Page 56 of Hymn of Breath and Bone

“I do,” Astraios sighed, passing Caspian a folded letter. It was sealed with my father’s insignia, and Caspian broke the wax, holding the paper so both of us could read it. I kept hold of Sereia with one hand as Caspian read aloud:

There will be no peace between us. You have kidnapped my daughter and turned her against me with your magic. You will pay in blood.

His Majesty King Nereus, Master and Protector of the Silent Isles

“I told him I wasn’t ensorcelled,” I argued, rereading the letter twice more and looking to Sereia. She sighed, her lips downturned. My stomachsank as I realized that not only had he not believed me nor Sereia, but he didn’t actuallywantto make peace. “He’s not coming?”

“It would seem not,” Caspian agreed. “I’m not wholly surprised, Urchin, although Iamdisappointed.” He squeezed my shoulder in comfort as he folded the letter. “Come, we’ll sit in the galley. Zephyr, you too. I think we’ll all need to hear this story. Lady Sereia,” he added, bowing low to my friend in a gesture that surprised us both. “It is an honor to have you aboard.”

Sereia remained close to Astraios as we made our way to the galley, and I wondered how exactly the two of them had met.

“Right,” said Caspian as the five of us settled around the table in the galley with stew and bread and ale. Reuben tactfully excused himself as Sereia took in the tiny kitchen, marveling at every aspect of the ship just as I once had. It warmed my heart to have my friend here, even if the circumstances had been less than pleasant for her. “Better start at the beginning.”

“Well, I did what you asked and sailed to the Isles,” Astraios began as he ripped off a chunk of bread and dipped it in his stew. “We dropped anchor about five miles out where we were less likely to be spotted, and I flew your letters to the keep as promised. I had to knock out a few guards with song to make sure I got in without being shot down.”

“You’re luckyIdidn't shoot you when you came crashing through my window that night,” Sereia cut in, frowning slightly at Astraios.

“I didn’t crash. I was extremely stealthy,” Astraios corrected, puffing his speckled feathers up indignantly. “And I didn’t realize you were sending me into a dragon’s den, Marina, or I would have protested more. Nearly took my eye out with a poker, this one.”

“You deserved it,” Sereia replied serenely.

I blinked, looking between the two of them. I had never once in my life seen Sereia be anything less than proper and appropriate, but was that…sarcasm?

“I’m sorry,” I said, wincing at Sereia. “It was my idea to send him to you. I thought if I could convince you of the truth, you might be willing to help him.”

“And so she was, after a great deal of convincing,” Astraios agreed with a wicked grin at Sereia. I could swear her cheeks darkened a fraction, and I felt like my known universe was collapsing. I’d never seen Sereia blush, either.

“I read your letter,” Sereia said, turning to me and pointedly ignoring Astraios’ grin. “Seas, we were all so terrified when you disappeared, and then when Vitulus returned and said you refused to return with him…well we all believed the worst.”

“Which was?” Zephyr asked, looking so relaxed it was as if she were watching a live drama unfold.

“That you had been ensorcelled. Brainwashed,” Sereia said, as if this were obvious. I had to stifle the urge to roll my eyes as she continued, “It took Astraios a while to convince me you hadn’t been, despite your letter.”

“Howdidhe convince you?” I asked, glancing between the pair who were now refusing to make eye contact.

“He came back to my window every night after the first to tell me stories,” she replied. She looked flustered at this admission, like she was ashamed of having entertained the enemy. “About you and…and Caspian,” she glanced at my mate who smiled warmly back at her. “About the shipwreck and the sirens and the cliffs.”

“Why didn’t you call for the guards?” I asked, surprised that my proper and extremely cautious friend wouldn’t have run to Vitulus after Astraios’ first visit.

“I thought about it,” she admitted. “But I…I don’t even really know why I didn’t, honestly.” She blushed a little deeper as she glanced at Astraios, then away again. “I just trusted him.”

Oh seas. Was it possible…but no. That was something to worry about later.

“So Astraios convinced you I was no longer being held against my will,” I summarized, pushing the intrusive thought away for later. “Then what?”

“Well, we agreed that I should deliver your letters to the King,” Sereia explained. “Since it wouldn’t be safe for Astraios to announce himself or walk the halls at night.”

“I left them beneath his door,” she went on. “Your father was furious the next day, Marina, I thought he might bring the whole keep down with his rage. He spent several hours in his council room with his advisors before disappearing from the keep altogether.”

“Where did he go?” I asked.

“No one was sure,” Sereia replied. “At least no one I felt safe asking. There have been terrible storms and earthquakes since you disappeared, Marina, and the King has spent a great deal of time handling repairs and trying to secure food. The sea dragons have been out far more than usual for this time of year, and they’ve made fishing very difficult.”

“Storms and earthquakes?” I looked to Caspian, who raised a brow in interest. Storms weren’t uncommon, but earthquakes were. Was this what Theia meant about the Isles withering?

“And sea dragons,” Caspian added pointedly, glancing at his shoulder where the scale sat gleaming on his pauldron. “What happened next?”

“Someone saw me,” Astraios said darkly. “As I was leaving Sereia’s room with your father’s reply. I was a damned fool.”