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Just what had happened when Reine’s queen defected?

“I found them, along the Ixolotol Ravine.” Milan ghosted her fingers over Kyree’s shoulder and arm. “I never thought I would see another deep sounding mer, not one who left willingly.”

Kyree pressed her lips together hard. “I left because of the humans.”

“And that’s why you want the stones?”

“Just hand them over,” Honour interrupted, her voice loud. It hurt Hudson’s ears, and immediately her skin rippled with danger. It wasn’t immediate death danger, but the kind that was going to ruin what they were trying to accomplish.

“Honour,” Hudson started, trying to interject and pull Honour’s head out of her ass. “Why don’t you let Kyree handle this?”

Kyree flicked Hudson a thankful gaze. But Honour didn’t seem to hear anything that Hudson had said. In fact, she seemed so focused on Milan that it was going to be impossible to draw her attention away. Honour moved in closer, but Hudson swam fast, reached out, and snagged Honour’s wrist to tug her back.

Honour flipped around and glared.

“Don’t,” Hudson muttered.

Kyree tried to ignore the battle they were waging, and she instead focused back on Milan. “I want the stones, if you have them, to fully connect with our beloved companions.”

“Tell me, Kyree, why are you really here?” Milan moved her gaze from Kyree to Hudson to Honour, slowly and deliberately. Milan definitely had her hackles up now, and it was going to take Kyree extra long to get the answers she sought.

“I’m here to help,” she stated simply, bowing down low again, and ducking her head. Was this a thing for the deep sounding mers? Did they not raise their heads up to their elders?

“Soulara’s been taken,” Honour rushed. “You can either help us to get her back or you can have her blood on your hands.”

“Soulara is unharmed,” Milan answered.

Honour scoffed loudly. “She’s—”

“Honour.” Kyree stated firmly. There was a flash of anger in her gaze as she faced Honour.

“She’s a bog witch, Kyree. Don’t trust a thing she says.” Honour crossed her arms, and Hudson once again slid in closer to her, fearing that Honour was going to lash out physically if she didn’t get her way soon enough.

“I know what she is,” Kyree answered slowly and faced Milan. “She’s not of my tribe, but we know of hers.”

Just how many deep sounding tribes were there? Hudson bit the inside of her cheek and refrained from asking that question out loud. This wasn’t the place to get answers.

“How can you trust a witch?”

“I’m assuming this is why you left Reine?” Kyree asked Milan, not Honour.

“In part,” Milan responded. “Though Honour never shared her feelings before now.”

Hudson snagged Honour by the upper arm and hissed into her ear. “You’re not helping the cause.”

“We need to find Soulara,” Honour retorted.

“Sure, that’s a start, but you bullying Soulara’s mother isn’t going to get you any answers or win you any points. Come with me.” Hudson started to drag Honour away, but Honour resisted. “I promise, Kyree will be safe here.”

Honour looked like she was going to object, but Kyree nodded at them, encouraging Honour to leave and showing Hudson that she was doing the right thing. Kyree focused back on Milan, and ignored the two of them.

“Nylah led me here. When Honour approached the elders about the war, it was Nylah who encouraged me to leave our home.”

“What?” Honour snapped.

“Honour,” Hudson said as another warning. She wasn’t going to let Honour ruin this, not if she was so desperate to find Soulara and save her. “Come on.”

With a hard pull, Hudson dragged Honour out of Milan’s cave and away from the entrance. Nylah stayed with Kyree, which was to be expected, but Hudson missed the ray’s bright energy. When Honour resisted, Hudson wrapped her tail around Honour’s and tackled her to the ground.