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A rc forced himself to move slowly, carefully. Under the water, the female sea kynd and her fellows gathered around him in a loose formation. He spun a globe of air magic around himself so he could breathe but kept the magic woven loosely so speech could carry more easily.

“Greetings. I am King Arcturus. Thank you for your help in fighting off the sea beast.”

Several large males with beards of black, sea-green, and silver swam nearby, their coral spears now back in their hands due to their specific spell work, a magic he’d witnessed when helping Vahly escape Tidehame.

Two other females flanked the leader as well, their spears held pointed at him and their pale orange hair floating in the currents.

They looked exactly alike, twins perhaps.

The one to the leader’s right had a second spear—perhaps their leader’s weapon.

With hands spread to show she was unarmed, the leader regarded him with serious eyes.

“Greetings, King Arcturus of the Elves, destined mate to the Earth Queen. We have heard talk of you across the ocean. I am Lilia, wife of a murdered general who served Astraea. I gathered those who, like me, detest Astraea’s ways.

We have joined together to rebel against her.

” Her voice rippled through the moonlit water, the sounds jarring, making understanding her difficult.

“We do not recognize her as queen. There are many more of us, rebels, who move against Astraea in an attempt to thwart her plans and give the Earth Queen the opportunity to balance the world.”

“Greetings, Rebel General Lilia. Thank you for slaying the beast.”

The rebels nodded once in unison.

“I must ask,” he said, the salt water pinching at his throat and his magic spinning around him, delivering the sounds to Lilia’s ears, “what would you like to see Queen Vahly of the Earth accomplish?”

Lilia’s head turned as she gazed at the silvery water and the seaweed already growing tall on ground where dragons had so recently hunted deer and goat.

“Balance. I spoke to the Watcher, and she sees a possible balance between land and sea, but it will only come to pass if every soul involved in these efforts gives their all.”

“The Watcher?”

“She is our…Seer, I think you would say. General Ryton, the male who aided you, he worked with her.”

The male sea kynd had fought alongside Vahly, Nix, Kyril, and Arc when Astraea had attacked at the Lost Valley. He had sacrificed himself to save them, and Arc would never forget him.

“We believe Ryton died; is that right?” Arc asked gently. He hoped that some strange occurrence might have seen him escape. “I’m sorry for your loss if you did indeed know him. He was a brave warrior and deserving of honor.”

Lilia’s chest moved, and Arc couldn’t help but wonder exactly how the sea folk’s gills and lungs interacted.

“Yes. We lost him. We heard of his death from a spy in Astraea’s ranks.

Ryton was a dear friend of mine, the bravest of us all, and was like a brother to my murdered husband.

Before any of us had gathered ourselves enough to begin our own fight, Ryton rebelled against Astraea because of what she did to my husband, to Grystark. ”

“We have all lost so many. How can we work together to realize the Seer’s possible future of balance and save the rest of us? Do you have ideas?”

“Astraea told one of her guards,” Lilia said, “that the Earth Queen must present herself to the Sacred Oak in Illumahrah.”

“It shouldn’t stun me that Astraea knows every detail, but I admit, I’m surprised,” he said.

Lilia’s eyebrows—not too different from his own—rose. “She knows much. Too much. We’d like to escort you the rest of the way to Illumahrah. We can stay hidden and watch for Astraea’s troops, spies, and also for further sea creatures who could cause trouble.”

“That would be incredibly helpful. I’m certain Queen Vahly would gladly accept your assistance. What do you ask in exchange?”

“Only that she follows her magic. True earth magic should lead her to respect the balance between land and sea. We ask that she refrain from destroying all of our kynd and our home and that she remember that we too have a right to live in our own way.”

“Queen Vahly has a pure soul, though she would jest and pretend she doesn’t.

” He fought a smile that was inappropriate for such a serious meeting.

He could almost see Vahly tossing a pair of dice from hand to hand and making some sort of comment about betting on his ability to make the female sea kynd forget all about the ocean.

