Page 45 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

“I’m not tryin’ to be rude, Nola,” Mazie said, “but in normal circumstances, we’d turn around and head back to Zemira to fill those barrels. But no, now we can’t go back because we are harborin’ a fugitive.”

Nola stepped in Mazie’s direction slowly, stopping by her side. “I understand your doubt in me being here. But, if we don’t see the Fae Queen—if we don’t stop King Matthias, there won’t be a Zemira for you ever to go back to. Not for water, food, medical supplies—because it will no longer exist.”

Mazie’s face hardened. “Well, you’ll find really quick it’s not only Zemira that’s dyin’.” She looked through a round window and into the deep-blue sea. Nola could see the sorrow in her eyes. “Ten years ago, we could look out, watch hundreds, maybe even thousands of mermaids swimmin’ the ocean. Dragon’s soarin’ above us.” She became silent, biting her lower lip. “Matthias, he—”

“You see?” The stowaway girl said. “Is this the life you dreamed of, Mazie?” Nola realized the moment Mazie’s brows furrowed and flared her nostrils that she had overstepped.

Mazie stood to her feet, getting so close to Nola she felt the heat of her breath on her forehead. “You don’t know a damn thing about my dreams,” Raven said curtly.

Mazie turned, moving past Nola until she reached the doorway, but stopped, turning back around. “It doesn’t matter that you’re here. The water we have still wouldn’t be enough for us,” she explained, her voice modulated. “The sea isn’t clean; we can’t drink from it. Sure, we bathe in it. We can clean with it. But we can’t drink or cook with it.” She threw her hands up. “We need to stop in Westin to get fresh water.”

Kitten blinked, her arms folding around her curvy waist. “Ye sure ’bout that?”

Mazie’s face scrunched up. “Nay, Kitten, it is the last place near these bloody waters I want to be.” She closed her eyes, looking perturbed. “But we don’t have a choice. I’ll warn the captain.”

Nola swallowed the nervous dryness aching at her throat. She had endangered the crew just by being there. Sure, it was not her fault Hill had not filled those barrels, but her presence only complicated things. Without freshwater, she was not sure she would even make it to save the kingdom. If she were to die out in the sea with Lincoln’s crew, her parents would never know.

Raven turned on her heel and headed up the stairs. Nola paced back to where Kitten stood, still working on the fish.

Nola let the silence dwindle in the air before she asked Kitten, “What is in Westin?”

A small smile formed on Kitten’s lips as she looked up to meet Nola’s gaze.

“The nomadic families of the ten kingdoms, Nola. Tha’ is, if they are still there.”

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