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Raziel began to jog, veering to the right toward the nests. “Has anyone seen her there?”

“One rider said your wife was on the top of a high ledge watching thefiileea few hours ago. When she returned, the queen was gone.”

His stomach bottomed out. There were so many bad scenarios.

She could have fallen and broken her neck.

The queen could have been attacked and fallen and broken her neck.

She could have tried to claim afiileeand broken her neck.

All he could imagine was her broken pale body at the bottom of the chasm.

What would he say to her grandfather? The Sirenidae king would surely revisit the idea of waging war on Methi.

“No one else has seen the queen?”

Valen hesitated. “One other rider claims to have seen someone of the queen’s likeness.”

“Where?” he growled.

“On the back of thefiileeoutside the nest, headed toward the Lake of Springs.”

That was a short enough flight, but it would still be several kilometers of searching for the body.

“You should know whichfiileeshe tried to claim.”

“Who?”

“Skye’s mate.”

Raziel’s jaw clenched. Of course, she chose Feather. As if his day couldn’t get any worse.

Now they’d truly be bonded for life.

That’s if Feather hadn’t killed the Sirenidae.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

MER

Water was a curious thing.

It could be soft and gentle. Or hard and cruel.

This time, it chose to be hard.

Mer crashed through the water, her legs taking the impact.

She screamed in pain as her injured arm was jerked away from her body. Her gills flared open, forcing the rest of the air out of her lungs. Mer clutched her wounded arm to her chest as she sank in the water, eyes stinging with pain.

Her brows furrowed as the scent of salt filtered through her gills. It wasn’t strong enough to be seawater, but there was no mistaking the salty taste of the ocean. And... the water wasn’t cold. It was almost as warm as bathwater.

Just what was this place?

Mer glanced toward the surface, floating in the water, her hair twisting like small snakes around her head. She needed to return to the palace before someone noticed she was gone. But there was something curious about the lake that called to her. If she managed her time well, she would be able to explore, seek ahealer and shelter, and sneak back to the palace before she was missed.

Just a few minutes.