Page 248 of The Sins of Silas

When Era's head pain had become too much, she made her exit, heading to our room to rest before the ball. I was going to walk with her, but Hendry offered instead, wishing for me to enjoy as much of this as I could.

He was a great friend.

Viola had also left a while ago. One of Lucretia's hairstylists offered to freshen up her braids, and since it was a time-consumingtask, she departed early. I couldn't wait to see her new style at the ball.

I leapt out of the water, heading up to get another drink, when someone stopped me.

“Hey.” Roland grasped my arm, eyes bouncing between mine.

I didn't shrug him off; I just stood there, frozen. He had been eyeing me the entire time but hadn't had it in him to come up and talk to me.

“What happened to you?” he asked quietly. “Who did it?”

I swallowed, hesitantly turning to face him. “I don't want to talk about it.”

His gentle eyes skated down my face, then back up. “Your father?”

My eyes fell away, and I nodded.

Roland cursed as he released my arm. “I'm so sorry.”

“I don't need pity.”

“Was it…did he do it because—”

“The beatings started months before that.” For the first time in years, my eyes softened at him. My friend, despite my mistreatments. “I'm not ready to talk about it, but I will be eventually. Can you accept that?”

He dragged his teeth over his lip, nodding slowly. “I can…I can accept that.”

The corner of my lip raised. “You want a drink?”

ChapterSixty-Nine

LENA

“Did the ocean please you?” Valter asked me later that afternoon. I could tell he fancied my presence, and I needed more answers. So, when I went to him directly, he decided to bring me to the palace's library.

It was a room in one of those pale blue domes at the top of the palace. White shelves lined the room, filled with books. I strolled across the light wood flooring, sitting in one of the many blue velvet chairs that sat across the multiple desks.

“More than pleased me. Truly, this is the most magical place I’ve ever seen. Literally and figuratively.” My hair was still in those fishtail braids, drying. I had dressed in a casual sweater and leggings that Valter had left in my room. He'd said I would be dressed to the nines tonight, so relaxing attire until then would do. “Immeron—the brother of Igon, our seer—said the Sea Nymphs once ruled this place. I’ve seen the statues, too.”

“Indeed, they did. Until the War of Three Pirates.”

“What happened?” I asked curiously, resting my cheek on my fist. “And how are there some still residing here?”

Valter sat across from me, setting down a handful of books. “Three of Tovagoth's most notorious pirates wanted the Sea Nymphs for themselves, not just their own lands but the undersea city itself—Nereida, before it became what it is today. All for different reasons.” His green eyes slid to mine. “Do you know the Sea Nymph’s greatest power?”

I shook my head.

“Their ability to charm. Seduce. Not to be confused with the Angels’s ability to compel, though I suppose they could achieve a similar outcome as charming if they wished. But the Sea Nymphs were a different type of beauty. One look in their eyes and human men and women would fall to their knees. Would give up their gold and their lands.

“One of the pirates, Prince Davian of Balifor, believed this power was too easy to be taken advantage of. He swore to hunt and kill every last one of them. The other pirate, Raden, was his best friend and the Prince of Wrendier. He also believed in doing this to an extent, but he wished to rule the land—to strike a deal so he could use the Sea Nymphs charms to get whatever he wished.”

“So, he planned to betray his friend?”

“Indeed. The last pirate was Ketsia. Not only was she the sister of Davian, but she was also betrothed to Raden. She wished to find balance. She didn’t believe for one second that her fiancé’s plans were just, even as he attempted to convince her that he wished to leave most alive, unlike her brother.

“Ketsia decided to hell with her brother and fiancé’s plans. She made the trip to Nereida on foot and passed through the Valleyof Awakening with ease. That ward is cast through the Nymphs, not us Mages. At that point, Nereida was a city underwater. The Sea Nymphs provided her with a magical air bubble so she could travel down below.

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