About fifty miles south of the shores of the westernmost Calbernan Isles, a familiar ship crested the horizon. Flying the colors of Calberna and House Merimydion, Dilys’s flagship, theKracken,was speeding across the deep, blue Varyan Ocean, on a direct course for the fishing boat carrying Gabriella, which was now accompanied by a fleet that had grown to more than two hundred vessels.
Aboard theBlue Pearl,Gabriella was beset by equal parts exhilaration, relief, and dread as she watched theKrackendraw near. Relief that Dilys was unharmed. Exhilaration that she would see him again after the last long weeks of torment and horror. And dread for the same reason.
Her stomach tied itself in knots, and her hands gripped theBlue Pearl’s railing so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her heart was slamming against her chest wall.
TheKrackenwas still easily a mile out when one of the Calbernans aboard leapt from the bow into the sea. She knew who it was long before she tasted the salty tang of his sea magic or saw the streak of blue light spearing through the water. Dilys, hisulumiglowing bright, swam towards her faster than even his magic-powered ship could sail. Moments later, he rose on a wave of water like a young god of the seas. He leapt from wave to deck with one lithe, agile movement to stand before her, so tall, so strong, and—even though his face was drawn to the point of gauntness and there were dark rings beneath his eyes—so beautiful her heart nearly broke to look upon him.
“Gabriella.” There were tears in his voice, tremors in the hands that reached for her, then stopped, as if fearing she was a figment of his imagination.
She knew that feeling. She’d dreamed of him while in the clutches of the Shark and Mur Balat, tasted the bitterness of despair when she woke from the dream to find him nowhere in sight and the wooden walls of her floating prison still about her.
Then his arms were around her, solid and real, and it was his skin pressed against hers, soft, supple, so very warm, his scent filling her nostrils, a mix of aromas unique to him. And every part of her shuddered with joy and relief and... and love. Yes, love. Helos help her.
“Dilys, I—” Her throat closed up, tears threatening. She battled them back, afraid to let them fall for fear of not being able to stop crying once she started. It wouldn’t do to fall so completely to pieces in front of an audience. Nor was it safe. These fishermen had come to her aid. The last thing she wanted was for some inadvertent, emotion-fed burst of power to cause any of them harm. Her barriers were gone... blasted out of existence by that Shout that had torn through her collar and disintegrated Solish Utua’s ship. The fishermen aboard theBlue Pearlhad been so awed by her they bordered on reverent, making it easy to hold herself in check around them, but with Dilys here, her fragile facade of calm had no chance of standing firm.
Dilys kept his arms around her, stroking her back and murmuring soft, soothing words against her ear. “It’s all right,moa kiri.It’s going to be all right. You’re safe now. I will never let anything happen to you ever again.” And even though she knew that “safe” was a word that could never again be applied to her in any context, the sound of his voice, the strength of his arms wrapped around her gave her a measure of comfort.
She clung to him, drawing strength from his closeness. Enough, at least, to help her keep her composure until the emotions bubbling madly inside her began to subside.
When she was relatively calm again, she started to pull away from Dilys, but he slid an arm around her, tucking her against his side, and turned to Amanu and his crew. “Calbernari,you have my deepest thanks. I will always be in your debt for coming to myliana’s aid. And I will personally dower every one of your unwed sons in thanks for the great service you have provided House Merimydion and Calberna. If any of you ever need anything—anything at all—do not hesitate to ask. If it is within my power, I will see it done. Which one of you is the captain of this vessel?”
Amanu Susa stepped forward and bowed low before his prince. “I am,moa Myerielua.”
“Susa? There was a Manelo Susa who served aboard theKracken.”
“My younger brother,Myerielua.”
“A good man. I attended his wedding before leaving for Konumarr this summer.”
Amanu beamed. “You did, my prince. My family was greatly honored.”
“Captain Susa, make a list of your crew and their families and send it to me at Merimydia Oa Nu. So long as I live, your families will always be welcomed by mine.”
Gabriella watched how quickly and completely the crew of theBlue Pearlfell under Dilys’s spell. He was so easy with them, so naturally and effortlessly charming. And so sincere. That was the real root of his near-magical charm. He genuinely cared, genuinely took an interest in their lives. And not just because they were Calbernan. He’d been the same in Konumarr, to the Summerlanders and Winterfolk.
That was the difference between herself and Dilys. The face she had always shown the world was a lie, a mask she’d worn since childhood. Dilys’s goodness, on the other hand, was the real thing. People loved him because he deserved it, not because he showed them a lie meant to manipulate them into loving him.
TheKrackenhad furled its sails and was drifting alongside theBlue Pearlnow. Beaming Calbernans filled the riggings and lined the side of the ship, their smiles wide and dazzling, their joy so thick in the air each breath was a dizzying rush.
“MyerialannaSummer!” they called out, and, “Sirena!”
Their welcome washed over her, but instead of revitalizing her, their happiness and warm welcome began to sting her raw senses like nettles.
They all believed the lie of who and what she was. They didn’t know. None of them. Not even Dilys truly understood. How could they? She hadn’t truly understood either, until the Shark had laid his filthy hands upon her, and every thought in her mind turned to bloody, violent vengeance. A good person—one who was truly good at heart—didn’t relish the thought of turning her aggressor’s brain into soup, didn’t dream of crushing every bone in his body, one at a time, and drinking his agonized screams like a fine wine.
Even now, though she was safe, free, and reunited with the man she loved, all she could think of was going after the Shark and Mur Balat, tracking them down, slaughtering them in the worst, bloodiest way possible. Helos help her, even the urgent, heartfelt need to rescue her sisters was secondary to the ferocious lust for vengeance that writhed inside her.
With a wave of his hand, Dilys summoned a spout of blue water from the sea. He swept Gabriella into his arms, said, “Hang on,moa kiri,” and jumped onto the crest of the wave. It carried them up into the air, rising swiftly to the higher deck of theKracken.
When they landed and Dilys set her on her feet, she stepped away quickly, out of his reach. She felt the instant, startled flare of concern, the wounded surprise, quickly stifled. She ignored both, plastering on her usual smiling mask as she girded herself to greet the members of his crew and assure them she was well and unharmed. More lies, from the princess of lies. They believed her without question, of course. Dilys didn’t. He knew something was wrong. The whole time she stood there, greeting the crew and the Winterfolk who had sailed with them in search of her, his concerned gaze kept darting back to her again and again.
“I’m very tired,” she told him softly when the reunions were done. “And I need a bath. Might I have one?” She’d bathed the day the fishermen had rescued her from the sea, but it hadn’t been enough, not nearly enough, to wash the taint of the Shark from her flesh or make her feel clean again.
“Of course you can have a bath. Whatever you desire,moa haleah,so shall I provide.” He called to one of the crew, issuing the command to have a tub and fresh, hot water brought to his cabin.
“The water doesn’t need to be heated. I can do that myself.” She smiled wanly and held up her wrist, where her Rose was a dark, warm red against her skin. It hadn’t cooled since her barriers had broken.
He walked her to his cabin, where his men were already setting up the large copper tub and hauling in buckets of fresh water from their stores. Since, per Summer’s request, the water didn’t need to be heated, it only took a few minutes for the crew to ready her bath, laying out a washcloth, a jar of soap, and what appeared to be several neatly folded bedsheets.
