Page 18 of Between Fear and Favor

But the merrow stopped abruptly, and I caught up to him. I’d never seen one of the seaborn in this form so close. His green tail transitioned to navy blue skin, appearing almost black underwater. His hair was long; light blue locs were bound at his nape. He turned to face me, hissing something I didn’t quite catch through sharp teeth. Behind him, I saw Shade, stuck between the base of a pillar and a large stone. Though it was only pinning her leg, she floated lifelessly. Blood floated from a wound on her head, and I surged toward her.

“No heartbeat,” the merrow repeated, his tongue stumbling over the sounds, and I reached out with Em’s divinity to be certain. Though our bond was weak, I could hear the merrow’s and my own heart racing.

I swore, ignoring the flashes of light in my vision. This brave soldier was dead, and there wasn’t anything I could do. The healing divinity which belonged to my wife didn’t reach out to Shade, and my frustration only grew. I knew I wouldn’t make it if my divinity ran out, so I had to hurry.

“Help me?” I asked, pointing toward the stone, certain my words were muffled by the water. The merrow nodded before he grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me closer. We pulled on the rock, the weight of it more than enough to kill someone. I wondered what had possessed Shade to go after Edwina. Had she not trusted me to keep them safe? Finally, the merrow and I successfully rolled the stone off the small woman.

I hauled her body toward mine, ready to open my final rift of the day. Turning, I wanted to thank the seaborn who’d come to my aid. My stomach twisted, thinking of my missing sister. Had she ever made it to the seaborn kingdom? I wouldn’t entertain the possibility that she was dead—a sturdy weight sunk to the bottom of the ocean like the woman in my arms. Swallowing, I cleared my throat. But before I could speak, ready to ask him if he knew anything, the merrow grasped my arm. Sharp-taloned fingertips nicked my skin, and his black-shaded eyes were wide as he screamed.

“GO!”

The pillar beside us shook violently, and I opened my rift.

I’d forgotten just how ferocious the flow of water would be when it spat us out onto the beach. Shade’s body was ripped from my hands, and she landed in a wet heap on the ground.

The merrow slammed into me, his long tail whipping viciously against the current. Debris from the falling bridge came through behind us, and the seaborn groaned in pain as a large rock slammed into his hand.

My own pained grunt answered as my body skidded across the sand. My vision blurred as the remainder of my divinity left me; I reached for the bond with Em, and I could barely feel a glimmer. I needed to get back to her soon, or I’d be useless. Deep, gasping breaths were all I could manage as I fought against the push of water flowing out from the three of us. Thankfully, the rift had closed, but that hadn’t stopped the press of water that had also come through.

The merrow coughed, rolling over onto his stomach, and I stared as the fragile gills on the side of his neck seemed to close. Before my eyes, he shifted. His green tail and twilight skin changed to a dark brown and split down the center before starting to transform into legs. I rolled onto my back, staring at the stars. I somehow managed to form my rift far enough away from my waiting soldiers that I had a moment to gather my bearings. The shoreline curved, making it nearly impossible to see the Aesiron bridge, but as I turned my head, I could make out smoke.

If we hadn’t succeeded, my soldier’s death would have been for naught.

Shade had been one of a kind—she’d been on the ship we’d rescued Thyra from. Brought over from the scattered islands south of Skos, she’d barely spoken any of the common tongue. But she’d been grateful and sharp, and keen with a blade. I’d offered her a place alongside Thyra, and she’d gladly taken it. Em’s Second would be devastated by this loss.

Pulling myself to my feet, I stumbled over to where Shade’s body laid crumpled on the sand. Her small stature only added to her skillset, but cold and unmoving, she seemed so fucking small. Like so many times before, when I’d lost someone in my care, a piece of my heart hardened to stone. I couldn’t allow myself to feel every loss, or there’d be nothing warm and soft for the living. Carefully, I knelt and pulled her silky locks from her face. The water had washed all the blood away, leaving a horrifying dent at her temple. The wound had stopped bleeding, thankfully, and I attempted to brush her hair over it before taking her to my soldiers.

“A friend?”

The merrow’s deep voice took me by surprise. He stood behind me and I rose to meet him. Though his tail had been quite long in his merrow form, he only stood slightly taller than Emma in this one. His hair had shifted to a dark bluish black, and I averted my eyes from his nude form.

“Yes. A good one,” I replied. “Thank you for helping me.”

“The water called,” he answered simply, as if there was no other explanation. “I am certain there are more seaborn on their way.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as he walked toward the shoreline. “I need to ask you some questions.”

“You may be royalty, but it is not you whom I answer to, King Rainier,” the man said as he waded into the water. I had half a mind to stop him. How had he known me? If I hadn’t been so exhausted, I wouldn’t have allowed him to walk away from me like that. “I suspect we will meet again.”

“My sister,” I said. “I just want to know if she made it. Did the Sea Queen send you?” I needed this one thing. Knowing Hyše was dead and hearing nothing from Lavenia or Brenna had allowed my mind to run wild. If she was dead, I didn’t know what I would do.

“The water called me,” he repeated, brows furrowing. “You are asking if the sun sent warmth.”

My skin prickled, relief flooding me. “My sister is all right?”

“I don’t know of whom you speak,” he replied. “If the Sea Queen chose to aid you, well...” He shook his head. “I would assume your sister is rather persuasive. But that doesn’t mean she is still alive.”

Before I could question him further, he began his transformation before slipping beneath the water.

“Fuck,” I murmured, rubbing my hand over my mouth. Surely, the Sea Queen hadn’t killed my sister. There would be no sense in it. Why send aid while ensuring any political alliance with Vesta would never stand?

But nothing I’d heard about the fickle ruler had ever made much sense, had it? I needed to prepare myself for either outcome. If the Sea Queen killed my sister, what could I do? Starting a war against the ancient seaborn would only serve to destroy Vesta even faster. I convinced myself in that moment that Ven was alive. Because the alternative meant it was all my fault.

I walkedalong the tree line, keeping an eye out for any approaching boats. With grim satisfaction, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the Aesiron Bridge. The center had collapsed in its entirety, and the smoke from the obsidian bombs still hadn’t cleared. The far-off shouts of Nythyrian soldiers echoed across the water. It was possible they were trying to salvage the stone, but I’d been strategic. The portion of the bridge we’d ruined stood in deep water. Everything would sink to the bottom, not allowing for any kind of haphazard trail through the sea.

Shade’s body was far too light in my arms, and, despite her closed eyes, I heard her silently chastising me. She’d known the risks when she left her post, and she would have been furious if she knew I went after her. Stomping on my foot and cursing in a language I hadn’t learned were customary for Shade when she didn’t get her way. But I couldn’t help feeling angry with myself that I’d failed her. The only explanation I could understand for her leaving her post was that she didn’t trust me.

Noticing the large, barren tree that had served as our landmark, I veered inland. Navigating through tall evergreens and thorny bushes, I listened for my soldiers. Rocks shifted beneath my feet in the dark, and I was glad I didn’t have much farther to go. Finally, I made out the clearing I’d been depositing them into, lit by the soft glow of the moon.

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