A slow smirk pulled on the hazel-eyed guy's lips as his eyes bore into mine, "Woah, are you an angel descended from the heavens who decided to bless hell with your presence?"

My lips quirk up at his words, "And are you a Greek God from Mount Olympus?"

That does the trick. Because the next moment, he lets out a throaty laughter and helps me get back on my footing.

"I like you." He says the moment I'm all set straight.

My brows raise as a mischievous smile flits across my lips, "That's not something you say to a girl when you've just met her."

"Oh, it's not?" He feigns to be in deep thought before looking back at me, "But I was being very honest, mon chéri."

"And I was being equally truthful, amore."

"You're really something." Another roar of laughter before he does a short bow, "How rude of me to not introduce myself yet. I'm Derek Hernandez, the second-in-command to the lazy ass king of Helvon."

My smile grows to a grin at his last sentence, "I think I like you too now that you've spoken the ultimate truth about the king."

A smirk, "Oh, what did that idiot do to annoy a lovely lady like you?"

"You flatter me, Derek. As for what he did, let's just leave it for now." Because he honestly didn't do anything and I'm the bigger culprit here, I don't add this ofcourse.

"By the way, I'm Marilla." I extend my hand for a hand shake.

He accepts my hand gleefully but there's a confused look on his face, "I think I've heard your name somewhere before. What's your surname?"

"Marilla She-"

"Shenerr." A deep voice I know very well, interrupts cutting my words.

And sure enough, walking towards us is devil incarnate himself dressed in black jeans and a turtle-neck shirt of the same colour. His hair is a tousled mess over his forehead making his eyes seem darkly hooded. The dim lighting of the hallway makes him look almost. . . .sexy. Almost.

I frown as he approaches Derek and me.

Zander's eyes are glued to his second-in-command as he says, "She's famous in the Sea Kingdom."

Famous in the sea kingdom? Hello, I'm the fucking queen of the sea kingdom!

I'm about to clarify it to Derek when I feel a wisp of air brush against me and then a warm hand grabs mine. I look up at devil incarnate in annoyance trying to snatch my fueled-with-crazy-mate-bond-tingles hand from his grasp but before I can say anything or typically do anything at all, dark smoky clouds shroud around pulling us into misty darkness.

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The cool chilly air was the first thing to greet us as we teleported at the top of the clock tower, a few yards away from the castle.

The wind here was freezing and fast, showing no mercy to the person who wished to stand here on the balcony floor. The occasional tik-tok tik-tok sound of the clock's radial could be heard loud and clear from the mechanism floor below but somehow it still felt faraway.

No one really came here. It wasn't the most pleasant place to stand without shivering and yet. . .it was my favorite place.

There were just so many memories joined to the clock tower. So many memories I had with. . .mother. With. . .Laira.

I shook my head against the sharp pain shooting through my heart at her name. My attention snapped as I felt someone push my chest away.

Glancing ahead, I found Marilla yanking her hand out of my grasp and huff at me, her blue eyes blazing under the starlight.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why did you just jaunte me here?" She fumed.

For a moment, I stood motionless. She looked so much like Laira. So much that it hurt everytime I looked at her and realized she was not her. Laira would never come back. And the woman, who looked like a spitting image of my late wife-save for their hair colour, Laira had reddish-brown hair and Marilla's hair is blue like the sea-she was the very reason my wife was dead. The very reason Laira was not there with me anymore.

It's a wonder how Derek didn't notice the similarities in their facial features. Maybe the lack of lighting in the hallways didn't let him see her face clearly. Otherwise, he'd have noticed considering how close he was to Laira. We'd both lost her because of Charlotte and. . .

The familiar bitterness evaded my entire being-that raw feeling of hatred and venom. My eyes hardened as I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring down at her.

"Don't tell Derek who you are. Infact, I'd say don't tell anyone in Helvon that you're the sea queen." My voice was hard and emotionless but I didn't care.

She hadn't cared when she helped Charlotte take away my mother and wife. Why should I?

Marilla's brows furrowed as she returned the glare, "What makes you think I'd listen to you, devil incarnate?"

"The fact that everyone would look at you with hatred if they come to know you're the same sea queen who helped abduct their queen and kill the prince's wife. That is what will have you listening to me." It came out as a snap but Marilla didn't as much as flinch.

Although. . .I saw a mix of emotions flash over her face. Guilt, regret and a fleeting moment of surprise probably thinking why I'd care if people hated her. I don't know either. Maybe it had something to do with a promise I'd given my mother long ago.

But those emotions on her face were gone the moment it came and her eyes were burning holes into mine again.

"What lies have you been spewing to your people about me?" She took a step closer.

