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Honour shook her head again.

“A-and the humans?”

“Princess, I don’t think—”

“How many humans were there?”

“Two in each vessel.” Honour’s shoulders were rigid.

Soulara clenched her jaw, cursing her inability to keep herself together. She had to do better than this. “I know Talon’s traditions. They were torn apart, weren’t there? There’s nothing left of them.”

“The humans are considered the enemy, as are the krakens.”

“Fuck.” Soulara pounded her fist against the table, disturbing the little pieces of tech that she’d been working on, some of them tumbling to the floor below as they rattled. “I could have used those to find a better way to fight them.”

“We can negotiate with Talon for whatever pieces they have left.”

Soulara let out a snort. She knew they wouldn’t agree to that. The Talons were ruthless in their violence. They had been one of the first tribes to split in the great divide millennia ago, and it was only through small connections that the two tribes ever interacted anymore.

But Talon’s traditions in battle were well known, and they likely wouldn’t agree to giving up any part of their prize as they would see it. Still, it couldn’t hurt to try.

“Set up a meeting,” Soulara ordered.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Honour flicked her gaze over Soulara’s body. “And I’ll keep attuned to see if your Autumn was one of the humans in the vessel.”

Soulara pressed her lips together hard, thinning them until they almost disappeared. She stared at her table, gathering what little strength she had left, but she didn’t acknowledge what Honour had said. This was her fate. And it was about damn time that she accepted it.

“I expect a report within the hour.” Soulara didn’t drop her gaze. Her shoulders were perfectly in place, her entire body calm even though her heart was in utter turmoil. This was exactly what she had trained for. Honour couldn’t be her friend anymore. Honour could only be her general.

“Yes, Princess.” Honour bowed her head slightly, backing away. She clearly felt the shift in Soulara’s mood, in the power that she’d accepted within her. This was her birthright.

Honour slipped from the lab.

Once alone, Soulara crumbled. She fell to the ground and pushed back against the leg of the table, clutching the soul stone her mother had given her. She closed her eyes as the water in front of her face warmed. Why was everything hitting at once?

She felt far more for Autumn than she should. But that had to be just because Autumn was new, and Soulara always had a slight obsession with new love interests. Then again, if Autumn had been a mermaid, Soulara would already have fucked her several times over. The fact that she’d held herself back was a testament that perhaps something was different this time.

Assuming Autumn was even alive still.

“Go find her,” Soulara whispered, staring directly at Nylah. “I need to know.”

Nylah flopped down hard, as if bowing, and then disappeared. Soulara had no idea where the ray was off to other than the simple command that Soulara had given. The lack of their presence made no difference, and it was nothing like what Zendalia had talked about with her companion Neyon.

Soulara knew she didn’t have much time. She had to get herself up and working. She needed to speak with her father about the most recent attack, and victory. Soulara paused at that. She had barely even registered that this was a victory. Thus far, no mermaid tribe had managed to take down one of the krakens, but if the Talons had then there was hope it could be done again.

Dragging her sorry tail off the floor, Soulara stared at her lab. She shouldn’t even be here right now. Yes, it was her place of refuge, but she wasn’t the same Soulara she had been last season. She’d accepted her birthright, which meant she should be closer to the throne room, closer to her father.

But the call to leave and swim to the shore to find Autumn was so strong. If she could just see that Autumn was well, then she could continue her work. Soulara cringed. She didn’t like this new person she’d become.

“Princess,” Honour said, immediately coming back in.

Soulara said nothing as she put her full concentration on Honour’s presence. She waited, expecting some sort of explanation.

“We have news.” Honour stopped just inside the entry way. “Two humans were killed, one kraken is dismantled and being moved to the Talon’s main city, Korgen.”

This wasn’t news. Though Soulara wasn’t about to point that out, because Honour still had something to say.

“We’re to meet with the Talons in two hours.”