Kye
Maren was terrified. Her big eyes opened even wider. Fear distorted her lovely features.
“We need to get out of the water!” She turned around, searching for the shadows, the tentacles, and the dark creatures lurking beneath the surface.
But there were none around anymore.
I gestured out to the horizon. The first pale rays of sunrise stretched over the expanse of the ocean, streaking the crests of waves with a golden glow.
“Daytime is the reign of Nanami, the Mother of the Ocean,” I said. “The nightmares are gone, until tonight at least.”
“Oh...thank God.” She ran a hand over her wet, tangled hair. Her face relaxed with relief, exposing a deadly exhaustion.
“You’re still right, though. We need to get out of the water,” I agreed. “I have to take care of you.”
I wished I could wrap her in a blanket and tuck her into bed right away. But after we got back onto the main deck of the ship, many other things had to be taken care of first. The crew were diverting the water out of the ship and back into the ocean. The cargo inside was being dried too.
Sagara, the ship’s captain, met us the moment we stepped onto the deck again. He bowed in greeting, brushing away acurly wisp of sky-blue hair that had escaped the colorful scarf he’d tied around his head.
“Should I send for another ship, Your Majesty?” he asked. “His Highness, Prince Arnon—”
I lifted a hand, stopping him. His Highness, my uncle, had a lot to answer for. The best he could do for himself was to make sure he died peacefully before I saw him again.
I’d trusted Arnon with the woman who had become near and dear to my heart, believing he would protect her better than I could. And he betrayed me. Anger burned through my insides at the thought of what he’d done to her.
Now I wished to break the curse for the sole purpose of being able to tear Arnon limb from limb with my own hands. He didn’t deserve a quick, merciful death from simply turning to glass.
But my vengeance would have to wait.
“No. We can’t wait for another ship,” I said. “We can’t linger in Lyrei. We need to be in Sarnala by nightfall and out of the water by sunrise. I’d say ‘let’s set sail,’ Captain, but since we have no sails left, it’ll have to be your crew’s magic that will get us there. Can they do that?”
The sirens’ ships rarely used the power of wind anyway, moving mostly through the water magic of their crew. The ship being made of glass now potentially presented a concern, but Sagara nodded confidently.
“With the water out of the ship, its buoyancy is greatly improved now. Combined with our magic, we will get you to Sarnala, Your Majesty.”
“Splendid,” I said to him, but my gaze kept drifting to Maren.
She shivered, wrapped in a blanket that one of the crew had brought out for her. I couldn’t see most of her body under it, but there was a cut on her forehead and another one on her cheekbone. She did not escape unscathed, and those were justthe visible wounds. What she’d gone through tonight must’ve left even deeper cuts on her mind and her soul.
Fuck. All I wanted was for her to be happy and enjoy her life by my side. But all she got had been one nightmare after another.
“We’ll depart immediately then.” Sagara bowed. “Your cabin is ready, Your Majesty. We brought enough provisions for your breakfast too. The rest we can clean, dry, and organize on our way.”
“I don’t need any special accommodations now since the ship is made of glass anyway,” I said. “I can stay anywhere on deck. But I do need a bed, bath, and breakfast for Maren. And I need them now.”
Maren leaned her shoulder against the broken mast. The pearls, both black and white, strained around her throat with her every breath.
“Do you have a hag on your crew?” I asked Sagara.
He nodded.
“I want her to see Maren as soon as possible too,” I said, keeping my eyes on my butterfly.
She acted strong, as usual. But I knew it would take a long time to ease the memories of the last night. It might take even longer for her mind to heal. But at least I could make sure that her body was cleaned, healed, and rested as soon as possible.
“Come with me,” I told her, eager to make her warm and comfortable again.
The ship swayed into motion. The vessels stirred by sirens were renowned for a smooth ride with hardly any rocking from the waves and swells. No lurching in the storms. No risk of motion sickness.
