Page 13 of Hymn of Breath and Bone

The song was everywhere, invading my mind and making it difficult to move, but I threw myself toward Ana’s body and reached for her.

She was breathing, although a gash across her temple was leaking blood that turned her gown a horrific mottled purple.

I was about to move her, to drag her behind the circular desk, when blinding pain struck me.

My hands fell from my ears, and the siren song swept me into unconsciousness.

Chapter 6

It was Zephyr whoheard the song first.

We were helping make final preparations aboard the ship Astraios would sail to the Isles when the quiet hit, as if the air had been sucked from the hidden cove within the cliffs that served as a dock.

The silence always came with the song, and Zephyr was the first to stop Astraios from prattling on with a hand to his wrist, her headcocked in concentration.

That was when I felt the tug.

Raw panic blasted down the bond between Marina and me, so sharp and startling that I clutched my chest as if my heart would pound right out of it.

“Ana,” Zephyr whispered, her panic a reflection of her mate’s.

“Marina.” I bolted down the gangway before anyone could stop me.

I took to the skies, flying out and around the cliffs with Zephyr, Astraios, and ten of his crew behind me. It was faster than running by only a few minutes, but those minutes could be the difference between life and death for my mate.

My mate.

If she didn’t already know, she would now. And I didn’t care what it would mean for us as her panic simmered to a dull thumping ache—as if she were biding time from whoever attacked her.

Siren song had no effect on other sirens, which could only mean the attack was directed at Marina. I wasn’t sure why selkies didn’t share our immunity, having shared our islands and supposedly our gods. It was one of the many ways our people harmed Marina’s, and one I would outlaw as soon as we were united again.

But if sirens were attacking Marina…skies, they could make her do anything. I didn’t give myself time to think aboutwhomight be attacking her as I soared above the cliffs to one of the library windows. I dropped into the cavern and landed with a crash as a table buckled beneath me. My eyes went straight to the teal-haired body sprawled at the feet of a siren male who was leaning down, his hands reaching for her.

I knew all of my people. This male wasn’t from the cliffs. Perhaps was one of my father’s exiled loyalists—although most of them died when he did—or a hired thug from Nordhavn.

Whoever he was, he’d be dead soon.

“Touch her and die,” I snarled, drawing my sword as Zephyr and Astraios landed behind me.

The male blanched as several other bodies thumped to the ground behind me, Astraios’ crew drawing their weapons as I let out a primal growl.

Running was the stranger’s final mistake. It took half a thought to capture him in a cage of wind, and seconds to drive my sword through his heart. He screamed as he died, blood burbling from his lips. Zephyr would likely scold me for not keeping him alive for questioning, but there was no way he was working alone.

“Find the others,” I snarled to Astraios. “And search the perimeter. I want to know how in the damned skies they got in here.”

Astraios nodded and took command of his crew, sending them to guard the doors and fly the perimeter while I knelt before Marina.

She was pale, her dark skin ashen. I cradled her head, and my fingers came away bloody. It took every ounce of my control not to go and snap any unbroken bones in that male’s body.

“Marina,” I murmured, stroking a finger down her temple. She didn’t wake, but I heard a groaned curse behind me and turned to see Zephyr helping her mate to sit up. Ana’s head was also bloodied and she was shaking as Zephyr ran a soothing hand down her back.

“What happened, Ana?” I asked as I scooped Marina into my arms.

“Give her a moment,” Zephyr snapped, her single sky-blue eye blazing in barely contained rage.

“I’m fine,” Ana protested weakly, lifting a hand to cup Zephyr’s cheek.

My first mate’s face softened instantly, and I clutched Marina a little tighter to me.