37. Zeal | Lyra
Their plan was to arrive in Zeal the day before their wedding ceremony for a secret handfasting.
Drystan had sent word to Adamaris and instructed the prince not to tell anyone who didn’t need to know.
Leaving the palace walls would be dangerous again. But they were also killing two birds with this stone. The entire council was arriving, unannounced, to get a look at the temple—and Tiandra.
They had quietly made it through Atlantis and began working their way through Zeal. The northeastern territory burst with vibrant colors.
Neon sea fans and bright coral thrived against the black silt seabed, life reclaiming every crevice the ocean would allow. Towering, shadowed mountains stood sentinel in the distance, guarding the temples made of gleaming volcanic glass.
The water felt warmer here—alive—and almost electric in a way the current pulsed. It prickled Lyra’s skin. But that could have also been the nerves.
Her heart fluttered alongside pulsating fields of amethyst anemone. And she longed to brush her hands through the emerald sea-grasses. For as often as she felt like she didn’t belong in Atlantis, she did feel like she belonged here.
This place felt a part of her, as if she had been plucked from the fields of emerald and woven with the crimson anemone.
The stately palace mirrored the temples in the distance with the same kind of gleam.
Lyra caught sight of Enna and Adamaris hovering before the grand archway of the entrance as they arrived. Enna waited beside her husband, not behind him, and the image struck a chord within Lyra.
Her sister wore a kylix of iridescent pearl, the bright shade stunning against her tan skin. Adamaris glanced sidelong at his wife, a smile spreading across his lips, dissolving the frown that had been in place.
A line of nobles and servants on either side of the prince and princess presented a grand welcome. Lyra stretched her arms up above her head and stretched her fins out, readying for the posturing that was about to take place.
“That didn’t take too long, at least,” Nerida said with a yawn as she patted her elaborate updo.
Her black hair hadn’t moved an inch despite her leaning against the shell wall the entire time.
Nerida raked her hazel gaze across the palace, and the merfolk lined up to greet them.
“It’s a bit much for a small, secret wedding, isn’t it?”
Lyra snorted. “Enna has always been … extravagant.”
Enna was the epitome of what a princess should be: heart-shaped face, chocolate-brown hair, and a kind smile. Lyra had always been jealous of her sister’s effortless beauty.
Nerida giggled. “That’s putting it nicely.”
As they exited the shell vessel, Enna and Adamaris bowed low.
“We weren’t expecting you so soon,” Adamaris said as he clasped forearms with Drystan.
“We would have been here sooner, but it was difficult to leave unseen,” Drystan replied. “You made sure no one knew we were arriving?”
Adamaris gave a curt nod as he retracted his arm. “Those who do know think you’re examining the temple ahead of the wedding tomorrow. No one suspects a thing.”
Lyra and Nerida shared a look, and Lyra’s chest ached.
They were getting married in secret today to avoid any bloodshed tomorrow.
“And the others?” Drystan asked.
“Here. They’ll travel with you to the temple,” Adamaris replied.
Lyra watched as Enna and Nerida hugged each other. She couldn’t help but notice how different and yet how beautiful they were.
Enna’s coral tail appeared the same shade as the coral that grew along the archway. Nerida’s saffron-colored tail matched the anemone that waved in the nearby courtyard.
It took a moment for Lyra to realize they were waiting—for her.
Their arms outstretched in welcome. It made Lyra’s breath catch in the back of her throat.
They were welcoming her.
Enna’s skin gleamed olive in the sunlight as she wrapped her arms around Lyra. And she couldn’t help but bury her face in her sister’s neck. Wisps of Enna’s chocolate-brown hair tickled Lyra’s nose.
“It’s a pleasure to have you home, sweet sister,” Enna breathed.
Lyra’s eyes burned, and she bit the inside of her cheek.
This was not the Atlantis she had known all her life.
Where was the animosity and brutality? Had such poison only flourished under her father’s reign?
Enna slipped her arm through Lyra’s and smiled brightly.
“Let me give you the tour,” Enna said as she led them through the archway.
Adamaris cleared his throat. “Dearest …”
Enna turned, her smile growing as she locked eyes with her husband. “I think they’re just here to see the temple.”
