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AERI

THE STRAIT OF TEETH

H ana holds a rope as white as her dress. If she pulls it, the brass bell will tip and ring, waking all the men below deck. Ninety more soldiers will surround this cabin. We might be able to kill my father before we die. Probably not.

I stare at Hana’s beauty and remember how heartfelt she was, sitting in Rose Palace, confessing what she’d done over the years. How she’d tried and how she had failed. She’d seemed honest, open.

My stomach bottoms out as I exhale my disappointment. I really thought she was on our side. I believed she loved Sora and had done everything for her. But I guess there’s only one side to Hana—her own.

Mortals are fickle instruments.

I sigh. Really? Not now, voice. I have a lot of shit to handle as is.

Whatever happens, we can’t let anyone ring that bell. I think about turning them all to gold, but it wouldn’t affect my father, since he has the crown. And I know him well enough to be sure that he’d step over corpses to get to the bell.

What do I do? I need a diversion. Something, anything.

“Father,” I say.

“Daughter.”

My father stands in gray satin nightclothes, although he wears the Immortal Crown over his black hair. The Flaming Sword of Gaya must be the golden blade slung on his hip, no doubt hastily grabbed when they felt the boat being pulled or whenever they heard us coming.

“We are here for the sword,” I say. “Give it to us, and no one else will die. You have my word.”

I hold my chin high as if we’re the ones in control.

Mikail’s eyes dart over to me. It wasn’t what we agreed on, but we’re now in desperate times.

If we get the sword and leave with our lives, that’s a huge victory.

I don’t care how badly he wants to kill Joon. That will have to wait for another day.

My father smiles. “What a queen you would’ve made, Naerium—between the harbor and this.” Then his grin fades, and his expression turns grave. “Instead, you and your friends will die tonight.”

He actually manages to look sorry for us, and then he turns to Hana. I take half a step forward.

“Euyn has already gone to the Kingdom of Hells,” I say. “You’d kill your last remaining child?”

My father’s brown eyes shift just enough to reflect his confusion. My face tingles as blood leaves my cheeks. Euyn wasn’t his. If Quilimar told the truth, that means he was Omin’s son.

“Euyn was my brother, not my child,” Joon says. “And I gave you two chances to be recognized as princess of Yusan, but you could not be loyal. You made your choices. I will have to make mine.”

He gestures to Hana.

My relics vibrate. I will have to use them and hope we can kill Joon before he reaches the rope. But Hana’s eyes dart to the king and then back. Twice. She’s signaling to someone, but it’s not me. She lets go of the rope and, at the same time, grabs for the Immortal Crown.

What is happening?

A blur moves to my side—Mikail. He runs and then launches to strike.

Hana lifts the crown off Joon’s head, and my breath catches.

My father’s hands reach up to take it back.

One heartbeat. Two. The palace guard standing next to Hana turns toward her, his sword already drawn.

The relics heat my skin. The guard moves forward to strike. I put my hand out.

But Mikail’s sword cuts through the air.

The entire world stops as the blade careens toward my father’s neck.

His aim is true. His sword strikes my father so hard, he’s nearly decapitated.

Blood sprays out like a fountain, and Joon’s crownless head lolls to the side.

His eyes stare at me as he falls to the floor.

The Immortal Crown is in Hana’s hand. I forget to breathe, completely frozen. Whatever I thought I’d feel, it’s not this pitiful shock. I watch as the light leaves Joon’s eyes.

The scrape of metal fills my ears, calling me back into the moment. Calier has drawn his sword. But it’s not to attack Joon or the guards. He’s aiming for Mikail’s back.

No. He’s going to kill him.

I exhale and shake off the shock. I call to my relics.

Turn enemy hearts to gold.

A golden glow fills the room. The glow becomes an orb around Mikail. He shades his eyes, but the light quickly fades. Three men fall to the floor, clutching their chests—the two palace guards and Calier.

Mikail turns just in time to see Calier’s sword nearly strike him before the man crumples onto the ground. Then he stares at me, his mouth dropping open. It’s not the first time I’ve saved him. It’s what we do.

Somehow, we’ve succeeded. My father is dead, and we’re still standing. I don’t know how other than to say the gods must be on our side.

A gasp that’s more like a moan draws my attention. I think it’s Teo reacting to his brother’s death, but he’s frozen still. No, it’s not him.

It’s Hana.

I look at her, and horror stabs at me, just like the sword protruding from her chest. Her eyes are wide and terror-stricken as red blood seeps down the front of her white dress.

The palace guard struck, spearing her with his sword before I could kill him.

Because I hesitated. In her hand, she still clutches the crown.

But she’s not royal, so it can’t save her.

“No!” I cry.

Hana had played the king, acting the part of a trusted spymaster, just like Mikail. I don’t know if even Mikail realized that she was one of us before she signaled to him. Either way, in the end, she was true. And she was killed because I didn’t act in time.

It was all my fault.

“No. Please, no.” I plead to no one, because there is nothing any of us can do for her. All this magic, and none of us can save a life.

I can only kill.

Hana’s eyes are open, and tears roll down her cheeks. But I don’t think she hears me. She’s gone somewhere else.

“Sora,” she whispers. It’s more like a rattle as she falls to her knees, but the sound is full of so much love that it shatters my heart.

Hana collapses, and the crown drops out of her hand and rolls on the ground.

It’s the last thing I see.