Page 69

Draevyn

T he library was dim and silent, save for the rustling of old parchment as Draevyn pulled book after book from the shelves, spreading them across one of the vast tables.

Each tome was thicker and dustier than the last, their spines cracked and worn by time and the briny air.

He already lost hours in the endless sea of faded texts, yet he pressed on, his fingers brushing across centuries-old ink, eyes tracing the names of long-forgotten bloodlines and history.

He was desperate to find more information on how Esmyra had been in Maerinys before—the painted portrait of her in a long-forgotten book plaguing his mind. The way she spoke of this place, he knew she fully believed she had never been here before, or in the least, didn’t remember.

Draevyn was thankful at least some of the books were written in Rymelle’s language, and not the rune-like symbols he had found in several books and throughout Maerinys.

The history of Maerinys was richer than he’d expected, even darker than the whispers he’d heard throughout his life—though everything was hearsay centuries after the kingdom sank.

He opened a worn, leather-bound book, its cover embossed with a symbol that looked strangely like a serpent coiled around a trident .

The first page detailed the origins of the sea goddesses, their descent from the ocean itself, each imbued with powers that ran as deep and dark as its trenches.

It spoke of how they governed over the seas, kept balance, and offered their blessings to Maerinys and its people—until they vanished alongside their kingdom.

Only, the kingdom hadn’t vanished. So where were the goddesses?

There once was a time the gods walked among Rymelle’s soil, but they retreated to their own world after the fall of Kaelypso and Naerysa. They only remained accessible from their temples to pray to and leave offerings.

Irah remained with Lephyrin in more ways than he cared to admit—Draevyn was the proof of that. And from what he knew, Vydenne and Villaem were the same with their followers in Sumnae and Terrana, the continents they hailed from.

However, Kaelypso and Naerysa were lost to their people below the tides, just as much as they were above. It was how Blackwood was able to gain control of the seas so easily centuries ago. The balance, once in place, had ceased.

We’re going to raise Maerinys to the surface , Esmyra had said to him.

It had taken gods to sink it to the depths, yet someone as ordinary as an heir had the power to raise it? Something wasn’t right—the pieces of the puzzle not fitting together entirely. And he knew it was because Syrena was lying to them. Or at least, telling half-truths.

After the stunt she pulled the night prior, trying to bring him into her little fuck-fest, every alarm in his mind was flaring. He wanted to tell Esmyra, but would she even care? Truthfully, what the queen of Maerinys did was no business of his. And, regardless, he hadn’t partaken in it.

Draevyn rubbed his hands over his face, the weight of it all settling on his shoulders.

His and Esmyra’s alliance was still so new—so breakable. And even then, it was only based on survival. Nothing more…at le ast for her.

If he said the wrong thing, he knew she would retreat into herself again, start keeping secrets from him, and leave him in the dark.

Syrena claimed there was no way to escape Maerinys, but was that still the truth? They had found it after all. Esmyra managed to open doors and break barriers that had otherwise been sealed.

Who’s to say those weren’t still open?

Now that he thought of it, he realized nothing was stopping them from walking right back into that cave and following the way they came. The only thing that stood in their way was the initial drop from when Esmyra had fallen through the archway.

Draevyn didn’t know where the cave was, considering they had been blindfolded as they were dragged from it. However, he was determined to find it and see for himself.

Maybe then he could convince Esmyra to leave.

He glanced around the vast library, a sinking feeling in his gut that his hunch regarding everything was more than true. With a cautious glance over his shoulder, he closed the book, brushing a thumb over the emblem on its cover before slipping it into his coat.

Draevyn moved quickly, tidying the rest of the books into neat stacks, pushing the larger tomes back onto their shelves. He took one last look around to ensure he’d left no sign of his search and turned toward the towering doors.

What would happen if he were caught with this? Would they assume he was stealing? Would Esmyra even believe him if he tried to deny it?

Was just looking for a bit of light reading , he practiced the lie in his mind, and let out a huff of a laugh.

Pushing the feeling down, he slipped out into the corridor and strode toward his chambers. He kept his pace calm, casual, even though his mind raced with the secrets hidden beneath his shirt.

