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Mark shook his head, but he was laughing as hard as I hen he called, "Just for the record, Tempest sleeps in flannels!"

"Bu into the front passenger seat of Bach’s Blazer

Mark and I watched the into his car "I really missed the is mutual" He reached over and brushed a hand downyou out so late I know you’re tired"

"It was great I had an awesome time"

"So did I" He paused "They aren’t the only ones who htened--not because he’dit was going to be before I could see hi critical in Coral Straits There was a tension in the streets that hadn’t been there before the attack that had injured her, a new sense of being unsettled I needed to be there when she died, and for a while afterward--just to keep things stable and prove that theleadership Whichto be able to swie the fact that I ht never ?"

More things than I could nahed heavily on my mind, as did the fact that I didn’t trust Sabrina I orried about losing what I had with Mark andon the role of sovereign of Coral Straits And that didn’t even begin to touch how I felt about facing Kona and the other sea clan leaders as the new merQueen of theto h to know thatthe mistakes and how many? And would the clan suffer for them? Would the entire Pacific? With Tiarandnephew and number-one minion, Sabyn, still on the loose, this was the worst possible ti with Hailana and often thought she was a cold, merciless bitch, I still wasn’t ready for her to die Not if it meant I had to take her place And definitely not if it meant I had to lose every trace of humanity I had Like Hailana had Like my mother had

Mark reached over and flipped on the heat, and for the first ti,in the silence of the car

"Thanks" His hand was still resting on my cheek, so I turned my head and brushed a kiss over his palm "I don’t deserve you"

"I don’t think you knohat you deserve, Tempest" The words sounded harsh in the cozy interior of the car, like they were ripped froh How could I when I so often felt the sa a part-ti ain until ere parked inroo for me by my father Soht of it For too long, the light had been out,that, like my mother before me, I had taken to the sea never to return Now, every time I came home--from a date with Mark or an extended trip into the depths of the ocean--and saw that light burning, I felt like so So I needed to be, even when I was riddled with doubt

"Do you want to co for the door handle

He stopped me with a hand on h his hair and suddenly he was looking everywhere but at me, which so wasn’t like him

"You okay, Mark?"

"Yeah I’m fine" But he still hadn’t made eye contact

"You sure?"