“Delaynie Albellane.” Quentin tsked, catching her hand as she wobbled in the deep sands. “Speaking blasphemy before a goddess’s own temple. I thought you were raised better than that.”
“I was.” Delaynie gave him a sheepish grin. “But maybe I’m having fun being corrupted.”
“Pleasestop flirting,” Krilene said. She stood on the first steps to her temple, arms crossed as the water parted around herfeet, brushing her robes like a cat. “As endearing as I’m sure you are, we don’t have much time. We’re already late as it is.”
“Late for what?” They finally reached the steps, the water swallowing their boots. Quentin groaned, hopping up a few more steps until he was out of the tide, but the damage was done—water squelched in his boots, annoying and uncomfortable.
Krilene, of course, didn’t answer him. She simply brushed past him as he helped Delaynie up, placing her palm on the great stone doors.
They swung open on silent, invisible hinges, cool air rushing out to greet them.
Krilene swept inside without a breath of hesitation. With a final shared glance, Quentin and Delaynie followed.
The temple was just as beautiful inside as it was out. More of the same pale stone encased the cavernous room, seashells of every shape and color set into intricate designs on the floor. Great pillars rose up to the ceiling, which was painted the same blue green as the sea. Mosaics of fish and kelp and every manner of sea creature wound and danced through the room, like they’d stepped below the waves.
Of course, Krilene was not only the Goddess of the Sea.
Inlaid along the pillars were beautiful, golden casts of splendid weapons. From swords to bows to daggers—all were represented. There was even a great tri-pointed spear, mother-of-pearl wrapping around its handle, sapphires set into the prongs.
“My favorite trident,” Krilene said with a dreamy sigh, staring at the weapon. “A gift from Ydros, back when the world was young.” She shook her head. “Maybe another day.” The goddess brushed past the pillar with the trident, gleaming in the evening sun.
Quentin let his stare linger on it for just a second longer before following the goddess further into the temple, Delaynie tight at his side.
When they reached the center of the room, Krilene halted. Her eyes swept the temple, piercing into the shadowed alcoves hiding beneath the high windows.
“A goddess has entered her temple,” she said, her voice ringing with the power of a crashing wave. “All those here, show yourself.Now.”
If Quentin hadn’t already been standing with the goddess, he would’ve felt the tug of those words. He’d learned enough about the gods from Mariah to know that their power on this plane was not limitless, that they could not grant wishes or command the will of mortals.
But it seemed in their temples, in the places where their power converged, they had a little bit more sway.
A group emerged from the shadows. Two were unfamiliar but wore the ornate cloaks that Quentin recognized as marking an officer of the Kizar fleet.
The third figure wasveryfamiliar.
Darius Draethos gave them a wide, smirking smile, hooking his fingers into his belt loop. “What a gift you bring us, Lady Krilene. We’ve been searching all over the island for these two.” His eyes flashed, tongue playing with the ring in his lip. “They made quite a mess of things for us this morning.”
Quentin whirled, locking his stare on Krilene as he shoved Delaynie behind him. “What is this?” he snarled, not flinching as the goddess leveled her gaze on him. “You help us, just to betray us, anyway? To trick us into captivity?”
Krilene held his gaze steadily for a long moment before shaking her head. “No tricks, Armature. I needed you all here, together, for this. My temple is the most neutral place on the island, a place where I demand and maintain power to myself.”
A fourth figure strode from the darkness. The sunlight gleamed on his long fiery hair, his arms folded behind his back. Varyn Draethos, Pirate Lord of the Kizar Islands, halted in front of his son, but his eyes were not on Quentin.
They were leveled on Krilene, something baleful gleaming in the green. A muscle feathered in his tense jaw.
“Then speak. You know I don’t have patience for your riddles.”
Krilene turned her smile on him, saccharine sweet but with a biting edge that made even Quentin flinch. “None in your line ever have, Lord of the Seas. And none of you ever cease to remind me.”
Varyn rolled his eyes. Quentin wondered—not for the first time—why Krilene tolerated such dismissiveness from a mortal she could quite literally swallow whole.
The thought died when she continued speaking.
“I simply thought you would all want to know who he”—she pointed at Quentin— “truly is.”
His skin ignited as everyone in the room turned their gazes to him.
Quentin shifted his stance, further blocking Delaynie behind him. “What are you talking about?”
