“What is it?”

“How do you plan to tell an earth fae king you’ve bedded his daughter?”

I could not help the laugh. It took me by surprise, a strike from the shadows. I laughed until my face ached. Erik’s smile was wide enough that both of his elongated teeth were visible.

“It’s a valid question, cousin. I barely survived when I had to do the same.”

“Gods.” I leaned forward onto my elbows, palms over my face. “I don’t know what the hells I’m doing.”

Erik sobered. “I am not a tender man, but one thing I have learned is if she is the one who dulls the hate, then do all you can to keep her. A lover from another kingdom will never change your role as first mate, understand?”

It was a subtle permission. As though the Ever King sensed the toil of figuring how I could keep Mira when I had so little to offer, when my cousin knew as well as me she was an heir to a throne.

“Oh, I nearly forgot.” Erik reached into his pocket and removed a golden chain with my pocket watch on the end.

“How did you get this?” I took hold of it and immediately flicked open the face. The hands were at rest. Danger was nowhere near. “I lost this when we left the isle.”

“Alistair found it in your chambers. The old sod’s been keeping them tidy, insisting any day you’d return. There it was on your bed.”

“It fell into the sea.”

“It’s a spell cast. Perhaps it can’t be lost since it was made for you. It came back to await your arrival. I’ll admit, I thought it meant you were in the Otherworld, but Narza insisted the spell would not be intact if you were dead.”

I thumbed the surface of the pocket watch, uncertain what to say.

With hesitation, Erik clapped a hand on my shoulder once, then pulled back and turned toward the double doors. “I’ve done my duty, and now I want you all out of my chamber so I can be alone with my queen. Oh, and if you do not keep your earth fae from plotting balls and feasts every damn time she visits, I’ll return you to the Far Seas.”

“I very much doubt any one of us can stop her.”

Erik muttered a curse but left with a smirk on his face.