Page 136 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

The two ships rocked against the waves as the storm rolled in. Aiden fixed his eyes to the one that once belonged to his father. The Elven warriors stood proudly on the deck, waiting for his command.

“Valkanon,” he called. “Where are the queen’s protectors?”

The Elven protectors would, no doubt, defend the queen. Still, most Elven warriors held loyalty to their own kind—not to the Fae, and especially not to Queen Cassia.

Hagmar would have never wanted his battalion to fight or harm innocent people. And Aiden thought no different from his father.

What the queen asked Aiden to do was traitorous. It went against everything the sea folk, elves, and fairies agreed upon during the First Treaty. The treaty united the magical races to peace. Neither Aiden nor his loyal warriors would agree to such violence.

“Make sure the protectors are on the queen’s ship, not ours,” Aiden said. “Once a few miles from Crotona, our mission is to protect the siren, for she is the true heir to lead the Fae—Argon’s first and only born child.”

A swirl of nerves reached his stomach.

Valkanon smiled back at the newly appointed Elven general.

“You have our word,” he said, giving Aiden a bow. “And, what about the pirates?” he asked.

“They have not awoken yet. Human bodies are frail when it comes to magic. Elijah’s power will make them sleep for hours,” Aiden said.

“Should we wake them, then?” Valkanon asked, looking to the shoreline which led to the Sybil Curse. “We could use their skill in the sea.”

Aiden shook his head. “No need to put them in the queen’s path. Our mission is to find the siren and protect her. That is all. If the protectors attack our allies, then we will wield our weapons and put them down.”

A cold feeling trailed up Valkanon’s spine. He had never attacked his own race, but the Elven protectors had lost their way, such as the queen.

Valkanon looked to the skies, watching Queen Cassia soaring the clouds above the ship, riding her dragon. He rushed to the boat, gathered up their weapons, and prepared the fleet for departure.

* * *

A gentle breeze brought in the scent of the sea, while a cloudy haze created a misty dew upon Nola’s cheeks. Her eyes shot open, looking up into the dark grey clouds above her. The siren’s vision blurred as she turned her head, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Prince Elijah knelt beside her.

Nola could not remember what had happened in the last few hours. It was all a blur after the black smoke took her.

She felt the ship rock as they journeyed on the sea. The siren tried to sit up as she felt much more conscious than before. However, Elijah placed his hand upon her head, putting her to sleep again. It was better to keep her under his spell—at least until they reached their destination.

What felt like a few minutes later, she woke again and sat straight up. Her body stiffened when she saw Elijah so close to her.

“Easy, Nola,” he said, a flash of amusement crossed his features. “Your head will feel slightly dizzy for a while, but you will live.”

His smile faded as he gingerly brushed her damp forehead with his fingers. Her brows furrowed at the unusually tender gesture.

“Now get up.” His curt tone gave her heart a sudden jump.

Nola did not move. She brought her hands up and pressed her temples, trying to stop the pounding headache. She felt lightheaded.

He was right,Nola thought. Whatever he did to me scrambled up my head.

Still ignoring the prince, the siren looked out to the mysterious island. His vessel was docked next to a rocky shore. Nola wondered where he had taken her.

Is this where the Kroneon is?She asked herself as Elijah lifted her onto her feet and led her off his ship.

Once standing on the mossy, wet rock, Nola turned her gaze to the sea. About a mile out, a thick veil of fog encircled Crotona Island. She had not seen anything like it; it was such a strange phenomenon.

“What is that?” she asked.

“The fog?” he said. “Well, I do not doubt for one moment those pirates and the queen will be coming for you. It’s simple magic, but it will buy us some time.”

A line appeared between her brows. “You did that?” Nola asked.

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