Page 156 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

King Elijah set in place a new reign—mending his father’s wrongs. The rebels who led the resistance disbanded when the threat to the kingdom died with Matthias. The Fae found themselves living again amongst the humans in Zemira, brokering peace with the kingdom. Their power filled the soil with life, bringing fresh, healthy crops once again to the land.

The new king stood at his official coronation, smiling back at his people. He promised the Zemirans a safer, more peaceful world. Not a world where they would fear as if that day could be their last.

Nola stood back against the wall of the Grand Royal Hall—staying hidden until Lincoln caught her eye.

Not today, she thought. I cannot bear to see that handsome face when I cannot even look at myself.

Her cheeks flushed, so she looked at the ground, hoping he would not approach her.

I am not ready to see him,the siren thought. It was true; they had not spoken to each other since Nola confessed about killing Sybil. That day, he had run away as if not able to stand the sight of her.

Nola hated herself for what she had done, but her stomach fluttered wildly when she saw him entering the grand hall.

The siren spotted another exit, so she snuck out as quickly as she could, rushing through the garden. But she heard Lincoln calling out for her.

“Nola, stop running from me, dammit!” the handsome captain shouted. “Get back here so we can talk.”

Now he wants to talk, the siren thought, excellent!

Nola turned; guilt warmed her cheeks again. She did not blame him for running that day, but it also hurt badly when he did. It burned the very core of her heart.

When Lincoln looked into her pain-filled eyes, it broke his heart. He was foolish to have left her the way he did. In no way did he blame Nola for defending herself from what she believed to be a deadly monster. Sybil had become a mindless creature who would have killed her.

At the time, he could not process what she had told him. He left in haste and regretted the moment he jumped on Anaru’s back. Lincoln left her standing there, wondering if she would ever see him again. Then, he had watched her sail with the Elven warriors back to Zemira without him. The Sybil Curse’s crew kept their space, leaving him alone in his chambers as guilt clutched to him until he could barely breathe.

Nola was the love of his life, and he had let her go.

I was such an idiot!The captain thought.

Lincoln looked back at her standing in the garden, wearing a beautiful, long, teal dress down to her ankles—it flowed freely in the gentle breeze behind her. Her hair was styled into a braid resting over her right shoulder. The smell of flowers came up with the wind, and the captain’s eyes shone with desire and need as he breathed in her scent. She had to have noticed how much he cared.

“You look nice in a dress, by the way,” he said, a playful smile on his lips.

You should hate me, she thought.

“What are you doing here, Lincoln?” Nola asked. “I thought you would be on your next adventure.”

The handsome man snickered. “Aye, ’tis not the adventure that I want at the moment.”

“Lincoln, I—”

“You did what you had to do to survive, Nola.” He reached out and touched her arm but pulled back when her shoulders stiffened. “I do not blame you for one moment for what happened with Sybil.”

Nola’s brows pulled together.

How could you not? She thought in their moment of silence.

“Nola, there you are,” Nola’s father called from the garden’s gate.

Oh, thank goodness,she said in her mind. Happy to have anything break the uncomfortable tension between her and the captain, Nola walked over to her father.

“Father, um, this is Lincoln,” she said. “The captain of the Sybil Curse whom I told you about.”

“Ah yes. Nola has been tellin’ her mum and I ’bout you and all the adventures you went on,” Duncan said, with a wide grin that met his eyes. “I cannot thank you enough, lad. For savin’ my little girl.”

I would save her a thousand times again, Lincoln said to himself.

“Very nice to meet you, Duncan. However, it was Nola who saved us,” Lincoln said. “Saved...me.”

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