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“Breathe. It’s okay,” Soulara said. Her heart wrenched apart. Tracks of salty tears remained on Autumn’s face, and Soulara desperately wanted to kiss the evidence away until she forgot about the hideous truth of their worlds. Because Autumn wasn’t no one.

Nothing could be more untrue than that thought.

Soulara stood up straight, cupping Autumn’s cheeks and looking deeply into her eyes. They were here together, alone, and Soulara should be prying more information from Autumn, not trying to comfort her in her distress.

Soulara focused on Autumn, who was now burying her face into Soulara’s shoulder. Soulara leaned down and kissed the top of Autumn’s head. She closed her eyes and breathed in the deep scent of sunshine and sweat mixed with a heady scent she had no name for other than Autumn.

Everything about this moment was pure, simple.

Autumn needed comfort, compassion. Soulara drew in another deep breath and held onto this simplicity. Could love be simple like this? Could this be more than attraction to something new and shiny? Soulara turned her cheek, a deep breath on her lips as she turned to press their mouths together.

“Get away from her, Princess!” Honour screamed before she disappeared beneath the water.

“Princess?” Autumn let go of Soulara and staggered backward a step. Her eyes were wide with fear. “You’re their princess?”

Pain seared through Soulara’s chest at the way Autumn spoke her title as though it were something vile and disgusting. What more could go wrong between them?

Honour reappeared barely two flukes away from where Autumn and Soulara stood, distance and mistrust increasing the gap between them. That chasm was so wide, so painful. Soulara ached to close the gap, but she had no idea where to even begin.

“Honour.” Soulara ignored Autumn’s question, directing her command at the general. “What are you doing here?”

“I followed you.” Honour gasped for breath, and Soulara cringed. She closed her eyes, directing her magic toward Honour so she could breathe the air of the sky and not the water of the ocean. When Honour seemed more comfortable, Soulara turned slightly, keeping herself between Honour and Autumn. Then she moved into Autumn’s mind, the one place she didn’t want to have to go, and she touched her speech. If they were going to talk, everyone here deserved to know what was said. Soulara followed by giving Honour the same ability. Honour would never question it.

“Autumn has nothing to do with this.” Soulara clenched her fists. This would be the hill she’d die on.

Honour stared hard at Autumn, even though her words were still for Soulara. “She has everything to do with slaughtering our people.”

“What? No.” Autumn spoke up before Soulara could stop her. “I’ve never killed a single person in my life.”

“But you and your people don’t see us as people, do you?” Honour’s accusation clung to the air, thickening with turmoil.

“Soulara.” Autumn turned to Soulara, wide eyes begging to be believed. “I swear I have no idea what she’s talking about.”

“She’s the one who drove that monster, Soulara.” Honour’s eyes were filled with truth. She believed what she was saying, and there would be no changing her mind on that. Soulara didn’t need her magic to tell her that.

“The monster? You mean our water collectors?” Autumn’s face blanched.

Betrayal.

It stung like a knife to Soulara’s chest, twisting back and forth as she gushed torment out for the world to see. Soulara pushed herself farther back from Autumn. She already worked her magic, falling below the surface of the water and making her legs a fluke again.

“What are you talking about?” Soulara asked, her voice cracking, not even years of royal training could hold back.

“No.” Autumn ran her fingers through her hair, her body all but vibrating as she moved from her toes to the heels of her feet and back again. “If she’s talking about the collector that got damaged last week—”

“No. I am talking about the one in the deep soundings. The one where you slaughtered half my kin. But I got your precious friend.” Honour spat the words with the fury and loss that had clouded her mind ever since the attack.

“The damaged collector,” Autumn muttered. Her head shook back and forth as if she wasn’t understanding. Soulara slipped into her mind, seeing the memories flash through her but never settling on the one Honour was speaking of.

Honour pulled a spear from beneath the water and raised it, aiming it toward Autumn’s chest.

“No.” Soulara moved forward again, darting in front of Autumn faster than Honour could have thrown the spear.

Honour still held the shaft in her hand, and her arm remained angled back ready to throw.

“Tell me the truth.” Soulara flicked a look over her shoulder just long enough to catch Autumn’s eye before she turned to see Honour still in her ready pose.

“I was in the deep soundings, with two other collectors.” Autumn swallowed so loudly that Soulara fought the urge to turn around again and check on her. But she suspected not having to look at Soulara’s face might make it easier for Autumn to speak. She stayed connected with Autumn, the memory in Soulara’s mental eye.