Page 160 of In Rising Tides

Lyra chewed on her lower lip, thinking over her options.

She’d always wanted to see the temple, but now it would mean tying her life to Drystan’s. Her chest squeezed tighter when she thought of all the reasons she didn’t want to be here.

Wilder was on land waiting for her, and she missed her friends.

But she couldn’t break the bargain without first marrying Drystan.

She turned her attention to Enna and saw the hope shining there. It was an easy decision. She was going to stall a bit longer.

“A tour shouldn’t take too long, right?”

Enna grinned and sped them along the corridors, pointing out all the changes they had made when they took up residence there. There was such pride emanating from her sister’s words; Lyra was riveted learning all the things they had done.

“With the changes to the south wall, the rainbow fish population has grown, and now we’ve noticed the arrival of clownfish in the anemone that has returned!”

“So the reef is stable now?” Nerida asked.

She had been nodding along to Enna’s exuberance, but now she was still, her head tilted to the side.

“Yes, the report you had Ishmael send over was very beneficial. We are in your debt, sister.”

Ishmael pressed his lips into a thin line and bowed his head. But his quick glance at Nerida spoke volumes. It had been her that had found the solution to healing the reef, not him.

Enna clasped her hand around Nerida’s and gave a gentle squeeze.

Drystan watched the interaction silently, but his scrutiny was apparent. This was foreign to him.

“So the damage from the earthquake is gone?” he asked, trying to puzzle it all out.

“All of it,” Adamaris answered.

“The only damage left is here,” Enna said and gestured to a grand room. Sunlight poured through the open ceiling and reflected off the sparkling floor.

“The light …” Lyra breathed as she looked through slitted lids. “It’s so bright here.”

Enna and Adamaris grinned. “It’s not as murky as Atlantis,” Enna answered.

“There’s such life here,” Lyra whispered, her eyes adjusting to the light at last and widening.

Drystan cleared his throat. “We should see the temple now.”

Lyra nodded, but Enna’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“Right this way,” Adamaris gestured, his muscular arm sweeping to the side, allowing them to pass.

Enna slipped her arm out of Lyra’s and pressed a hand to her lower back, giving her a light push towards Drystan.

“Keep her safe,” Enna said. Her bright and welcoming eyes had shifted into a glare.

Drystan nodded and waited as Lyra stopped at his side and tilted her head to the side. There was something Enna wasn’t saying. Something she was trying very poorly to convey.

Were there spies here?

“That’s the plan,” Drystan replied. His attention scoured Enna’s face before meeting Lyra’s confused gaze.

“The danger is higher here,” Enna added, seeing Lyra’s frown.

“How?” Lyra asked, her head swiveling between them.