are you?” I counter.
“This is my island,” he retorts. “And you will answer my question.”
His island, meaning he’s linked to the girls, which makes him the mythical King Triton.
“I’m Dagen the Blood Axe.”
The man’s brows furrow as he continues toward me again. “Who brought you here?”
“I came here on my own.”
“Impossible,” he snaps. “How?”
“I just told you, but you haven’t told me who you are.”
“I’m King Triton,” he proclaims, confirming my fear. “And you will answer me with respect and the truth.”
“Again,” I convey. “I trespassed on my own.”
He doesn’t waste a moment, positioning his weapon to shove in my direction. It catches my right arm, grazing my flesh, creating a biting pain, and I know there’s blood because it’s sharp as fuck.
Taking a step back, I instantly have to duck because the king already has his trident flying horizontally to take off my head. The moment it passes, I charge him.
Our bodies collide together until his swiftly halts from moving. His hand finds my hair as he tries to pull me off him, but I answer his move with a punch to the ribs. A muffled grunt leaves his lips, and I’m thrown off him, landing on my back.
His weapon thrusts down, but I dodge the hit, hearing it break the tiles next to my torso. My foot hurdles in his direction, hitting him in the thigh to gain a bit of time to shove myself back up.
It buys me no time though because he’s already stabbing his spear at me again, barely missing my head.
The ground underneath me starts to rumble, disturbing the limited furniture in this room. I stumble to get back up as he swings his weapon at me again, this time slamming into my shoulder. Numbness radiates through my whole arm as I slide to the side to get away from him, awaiting another hit.
It never comes.
I jerk my attention to him, distracted with whatever is behind him. His body is so wide that I can’t see what it is but hear the pattering footsteps approach deeper into the room.
Then I see her—the woman who drips beauty and strength standing beside him with a frown.
Davina’s green eyes study me, inspecting me from head to toe, which gets me to furrow my brows.
Is she worried about me?
“How long has he been here?” the old man leers. “And why didn’t I know this?”
She must communicate with him because he speaks again.
“How?” He returns his glare to me, so I’m not sure who he’s speaking to. “You,” he roars. “How did you get past the veil?”
“I didn’t know about this veil,” I reply. “I knew where I had to go, and I came here.”
“From whom?”
“My father.”
The king perks a brow. “Who is he?”
“Oryn the Great.”
“Great at what?” he asks.
My eyes bore into him. “Killing. He’s a great leader.”
“That sends his son to do what, exactly?” I look over at Davina, who’s engaged in what I’m saying.
She wanted this, to know why I’m here and how. I honestly didn’t know about this veil that they keep speaking of because I could see the island clearly.
“I’m here for my own reasons, not to harm your people,” I recite. Which is true, I don’t plan on assassinating or harming anyone that doesn’t try to hurt me.
King Triton looks over at his daughter. “Did he hurt you?” She shakes her head, which earns her a glare from me.
I did try to hurt her, several times. So why she’s trying to save me only alludes to one thing—she wants to know more.
“I don’t believe you,” he responds, looking back to me. “You’re a Viking. Your people are barbaric and land hungry.”
“You’re speaking of the Highlanders,” I retort. “We only take what—”
“I’m not interested in your history,” he transmits. “What is your reason for being here?”
“To explore this land and any—”
“This land is not within your realm, boy. We’re extremely south from you—”
“I can’t convince you why I’m here then,” I seize. “I just told you.”
“And since I don’t believe you,” he claims. “You’ll die.”
Davina seizes his large bicep.
“I’ve said my peace,” he fumes, keeping his attention averted from her. “You’re naive to think you can convince this man to tell you the real reason he’s here.”
Her hands rip away from him as she takes a step back.
“Stand up.” It’s a feminine voice, sweet but stern that just filled into my head. Her stare is still pinned on the king, but I do what it tells me to do and get to my feet.
“Do