Hymn of Breath and Bone (The Whispering Sea Duet #2)

Chapter 21

Sereia and Astraios accompanied us back into town, despite the fact that both looked ready to collapse with exhaustion. Caspian insisted Zephyr stay with the ship, and Astraios insisted Caspian needed someone to guard his back. Sereia refused to be left alone on a ship full of sirens, regardless of whatever modicum of trust Astraios had won from her.

Her response to Nordhavn was exactly what I hoped it would be.

“And they all just live here?” she asked, eyes wide as we took the long way to the Rose not isolated from the world, but part of it.”

Sereia was about to reply when a musician began to play on a small stringed instrument. It was different from Caspian’s lyre, a long neck with strings attached to one end connecting to a wider body with a hole in the middle. Sereia covered her ears, looking around in panic.

“It’s just a fiddle,” Astraios said with a smirk, pulling Sereia’s hand from her ear. “It won’t hurt you.”

Sereia listened, entranced by the music as Caspian and Astraios discussed the plan for when the Stormcrow arrived in hushed voices.

I watched my friend, wondering if I had looked as small and scared and bewildered by the world as she did when I had first experienced it.

“It gets easier,” I said gently as the song ended. Sereia looked at me with wide, awestruck blue eyes. “Feeling like you are just experiencing the world for the first time.”

“It’s so beautiful,” Sereia said, her eyes lined with silver as the fiddler began another song, this one a slow ballad. “But it’s forbidden, Marina.”

“I know,” I replied. “But what if it wasn’t?”

“You’d need to bring the whole population of the Isles here to get them to believe it,” she muttered, looking around and taking in every drop of the scene as if she might never experience it again.

“At last, you see reason, fledgling.” A burly siren male with a wiry black beard interrupted our conversation by sliding into our booth. His hair was streaked with gray, his face lined with years of experience, and one of his storm cloud-colored wings was bent at a horrible angle.

He grinned widely at Caspian, then nodded toward me. “This must be her.” He took my hand as Caspian growled in warning, bending to kiss it and bowing over the table. “Ilya Stormcrow, my lady. I am so pleased to meet you at last.”

“She’s your queen,” Astraios growled, scowling as he attempted to shield Sereia from view with his body. “And Caspian is your king. Show some respect.”

The Stormcrow laughed, ignoring Astraios completely as he peered around Astraios’ broad shoulder. “And who is this little dove?”

“She is none of your concern,” I snapped, drawing Ilya’s attention away from my friend as Caspian snatched my hand back from the treacherous former-general. “You came to meet me, did you not?”

“I like this one, Cas,” Ilya said, grinning widely and showing off his yellowing teeth. “She’s got some spirit in her.”

“Tell me what I want to know, Ilya.” Caspian was glaring at the former general in a way that would have melted my bones had his glare been directed at me.

The Stormcrow just grinned appreciatively. “First, we drink.” He raised a hand to signal one of the wait staff and ordered a round of ale for the table. “And I want to hear the thrilling tale of your romance. How ever did such a thing come about, I wonder?”

“That wasn’t our deal,” Caspian growled.

“It’s fine,” I said. I placed a hand on Caspian’s bicep, and he looked down at me, amber eyes wary.

“Are you sure, Urchin?”

I nodded and launched into the tale, beginning from my kidnapping and recounting the shipwreck, the kelpies, and Morar. Then the false betrothal, the attack by Ilya’s men, to which the Stormcrow smirked in a superior sort of way that made me want to slap him, and our realization that we were mates.

“And here we are,” I finished with a shrug, noting Sereia’s wide eyes. This was the first time she had heard the story from me, and she looked a bit stunned at my storytelling. I turned to Cas. “Did I miss anything?”

“That was succinct and sufficient, Urchin,” Caspian drawled, draining his ale. “Now, Ilya. Tell me what I want to know. I’ve more than held up my end of the bargain.”

“That you have,” he said, standing and stretching before leering down at me. “She’s truly lovely, Cas. I congratulate you.”

“The information, Ilya,” Caspian demanded through gritted teeth.

“Ah, that.” The Stormcrow grinned, folding his arms over his broad chest. I noticed a few males in the crowd move toward us and put a warning hand over Caspian’s. He squeezed in acknowledgment, noticing the threat as well. “You’re altogether too trusting, Cas. You think I’d really reveal who my clients are? They pay for my discretion.”

Caspian stood, drawing his sword and pointing it at the Stormcrow’s exposed throat. The entire tavern seemed to freeze as several patrons rose and drew swords around us in turn.

“None of that, now,” the Stormcrow tsked, motioning to his armed companions. “Wouldn’t want to get blood all over your pretty mate, now, would we?”

“I will fucking kill you,” Caspian growled.

“You’ll try,” the Stormcrow agreed. “But you’ll have to find me first. And right now, you’re going to let me and my people walk out of here without causing a scene, or I’ll make damn sure you live to regret it.”

“Cas.” There was no way we could win a fight against so many, even with our magic. The four of us were sorely outnumbered, and Ilya knew it. I pulled on Caspian’s arm until he lowered his sword and took his seat beside me.

The patrons who weren’t in Ilya’s employ returned slowly to their drinks and music as Ilya rose and bowed.

“My lady, it’s been a pleasure,” the Stormcrow said, rising from the booth. “I recommend you leave Nordhavn tonight with your irascible mate, lest a worse fate befall you all.” He bowed to Sereia, who looked down at her lap, then to Astraios, who snarled, before raising his brows and giving Caspian a pointed look. “That bit of information is on the house.”