Adamaris looked from Enna to Drystan for confirmation, but Drystan’s eyes were on Lyra.
“Would you like a tour first, or after?”
Lyra chewed on her lower lip, thinking over her options.
She’d always wanted to see the temple, but now it would mean tying her life to Drystan’s. Her chest squeezed tighter when she thought of all the reasons she didn’t want to be here.
Wilder was on land waiting for her, and she missed her friends.
But she couldn’t break the bargain without first marrying Drystan.
She turned her attention to Enna and saw the hope shining there. It was an easy decision. She was going to stall a bit longer.
“A tour shouldn’t take too long, right?”
Enna grinned and sped them along the corridors, pointing out all the changes they had made when they took up residence there. There was such pride emanating from her sister’s words; Lyra was riveted learning all the things they had done.
“With the changes to the south wall, the rainbow fish population has grown, and now we’ve noticed the arrival of clownfish in the anemone that has returned!”
“So the reef is stable now?” Nerida asked.
She had been nodding along to Enna’s exuberance, but now she was still, her head tilted to the side.
“Yes, the report you had Ishmael send over was very beneficial. We are in your debt, sister.”
Ishmael pressed his lips into a thin line and bowed his head. But his quick glance at Nerida spoke volumes. It had been her that had found the solution to healing the reef, not him.
Enna clasped her hand around Nerida’s and gave a gentle squeeze.
Drystan watched the interaction silently, but his scrutiny was apparent. This was foreign to him.
“So the damage from the earthquake is gone?” he asked, trying to puzzle it all out.
“All of it,” Adamaris answered.
“The only damage left is here,” Enna said and gestured to a grand room. Sunlight poured through the open ceiling and reflected off the sparkling floor.
“The light …” Lyra breathed as she looked through slitted lids. “It’s so bright here.”
Enna and Adamaris grinned. “It’s not as murky as Atlantis,” Enna answered.
“There’s such life here,” Lyra whispered, her eyes adjusting to the light at last and widening.
Drystan cleared his throat. “We should see the temple now.”
Lyra nodded, but Enna’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“Right this way,” Adamaris gestured, his muscular arm sweeping to the side, allowing them to pass.
Enna slipped her arm out of Lyra’s and pressed a hand to her lower back, giving her a light push towards Drystan.
“Keep her safe,” Enna said. Her bright and welcoming eyes had shifted into a glare.
Drystan nodded and waited as Lyra stopped at his side and tilted her head to the side. There was something Enna wasn’t saying. Something she was trying very poorly to convey.
Were there spies here?
“That’s the plan,” Drystan replied. His attention scoured Enna’s face before meeting Lyra’s confused gaze.
“The danger is higher here,” Enna added, seeing Lyra’s frown.
“How?” Lyra asked, her head swiveling between them.
This felt like a different kind of threat than what Aegir posed.
Drystan sighed. “Ah, I see.”
When it was apparent that everyone knew something she did not, Lyra cleared her throat. “Care to explain?”
Drystan inhaled. “There have been reports of missing merfolk on the outskirts of territories. We’re unsure of the cause.”
Lyra felt a shiver slither down her spine. Drystan placed a hand on her lower back and gestured with his head to follow Adamaris.
She took up position behind him and squinted when the light caught the sword now strapped to his waist. He shifted, and the light stopped blinding her long enough to see him don a helmet that covered most of his face.
A guard handed a helmet to Drystan, and he tucked it beneath his arm as they continued on.
Drystan didn’t have any weapons strapped to his waist as far as she could tell, and he hadn’t brought the trident with them either.
“You stay right beside me,” he ordered her.
Lyra’s eyes narrowed. “I can handle myself.”
His eyebrows shot up incredulously. “Oh? Another murderous rampage is on the horizon?”
His question took the wind out of her sails, and when she didn’t readily respond, he grinned.
“We have plenty of guards. We’ll be fine.”
Lyra waited until his eyes met hers again, just to see his reaction. “Give me a sword.”
Drystan let out a barking laugh. “Whatever for?”
She held her hand up and waited for him to follow her order. “The elves trained me in combat. I know how to use one.”
Drystan appeared horrified—for a split second—until he mastered his face and began laughing.
