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Tell them.

“I’ve experienced the call twice,” she whispered.

Joiakim bolted upright. “What do you mean the call?”

“Two separate times I heard someone call to me.”

Four pairs of Sirenidae eyes stared at her.

“The first time I was trying to soothe a kraken.”

Reef spluttered. “You mean it wasn’t you who kept it from making our vessel a snack?”

“I tried but when I stopped singing another tune swirled through the water. I believe I helped but the other song definitely called the kraken away.”

Joiakim cursed and sprang to his feet. “If what you say is true, then the other entity can control the beasts of the deep.” His expression settled into deep worry. “Do you know what this means for us?”

Mer knew exactly where his mind was going. “We’ll be blamed.”

“Why?” Avalon cried. “We’re helping the people here.”

“And this newestoutbreakcoincides with our arrival,” Alanis surmised. “If a poison from the sea is discovered, they’ll take our lives.”

“I won’t allow that,” Mer promised them.

Reef hugged Avalon to his side. “How will you do that? You’re just a foreign queen.”

Mer crossed her arms. “One way or another I’ll discover the truth. I’ll protect you myself. I promise.”

“Do it quickly,” Alanis said. “Because we have little time before everyone in this village is dead. Including you.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

RAZIEL

Raziel gazedat the fire in the village square, trying to decide if he should return to the cottage.

His wife had been avoiding him all day.

Skye hadn’t even shown up today for a visit. His fiilee didn’t like the scent of the pyre and Raziel didn’t blame him.

He thought they’d reached a truce and maybe had even been building a tentative friendship.

“Have you seen Coven, my king?”

Raz blinked up at Isla, shaking the thoughts from his mind. “What was that?”

“Coven, have you seen her?”

His brows furrowed as he ran over the day. When was the last time he saw the quiet girl? It had been around lunch. “Last I saw Coven she was washing linens. Perhaps she’s at her home?”

“She actually lives with my husband and I, my king.”

“I think we’re close enough to drop the title, Isla.” Raziel smiled when she blushed and shook her head. “So Coven isyour daughter.” That explained why Coven was always hovering around Isla.

The older woman smiled. “She was our miracle. We were not blessed with children so when Coven came into our lives, I was overjoyed.”

“She’s lovely,” he replied. While he hadn’t gotten to know Coven very well, she was one of the hardest-working people in the village. “If you don’t mind me asking, was she a ward of your family?”