Page 27

Evelyn

T he breath sweeps from my lungs as I realize what Yvette just told me. Mathius is my father. My father. The man who loved my mother so selflessly, that he gave up his whole life, his kingdom, to be with her.

“You’re lying,” I spit with all the vigor I have left. I’m not sure how many more emotional tidal waves I can take today.

“Of course you don’t believe me. Why would you?

Except, think about it, Evelyn? The way you have always been drawn to him, even after you gave up on your masquerade of starting your own shipyard in order to help these poor men escape,” she taunts while prowling up and down the beach, always twirling the seahorse necklace between her fingers.

Like a punch to the gut, I know she’s right. Only the feeling of Kai's fingers on my arm is keeping me from sinking into the depths of my heartache. I have a father, he’s alive, and he’s the most powerful man on this island.

My mind flashes back to the dream from yesterday. My mother, on the beach, encircled in the arms of a man who felt so familiar, now I know why. It was Mathius, the lost king and my father.

If anyone can help us figure out how to leave, it will be him.

An idea sparks and I school my features for Yvette’s next penetrating volley of insults.

“So what if he’s my father, if he keeps taking your Elixir and stays your slave, he could never truly be my father.

You will never convince me or Kai to give you back these vials if it means controlling these men forever. ”

I risk a glance at the bundle bopping amongst the waves drifting further out, but never sinking.

The vials need to be fully destroyed if we have any hope of defeating Yvette.

If he could read my mind, all of this would be easier, but I have the best chance of getting that necklace away from Yvette, and he has the best chance of destroying the vials.

All I need is a little distraction. Glancing around, I spot one of the torches we used to burn away the Elder flower, although the flames have long since been doused, the end is still considerably spiked.

A perfect weapon and one Yvette would never suspect.

Squeezing Kai’s hand, I kiss him gently on the cheek, wondering if this will be our last time in each other’s arms. I am not as strong or powerful as Yvette, but I know in my heart what she is doing is wrong, and that has to be enough.

“Stop making moon eyes at each other and give me back the potions.” Yvette extends her delicate hand, the dark silver scales of her arm shine in the moonlight, giving her almost an ethereal glow. She’s always felt larger than life to me.

Graceful. Delicate. Stunning. Confident.

Powerful. All the things I wanted to be, but never quite found it in myself to be.

But one thing she’s always been, that I never want to be, is completely self-absorbed.

She doesn’t realize the satchel that she tossed out of my hand held the Elixir she so desperately needs.

“They’re already gone. We destroyed them before you arrived.

” Kai shouts with more conviction in his voice than I’ve heard before.

Every moment he surprises me a little more, and a pang of sadness goes through me as I realize I want an entire life of little surprises from him, and I might never get that if we can’t stop Yvette.

“It’s over, you can’t control these men any longer. ”

“And what are you going to do to stop me? Throw a book at me? From all the men I’ve seen wash up on our shores, you seem the weakest. Just a younger brother living in his older brother’s shadow, waiting for his daddy’s approval.

” She says with a menacing grin, thinking she hit him right where his greatest weakness lies.

In the short time I’ve known Kai, he never seemed to be seeking approval from anyone, least of all his father.

So while Yvette thinks she’s hurt him, I know deep down all he cares about is his family’s happiness, he’s never cared about gaining his father’s approval or living in his brother’s shadow.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kai begins backing out into the surf.“I love my brother and I will do anything it takes to keep him safe and bring him home.”

I slowly stalk in the opposite direction, trying to allow Kai to remain Yvette’s main focus for the moment. She creeps forward following him step by step while I sneak closer to the torch. I have to believe Kai can hold his own.

A resounding crash reverberates from the men’s hut as the door flies open and Mathius storms out. Sprinting towards Yvette with murder in his eyes, I take the opportunity to scramble for the torch, grasping it in my hands.

Thunder rumbles overhead, and the waves froth further and further up the shore. The tide is rising quickly, and the storm is getting closer.

I’ve never seen Mathius so angry, he looks like he is ready to strangle the life out of Yvette with his bare hands. I honestly don’t doubt that he has the ability to do so.

