Page 25 of Hymn of Breath and Bone

“Caspian,” I murmured, pointing to his name and moving back upward. “These were his parents.” I looked up to see Zephyr and Ana exchanging a look I didn’t understand. “What happened to them?”

“Cas hasn’t told you?” Ana asked, biting her lower lip as she glanced at her mate. Zephyr’s face was unreadable, but she didn’t look surprised.

“He told me that his mother was a healer,” I shrugged, trying to make it seem like I wasn’t aching to know more. “I assumed they died, since he is king.”

“They did,” Zephyr said, voice still unreadable. “Fifteen years ago.”

I nodded, remembering Caspian telling me how long he had been the Siren King. “How?”

“You should really ask Cas,” Ana said, sounding anxious at the turn of the conversation. “It was…difficult for him. He should tell you.”

“He keeps saying he will,” I sighed, frowning down at the names of his parents. They were so smudged they were hard to read, as if someone had pressed a thumb to the paper and tried to wipe them away. “Was it bad?”

Ana glanced again at Zephyr, and I knew the answer was yes.

“The former king was a hard male,” Zephyr said, carefully skirting around the truth she wanted me to hear from Caspian. “Vicious. Obsessed with destroying your people. He nearly ruined us, Marina. It was…” she trailed off, heaving a sigh. “When I say it was bad, understand that he pushed us to the brink of extinction. Nearly killed both Caspian’s mother and Caspian in his fits of rage. Punished Caspian as a child by breaking his wings if he disobeyed.”

I swallowed bile, remembering Caspian’s resigned tone as I bound his wings on the beach.

“I’ve had worse.”

“His fanaticism nearly destroyed us all,” she added. “Caspian didn’t have a choice.”

“A choice about what?” I asked, a truth I wasn’t sure I was going to like beginning to coalesce in my mind.

“There are clear rules for the line of succession,” Ana explained, seeming to feel more comfortable sharing something that could have come from a book. “Only the death of one king can lead to the crowning of another, either by natural causes or by challenge.”

“Challenge?” I asked.

“To the death.” Zephyr frowned as if remembering that moment. “He tried to spare them, understand, but his father was unhinged by the end. Caspian barely escaped with his life.”

More of the few pieces of his history came back to me, flashing like lightning across my mind.

“Someone who is long gone and who is not your concern.”

“Wait,” I said, shaking my head and frowning between Ana and Zephyr as I tried to understand. “What exactly are you saying?”

Zephyr pursed her lips, but Ana sighed. “Everyone else knows, Zeph. It’s not a secret. They werethere.”

“It is not your story to tell,” Zephyr argued back, looking torn but resolute. “Cas should be the one to explain.”

“Sirens wear scars with pride as a sign of victory in battle. Some of these are battle scars. Others are…a different kind of victory.”

“Caspian challenged his father for the crown,” I realized. “And then killed him.”

Chapter 10

The meeting with thecouncil took twice as long as I’d intended and was about ten times more infuriating than it needed to be.

“The council hasn’t agreed—” Arctos began.

“This is not up for debate,” I interrupted, cutting the old windbag off before he could derail my purpose. “I’m not asking forpermission, Arctos. Nor am I asking for your blessing. I’m asking you simply todo it for the good of us all.”

“The good of us all,” Arctos sneered, his lips curling in disgust. “The best thing would be to send her father her head and see the whole selkie line come to ruin.”

“Careful, Arctos,” Hesperus warned, his voice irritatingly calm as my fists clenched in fury. “None of us will step in if you threaten the king’s mate and he decides to kill you for it.”

I nodded slightly to Hesperus, taking a breath and willing my fury to dampen. Hesperus wasn’t exactly an ally, but he wasn’t an outspoken opponent like Arctos.