Page 2

She clawed at the water with unwebbed fingers, clumsily pulling herself toward the glow of moonlight that rippled over the surface of the sea. Her legs, weak and shaky from both pain and discord, kicked her upward. A deep burn spread through her chest. That burn reached her eyes and crept into her head.

Air. She needed air. Surface air.

Just as she thought she would give in to the urge to suck in a breath—watery or not—her head broke the surface. She coughed and gasped and gulped in lungful after lungful of salty air, dimly felt the gentle spray from the waves coat her tongue. Tipping her head back, she spread her arms out, letting the gentle rhythm of the water hold up her aching body as her lungs recovered.

Dear gods, what had she agreed to?

Would she truly give one person over to save her family?

“Caspian.”

His name left a bittersweet taste on her tongue. Memories tumbled around her mind, memories she’d thought long since shut out of her head and her life. Ever since her heart led her astray and nearly brought war down on her people, she’d learned to leave him where he belonged.

In the past.

Well, there was no better time to confront the past than the present.

Aria twisted in the water and tested the strength in her legs. Weak, yes, but this wasn’t the first time she’d worn something other than her tail. The last time she had legs, she’d mooned over a ruthless human prince. She’d learned to run for her life on these same two legs.

She caught the glittering lights of the coastline and began the long swim to shore. With any luck, it would be late enough that the docks would be empty.

If not, she’d have to pray her stealth was good enough to skate around the guards who would just as quickly spear her through the heart as misplaced love had.