Page 47 of Seaborn and the Seven Seas

“You may not.” The queen didn’t even look at him, her attention set across the room. “Your debt is paid. Don’t make me reconsider.”

Theron hadn’t moved. His jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on the queen, and for the first time since I’d met him, he looked like a man calculating with no good outcomes.

When the soldiers’ hands closed around my arms, Theron’s eyes met mine for one brief second. I expected nothing from him. What I saw instead was a look of apology. Then he turned and walked toward the doors, Fraya pulling Jina and Ranis along behind him, along with the crew members who’d driven the wagon.

“Going so soon?” Pierre’s voice cut through the room, lazy and amused. “Why don’t you stay? Spend the night. Your chamber’s been kept ready, as always.”

Theron halted.

Your chamber.

Family? They were his family?

He hadn’t been delivering tribute to a stranger. He’d been delivering tribute to his own blood. But they looked nothing alike.

Theron had no pointed ears, no silver hair, none of the features that marked everyone else in this room as Seelie. He hadn’t called the queen Mother. He’d called her My Queen, the same as any subject would.

I didn’t know enough about how royalty worked to be sure of anything. Regardless, it was one more thing Theron hadn’t told me.

“Not tonight,” Theron grumbled under his breath. “My crew needs me.”

“Your crew.” Pierre’s smirk widened. “Of course.”

The room went silent except for footsteps.

What did I expect from Theron, to save me? He didn’t care about Jina, Ranis, or me. He had bigger things to protect. A family. A throne.

“Guards, prepare the arena,” the queen commanded. “Let’s see if this Seaborn can kill the boarox.”

“No.” Theron’s voice was sharp. The first time I’d heard him raise it at the queen. “It nearly killed six of my men just getting it into that crate. It’s not a test. It’s an execution.”

“Then it shouldn’t be a problem.” The queen rubbed a thumb along the gemstones on her fingers. “If she’s truly Seaborn, she’ll survive. If not—We’ll have our answer either way. And since you don’t seem to understand that your debt is paid for today, you may all stay and watch her live or die.”

Pierre’s smirk deepened, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, like a man settling in for a show.

“Finally,” he murmured. “Something interesting.”

“No!” Jina sobbed, fighting against Fraya’s grip.

I forced myself to look calm, hiding my trembling hands behind my back.

“Don’t worry.” The queen’s voice was light, almost pleasant. “I’ll make sure she’s given proper weapons, and she won’t be fighting alone. But first, a proper bath, and a warrior’s suit. For the show.” Nothing about her smile was benevolent. “What entertainment this will make for my people.”

The soldiers were already moving, pulling me toward a set of doors behind the dais.

“Sis!” Jina’s scream cracked into something raw, still fighting against Fraya’s hold with everything she had. “Let her go! Please! She’s the only family I have.”

Not Star. Sis. The name she’d given me, the only one that had ever been mine before the sea took everything else.

Tears streamed down my face. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to leave Jina alone in this world.

The heavy doors swung shut behind me, and her desperate cry cut off. I was alone, left to face whatever fate had in store. Maybe if there were gods, they would come to our aid. Or maybe Yeri would hear my plea.

Chapter Fifteen

The chamber was nothing like the throne room. It was smaller, warmer, steam curling from a sunken tub set into the floor, the water already prepared with a floral scent.

A servant waited beside the tub. Older, with kind eyes and human ears, and her hair was a soft brown rather than silver.