Page 99

Draevyn

T he creak of the wooden steps echoed as Draevyn descended the stairs below deck. The air grew heavier, damp with the scent of sweat-slicked bodies, while the faint murmurs of conversation drifted from the ship’s holding cells.

When he stepped into view, every head snapped toward him.

“You!” Jak snarled, gripping the bars of his cell. His face was red with rage. “You fucking bastard !” He swiped his arm through the bars, and Draevyn was forced to take a step back, out of reach.

“Where is she?” Jak demanded, his voice cracking. “Where is Esmi?”

Draevyn swallowed and let out a breath. “Not here.”

Chaos erupted then—every man within the cells spat accusations and insults, each growing louder than the last. He raised his hands, palms outward, as if that might calm the mayhem.

“Enough!” Draevyn barked, his voice cutting through the madness. Tense silence followed. “I’m not here to fight you, or to listen to insults that I fucking promise to all of you are no worse than what I’ve already said to my godsdamn self…” He paused, chest heaving. “I’m here to explain.”

Riven cut him a glare. “Explain what? How you doomed her to fall over that cliff? Or how you abandoned her there and left her to rot?”

The words hit him like a blow, a lump returning to his throat. “I didn’t abandon her,” he said, his voice steady despite the guilt gnawing at him. “I would never leave her.”

“Then where the fuck is she, Phoenix ?” Ren spat.

“We found it,” Draevyn rushed out as he took a step closer to their cage. “We found Maerinys. Esmyra is…” His eyes darted back and forth as he searched for the words. “She’s so much more than any of us believed.”

“I told you that to begin with, you bastard. What, now you see past her walls and suddenly want to play the fucking hero as you stand before the people who actually give a damn about her? Lying to our faces about how and why you’re here!” Jak bellowed.

Draevyn pounded his fist on his chest as he yelled back, “I do care about her!” Far more than them , he desperately wanted to voice, but refrained. He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. “I’m here because I was tricked . Manipulated by magic.”

“Well, if Esmi didn’t want you there?—”

“It wasn’t her,” Draevyn cut Jak off. “Esmyra has a sister…” He paused, forcing himself to meet their accusing gazes.

“What in all gods are you talking about?” Jak spat. “She doesn’t have a family aside from us. We are her family, and you fucking took her away from us. Just as you stole her father from her. We were all she fucking had!”

“I know!” Draevyn bellowed, his voice reverberating through the cells. He took a few deep breaths. “Just listen to me. Please,” he begged, trying to keep the flames aching to burst from his fingertips at bay. “Her sister’s name is Syrena. And she used her powers on me.”

They all stared at him, their faces hardened and unblinking.

“She compelled me to believe…” His voice faltered, and he swallowed hard before continuing.

“She made me see things that weren’t real.

I know you’re all very much aware of how Esmyra can compel someone’s mind—well, believe me when I say her twin is no different in that regard.

By the time I realized what had happened, I was locked ou t of Maerinys, and the only way out was through that godsdamn cave. ”

“Convenient,” someone muttered darkly.

“I’m telling you the truth,” he snapped.

“Listen, Esmyra is in danger. Syrena plans to use her to raise the kingdom. I don’t know how she plans to, but Maerinys is only lost to those above the surface.

It’s very much thriving beneath the tides, and they plan to come back. They’ve just needed Esmyra to do it.”

“Why?” Jak’s brows furrowed as his arms crossed, and the crew watched them as they argued through the bars of the cell.

“I already told you, she’s much more than we believed her to be—what she even believed herself to be.” Draevyn’s stare roamed over all who watched him and sucked in a breath. “A bit peculiar, isn’t it? That Esmyra was the last of her kind, but held more power than anyone had known or heard of…”

“Aye, that part has always been peculiar , as you say with your fancy, royal words, Phoenix,” Riven hissed.

Draevyn rolled his eyes. “Even more… odd that once we find a kingdom lost to the world, trapped within the sea, that she finds a sister. A twin.” His eyes fell to Riven.

“I hope that word was easier for you to understand.” He couldn’t keep the retort in.

They were all acting like morons, refusing to listen.

Riven’s eyes narrowed, but Draevyn watched as nearly everyone began to put the pieces together of what he was trying to say. “What if I told you the sea goddesses weren’t lost, but bound to mortal bones?” he continued.

“You’re lying,” Jak growled.

Draevyn took a step up to the cell’s door, and when he did, flames ignited along the metal bars, and everyone took a step back as they gasped.

When he spoke next, his voice was low, every bit the Phoenix all of Rymelle feared.

“Now, now, Jaky, why would I lie about something like this?” Draevyn cocked his head to the side.

“Why would I waste my fucking breath? Now, I believe you have love for her, whether it’s romantic or platonic, I don’t give a damn in this moment, but if you care about her, you will listen to the words I’m trying to drive into your thick skull.

But make no mistake, I will be going after her, whether you come with me or not. ”

Jak bared his teeth as the flames winked out. “Okay, Phoenix, I’m listening.”

Draevyn let out a breath, relief trickling into him before he spoke of everything they had encountered in Maerinys, leaving out the part of how he felt about Esmyra—his Wildfire—not wanting to deal with another possible outburst. So instead, he told them Syrena compelled him to listen to her plans, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up beyond Maerinys’ borders.

He didn’t lie, per se, just omitted certain truths.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Ren stepped forward, his jaw clenched as he placed a heavy hand on Jak’s shoulder, who stood there stunned.

“You expect us to place our trust in you, our enemy, who currently holds our captain hostage? How do we know she isn’t already dead?

How do we know everything you just said isn’t a trap, and you didn’t kill her? ”

Gods, pirates truly are fucking morons . Draevyn’s jaw clenched.

“Why would I risk treason against my father to try to free you all?” he said after a moment.

“Differences aside, I think we can all agree we have one common ground, and that’s Esmyra.

I made a mistake, but I’ll do whatever it takes to fix it.

I swear to you, with or without you, I will be getting her back. ”

Jak’s golden eyes narrowed. “And if this is just another trick?”

Draevyn met his gaze, unflinching, as he allowed his flames to dance within his eyes. “Then you can kill me yourself.”

The crew exchanged uncertain glances, their anger simmering but not extinguished.

Finally, Jak nodded, his expression hard. “Aye. You say that now, but if you fail her again, if this is all some conjured trick…mark my words, there won’t be a place in this world where you can hide from us.”

“Good. I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Draevyn admitted .

Shouts rang out from above, announcing that the Lephyrin harbor was in view from the deck.

“You’ll be seeing me,” he said to the crew before turning back to head up the stairs.

The weight of their mistrust and Esmyra’s life pressed heavily on his shoulders, but he forced it aside, knowing there was one more obstacle he needed to face before anything could be done.

Draevyn knew his father was a wildcard, and one wrong word to the king could lead to a catastrophic mistake for what was to come.