Page 79 of In Rising Tides

“Ennosidas has been furious with us,” Aegir announced. His words were met with nods and murmurs of agreement. “It is because of the actions of those like her—that we all suffer!”

The guards halted the procession at the foot of the dais. They wore deep navy robes, the fabric appearing stiff, or maybe that was just their demeanor.

A golden rope fastened their robes closed around their waists, while a brown trident was embroidered over their chests. They were dressed like acolytes, but bore weapons in their hands.

Golden spears with intricately carved shafts.

The choir of mermaids fled the stairs, leaving only the acolytes and their prisoner.

“Sienna,” Aegir tutted, and the mermaid bowed her head. “You voiced your disapproval of frequent ceremonies in the presence of true believers.”

Lyra crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn’t fathom why such words could garner such a punishment, especially if it was only disapproval and not a call for violence.

“I meant no—” Sienna began.

The acolyte beside her shoved the hilt of his golden spear into her gut.

She cried out and bent at the waist. Her prone position roughly pulled the chain that was attached to her arms.

“Silence!” Aegir boomed. “You were not given permission to speak in my presence.”

Lyra’s arms dropped to her sides as she gaped. An acolyte, a merman of peace, had just committed violence against an unarmed female in public.

Aegir nodded at the merman, and he struck her again.

Sienna screamed, and the sound had a vice squeezing Lyra’s chest. She instinctively reached inward for her magic to put an end to this, but with the collar around her neck, she was powerless.

Lyra scanned the crowd. Surely this woman’s father or husband would put a stop to this.

There were only blank faces, or those that glowed with delight.

Lyra glanced at Drystan. Her last remaining hope.

He was the King. Surely he would stop this.

Drystan bore no expression, but it was not the perfect mask it usually was. There was a slight tightening around his eyes, andthe light grazed the stiff set of his jaw. Lyra blinked, and it was gone.

As though she might have imagined it.

She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. For any on-lookers, it was just an affectionate moment between two who were to be married.

But she squeezed hard, just enough to cause a lash of pain.

Drystan placed a hand atop hers and pried her fingers off his arm one at a time.

“You questioned my heritage and right to my position,” Aegir continued. “What is the punishment for such a thing?”

Sienna looked up with bright eyes as she covered her mouth. Her body trembled either from fear or pain.

Lyra was not certain which one. Aegir raised a hand, palm up, seeking answers from the crowd.

“Blood!” someone from the back of the crowd shouted.

Lyra sucked in a sharp breath.

It was loud enough that Drystan squeezed her hand. There were hungry gazes in the crowd, wanton with violence.

It made her skin crawl to see it.