Page 109 of Voice of the Ocean

Raiden let out a breath of relief and moved to check on the others. But Kiyami’s unconscious body only reminded Celeste of one thing. One person.

Sephone.

Amid the chaos, she had lost track of her. But when she looked to where Nerissa last stood with her sister, there was no sign of them. Nerissa had used the Chorus’s arrival as a diversion. She must have fled before the Song took effect. And now Nerissa would take the Voice to the king. Cold fear washed over Celeste. Heart hammering, her eyes fell to her wrist. The once black crescent had faded to white.

The deal was done.

“Did anyone see the Sea Witch?” Celeste asked in Starian, and then in the common tongue. “Anyone see where she went?”

“She’d have gone west.”

Celeste whirled.

With shaking legs, Bastian pulled himself to his feet, his expression somber. Feeling Celeste’s eyes on him, he lowered his gaze. “Where we docked our ships,” he said softly.

“Thank you,” Celeste said, uncertain. Was he...helpingher? After he tried to kill her?

“No,” he said, meeting her eyes, “thank you for saving me.Again.”

Celeste looked away, unsure how to feel. Instead, she turned to the Chorus. “I know you have no reason to trust me—not after what I did.” She thought of her mother, her plan to return to Staria once her mission was complete. Did she even belong in the siren realm anymore? But if she remained in the human world, would she have a place there? She pushed the thought aside.

“These humans are not your enemy. I can lead you to the humans whoare. The ones who have Sephone and are taking her to King Leonidas.”

The general looked upon the sacred weapon of the Goddess in her fist. Her face hardened. “We shall follow you, Princess,” she said, voice firm. Celeste’s shoulders sagged in relief, her royal composure slipping. As if by habit, her eyes found Raiden’s. His face was stony, unreadable. She wasn’t sure if he was still here because he wanted to help them, or for his own selfish reasons. It would be just like him to play nice until he found a way to oust Nerissa and take the credit for himself.

But in the end, there wasn’t a choice. Not with her sister’s life in the balance. And it was time to accept whatever consequences awaited her.

“Swim west,” she said to Xandra. “I’ll meet you on the shore. Wait for my signal.”

The general sang out a call, one short note and one long. And the Chorus disappeared into the water. All but Maeve, who lingered and looked at Celeste as though she did not recognize her. But then she, too, sank into the stream and swam away.

With a stab of relief, Celeste saw Torben and Nasir had awoken. Bloodied and bruised, but alive. They stared at Celeste, and she remembered she’d been speaking another language. None of them understood what was happening. But she did not have time to explain.

She turned, and with a thrust of her shoulder, she pushed through the temple doors to race west toward the setting sun.Kiyami will be okay,she told herself, heart squeezing in her chest.The others will take care of her. But it didn’t make the decision to leave her friends behind any easier. Guilt racked through her with every step. The sky burned above her, washed in red and gold. But night was closing in. It crept at the sky’s edge, purpled as a bruise.

“Celeste!” It was Raiden’s voice.

She did not stop. She flew through the jungle, racing along the streams. Beneath the clear water, she saw the sirens, their tails shimmering under the soft glow of the floating lights.

Her legs burned. Her breath came in gasps. But she did not slow. Not until she saw a sliver of white sand between the trees. She was almost there. But she did not have a plan. What would she do once she got there? Would Sephone be locked in the brig, like Maeve had been? What if they had already departed?What if she was already too late?

As she drew closer, she saw several large ships anchored just off the shore. TheRed Revengeshe would recognize anywhere, with its red-painted stripe and its black flags. The other two ships she did not recognize. Each one bore a large flag with the same sigil: a golden flaming sun. The same symbol she’d seen on the letter with the king’s seal. Cold fear shuddered through her at the sight. Her feet slowed as she reached the edge of the trees. She wanted to get a look at the king’s ships before giving away her position. Nerissa would be expecting her.

Footsteps behind her drew close, and Celeste turned to see Raiden. Whatever he wanted, it surely wouldn’t be to help her get Sephone back. So she whirled, pressing the trident’s prongs into the bare skin of his chest that showed through the opening of his black shirt. He did not move. Did not reach for his weapon.

“Go ahead,” he said.

He doesn’t think I’d do it. Anger burned in her as she closed the distance between them, sliding the trident up under his chin. She brought her face close to his.

“Do not test me, pirate,” Celeste sneered.

Raiden laughed. It was nothing like the warm sound she knew. The sound was hollow. Mirthless.

“Trust me, Princess”—he pressed his chin down into the trident’s teeth to meet her eyes—“you’ll be doing us all a favor.”

She searched his face and found a stranger. It was as though the flame that had raged within him had been stamped out. The only thing she saw in his expression was pain. A man who had played his last hand, and it had cost him everything.

“No.” Celeste clenched her jaw. She pulled the trident down from his neck and pushed him hard against his chest, sending him stumbling back.

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