"No, Rowan is not a prize to be gambled with. I refuse."

The mer king retracted his weapon. Syryn had a weakness after all. "You have nothing else to offer me, human. I'll give you a few moments to consider your decision while the guards set up your game." His ego had already been hit by Syryn's verbal attacks. In front of the gathered subjects, the mer king had to regain face. It was the only reason he hadn't already stabbed the weak-looking human.

Rowan lifted one brow at the mage. Syryn cared about him far too much for an amnesiac. He wasn't complaining though.

"You won't lose, will you Ryn?" He asked the mage.

Syryn shrugged.

"Answer me."

The anti mage had been betting on Syryn having a sneaky plan to beat the game of chance. If Syryn was a hundred per cent sure of victory then he would have no qualms about letting Rowan play the grand prize.

"I told you, didn't I? I promised to send the mer king to the reaper."

It was not a confirmation of Rowan's query. The anti mage sat with his chin on his palm, wondering if Syryn's body could handle the toxin from the jellyfish stinger. It was no normal toxin, and while Syryn remained in his human form, he ran the risk of death by jellyfish toxin. The blond did not know enough about Syryn's tolerance to be able to make even a random guess about how that would turn out.

A high stool was brought over and then the stingers were arranged in two rows of three stingers each.

"Your majesty, here's my offer. If you play the game, I won't have all the nobles killed. That includes all your concubines and your children."

The mer king scoffed. It was just two humans against all the mers. Did Syryn really think he was fooling anyone with his flimsy threat?

"I've had enough," the king informed him. "Since you've gone through all this trouble, pick a guard to play your game with. Whether you win or lose, I'll have you dead within the hour."

"That's very gracious of you. We'll see who dies within the hour, your majesty. I have a grudge I need to repay so I'll take back my threat for now."

Syryn then pointed to a mer guard. "I choose that one."

The guard coloured and glared at the human he had previously stabbed with his spear. Of course, Syryn remembered him. He was the mer that had treated Syryn the worst out of all the guards whose hands he had fallen into.

"Come. It is your king's orders, is it not? We're all eager to watch someone die in horrific pain."

The mer king marvelled at Syryn's guts. Did he not think he might be the one dying in agony? What made him so sure of himself? As far as he had noticed, the king hadn't seen Syryn touch the stingers. They had all been handled by the guard.

Pushed forward by the others, the unlucky mer was propelled towards the table where the stingers lay waiting.

"You know what to don't you?" Syryn asked the guard who was staring at the stingers in fear.

"I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?"

The guard sneered at Syryn. "I know." It was a gruff reply. He was being watched by everyone including his wife. He had to act tough despite feeling the opposite of it.

"So, should I go first?" Syryn asked the guard.

"No, I'll pick first."

The mer guard looked at the stingers. Each one was small and barbed at the end. All of them looked similar to him. His eyes were frantically moving from one stinger to the other.

"Pick fast. I have places to be."

The guard glared at Syryn like he wanted to punch the man. Finally, he reached out and picked the stinger centre of the row on his side of the table. The mer's hand trembled slightly as he held the barbed object up. There was no antidote to save him if it was the loaded one.

"To prevent faking, we will both draw blood with the stingers," Syryn said to the guard.

With a quick jab on his finger, the mer dropped the stinger. There was a collective gasp from the crowd when he pricked himself with it. A small thread of blood then floated away from his skin.

The guard sighed in relief. It had been an empty one.

"Your turn," he growled at Syryn.

Rowan's heart was steady but his anxiety was heightening. He felt the need to topple over the table and tell Syryn that the game was over. His mage was conspicuously missing a life-saving satchel so Rowan knew that Syryn did not have an antidote at hand. Where was Syryn's satchel anyway?

"Ryn, if you die, I'll drag you back from the afterlife and kill you myself," Rowan threatened. "I hope you know what you're doing." After all the trials they'd gone through together, Rowan would be damned if he was going to watch Syryn kill himself stupidly.

"Relax, Rowan. When it's time, it's time. And it's not my time yet."

"And who told you that?" The guard asked him.

"Somebody."

Rowan near jumped out of his skin when Syryn slammed his hand on the surface of the table, stabbing his palm through with the stinger. Bloody water indicated that he had been pierced.

"Ryn-" Rowan stood up, heart beating fast now.

Syryn smacked the table again. The mers were shocked by his move. Rowan's heart was in his throat. Could Syryn stop scaring him like this?

Swiftly, the mage slammed down on a third stinger. The thud was loud in the silence of the gathering. There was more blood in the water.

The mer guard's eyes were wide as he watched Syryn for a reaction. Everyone gathered stared at the crazy human who hadn't moved after the third stinger.

Rowan's feet were frozen to the ground. "Syryn!" He shouted when the mage clutched his hand to his belly and doubled over.