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“Can you take me to Singapore before you return home?” Katrina stepped up next to me, addressing the man. “I will pay you to take me.”
“You have already paid.” The man touched Rotty’s dagger hanging from his waist.
“You mean takebothof us.” I twisted to her.
“No, just me.” She shook her head. “Dealing with Batara and getting my crew back is my responsibility.”
“I’m sorry, did you just miss the whole mate thing?” I turned to face her. “You aren’t going without me.”
“Yes, I am.” She stepped right into me, her eyes filled with sorrow, darting to AB. “You can’t leave. You know you can’t… you won’t forgive yourself.”
“And if anything happens to you, you think I’ll forgive myself then?”
“Croy.” Her hands gripped my jaw, rubbing over my thick scruff. “You need to get her home. And you need to be with her. You know you do.”
“Then wait.”
“I can’t.” She bit down on her lip. “I’ve already waited too long.” Her crew was probably being tortured every day—multiple times—if they weren’t already dead. I understood, though I hated it. But nothing would stop me from getting to my crew too.
“Wait.” I stepped back from her, my attention rolling down her. “The nectar is gone. We’re walking away from it, but you aren’t suffering.”
She blinked at me as if she just realized that as well.
“What was your promise to Batara?” I asked. “I mean, the exact thing you made a promise to.”
Words in the fae world were tricky; they held heavier weight than human words. And they were a lot different from my vow to Ryker after he saved my life.
“That I would find the nectar,” she replied, her eyes drifting off like she was trying to recall the conversation.
“Did he ask you to bring it back?”
“Yes.”
“But did you vow to do that? Think, Kat. What did he say right before you promised?”
Her attention snapped back to me, her eyes widening. “He said if I get what he wanted, everything will be returned to me.”
“Well…” I tilted my head. “Technically, you did get what he wanted. You didn’t promise to put it in his hands.”
“You think—”
“Annabeth!” Cooper’s cry cut Kat off, whipping us around. Cooper lunged toward AB as she dropped, her bag scattering stuff over the deck.
“AB!” I screamed, running to her. Cooper was already next to her, his hand running over her face, trying to wake her up.
“Baby, no!” He bent over her. “Please open your eyes. Please hold on for me, okay? Not yet.Please…” His pleading tone broke every fiber of my being, the pain so guttural I couldn’t breathe. “Someone help!” he barked at us, but we all knew there was nothing we could do. Everyone stood helplessly watching.
“Anna!” Cooper held her, almost shaking her. “Don’t. Leave. Me.” Her lids fluttered open, but life was leaking fast from her. They stared at each other, and I could almost feel the last moments between them, the magnitude of their love. She reached up with a shaky hand, brushing his hair off his face.
“I love you.” Her voice was a whisper, only meant for him. “So much.”
A harsh sob heaved from him. “I love you too. More than I ever told you.”
“You didn’t need to. I felt it.” Her eyes were dulling, her lungs slowing. She went still, and I couldn’t tell if she was breathing.
“No.” I sensed the agony building up, the struggle to siphon in air, breaking my soul.
“Bebinn?”Sprig whimpered, poking softly at her arm, looking at us for an explanation, his face crumbling. “Bebinn!” His eyes filled with grief and panic, his body moving frantically. Desperate. “Don’t worry,Bebinn!” He spun around, searching for something, his voice going higher, filled with terror and grief. “Pam will comfort you. She will protect you wherever you go.” He darted over to his tiny honey backpack, which had fallen out of AB’s bag, the goat’s head sticking out. Ripping his stuffed animal from it, black underwear flung out behind. A tiny pea-sized object stuck to the knickers dropped from it, plunking down on my boot.
