Page 119 of In Rising Tides

That gave her a little less than a month if she was correct in her assumption. The water had begun to warm over the last couple of days, hinting at summer’s arrival.

But the last half of Nerida’s sentence finally clicked.

“Restored?”

Nerida nodded. “There was another earthquake shortly after your incident. It destroyed part of a mural, and they’ve been working to repair it. Adamaris left today to check on their progress.”

“Do we know when he is due to return?”

“No, and Ishmael said it was under strange circumstances that Adamaris had left at all. Something about an acolyte,” she shrugged.

“Who knows,” Lyra replied, pressing her fingertips to her temples. “Drystan probably bribed them to speed up the process so he can finally claim the throne.”

“That would explain Aegir’s vicious mood,” Nerida said.

Lyra looked up quickly, dropping her hands to her sides. “Vicious?”

Nerida rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair. “There’s been more mermaids taken under the guise of wrongdoing. The ceremony was longer than usual while you were unconscious.”

Of course he had. Aegir was certainly the kind of male to flex his control when his emotions were out of his grip.

“How bad?” Lyra asked, dreading the answer.

“Only a few are expected to survive.”

Rage like a tsunami rose up in Lyra, the golden thread of her magic flaring bright.

Her eyes screwed shut, and her hands shook. She pressed her talons into her palm, squeezing them tighter to staunch her wrath.

“We must do something,” she breathed, trying her hardest to release the swell of fury.

“We are, sister. The more control you have over your magic, the better. Besides, if you can’t master this, you’ll die to the bargain, leaving us to weather the end of the world alone.”

There was a slight edge to Nerida’s humor that reminded Lyra of Maelys. She felt an ache in the hollow of her chest, thinking about her friend.

Maelys, too, would have been here day in and day out helping Lyra with her magic, probably with a tray of food as well.

“Have you ever heard of cake?” Lyra asked.

Nerida’s brows pinched in the center as she tapped a finger to her chin. “Is that something you learned on land?”

Lyra grinned and leaned towards her sister. “It’s food. The best food the land has to offer. It’s …” her mouth watered, trying to figure out how best to explain the cake she had inhaled every chance she got. “Sweet and decadent.”

Nerida’s eyes bulged. “Like sea fruit?”

“Better,” Lyra breathed. “It’s light and fluffy. It practically melts in your mouth.”

“I would very much like to try that,” Nerida said with a nod.

“Everyone should. There are so many things like that on land.” Lyra closed her eyes and remembered the food, the sounds, the feel of fresh air on her skin. “When it rains?—”

Nerida cocked her head to the side.

“It’s a weather phenomenon on land.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Nerida hummed.

“When it rains, the water is so delicate it’s like hundreds of gentle kisses.”