Page 131 of I Summon the Sea

“And then the Reversal came,” I whisper.

“Indeed. It flooded our world, destroying the rest of our resources. Stuck on the ground, we had few options. We have a memory of being able to fly once, a long time ago. Our priests assured us that by crossing, we’d get our wings back, but we didn’t.”

“So you want to cross back on the off chance you get wings?”

“It’s not only that,” he scoffs, but I can see in his eyes that, yes, he hopes for it. He hopes for a lot of things, and I don’t want to accept his words.

“You killed so many humans here,” I whisper. “And so many finnfolk. Enslaved us. Destroyed this world. Sooner or later, you will pay for your crimes. You don’t get to escape and go back.”

His mouth tilts as if about to smile. “Don’t I? Are you familiar with the most recent prophecy from the World Rim Oracle? The full prophecy?”

“What does it have to do with this?” An uneasy shiver hits me. He won’t answer me, won’t acknowledge the evil he’s wrought, and instead wants to talk about riddles.

“When the old dragon falls through the sky, and a dead soul returns to life,” the king says, still in that same somber, dreamy tone, “watch for the signs in the shifting stars. A new order will come.”

“Enough of this,” I say. “What do I care about the prophecy?”

“He has a name written on his chest. She has an eye on her back.” He frowns. “The king shall not be felled by a living hand. Water will crack the bark of the tree, and fire will end the cycle. The dragon will stand on the sand of the seashore, as the vault of the sky opens to another world. The pillar will slow its endless rotation, the gates will open to great exultation, behold, behold! The dead will return. Return changed but the same, in glory reborn.”

I go still. This is a slightly different version from the others I’ve heard over the years, but…

He has a name written on his chest. She has an eye on her back.He had said that before, and the birthmark on my back… it does look like an eye.

“What are you?” he asks softly, his gaze turning to fix on me. “What sort of creature? Your magic tastes of salt, but although you said you are a siren, I don’t think that’s what you are.”

Caught by surprise, I surge to my feet. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m human.”

“Are you, now?”

Holy Wights.Turning, I gather my skirts and run toward the doors to the audience halls, not sure where I could go. Back to the ball, hide in the crowd? My room?

Go to Jai, I think,but Jai…

“He’s a doomed man, and he knows it.”Why does that make me want to cry? If he’s sinister, as the king paints him, I haven’t seen it. Which is how he managed to break me.

Two masked guards step out before I reach the open doors, and I skid to a halt.

“Let me go,” I plead with them. “Please, let me go.”

“My lady,” one of them says, and I know that voice. It’s Tru. “You can’t.”

“You can’t leave,” the other one says, and I realize it’s Arkin. “Not without the king’s permission.”

I take a step back, their words striking me like a blow. I didn’t think they were my friends, but I hadn’t realized they were my enemies, either. Why are they doing this?

But of course. They are royal guards. They are fae. Of course this is where their loyalties lie, and of course it’s one thing to help out the mute human girl when no one is looking, and quite another to defy their king, fail in their duty, and let me go.

I bet their heads are on the line.

And I don’t know where I thought I’d run to. We’re on an island in the sea, and I’m surrounded by enemies and adversaries. There is nowhere to go.

As I sort through my panicked thoughts, searching for a solution and coming up empty, the king strolls over to where we’re standing, unruffled, his long robes dragging over the soil.

“Lady Rae.” He gestures at the garden as if he expects us to resume our walk. He offers me his arm, and I jerk back.

“No.”

He looks startled at my reaction. He tilts his head to the side. “Did you know that the great dragons and seafolk have a lot in common?”

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