“They’re much more stupid than I originally thought. Who in their right mind would think that females would stand a chance in combat?”
Her anger got the best of her, and she reacted before thinking it through. A perfectly placed elbow right between his ribs had him growling and wrapping a fist around her arm.
“If you wanted to touch me,” he whispered through gritted teeth. “You could have just asked.”
“You constantly underestimate me,” she seethed.
He dragged her through the door and back to the courtyard where several large manatees bobbed in the current, mounted by the rest of the princes. Caspian, Hadrian, Rigel, Lir, and Caius.
“You will ride by my side and follow my orders this time. If I tell you to return here—you do so immediately.”
Lyra rolled her eyes but did not argue as she took in the gentle creatures. She’d always had a soft spot for manatees, and any opportunity to be around them was a joy.
“We have a full guard ready for escort, sire,” Adamaris said while trying to conceal a smirk.
Drystan mounted his own manatee while waiting for the guard to assemble.
“There’s been the most activity right around the temple—so be careful.”
The land around the temple was still. A bated breath.
The manatees slowed their pace, tails rising and falling in a leisurely rhythm. Lyra’s grip on her reins tightened, her knuckles turning white. Drystan slowed his pace to match hers so that they were side-by-side.
“Are you well?” he asked, barely above a whisper.
Lyra glanced sidelong at him, raising her chin. “I’m fine.”
He looked pointedly at her grip, and she relaxed it immediately. “It’s the sea here … it’s different.”
Drystan looked around as if expecting to see something different from what they had passed thus far. The onyx sand glittered in the sunlight streaming in from the surface. The anemones here were different from the amethyst they had traveled through earlier.
It was a rainbow, an effervescent rainbow. The tentacles were thicker, too. They were healthier here. Everything was thriving with energy.
Even the light in the water was brilliant enough that Lyra found herself squinting against the brightness for quite some time until her vision adjusted.
“How so?” Drystan asked.
Lyra sighed deeply, her eyes fluttering closed as she spoke. “It slumbers. But not peacefully.” She opened her eyes to see Drystan gaping at her. “What?”
“Your voice …” he started before shaking his head. “It didn’t sound like yours just now.”
A frown marred her face before she turned and waved him off. “You’re idiotic.”
The current shifted for a heartbeat, like a ripple.
They halted their procession.
“What was that?” Lyra hissed, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
Drystan’s keen eyes scanned their path before he turned to stare behind them. “Something woke up.”
The guards shifted, bringing their weapons before them and moving into ready positions. Gold gleamed and metal whined.
The princes also looked around restlessly.
“An earthquake?” Caspian asked, his white hair tied back and off his shoulders.
Rigel shook his head in earnest. “Didn’t feel as strong as the others had been.”
“Let’s move.” Lir pushed his manatee along.
“How is your magic, really?” Drystan murmured, sliding off his mount and coming to a halt beside her.
Lyra fumbled for the thread in her chest. It was there, but dim. Drystan’s shoulders relaxed a fraction as she wiggled her hand back and forth in a so-so fashion.
“What is out there?” she hissed.
A crackle of electricity shot from one of the volcanoes in the distance, and she gasped.
A loud rumble trembled the seabed. It was the closest thing to thunder she had ever heard beneath the waves.
Lyra’s mouth dropped open.
Drystan stared in awe, his eyes widening, but his knuckles turned white against the reins. “Those volcanoes haven’t been active since before the First War …”
The land stilled, becoming silent once more, but the tension did not ease from those gathered.
Fear had drawn up the muscles between Lyra’s shoulders, and she could not shake the feeling that something monstrous was soon to come.
“Keep moving,” Drystan ordered, regaining his position and easing to the front of the group.
A dark cloud gathered far off in the distance, and anxiety coiled in Lyra’s gut. She couldn’t shake the feeling for the rest of the journey, and when the temple finally appeared, a mass of onyx glass with colossal pillars the size of the trees she had seen in the Wilds, her stomach dropped.
The time had finally come.
Drystan must have sensed her hesitation because he rested a hand on top of hers.
“As soon as the ceremony is over, we’ll go to the reef and unbind the tithe. The throne will be ours, and my trident will be returned to me.”