“You lied to me for centuries!” he bellows. “Years of my life, Yvette. You stole the love of my life and made me forget my own daughter.” He finally reaches the crashing waves, and Yvette looks between him and Kai, wondering which problem to resolve first.

“I needed you, Mathius. You were feeding the island its magic. You’re more powerful than you know, and I needed that power to keep us alive.

The mighty Elven King of Halvendor. Beloved by all including that spineless bitch, Aurelia,” she spits.

“When I made the deal with Kafigda to bring you all here, she purred in anticipation of your power. Ripe for the taking and all ours. You loved this place, you were the reason Aurelia believed that more men would come here and stay to live out their happily ever afters.” Yvette's face turns mocking.

“No one ever told her that fairy tales aren’t real and what a shame she died believing they were true. But you, Mathius, you were the true prize, and I knew I had to do anything to keep you here. It was unfortunate your precious wife didn’t see it that way.”

Mathius’s face is a mask of grief, pain, and rage. “All of that was worth more than Aurelia’s life? She was everything to me and you took her from me and my child just like that. And not only me, you took all of it away from Evelyn too. How can you live with yourself?”

She smiles that feline smile that causes my stomach to somersault. Like we’re playing a game and only Yvette knows the rules.

“Easy, Mathius. Power. All the power I could ever want is right at my fingertips.” Black tendrils of light begin to crackle, slithering along her hands, up and down her arms as she makes her way back to the beach.

He scoffs as a soft golden glow starts to surround him. “If power is what you wanted, I could have given you that. I willingly gave you that when I was on this island of my own free will.”

“It wasn’t enough,” she spits as the shadowed black magic whirls around her arms. “And you were never going to stay. You were going to take Aurelia and Evelyn, leave Kafigda and never come back. And I couldn’t let that happen. You forced me to do this, Mathius.”

Yvette releases a crack of power, fast as a whip, towards Mathius. He holds up his hands and blocks the attack with his golden glow.

I stare in awe of the man who is my father as he fights off every burst of magic shooting from Yvette’s hands. Subtlety, he closes the distance between them until she is almost within reach of his powerful grip.

Dropping the torch, I rush out into the water and try to meet Kai as he begins to get swept further from shore.

A piercing scream resounds across the island, and I feel it deep in my bones. Yvette is screaming a siren’s song, trying to stop Mathius’s attacks.

In his shock, Kai drops the makeshift sack and it begins to sink to the bottom of the sea. Kai grasps for it and the loose knot keeping the bundle closed begins to unravel. Vials bob to the surface, looking like apples waiting to be collected from a barrel.

Mathius finally reaches Yvette and grips her by the arms, squeezing her back against his chest. He places a large hand over her mouth, silencing the song while the golden glow simmers around his entire frame.

Kai is frantically working to collect the bouncing potions littering the water. Heedless of the strength of each crashing wave, I watch in horror as he gets battered by a wave and pulled under.

Panicking, I dive down and swim to him as quickly as my fins will carry me. My heart lurches in my chest as I pray to the gods that he can find a way to get his head above water.

How could I let this happen?

Kai fighting to find the surface, Mathius using all his power to keep Yvette contained and these damned vials won’t sink.

Finally reaching Kai, I pull him to the surface and grip the sides of his face, smashing a kiss to his lips.

I breathe life into his lungs and hum a healing song.

Circled in my arms, he begins to cough and clings to me like a life raft.

“Kai, look at me. Focus,” I plead, my tail thrashing against the strong force of the ocean. “I need you to swim with me, my love. We have to get back to shore. The storm is coming, and I can’t fight this.”

His eyes come back into focus. “Eve, what happened? One minute I was able to stand, the next I was being swept under the waves.”

“I know, Kafigda is angry, but I’m so glad you’re safe now.

Listen, we have to go and help Mathias,” I pull him closer to me, savoring one final embrace before we face the unknown.

“You need to take one of the Elixirs, you’ll never make it back to shore without it, you need to be able to breathe underwater.

Then I have to destroy that necklace Yvette is wearing.

That’s where all her power is coming from.

You have to remember who you are and don’t fall under her spell, Kai. Whatever you do. Don’t listen to her.”