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Xin was already trotting on the sandy beach, nose and ears twitching. :The blood circle is on the other side of the first row of trees.:
:Where are you?: Rik’s words rumbled like rolling thunder in my head. :Even Sekh can’t see you.:
:We made it to Undina’s island. She must still be masking it from you.:
:There’s no island. Only waves and water.:
His misery at not being able to see me made my throat ache. :I’ll speak to her and ask that she allow all of you to at least enter the island.:
Nevarre dropped down beside us along with the flock of crows. Nightwing rustled her wings, shaking some of my hair away from her talons, but she didn’t hop down to join the rest of her family. Closing my eyes, I felt for Penelope in my hair. I didn’t want her lost and asleep in the magic, or worse, floating out in the gulf trying to find me.
She scrambled up closer to my ear but stayed hidden beneath my hair, awake and well.
Okeanos hovered in the shallows, his tentacles curled up and his body flattened out, making himself smaller. :She’s coming.:
I stretched out my hand toward him, and he wrapped one of his smaller tentacles around my hand. Another around my ankle. :I won’t allow her to harm you.:
His bond still strained with tension. :That’s not my concern, my queen. Please don’t allow me to harm her and ruin your plans.:
Ah. I didn’t blame him in the slightest. When I thought about him as a little boy, caged out in the ocean and left alone for years on end, it made me a little crazy. A lot crazy. :Don’t be afraid to show her how mighty you are, my kraken. Especially now that my poison flows in your veins.:
He unfurled his tentacles, lifting his body so he easily towered over Guillaume. :My pleasure, my queen.:
“Greetings, House Isador.” The last time I’d seen Undina Ketea, she’d been a mermaid with a brilliant turquoise tail and rows of vicious teeth. Today, she stood above us on the nearest wave of coral in human form, her blue-green hair flowing around her shoulders like a glistening waterfall. Iridescent aqua scales shimmered along her throat, shoulders, and arms. She wore a bright orange shirt, cropped just beneath her breasts, and a hot pink skirt that fluttered around her hips.
“Greetings, House Ketea. I apologize for arriving without notifying you in advance.”
Her lips curled away from her teeth, still very shark-like despite her more human appearance. “I see you’ve brought quite the contingent with you this time, including an entire boat of Blood and humans. Not to mention Leviathan, king of the depths, who nearly murdered his entire Skolos house, and a king kraken who already destroyed my nest once upon a time. As well as Sir Guillaume de Payne, Triune Executioner who slaughtered countless queens in his lifetime including the most powerful queen of all. But yes, Shara Isador, do tell me you’re sorry for not having your consiliarius call me first.”
G tossed his head and flicked his tail with disgust. :You’re the most powerful queen of all.:
“Former Triune Executioner,” I said, stroking his neck. “And I can’t help my love for monsters, the same as my mother before me. Nor my ability to do what you could not and help your magnificent son control his beast. My kings are fully mine and won’t harm anyone who doesn’t threaten me.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Very well. Your Blood may approach my island.”
:What was so funny?: I asked Okeanos, bewildered but I already felt a surge of immense relief in Rik’s bond, confirming he could see the island.
Okeanos’ gills fluttered and deepened from soft pink to match the color of his mother’s brilliant skirt. :You called me magnificent.:
My eyes narrowed and I fought the urge to retort my opinion about how she’d “cared” for her son. :That wasn’t a joke.:
:She knows. That’s why she’s pleased enough to allow her island to be seen at all. She denied me the sight of these shores for decades, my queen. Not only to protect her people but in her own way, to lessen my suffering by removing from my sight the home I’d lost.:
Mollified somewhat, I waited for the small boat to leave the yacht and bring my people ashore. Rik came first, no surprise, with Sekh, Gina, Kevin, and Carys.
“You may approach for introductions,” Undina said.
:I’ll wait in the water, my queen,: Okeanos said. :If she allows you inside the nest, the center is open to the ocean below. I doubt she’ll allow me inside the circle, but if you’re under attack, swim down through that hole. I’ll find you.:
I stayed on Guillaume’s back, though Rik strode beside me with his hand on my thigh. :Itztli, Nevarre, stay with Okeanos unless our queen or I call you to her side. Vivian, Tlacel, and Mehen, stay in the air. General, with us. Everyone else, await a direct order.:
:I’m surprised you didn’t leave Sekh on the boat to boss everyone.:
:In case anything happens and no other Blood can reach you, you’ll have your most deadly Blood within arm’s reach, my queen. Ezra took over bossing duties.:
I had to laugh softly. My bear could be a tad belligerent on occasion. :I bet that’s going over well.:
:Even I’m pissed at him,: Daire retorted in the bond, making me laugh harder.
