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I pressed my hand against my stomach. “Just some tea, Raina.” I glanced down at my wet boots and dress. “But before I do anything, I need to wash this death tide off of me. You were certainly not exaggerating when you said the Blackforge Sea was not an ocean to visit. I would like never to see it again.”

Raina filled another warm bath for me. I planned to soak in the flowery-scented, soapy water until I was sure every microbe and molecule of the horrid sea was gone. I rested my head back against the rounded edge of the metal tub. I had to work hard to push the nightmarish scenes from the day out of my head. Doing that left a void that was surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, filled by Revel Greyhart. I could still feel his powerful grip as he pulled me from the clutches of the sea. I shuddered, sending a vibration across the surface of the bath, as I thought about the way poor Worlo died. With any luck he was dead and drowned by the time the monstrous fish attacked him. I shuddered again, thinking about it, then I took a deep breath and banished the dreadful thoughts altogether. That left me again with a head that was annoyingly filled with thoughts of the impossibly beautiful Valian warrior.

I blushed as I realized my nipples hardened just thinking about him, his powerful arms, his strong hands, his face. Damn, that face was something. I lifted my hand from the water and kneaded my nipple lightly between my fingers. I’d never gone further than petting and fondling with a man, and suddenly, my body pulsed with need, wondering what it would feel like to be in Revel Greyhart’s bed, in his arms. My hand smoothed down over my belly, and I tucked my fingers between my legs. My breaths came short and hot as I stroked myself, all the while imagining that it was Revel’s hand between my legs.

“I’ve got the tea ready,” Raina sang down the hallway.

I sat up so fast, I splashed water over all the tub edges. “Right, I’m just getting out,” I said, flustered and wearing a head-to-toe blush.

Raina popped her head into the room. “I’ve cut a nice slab of goat cheese just in case you’re hungry.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right out.” Since the lovely blue dress was wet, Raina had pulled out a dusty rose-colored one that was less fitted. She called it a “lounge-around-the-house shift.” I pulled it on and instantly fell in love with it. We’d placed my boots on the front porch to dry out. Raina had found several pairs of woolen socks to keep my feet warm in the meantime.

Raina was standing in front of the hearth stirring something in the big pot hanging over the fire. It smelled rich and fragrant. Enzo swirled around her legs. Raina looked back over her shoulder at me. Perspiration beaded on her forehead. “It’s boar stew for Tildy.”

“Is she alone now?”

“In a sense. Her husband has been sickly for several years. He rarely leaves his bed. I’m afraid this news will take whatever life he had left.”

I picked the tea up off the table and sat on the sofa in front of the warm hearth.

“No cheese?” she asked as she replaced the lid on the pot.

“Not yet.” I took a sip of tea. “Already getting used to it. This was just what I needed after that nightmare. This cottage, the bath, you—this is just what I needed. Sitting in this cozy house makes it feel as if the last hour was just a bad dream. It’s hard to believe it even happened.”

Raina picked up her own cup of tea and joined me on the sofa. Enzo jumped on Raina’s lap and curled up to sleep.

“Where on earth did those horrid fish come from? Is there no way to stop them?”

“There are so many. They swim and hunt in one big school, but if they’re in danger they shoot out in a million different directions, so no, there is no way to stop them, and as for their origin—well, it’s a long story. Are you in the mood to sit for it?”

I pulled my feet up on the couch and tucked them next to me. “Got my tea and my woolen socks, so I’m not going anywhere.”

Raina took a bracing sip of tea and then stared into the wavering flames. “It all started many years ago. I was still a pretty young thing.”

I touched her hand. “You still are.”

Raina laughed. “Silly girl. Now where was I? Right. A beautiful sorceress named Calista lived in Troikana. She was extremely powerful. She rarely used her magic, but when she did, she was always up to mischief. As she grew older and more powerful, she seemed to care even less about the people of Troikana. She considered us mere mortals, nothing but nuisances. She set forests on fire and caused havoc just to see how many would suffer. Her beauty faded away. Then she fell madly in love with a Valian warrior named Gregor.” Raina’s eyes turned up. “He was so handsome. And he absolutely did not return the affection. Calista became enraged. She killed Gregor and cast a spell to make the Blackforge Sea dangerous to fishermen and traders. You see, Norvale used to be a fishing village, and we counted on the sea to take our goods across to Lowengate and Halquin.”

“So she filled the sea with Krakatow? But it seems like with a sturdy enough ship, the sea could still be crossed.”

Raina hopped up and stirred the stew. A cloud of sage and another herb I didn’t recognize swirled around the room. She rejoined me on the couch. “Calista’s first spell was not Krakatow. She cast a spell and created a gigantic sea monster, a kraken with many heads. It was big, strong, and evil enough to take ships straight down to the bottom.” Raina tucked a strand of my hair back behind my ear in a motherly fashion and continued.

“The kraken took down so many ships, eventually people just stopped crossing the sea. Revel’s parents were on one of the doomed ships. Revel was just a baby at the time. The kraken took out the masts. Before the monster could capsize the ship, Revel’s mom put her infant son in a wooden trunk. She included a note to Yarros and Anya, her parents and Revel’s grandparents, revealing their terrible fate and letting them know they needed to raise their grandson. She pushed the trunk into the water. She knew the current would take it to Norvale, and sure enough the trunk floated up onto shore. Revel was fast asleep inside.”

I sat back, stunned. “That’s incredible. So many things could have happened to that little baby.”

“Revel has been a survivor since he was born. His grandfather, Yarros, was a great warrior. Revel learned from him.” Raina sat up in interest. “I nearly forgot. Your father, Ortoro, fought under Yarros’s command. He, too, was very brave.”

I stared at her, trying to decide if I’d just heard her words correctly. “My father? I have a father?”

Raina laughed. “I think that’s usually a given.” She dropped the smile. “He died just before you were born. It tore your mom apart. I wasn’t sure she’d make it through the pregnancy. But that story is for another day.”

I took a deep breath. “Sometimes it feels that even if I live to a hundred, I’m not going to live long enough to hear all the stories I need to hear. Where did the Krakatow come from?”

“That’s where the story takes an interesting and unfortunate twist. All the rulers from the various lands were upset about the danger of crossing the sea, so a group went to talk to the Triumvirate of Sorcerers, asking them to take care of the problem. They were, frankly, a little afraid of Calista. Her powers were great. So, the people of Troikana decided to take matters into their own hands. It was one of the few times the three regions, Solamere, Regnamoor and Norvale, worked together.”

“Common enemy, I suppose.”