The Prince and the Sea Witch (A Villain's Ever After) by A. G. Marshall

Author:A. G. Marshall [Marshall, A. G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Avanell Publishing
Published: 2021-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Briony fell to her knees beside Lyra’s body. She sank into the sand, slipping as she searched her pocket for a potion to heal the former mermaid. How had this happened? Lyra had put on the dress. Why hadn’t she listened to Briony’s other warning?

“Give her this,” Briony said.

She pressed the potion bottle into Harlan’s hand. He had pulled Lyra’s head onto his lap so he could check the pulse in her neck.

He took it and poured the luminous liquid into Lyra’s mouth. Briony breathed a sigh of relief when Lyra coughed and spit out sea water. She took the bottle back from Harlan and returned it to her pocket before he had a chance to examine it or ask what it was.

Lyra’s silver eyes blinked up at Harlan. She reached her smooth hand up and stroked his cheek. The caress made Briony fidget in discomfort. Lyra had said she loved a human man.

Surely she didn’t mean Harlan?

“What happened to you, miss?” Harlan asked.

Was that merely concern in his voice or something more? Briony pushed away the feeling she wasn’t quite willing to name.

There was no reason for her to feel jealous.

Lyra tried to speak, then clamped her mouth shut and shook her head.

“I think she’s mute,” Briony said.

Lyra’s eyes, which had been half closed as she fluttered her eyelashes at Harlan, snapped open and darted to Briony. A brief flash of hatred filled her gaze, and she slid closer to Harlan as if asking him for protection.

Harlan’s eyes grew almost as wide as Lyra’s, and he turned to Briony for help as Lyra crawled into his lap.

“Do you know her?” Briony asked. “Is she from your town?”

She knew the second part wasn’t true, but what about the first?

Harlan shook his head.

“I’ve never seen her before.”

He was looking at Briony, so he missed the flash of annoyance in Lyra’s eyes. Briony didn’t.

And her heart sank as she began to understand.

Harlan had not simply been lucky and washed ashore the night his ship sank. No human had ever escaped a feast alive before. He was not the first.

Lyra had saved him. Briony couldn’t imagine why, but Lyra had said that she had saved a human man from the sea. That man must have been Harlan.

“We should get her to a doctor,” Harlan said. “Whatever you gave her seemed to help, but she may have other injuries.”

Lyra glared at Briony again, then pressed closer and wrapped her arms around Harlan. She was clumsy, still getting used to the additional weight that came from being out of the water. She twisted her fingers into his tunic and held tight.

“Oh,” Harlan said in surprise. “It’s alright, miss. We won’t hurt you.”

He tried to stand but couldn’t manage it with Lyra clinging to him. Briony stood and pulled him up, dragging Lyra up with him.

Lyra opened her mouth to protest, but only a few breathy sounds came out. She grimaced in frustration, hissed at Briony, and clung tighter to Harlan.

“I don’t think she likes you,” Harlan said.

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