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Valen’s brows rose high. “I didn’t know you’d made a decision.”

“It must be done.”

“But a Sirenidae?” Valen shuddered. “They’re monsters.”

He agreed but just shrugged. “Our people need healers and solutions. The devils of the deep have the answers.” He hoped.

The corridor widened slightly, and the scent of animals, straw, and warm stone reached him. The king paused at the end of the corridor where it opened into a massive cavern.Fiileenested in all corners. Some felines watched them with curiosity,others with boredom or wariness.Fiileeonly bonded with a rider and possibly their mate, but it wasn’t always guaranteed.

Valen whistled, and a femalefiileestriped black-and-orange dove from a nest high above. She circled several times before landing with almost no sound in front of Valen. She took a swipe at his commander who dodged it easily. If Sunset had wanted to hurt him, she would have. Sunset was just as playful as Valen could be, which was why they made such an excellent pair.

Raz whistled his own tune, watching as Valen pulled a treat from his pocket and held it out to hisfiilee. She snuffled his flat palm before gently taking the gift and swallowing it whole. Sunset released a deep purr before pressing her head under his arm.

A familiar roar pulled the king’s attention to his ownfiilee. Skye circled high above, his coat almost blending in with the cavern ceiling. The showoff spun and looped a few more times before closing his massive bat-like wings and diving. Raziel held his position. It was a game he and Skye liked to play to see who’d flinch first. His heart raced as the gigantic feline sped toward him. At the very last moment, Skye flared his wings, blasting a gust of air and dirt over Raz, blowing his hair back.

Skye dropped to the floor, his light blue eyes looking all too smug.

“You cheated. I had to blink because of the dirt you stirred up,” Raziel growled, eyeing his preening beast.

His bonded chuffed and sauntered closer until they were eye to eye. Even after all these years, Skye still amazed him. Thefiileedropped his head and butted him in the chest. At one time, the greeting would have knocked the king off his feet but no longer.

Sinking his fingers into Skye’s soft fur, he hugged his feline, and Skye released a contented chirrup. There was nothing quite like the companionship of afiilee. Even though the animal couldnot speak to him in words, they understood each other in a way he didn’t understand most people.

“We must go,” he murmured, combing his fingers through Skye’s thick fur that was more black spots than faint white undercoat. “Our people need us.” He released Skye and walked to the cavern wall. Harnesses, saddles, and a variety of riding gear hung in all sizes. “Saddle?”

Skye’s light blue eyes seemed to narrow.

Raziel sighed. It had been worth a shot. While he didn’t need a saddle and preferred to be without one, when they traveled over the sea, the king liked to have the extra assurance that he was secure. He could swim, but there was something about the ocean that unnerved him. It was unpredictable and dangerous.

Just like your new wife will be.

He brushed the thought away and yanked the harness from the wall harder than he meant to. He held it out to Skye. “Shall we?”

There wasnothing more beautiful than flying above Methi. Between the sharp peaks of the Hollow Mountain range, to the jeweled forests of Laos, to the rolling waves of the Emerald Coast. They passed over the hot springs and then all too soon, the Wasting Corals rose in the distance. The lime-green coral protruded from the sea like witch’s fingers—sickly and misshapen.

His stomach dipped as they began their travels over the sea.

Water closing over his head, silence, and panic…

Raziel pushed away the older memory and focused on Skye. The beast would not let him fall into the sea. And even if they did, Raz knew how to swim. He just needed to battle the fear.

Hisfiileechirruped and the king patted his bonded. “I’m alright.”

They flew around the eastern perimeter of the corals. It was forbidden to fly over them. The corals were poisonous. All it took was just one touch or scrape for your life to be over. And it wasn’t quick. The poison took its time, making you so sick, you couldn’t eat or drink until your body wasted away or gave up.

Raziel frowned as he spotted new corals growing beneath the water. It was spreading more rapidly than it had in years past.

Why? That was the question.

Still, they soared on until they reached the northernmost edge of the Wasting Corals.

A Methi ship bobbed a safe distance away from the poisonous corals, but theZephyrwas aground them. Large spears had pierced the hull, and the mast was snapped in two. Parts of the deck were still in good condition, and his stomach dropped as he spotted bodies strewn about.

He and Skye landed on the warship.

The king slid from Skye’s back and landed on the deck in a crouch. He stood and the crew bowed. Even after years of being royal, the practice still made him uncomfortable. Raziel was there to serve, not the other way around. He nodded to them, and Captain Eliah limped her way to the front of the crowd, short brown ruffled hair falling into her metallic green eyes.

“My liege,” Eliah said, before getting down to business. “How would you like us to proceed?”