Page 91 of A Trial of Two Worlds
“Ah, but who was it that vowed you would be unharmed?”
I paused, blinking against the shadows of the evening. “Their… their king.”
“There is a water nymph king?” Shaw grumbled, palming his face with a weighted sigh. “Any other royalty I need to be aware of while I’m here?”
“King Malek,” I answered, ignoring Shaw’s complaining.
“Exactly!” Fjorda stepped to the railing and placed his fingers to his lips, releasing a long whistle that rose and fell in two swift breaths. “Prepare yourself for a trip under the waves.”
My stomach turned as we waited. I recognized the familiar red-orange coloring of a scaled tail as the king of the water nymphs appeared along the surface.
“Champion,” Malek greeted me with a knowing smile. “Glad to see I was right in sparing your life that day. You’ve done well for Valdor.”
“You’ll have one more to take with you!” Fjorda hollered over the railing.
Malek tilted his head to the side and glanced at Shaw. “Ahh, another shifter.”
“This is Shaw. He’s my beta,” I answered. “It’s good to see you, King Malek. And thank you for your aid.”
“It is our pleasure. Hold on for a moment.” The water nymph king nodded before he dove under the waves. When he reappeared, a beautiful raven-haired female with green scales and bright eyes swam at his side. “My queen, Iara, will escort your beta while I ferry you.”
“Lovely as always to see you, Your Highness,” Fjorda said, coming to my side, his eyes falling on the queen.
“Likewise, Fjorda,” Iara answered, her angelic voice singing over the crashing waves under the enchanting moonlight. “May the seas be in your favor, and the winds watch over your ships.”
“And may the grace of the sea be with you,” Fjorda replied, bowing to the king and queen.
“You’re familiar with them,” I said.
“Yes, Champion,” Fjorda replied. “Do you remember our conversation last week before setting sail through the veil? About—”
“I do,” I quickly answered.
“She was…” Fjorda paused. “Sheistheir daughter.”
My eyes widened with surprise. “Their daughter was your mate?”
“Is,” Fjorda corrected. “She is. Not even death itself can change that fact. My heart belongs to the sea from which she came, while my soul is anchored to hers. No matter where that soul is.”
For a heartbeat, I witnessed the sea captain’s sorrow emerge before swirling beneath the crashing waves of his caged grief.
“If my mate, Andrea, is no longer among the living, then she waits for me at the crossing.”
“Waiting for you?”
“Yes,” Fjorda said with a sad smile. “In our culture, fae believe when one mate passes on, they wait for their other half. They do not cross the great river to be with the Mother and Father until their mate can cross with them. A bond that stretches across eternity itself.”
“That’s…” I paused. “Beautiful.”
“We must hurry,” Malek cautioned from the churning seas below. “Word of your success in the trial of the soul has spread throughout the Inner Kingdom.”
“Hold on,” Shaw said, shaking his head. “How will we make it that far under the water?”
“Well,” I began, “there’s no time for the details of their magic, but they exhale into your mouth under the water, and you can breathe.”
“And that’s after we’re already under the water?” Shaw didn’t seem convinced.
“It’s the only way to get you onto the mainland without raising suspicion,” Fjorda said. “While you two go with the water nymphs, I’ll sail to Starfall Island.”
