Page 131 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

The prince’s lips drew into a snarl. The pirate knew more about his mission than he believed. But it also confirmed Nola was there; it was the only way the captain knew of his plan to retrieve the key.

“You will address me by Prince—”

“Do you not recognize your own brother?” The words slipped out.

Elijah’s eyes grew wide as Lincoln’s mouth set in a hard line. But, despite the kind of man Elijah had become, they were brothers, and they were best friends once.

The prince felt his muscles tighten as he clenched his fists. “How dare you speak of my brother, pirate!”

“Look at me, little brother! Look me in my eyes,” Lincoln said.

Silence loomed. The moment between the brothers stood still. The only sounds were the waves rolling through the sand and the sound of their steady breaths.

Elijah’s brows furrowed, rocking his head from side to side in disbelief.

It can’t be,Elijah said in his mind, raking his fingers through his well-kept hair.

“Our father sent Mason to kill me out in the sea the night our mother died. But I survived,” Lincoln explained. “I washed up here; the Fae healed me and sent me out to the sea to join Wentworth’s crew.”

“What...how...how do you know about Mason and what happened to my brother—?” Though the truth stood right in front of him, his heart would not accept it.

“It’s me, Elijah.”

The prince stepped in Lincoln’s direction, his mouth agape, and he peered into Lincoln’s desperate eyes.

Could it be? The prince thought.“Tristan?”

It had been two decades since Lincoln had spoken to his brother. For years the captain traveled to Zemira, always hiding in the shadows, to see his brother grow into a man. But he had also watched him change.

Can I trust him enough not to attack me, as if we are enemies—strangers?Lincoln thought.

“Aye,” Lincoln said.

“You became a pirate?” Elijah asked, looking over to the rest of the crew standing behind Lincoln.

“...And you became our father,” Lincoln said, watching Elijah’s eyes darken. “You can change, Elijah.”

The prince’s nostrils flared. “You know nothing of what I’ve become,” he said. “Father is a monster, and the only reason why I am even here is to stop him.”

“Nay, you came here for Nola and the ruby, and I want to know why.”

Elijah’s lips twisted into a smile. “Justice. A plan is unfolding. You may have been my brother all those years ago, but I will not hesitate to end your life to get what I want.”

Lincoln lowered his brow. “What? What could you possibly want that you don’t already have at that palace?”

“Our mother!” Elijah shouted. “I want our mother back and it is the Kroneon that lies in a cave on Crotona that will help me save her.”

* * *

As they walked along the cliffside, the queen shared a long, drawn-out story about how her protectors came to be and the role Aiden played in leading the Elven battalion.

Nola looked at her pointedly.

“So, you exiled an elf to the Woodlands for five years?” Nola asked the queen as they both leaned against the cliff’s pebble stone wall. “That is quite a long time, Your Majesty.”

“The punishment fits the crime, Nola. He refused an order when he became general of the battalion,” Cassia said but did not elaborate further. “I am quite impressed he has been able to fight off those trolls for this long.” The white-haired woman shrugged. “I thought he would have been dead already.”

Nola blinked repeatedly. “But five years?” she asked, not even fathoming the cruelty of it all.

---