“She’ll uphold the balance. I give you my word as the Elven King.

” He touched the magic of his crown and held out a hand.

Lilia reached out and pressed a palm against the globe of air magic. The tendrils of air magic he’d taken from his crown seeped through the sphere to curl around Lilia’s shimmering fingers in a magical oath.

“Thank you, King Arcturus. One thing you must know for the upcoming battle: The Watcher told us the Sea Queen must give a portion of her blood willingly to Vahly at the right moment to balance the world. If we kill her before that, I don’t know what will happen.”

“Willingly.” He didn’t want to say it aloud, but that seemed quite clearly impossible. “What if we end this Sea Queen’s life and your folk find a new one who would be willing?”

“It could happen. But Astraea has been the only of our kynd born Touched with the mark in generations. If we choose that strategy, there could be a long wait for the next, and I don’t know what to expect.”

Arc tapped his chin and watched a group of sun-yellow fish zip past. “We might create an entirely new problem if we slay Astraea before the new Sea Queen is born, yes?”

“That would be my guess, though I hate to voice it. I’d see Astraea dead at the human’s feet, blooded and broken, at almost any cost. Almost. I wouldn’t rush the deed though if it meant the end of us all.

” She turned her head and studied something in the distance that Arc couldn’t see.

“You should depart quickly,” she said. “An odd magic stirs the water.”

“The Sea Queen?”

“No. Something…different. Apart. Not a kynd.”

“I had best go, then. Thank you again for your help. We’ll raise another resting spot this time tomorrow and will talk again if you agree.”

Lilia gave a bow of her head, then spun, her finned legs silver in the watery moonlight pooling on the surface above them.

Arc quickly left the water and climbed ashore to share all with Vahly and the others.

Amona settled beside Vahly . The Lapis Matriarch shifted into her smaller form and donned the garments she’d brought. “This is unprecedented, the way the rebels are aiding us. I’m quite hopeful.”

Nix and Aitor also shifted, and everyone gathered to discuss the possibilities and to recount Ryton’s sacrifice.

Nix sipped from a waterskin that smelled strongly of ale. “But if the rebels escort us to Illumahrah, won’t their presence alert Astraea?”

Arc took the proffered waterskin and swallowed down a dose. “General Lilia says they’ll attempt to remain unnoticed. I suppose they have their ways.”

“We can’t afford to deny them.” Amona took the ale from him with a graceful, blue-scaled hand.

Vahly blew out a breath and ran her hands through her hair, loosing her braid. “I can’t believe we won’t be able to go right after Astraea and kill her. It’ll be near impossible to keep her controlled but alive in a battle.”

Amona’s bright eyes narrowed, and she turned toward the center of the island.

A scent rose in the air, and the wind whispered to Arc, an urging in its tone, a plea to stand and pay attention.

Amona’s nostrils flared. “Vahly.”

Arc stood and surveyed the spit of land. The moonlight caught on a shape behind Vahly. He’d lost all his arrows during the battle, so he drew upon his magic. “A spirit approaches.”

Vahly joined him, a hand on her sword and her gaze searching. “I don’t see anything.”

The dragons created a wall around her, wings spread slightly to protect but not to block Arc’s and her view.

Arc tilted his head and studied the watery light. The shape coalesced into a male, human-like figure, stouter than Vahly, its large eyebrows bunched. But the shape wasn’t fully whole or of this world. Its body remained cloudy and held the color of the moon, pale and unsubstantial.

Vahly tugged Arc’s sleeve. “What is it?” she hissed, drawing her sword.

The being’s scent held notes of earthblood and minerals found deep inside the land. It could only be one thing. He stepped between Vahly and the creature, his muscles coiling, his body readying for battle, magic swirling high and strong around his temples and hands.

“It’s a galtzagorri, a legendary land spirit known for interacting with humans when they were abundant. He is either here to serve you or to kill you.”