Page 351 of Kingdoms of Night

He nodded, full lips forming a single line. “I know.” He released a sigh, then stepped aside. “I’ve come to take you to the Sea Shaman. She has returned.”

My brows lifted, and suddenly received a boost in energy. “Great news!”

I blew out the Ever Torch, and tucked it into a sconce, before closing the door back in place and stepping out to join Makoa on the steep landing. There were stairs that had been carved out of the cavern, and led down into the more populated part of the Colony.

If one wasn’t careful, they could fall straight down into the abyss.

Carefully, I followed Makoa down the stairs, trying my best not to get caught up in wonder at all that had been done to this once barren series of underground caves.

It was a true village now, on the brink of becoming a real sea-folk city.

And, that scared me.

Sea-folk were sending their children to be schooled here now, eager to teach them the ways of both their people and the humans. It was like a new world.

I just hoped it would be safe for us all, and the generations to come.

If this was what we were headed toward, it should at least be done on our terms. I just hated to think of us losing our power. Not everyone could have sea legs and breath land air.

Some died of drowning in their sleep.

I couldn’t let that go on a day longer.

I had a heavy task ahead of me—one that I was a tiny step closer to fulfilling than when I’d started out on this mission.

He led me across the village to the Sea Shaman’s cavern.

Kaimana waited for me inside, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

She was the Sea Shaman, a Seer. She could see into the past, present, and future, and I very much needed her gift of sight in that moment.

She wore a tunic and pants, crisp and clean, with heavy robes. She looked very much like a fae queen masquerading as a human.

She coughed as I entered the room, and I watched as the gills on the side of her neck expanded and contracted. She wasn’t adjusting to air as quickly as the rest of us. Luckily, the shifts in magic didn’t affect her as greatly as it did to some of us. But, we needed her, and she did her best to visit the Colony when she could manage to get away from the palace.

She had a youthful face—round and rosy—but her hair was white as the clouds, and braided into long braids that came to her waist.

She was alone with two dead bodies. I gasped.

One of them was the sailer, and the other was one of our people—a siren sister.

CHAPTERTEN

A SIREN’S FALL

My stomach clenched, and I prepared myself for what I was about to discover.

Makoa rubbed his chin with the back of his knuckles. “Come see me sometime, Siddhe.”

I could barely hear him over the sound of my own heart beat.

I tore my eyes away from the new body, and turned to him.

“I’m usually guarding the gates, or back in the royal guard barracks on the other end of the main cave,” he said.

He seemed nervous, and that was endearing to me. But, it was not the right time to flirt or even think about a romantic connection with him.

I touched his arm. “Again, thank you, Makoa.”

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