As he entered his bedchamber, his pulse slowed, but his thoughts spun faster. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the book he just uncovered was leading him down a path of no return.

Walking up to the side of his bed, he reached for the book, the intricate symbol of the trident gleaming faintly from the room’s merlights. Draevyn dropped to his knees and lifted the skirt of his bed, placing the book in the far back corner.

Draevyn had barely stood back up when a knock sounded at his door. He stilled as his pulse spiked, wondering if the missing text had already been discovered.

But then Esmyra’s voice filtered through the door. “Are you coming to dinner?”

He closed his eyes, swallowing his nerves as he smoothed his coat.

When he didn’t answer her, she spoke again. “I don’t have all night, Draevyn. And frankly, a day of sparring and magic-wielding has made me hungry.”

He snorted before straightening his shirt and approaching the door. When he opened it, Draevyn found her leaning casually against the wall with a wry smile.

“Do you always take this long to get dressed?” she teased, eyeing him with an arched brow. “I’m forcefully wrapped in endless fabric, and I’m quicker than you.”

“Ever heard of a nap? You tired me out earlier,” he answered with a wink. But his heart still raced as his mind remained with the book under his bed.

“Since when are you one for flattery?” Her eyes lingered on him, sharp and assessing. “And since when are we back to lying , Draevyn Rowe?”

His heart leapt in his throat. Was it the book he just hid? What he discovered in the throne room last night? Technically, he wasn’t lying about those if they hadn’t been mentioned. “What do you mean?”

Esmyra stormed past him, barging into the room before slamming the door behind her. She spun back to face him, her lip curling back. “Who the fuck did you burn, Phoenix ?!”

“All gods,” he whispered, rubbing his brow between his thumb and forefinger. “It’s not what it sounds like.”

“Really? Are you serious? Because to me, it sounds like not only did you use your magic, but you assaulted somebody. We had a deal, Draevyn. No magic. No lies.” Her chest was heaving, both fury and hurt etched into her features, and he hated that he was the one who put it on her otherwise perfect face.

“I didn’t lie. I simply omitted something.” He’d omitted quite a few things, and nausea rolled through him the more he thought of it.

She scoffed, a wicked cackle slipping from her as she shook her head. “You’re despicable.”

Draevyn’s eyes narrowed, taking a step closer.

“Listen to me. I didn’t think they realized I caused it.

Azarian had some other male put his hands on me and I shoved out of his hold.

My magic burst, trying to protect me. It wasn’t on purpose, and they never saw the flames.

I was convinced they thought it was just some strange occurrence because they dropped the subject.

” His jaw locked, his next words a growl.

“But it appears they instead just ran to their queen.”

“Why would they put their hands on you? Surely you were doing something you shouldn’t have been.”

A breathy laugh left him. “If inquiring about your safety is something I shouldn’t be doing, then forgive me for having a very different opinion, Esmyra.”

Her pouty lips parted, and his eyes fell to them with the movement. “I?—”

“I was worried after the tremors,” he interrupted. “And they tried to physically drag me back to my chambers without answering questions. I apologize that my magic slipped, but I have no regrets regarding my concern for you.”

She went completely still, her gaze locked on his. Her tongue swiped across her bottom lip, and Draevyn imagined pressing his own to them, wondering what they would taste like.

“Syrena wishes to see you in the throne room for punishment.” Her voice shattered his trance.

Punishment in the throne room. Draevyn would be lying if he said he wasn’t used to it.

A humorless chuckle escaped him, all thoughts of his sudden arousal fleeing his mind. His eyes lifted to the door as he shook his head. “Well, let’s get this over with then. ”

And then he stalked out of the room, Esmyra following behind him in silence.

Syrena sat regally on her high-backed throne as the council lined the walls of the room. The usual warmth in her doe eyes now gleamed with nothing but a bone-chilling iciness as she stared down at Esmyra and Draevyn just beyond the dais.

Draevyn glared at the two guards flanking him, their hands tightening on their spears. He couldn’t help but think of how different this room looked the night prior. It seemed, however, that Syrena’s cold gaze remained in place since he’d denied an invitation to her bed.

Esmyra stood on the opposite side of Azarian on his left, making it impossible for him to look at her without blatantly peering around the guard.