Caspian let out a breath in frustration as Ilya disappeared into the crowded tavern, his people following after him. “That fucking bastard.”

“Same as he ever was,” Astraios agreed. “What now?”

“I have an idea,” I said, easing my hand over Caspian’s as he clenched his fist around his glass. “About how we will convince my people of the truth. To help them see that we can live together in peace. But it means one of us will have to stay here.”

Caspian raised his brow and drained his glass.

“I’m listening, Urchin.”

When I had laid out my plan and let the others test it for weakness, Caspian blew out a deep breath.

“You're right, Urchin. I think this is the answer.”

“I’ll stay,” Astraios volunteered. “I can hire a ship and follow you in two days.”

“But you’re exhausted,” Sereia protested. It was the most she’d said to him all evening, and his eyes softened as he looked at her.

“Someone has to do this, Sereia. It may as well be me.”

“Then I’m staying too,” Sereia demanded, looking at me as if to challenge her decision. “I’ll help.”

Her eyes flicked to Astraios, a faint blush across her dark cheeks. When she saw my raised brow, her blush deepened.

“We’ll leave tonight,” Caspian agreed, oblivious to whatever was happening between Sereia and his second mate. “If we’re lucky, we’ll intercept the selkie army before they arrive.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, glancing between her and Astraios. He watched her with a kind of intensity I had never seen on his face before, and my suspicion about their connection deepened. If Sereia and Astraios were mates like me and Caspian, it might go a long way to help convince my people of the truth. Not just one but two selkies of the royal household mated to sirens within a month of each other—fate indeed.

Sereia nodded, blue eyes fierce. “I’ll stay.”

“Follow in two days,” Caspian commanded, clasping hands with Astraios. “And be safe.”

“You too,” Astraios murmured, clapping me on the shoulder once before turning to Sereia, his hand upturned in the direction of the town. “Shall we?”

She nodded, looking a little pale but determined as she strode back into town

“Do you think they’re mates?”

“So you did notice that?” I laughed. “I think so.”

“Poor Mira,” Caspian murmured, bringing my hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “This is a brilliant idea, Urchin. Have I told you recently how utterly incredible you are?”

“Not recently,” I teased, letting him take my hand and guide me back to the ship. The siren vessel was easy to spot—the figurehead of Melusine standing with arms upraised to the sky was the only one of its kind amid the other merchant and passenger ships. “But perhaps you can show me.”

“Skies, yes,” Caspian growled, scooping me up in his arms and hastening his pace as I laughed. He kissed me, barely able to watch where he was going for the distraction of my lips and tongue. “I want you all to myself before the crew wakes.”

I was so wrapped up in Caspian’s warmth and breath and the pounding of his heart and growing desire, that I didn’t sense the danger until it was far too late.

“Hello again fledgling,” said the Stormcrow. He had a dagger pressed to Zephyr’s throat as he held her before him. One of the siren crew—Caspian’s crew—was lying face down in a pool of blood behind the mast. Next to him lay the bloody head of a sea dragon, yellow scales dull and green eyes blank and staring.

I sent a silent scream out to the sea in warning.

“We really need to stop meeting like this.”

Selkie warriors sprang from the sea below, surrounding us and trapping us on deck. Each carried a spear that they pointed at Caspian’s heart.

I quickly scanned the deck, taking inventory of our situation. I counted about twenty selkie warriors and perhaps ten unfamiliar crew members. Ilya’s crew appeared to be a motley mix of sirens, dwarves, and demons who looked just as villainous as their master.

The selkies all wore the shirt kilt and leather armor of my father’s guard. If the selkies were from the isles, then that meant…

Vitulus stepped out from behind the Stormcrow, ordering his warriors not to hurt us.

I moved without thinking, pulling water from the sea below us and pushing it down the throats of the nearest warriors. They fell back, clutching at their throats as they worked to move the water back out of their bodies.

I aimed for the Stormcrow next, but Vitulus was faster than me.

“Marina!” he shouted, clamping a pair of iron cuffs down on my wrists. “Stop this!”

My magic left me in a wave of icy pain. I cried out, dropping to my knees as Caspian called my name, water dribbling from the mouths of the warriors I’d attacked.

The Stormcrow laughed, his eyes alight. “My my, you are a treasure. It’s no wonder your father wants you back so badly.”

“My father?” I whirled toward Vitulus, wincing as the cuffs grated against my wrists. He gave a small nod of confirmation, looking at least like he regretted allying with the likes of the Stormcrow.

“How?” Caspian demanded through bared teeth. “How did you take my ship?”

The Stormcrow laughed. “Did you think I wouldn’t do my own digging after your little visit, fledgling? It took maybe an hour to discover which ship was yours, and another to alert the good captain here that I’d found his bride-to-be. Although you may not want her now, Captain. I think she’s sullied goods.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Caspian growled.

“Maybe later.” The Stormcrow rose, Zephyr squeaking as the blade dug a little deeper. “And now, my new friends and I have a job to do, I'm afraid. To return the Selkie King’s beloved daughter to his side.”

Caspian rose, his hand on his sword, and spears immediately pressed into his throat.

“None of that, now,” the Stormcrow chided, motioning to the selkie guards to take him below. “Wouldn’t want to get blood all over your pretty mate, now, would we?”