Page 26 of Taken By the Alien Siren King

I guided Emme toward the exit, my hand pressed possessively against the small of her back.

CHAPTER NINE

EMME

Itried to ignore the tremble of my hands as I smoothed nonexistent wrinkles from the gauzy linen wrapped around my body. The fabric whispered against my skin, pooling at my feet in soft folds. I’d spent thirty-two years on Earth without giving a damn about state functions, and now here I was, about to be crowned a queen on an alien world.

“Are you ready?” Lairos asked, his voice pitched low enough that only I could hear.

I took a moment to drink him in. White linen wrapped low on his hips and fell to his ankles, leaving his chest bare except for the broad gold collar that spanned his shoulders. Gold bands circled his biceps, wrists, and ankles, catching the light with every movement. His dark red hair flowed in a silky river down his back, accentuating the sharp angles of his face and the forest-green eyes that still made my stomach flip.

The crown of shark teeth and shells suited him perfectly, a reminder that this man was as much warrior as ruler, dangerous and calculating in equal measure. And somehow, impossibly,mine.

“As ready as I’ll ever be to face a room full of people who probably want me dead,” I answered, taking his offered arm.

The days following Nedaris’s coup had been some of the longest of my life. Lairos lived for it. Thrived, even. The Knights of the Depths had been ordered dismantled and all objections were given harsh opportunities to get in line or find themselves without heads.

Then came the endless preparations for another grand show.Practice this, stand like that, don’t move a muscle here or speak there.

Take your vows, and become my queen.

Lairos chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “They’ll come around. Or they’ll answer to me.”

I wiggled my bare toes against the cold stone floor, feeling strangely vulnerable without shoes. The ceremony called for minimal adornment—no shoes, simple jewelry, nothing to hide behind. Just me, offering myself to a kingdom I was only beginning to understand.

A low humming started on the other side of the massive doors, the vibration so strong I could feel it through the stone floor. This was Khadian song in its purest form—not the deadly call that could manipulate water and summon sea dragons, but the collective voice of his people acknowledging their rulers.

“That’s our cue,” Lairos murmured, covering my hand where it rested on his arm. “Remember what I told you. Keep your chin up, your back straight, and if anyone looks at you wrong?—”

“You’ll execute them at dawn?” I finished dryly.

His smile turned predatory. “Now you’re thinking like a queen.”

The massive doors swung open on the grand hall of the Khadian palace. I’d seen it before during preparations, but this was different. The coral-carved columns soared overhead, supporting a ceiling painted with scenes of underwater battlesand celebrations. Lamps in conch-shell sconces cast everything in warm light that reflected off the polished stone floors. I tried to catalog every detail, but there wasn’t time.

Lairos guided me forward, and I forced my legs to move at the measured pace we’d practiced. Too fast would show eagerness; too slow, reluctance. A queen must appear confident but not arrogant, approachable but regal.

The hall was packed with Khadians in their finest attire. Nobles stood closest to the central aisle, their rank evident in the gold adorning their bodies and the richness of their linens. Behind them stood the court officials, merchants, and warriors who formed the backbone of Khadian society.

“The blue-haired one to your right,” Lairos murmured, his lips barely moving. “Lady Thalassa. She’s already planning how to use you to advance her house’s standing.”

“And the one glaring daggers at me?” I asked under my breath.

“Lord Meren. He had hopes of marrying his daughter to me before you arrived.” His hand tightened on mine. “He’ll be the first to test your resolve.”

The Khadian song grew louder, harmonizing voices weaving a melody that seemed to vibrate in my very bones. My steps faltered for a moment as the power of it washed over me.

“Easy,” Lairos murmured. “Let it carry you.”

I took a deep breath and let the music guide my feet. As we approached the dais where a Khadian priest waited, I forced myself to meet the eyes of those we passed. Some looked away. Others held my gaze, weighing and measuring. Judging whether this human was worthy of their king.

Tough shit,I thought, lifting my chin.I’m here to stay.

And there, near the front, stood my crewmates—my family, really. Each of them stood beside their own mates, every bit as regal as the Khadian nobles surrounding them. Brooke gave mea subtle thumbs-up while Lucy beamed. Seeing them all there, supporting this moment, steadied my nerves more than any amount of practice could have.

We’d done what we set out to do and found a new home.

Even now, while we gathered for primping and posturing, our fellow humans were waking and making their way to landing zones all over Sanos. There were plans for homes within established kingdoms and settlements of our own. Places to live and breathe and grow old without worrying how future generations would survive.

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