I didn't back out. I stood my ground as her face inched closer to me with a sneer.

My eyes remained trained on her but when she attempted to poke my chest with her index finger, I grabbed her wrist and gently twisted her arm behind her back and pulled her body closer to mine. It wasn't a hurtful grip but it'd still keep her in place.

Marilla wiggled against my hold, her fingernails digging into my skin where I held her wrist but my hold was firmer-stronger. Her sea-blue eyes flashed up at me with anger, her hair whipping against the chilly air.

I couldn't stop myself from staring.

Even in a simple royal-blue robe with her face bare and her hair wildly let loose, she was beautiful. She didn't even have to try to look beautiful. It was like it came natural to her. Just like how Laira was. . .

That was all it took for me to snap out of my haze. Get your shit together, Zander. She's not Laira!

Pulling her closer despite her struggles, I inched my face closer to hers. Those blue eyes widened before turning into slits.

"I didn't tell them anything. The whole kingdom knows who helped Charlotte. And what is the lie here? Isn't it the truth, Siren queen? Didn't you actually do it?" My voice mocked and her eyes hardened.

"You don't know anything." She gritted through her teeth.

"Then tell me." It was a soft plea.

I hated doing this. I hated hating someone. She's my mate. Even if she wouldn't ever get the love from me-that feeling was long taken by Laira-she deserved the respect. My mother wouldn't like the way I mocked Marilla at every opportunity.

Mother had always valued the mate bond so much. It was one of the reasons she'd been very reluctant while letting me marry Laira at first. She'd wanted me to wait for my mate. But then she understood how much I loved Laira, she always understood. And she agreed for the marriage.

But mother had asked me to promise to her that when I find my mate, I wouldn't hurt the girl in any way. That I'd explain to my mate that I had a wife and ask her to reject me sincerely. Mother had told me not to force my mate to reject me and give her time to decide because in the end, I had failed to wait for her. So I had to take the responsibility.

That promise was the only thing keeping me from hating Marilla completely. But then she'd done so many horrible things, I just couldn't stop myself from feeling bitter.

When I looked back at the blue-haired girl, my mate, she seemed to be staring into oblivion. Her eyes avoided mine as she whispered, "I can't."

Just like that, the hatred came back in full force.

I let out a humorless laugh and released her out of my grasp, "I thought so. You just want to hide everything."

Her eyes still didn't look at me, "I need to go to sleep if you're done playing teleportation."

"I wasn't the one lurking in the hallways trying to shout out to everyone about who I am." I snort looking away from her face.

That face. . .why out of everyone alive, why did Marilla have to have the same face as Laira?

"I wasn't lugging around without a reason. I had a-" She paused, probably contemplating her words, "Your kingdom is cursed. I want to get done with this mission as soon as possible so that I can go back."

"Believe me, I want you gone the soonest too." I glance her way only to find her staring at me with angst.

"Teleport me back to the castle." She demanded.

I just smiled a sardonic smile with a tilt of my head, "Go back yourself, fish."

"What the hell, devil incarnate! I don't even know the way back!" She shrieked, her claws growing and eyes burning with fire.

I shrug, "Not my problem."

Then as I turn around to walk towards the swivel steps, I hear her voice muttering to herself, "He's really going to leave me here?"

I felt like a brute but there was that sickening satisfaction. After everything you've done to me, Marilla, this is nothing.

But then I paused and turned back. Marilla was looking out the space of the balcony, her hands planted on the stone railing and her eyes accessing the land below with furrowed brows and utter confusion. She really doesn't know the way back. . .

"I'm just doing this because I don't want you dying at this tower from the cold. It'd be a mess I'm not interested in cleaning up." And then in quick long strides, I walk to her and grab her hand.

Marilla glares at me but doesn't let go of my hand as tingles shoot up my arm. Ignoring the sensation, I will my power to the surface.

Dark clouds start to appear around us and I see her involuntarily inch closer. Whether she realizes it or not, I couldn't care less.

"I'm telling you again. Don't tell anyone who you are, especially Derek." I glance down at her as complete darkness envelops us.

"Why him, especially?" She quotes as we winnow back to the dreary silverish confines of the castle hallways.

A dark look crosses my face as her words register. Letting go of her hand, I inch back to walk away.

I didn't want to tell her. I didn't want her to know how much more she'd taken away from me and my closest ones but maybe my bitch of conscience wanted to make her feel guilty, wanted to make her feel atleast a tiny glimmer of hurt she'd caused me because the next moment, I stopped on my steps.

Looking over my shoulder, I let the words leave my mouth, "Because Laira wasn't just my wife. She was Derek's younger sister too."