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Naia burst through Mother’s bedchamber and came to an immediate stop.

Gianna bumped into her and apologized quickly.

Naia wanted to respond to the servant, to step further into the room, but her legs quivered with a prickling sensation.

Her father stood across the room directly in front of her mother’s bed, stature stiff.

He acknowledged Naia with a gentle smile, one that did not meet his eyes. “Naia, darling, did you sleep well?”

The morning sunlight swept over him through the window. His dark hair had wilted small wildflowers throughout. Dull, rotted stems dangling in a sea of shiny, black strands. It was when she realized the blossoms reflected his mood.

Naia’s eyes searched for the baby.

The bassinet at the bedside was empty.

Sitting up in the bed, Mother cradled the newborn in her arms.

The scene was exquisite—her mother in dark blue satin bedclothes, her hair loose and flowing like metallic waves down her shoulders, expression soft as she spoke tenderly to the child in her arms.

Something pinched in Naia’s chest.

The High Goddess of the Sea refused to hold her own first born as it cried fresh from her womb.

“Naia, are you ready to meet your new sister?” Naia’s father scooped her up and walked her over to the bedside with a clean view of her new sibling. “This is Marina.”

The moment the last syllable of her sister’s name left his mouth—a name with a close similarity to their mother’s—a darkness dropped like morsels throughout the room. They bled into a black fog, inhaling the sunlight.

Naia clung to the collar of her father’s robe, frightened.

“She is a goddess of night.” The words spoken from Mira were with a spine-chilling pride, affirming the distance between her and Naia that Via had spoken of a year ago unquestionably existed.

A distance Naia could not see until then.

6

THE MAGES

Aquamarine gemstones and satin ribbon adorned the throne room. Guards stood along the entrance of the drapery lined across the marble floor. The room was incredibly quiet, amplifying the sound of even the slightest boot scuffle.

Mira sat on her throne with Naia at her side. Atop the High Goddesses’ head was a radiant, golden crown, tame in size, but the edges as sharp as the end of a shark’s teeth. A turquoise jewel hung in the center of her forehead.

Naia kept her hands twisted behind her back, a welcoming smile on her lips.

As the eldest at thirteen, she had duties to uphold. Welcoming guests into the kingdom was one of them. While she had little interest in knowing which god was about to enter, she was ecstatic to make conversation with someone other than her father.

The amethyst crystal doors yawned open, and a boy, who appeared to be the same age as Naia, paraded by three guards entered. He strode in with an infuriating confidence Naia lacked, stopped at the edge of the dais, and bowed his head.

“Lady Mira, it is a pleasure to be in the presence of you and your daughter.” His accent was thick and pleasing to the ear.

“Welcome to Kaimana, Lord Solaris,” Mira said.

A young lord.

Naia studied the boy before her, curious now. His skin was the color of brandy beneath his leather tunic, and despite his age, lean muscle defined his arms.

As if the god could sense her scrutinizing, his gaze came up to meet hers. It softened and his lips tilted into a friendly smile.

“This is Naia.” Mira introduced without a gesturing motion.