Page 74 of Lore of the Tides

Excitement broiled in Lore’s chest, warring with her anxiety.

She pattedDeeping Lunewhere it lay strapped in and secure under her scaled vest. The straps were awkward and not designed for abook, and they were beginning to chafe in the spots her undershirt didn’t cover. Still, she was thankful she had something to tie her book to, more secure than a pack that could slip off her shoulders if things became messy.

The vest itself was incredible. Lore was thankful for the gift... However, she had something else she wanted to ask the queen for when this was over. The idea had come to her when she’d seen a map of the siren kingdom in the council chamber, and the idea had been nagging at her ever since. Something far more useful and precious than a vest.

Every one of them cursed when a shrill, hissing sound erupted from their left.

A dormant stack of rock had morphed into one of the many hydrothermal vents of Mount Vatraol. A reminder that molten lava swirled, eddied, and bubbled, just layers beneath them. This was the reason no sea life thrived here. Why, despite the warmth, andSource, the Nikoryxia refused to enter this area to nest, to live, to hunt, because it was ever-changing. Unsafe. Great Hearth did not care that life walked above it. It was a life force. A deity. The reason that land existed at all. It would explode, covering, devouring everything, and then, in time, life would be rebirthed atop the grave. The cycle of life, death, rebirth. Kill, to live.

“Lore, we are close to Great Hearth. Can you see the magic?” Prince Hazen asked, swimming down to float beside her.

“It’s just over there.” Lore pointed to a glowing, swirling field ofSource.

They couldn’t see it, of course, but Lore could, and it was magnificent. It looked like starlight. It shone like the sun and the moon. TheSourcetwirled and danced in the water as though it were alive.

They were close, indeed.

“Another one!” called Jade.

“Another what?” Lore almost didn’t want to broach the question,but she was hoping it would be something harmless, like a particularly juicy clump of clayberry or a bunch of sweet kelpi shrooms—which Cuan had been overjoyed to find earlier, as apparently the fungi only grew beneath one specific strain of kelp, and only when that kelp forest was home to a specific type of crab.

Jade didn’t need to answer, because Lore spied it just as the question left her lips.

Six. Six Nikoryxia. Their scales, which were naturally a greenish blue, sometimes purple, glowed an absolutely horrifying red—reflecting the light of the volcano. Lore shuddered at the sight of them.

“We can’t worry about them just now, please,” Hazen said, his voice a sharp hiss as he lunged sideways, barely avoiding a spout of steam.

“Maybe don’t swim directly over the burning vents, Your Majesty,” said Cuan, their voice shrill.

“Nikoryxia aren’t known to hunt so near Great Hearth—and yes, Cuan, I am trying to avoid doing just that.”

Jade piped in as she swam closer to her prince. “As we siren are not the only creatures affected by the disruption of magic—the Nikoryxia are desperate and may make a move at any moment. Stay vigilant.”

Stay vigilant? Lore felt she’d never been more vigilant in her life–or more aware of all the things that could currently end her life... Nikoryxia, spouts of scalding steam, lava... she yelped a curse as her foot slipped through a crack between the hexagonal rocks she was scaling. Finndryl, so fast Lore hadn’t even had a chance to finish spitting her curse word, turned and gripped Lore’s arm before she twisted her ankle.

He held her upright as she slowly, carefully, extracted her foot from the crack.

So much for staying vigilant.“Thank you.”

“Would you like to climb on my back? I can carry you the rest of the way.”

“You are serious, aren’t you?” Lore asked, her lips cracking a smile as she sighed in relief now that both feet were firmly on one rock and not between two.

Finn eyed her, his face stoic. “Of course.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll be more careful.”

“The offer stands, if you change your mind.” He squeezed her hip, his hand lingering. A thrill shot through Lore. She would never, could never, be used to his small moments of affection. They electrified her.

“Be sure that you do; a lot is riding on you, Lore,” Cuan called down. “Though, speaking of riding... if you won’t ride on his back, I might take you up on that.” Cuan swam in a circle above them, waggling their eyebrows.

“Cuan, let’s trade. I’ll take your much more efficient tail, and you can ride on Finndryl’s back.”

“Sweetie, I would make that trade with you right now if I could.”

Finndryl crossed his arms, his eyes crinkling at the corners with amusement. “This doesn’t seem fair. If we are handing out tails, I should like one as well.”

“Can everyone focus? It’s getting so hot, I’m about to combust,” Jade snapped, her voice brittle with the heat.

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