Page 6 of Of Rime and Ruin (Sirens of Adria #2)

“If you’ll excuse me,” I say, standing. My pulse pounds in my ears. Winona protests with a click of her tongue. So I snatch a piece of cinnamon cake for good measure, fold it into a napkin, and rush out of the room.

“Is she running away again?” Father’s booming voice echoes through the hall before I burst out the front doors into a shallow courtyard.

The air hangs heavy outside, thick with moisture on a hot gust of wind. Voices erupt in the streets beyond our gate. The doors to the palace slam shut behind me, but I do not stop. I push through the gate into the chaos of submersion day.

My family won’t follow. They never do.

The captain shouts orders in the streets.

Merfolk scramble to tuck last-minute items into their homes.

Hatchlings wail. Birds screech from the palmwoods.

Guppies stand at the bottom of the trees, trying to coax them with stale bread.

The birds will have to come inside before we submerge or find a new home somewhere else.

If I had time, I’d stop to help bring in the birds.

But I’m already breathless, and my pounding feet carry me past.

Keen stands at the helm, readying to dive into the saddle.

It’s happening.

In a few moments, Ramona will submerge, and we’ll speed toward my future.

Keen points west. The captain nods. Before he dives, the old way-maker glances in my direction. I lift my hand and wave, and he smiles as I charge toward him with the cake cradled to my chest, weaving around the merfolk.

The shell is hot beneath my bare feet. The wind rips through my hair, spoiling the elaborate style. Against my chest, the cake squishes, crumbs escaping to skitter down my belly.

I come to a screeching halt in front of Keen, and he eyes the napkin with interest.

“That for me?”

“Happy submersion day,” I say.

He takes my offering and unfolds the napkin. The cake is malformed but still edible. Keen dips his finger into the icing and sucks on it.

“Sorry I can’t join you in the saddle.”

He grins around the cake, pushing a lump into his cheek. “I’m not stopping you. Especially not after you feed me cake.”

I laugh. “Consider it a thank you. For everything.”

He narrows his eyes. “That’s cryptic.”

“I mean—” I pause. It’s just cake, right? “I’m so glad you took the time to teach me. I don’t know the next time I’ll be able to—” The words lodge in my throat.

What am I saying?

Sweat beads at my temples, wetting my scalp. I glance over Keen’s shoulder to the sea’s unwavering horizon.

A pod of glosswhales leaps through the waves, glittering in the morning light. What if…

An itch crawls from the crown of my scalp to my toes as the thought solidifies. What if I joined them?

No. I couldn’t.

It’s too risky.

Winona has flayed deserters before. Why should her good-for-nothing sister be any different?

The old siren tracks my gaze. “Ah,” he says.

“Some of my favorite creatures, glosswhales. I’ve always wondered where they go when the weather turns.

I have a hunch they head south. Cross above the Abyss.

Swim past the edge of the known sea. Now, wouldn’t that be exciting?

” His voice drops to a whisper, brittle with emotion.

“Wouldn’t that be something to live for? ”

I join him in his whispering, leaning close. “What are you saying, Keen?”

He jerks his head toward the bustling city. “They’re all running around with their fins dried out. A bird could shit in their eye, and they wouldn’t notice a thing.”

“But I’m not…”

He winks. “I won’t say anything. Not even if she strings me by my gills.”

“But that’s treason.”

He pinches the cake and tucks another bite between his lips. “And it never tasted so sweet.”

“Oy!” shouts the captain. “You ready, Master Keen?”

I frown. Even as my heart jumps into my throat like an excited guppy.

“What about you? If you assist a deserter, she’ll snip your tongue.”

“Her best way-maker?” He finishes the cake. “She’d be lost without me.”

My toes grip the edge of the Rim. I stare into the glittering water. Ramona’s fins churn beneath the surf, making long, sweeping arcs.

“Now, I’m getting into the saddle. And you…” He squeezes my shoulder. “May the current guide your fins.”

“And the stars light your way,” I echo. My eyes burn, tears pricking at the corner. “But it’s open water. What if I’m caught by a dredgebeast? Or worse?”

There’s that knowing smile, spreading across his face. “Then tame it, my girl. Make it your bitch.”

My jaw drops from its hinges. He grins. With one last squeeze, the old siren dives off the Rim, and his amber tail emerges beneath the waves.

Behind me, the streets are nearly empty. The captain barks an order, and stragglers rush into their homes.

He spots me where I crouch on the Rim. “Your Highness!” I grip the coarse shell with my hands, finding little purchase. He rushes toward me. “Secure yourself!”

I raise my hand to stop him. “I’m in the saddle today, Captain.”

“Get situated, then. Make haste.” He leaves me to it.

Ramona releases a low, trembling groan. Her shell shifts beneath my feet, and I stumble. The water churns and wakes. Ramona tilts. My breath catches, lungs sucked dry. The sea rises to meet me.

My tail snaps free, my gills flutter, and my ears ring with the low roar of rushing water. And as Ramona plunges into the deep, I release my hold on her shell.