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The elders would find her, see Honour, and they would banish her like they had Kaelin.

Tensing, she shifted closer to Honour, who was still sound asleep. Her breathing was regular, her hands and arms were relaxed, and her wounds felt okay to the touch. Again Kyree tried to summon Nylah just with her thoughts, even though she knew it was futile. They had no special connection, and she had no soul stone to help her communicate.

What if they’d taken Nylah too?

She’d be dead in the open air.

Sadness washed through Kyree, nearly consuming her. She couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes again without knowing that Nylah would be there, without knowing that Honour would be fine, without knowing exactly how they were going to get back to Reine in the morning.

Pressing her face into Honour’s shoulders, Kyree tried to stifle her sadness. But Honour’s scent wrapped around her, filling her nostrils and bringing a sense of comfort she’d never felt before with another mer—at least one who wasn’t immediate family.

That same tune came to her, and Kyree started humming it. At least she’d managed to get some rest while she waited for the sun to rise and Honour to wake up again.

Again that sound.

What is it?

Kyree tensed her entire body. Someone else was out there. It wasn’t a machine—they were too noisy for this kind of stealth—but it was someone. Staying as still as possible, she listened to the waters and what they were telling her. She couldn’t let Honour be taken again. She couldn’t let the machines and humans find them.

The hand across her face burned, covering her nose and her mouth together. She went to scream, but she couldn’t breathe. She reached up, digging her fingers into the hand but to no avail. Flapping her fluke hard, she tried to push away, but it was useless.

Something hard hit the back of her head. Sparkles swam in front of her eyes, her ears ringing so loud that she could barely hear the water rustling around her. She reached for Honour’s hand, clasping their fingers together as total and complete darkness took over her gaze.

Her ears perked up just briefly as the high-pitched, maniacal voice, muttered, “Got you.”

2

Fingers of pain latched onto Honour’s chest and side, digging in and gripping hard. It was so hard to think, to breathe, to even move. But something was jostling her around, and Kyree’s cold body was gone. Peeking her eyes open a crack, she was met with the sight of warriors. But they made hardly any sound.

Silent.

Deadly.

Talon.

Wincing, Honour turned around and looked to see if she could find Kyree somewhere. But even moving that far pushed the pain in her side and shoulder beyond what she could handle. Her vision blurred in front of her, breathing was next to impossible, and her head spun again.

Honour fought with herself, needing to stay awake just a little bit longer to figure out what was happening. Who were these mers? Reine wasn’t at war with the Talons, so why would they be taken? Where were they going? Where the hell was Kyree?

The Talons weren’t known for straight out kidnapping, especially officers as high up as Honour.

“Don’t agitate,” Kyree murmured. Her voice was so sweet, and it soothed over Honour’s aching body.

So she was there. They were still stuck together, and they were being moved somewhere against their will. Or had Kyree struck up some kind of deal with the Talons for healing? No. She wouldn’t do that. Kyree was meek. She wouldn’t even begin to talk to someone she didn’t have to. Wincing again, Honour pried her eyes open. Her vision was still blurry, the fingers of pain diminishing her ability to focus. She’d never been this injured before, and she certainly hadn’t been taken to a proper healer yet.

Turning to her right, she finally managed to catch sight of Kyree’s dark tail. It was wrapped in seaweed ropes, tightening all the way down to her fluke. Her hands were behind her back, tied in the nest of ropes on her tail. Honour’s heart thudded hard.

This wasn’t them going somewhere safe.

They were being taken prisoner.

By the Talons.

By their closest ally in this gods-damned war that she didn’t want to be in to begin with.

Squinting to try and focus her thoughts and figure out exactly what was happening wasn’t easy. There were at least five other mers surrounding them, but there could be more. Honour’s head pounded with pain that dulled her senses. She bit the inside of her cheek hard to try and wake herself up again.

This was impossible.