Page 60 of A Wrecking of Salt and Fire

Ember’s jaw dropped. He could not be serious. The next in line if the king or queen was incapacitated or away was the consort, and seeing as there was no consort, the next person down the list was the Prytan, not a foreign king. “That’s not going to happen. I am fully in my right to rule in your absence.”

King Athanas’ eyes narrowed, the whites almost entirely gone once more. It petrified Ember when that happened. With the shaven canines he looked like a monster from her father’s underworld. “You may have just been crowned Prytan, girl, but the fact remains, you know nothing concerning war or the politics in these isles. This is not the time for a child to lead.”

Ember almost stuck her tongue out at him, but realized what little good that would do given the insult he’d just thrown at her. “Kohl?” she gritted through her teeth.

“I have made my decision, Ember. My father will step in as regent. I am sorry, but that is what is best for Alentus. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must retire to my chambers alone.” His hands were clenched tight and the snarl that ticked on his lip terrified Ember, reminded her of the Viper, not the Kohl she had known since she was a small child.

Ember could not tell if that was an insult for sending that woman away or at his father for not wanting to speak any longer. She did not care either way. Her chest clenched in rage, air not easily passing to her lungs. The next day she would begin planning. Over her dead body would she let someone as vile as the Viper make any decisions for her people.

Chapter Thirty

Katrin

Fiery shadows danced along the cabin where Katrin remained until they passed the jagged coastline of the sirens. Only then did the half woman, half bird creatures living on shore disappear into specks, their lilting voices fading as well. It was the second time she had been fooled by the wickedness of their song.

If what she read about sirens was true, she could not think of how she remained out of their clutches when she fell into the abyss of the seas the first time. She had woken to the blistering sun, draped over a piece of driftwood, no jagged shores in sight, no cruel women luring her to her death. Maybe she really was favored by Ander’s God of the Sea. She certainly knew King Nikolaos had not used his powers of the deep unknown to help her.

She could feel them entering the waters around Skiatha. Shimmering magic tingled along her skin as they passed through the wards, deeming them worthy enough to step upon that sacred, protected land.

Katrin peered out the window, taking in the beauty of an isle that looked much like her own. It was not surrounded by a ring of flames, its land scorched and abandoned like the myths they were told as children. Instead, sparkling crystal waters swept against soft white sands. To the east of the isle, tall cliffs cut from an orange colored rock stood overlooking the bright skies. Small whitewashed homes were built into the cliff’s side, narrow roads running down to the shore. In the distance, an outline of a small mountain stood against the sapphire sky.

It reminded her of home, pushing an intense feeling of longing for the cavernous shores of Alentus. For her runs through the Triad Mountains. For whispers in olive groves.

The door to the captain’s quarters creaked open and Thalia poked her head through. “We’ve just set anchor in the harbor. Ander said you can join us on the deck. There’s—well there’s something he wants you to see.”

“Thank you. I’ll just change and will head outside.” She smiled softly at the seer dressed in a long silver diaphanous gown. She wondered what Thalia was getting up to if she was dressed in such finery as that.

Katrin stripped out of her night clothes, leaving them in a pile by the bedside. She was not sure if they would be staying on the ship now that they reached their location, but she would pick them up another time. Shimmying on a pair of trousers and a linen tunic, Katrin wondered what Ander could possibly have to show her. Maybe it was just the beautiful isle that lay before them. Or maybe he had gotten her something in Lesathos that he kept secret for these two weeks they had sailed.

She slid her feet into the pair of leather boots she had come aboard the ship with and headed for the deck. Soft chatter came from above as Katrin walked up the steps at the end of the corridor. Two men were talking, one she knew was the captain. The other, his voice also seemed familiar, low and raspy and calming. The man stood in front of Ander, his black cloak billowing out in the wind. His hair was dark as the Stygian River, his skin the same lightly tanned olive as Katrin. When he glanced back at her, his eyes, so brown they were almost black, warmed at the sight of her.

The God of Death and the Illuminating Stars of Night. The King of the Underworld. Aidoneus. Her father.

Katrin sprinted from the stairwell, flinging her arms around him. “Father! How? Why? What are you doing here?” The answers did not really matter. He was here. She had not seen her father in well over a year, his duties as ruler of Aidensian taking precedence over being in this realm. He was only allowed out at times of crisis, or on occasion celebration, and for a single week of the year to visit her mother.

“Whoa there, little one. Let’s take this one question at a time.” He hugged her back, a firm but loving embrace. “I have missed you,” he chuckled in his booming voice. “I swear you have grown since I last saw you.”

“Father, I am almost twenty-five. I have not grown, and I am not your little one anymore. I am a lady now.” Her smile beamed almost from cheek to cheek. The light in her eyes a sparkling amber and brown.

“You will always be little to me, Kat,” her father said, ruffling the top of her hair like she was still a young child.

Ander snorted beside them. Katrin flashed him a narrow glare. He would not ruin this moment for her. He held his hands up in front of his chest, backing off a step. She rolled her eyes back, this man really knew how to annoy her.

“But really, Father, why are you here? And with him nonetheless.” She pointed at Ander who now sat up on the rail on the ship, one foot knocked back.

“How about we get to shore, and then we can have that talk. There’s much to discuss, my little one.” Her father gave a small smile and flashed a—was it concerned?—look toward the captain. Katrin knew better than to argue with her father, and she was just so happy he was here. That little piece of home and familiarity easing the pain in her heart from being absent from Alentus all these weeks. Still, she could not help but think it strange that her father would be on this shrouded isle, be allowed to leave his sacred realm, and most of all be working with a pirate.

Now it was Ander’s turn to speak. “You can leave all your stuff on the ship. The crew will pack it up and take it to shore on the row boats. You can join your father, Leighton, Thalia, and I on the first one out.”

Katrin bit her lip. She had left her night clothes in a heap on the floor, and now some member of the crew would be bundling it up. Ander only had thin silk slips when she had come aboard the ship. Katrin had not minded it until now. It was what she had always preferred at home when the weather had not chilled off for winter yet. But thinking about what the crew would say when they found this little measly thing on the ground. Oh gods—they would think there was something between them. But was there?

“Something bothering you, Starling?” Ander purred, sneaking up behind her.

Katrin jumped. “What? Nothing is bothering me.” He gave her a wicked glare, like he knew what was causing the princess’ skin to tingle, stomach to clench, cheeks to flush.

Her father glared over at them and Ander apparently took that as his sign to walk away toward the rope ladder hanging over the side of the rail. How was Thalia supposed to get down that with her dainty little dress? Katrin was glad she had opted for something more conducive to climbing down the swaying ladder.

“Ladies first,” Ander said as he gestured toward the side of the ship. She slid up onto the rail of The Nostos, swinging her legs over to get her footing on the wooden dowels hanging down to the raft below. The last time she had been this close to the rail, this close to the water, she had almost jumped to her death. The hair on the back of Katrin’s neck stood as she slowly lowered herself down. It was over. The sirens were gone. Her father was here now. She was safe.

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