Page 29 of Welcome to Seaman’s Cove: Part Two

“Looking for something?” The voice is hard as ice. Though I haven’t heard it in days, I know exactly who it is.

The Queen of Tythas lifts above the waves, tail flicking gracefully below the water. Her eyes gleam with a predatory light that makes my blood run cold.

“Your Majesty,” I grit through clenched teeth, dipping my head in a semblance of a bow. I despise her, but showing that will do no good. Honey catches more flies, and I have to believe that will be true with her as well. If I can just figure out her soft spot. It’s clearly not her children, but there has to be something she values, something she wants, something I can use.

She snarls, revealing sharp teeth. It’s as if she knows there’s no respect in my deference to her title.

I sit at the edge of the rock with my feet in the water. We lock eyes in a silent standoff that seems to amuse her. But I won’t look away first. Alpha presence emanates from her, but I hold steady. I’ve spent my fair share of time around domineering parents. Despite my omega designation, I’ve never been one to cower.

“How are things in Tythas?” I ask, trying for a casualness that belies the moment.

“I assume you know why I’m here,” she says, not answering the question.

“I can guess.” My little escape attempt clearly wasn’t to the queen’s liking. Still, I’m surprised she came herself.

“There will be consequences if you leave your cage again.” She gives me a pointed look.

“What kind of consequences?” I probably shouldn’t press her when she’s looking at me like she’d love nothing more than to chew me up and spit me out, but I need to know how far she’s willing to go.

She grins as if she was waiting for me to ask just that. In the next breath, she’s right in front of me. The tip of a tiny pearl-handled knife digs into my shoulder hard enough to draw blood. The shock of it rips a scream from my lips, even though the cut isn’t deep. I jerk back, but she’s faster, grabbing my leg and keeping me from getting away as she makes three shallow cuts on my calf.

“You know… we have sharks in these waters.” She lets go, and I scramble away from her as fast as I can, though there’s nowhere I can go. “My guards will ensure you’re always bleeding.”

She turns to leave, but freezes as if she’s seen something. I follow her line of sight to the edge of the horizon. Is that a ship? They’re too far away to tell, but the chance gives me hope.

“Help!” I scream. The odds of them hearing are slim, but perhaps the wind will carry the noise. “Hel⁠—”

I’m cut off before I can finish the word, dragged beneath the water by the queen’s brute strength. Her hand covers my mouth even though my lips are sealed.

She says something in that strange, beautiful language, and both guards are there in an instant. Gopher takes me from her as she backs away. He bands his arms around mine, locking me in place, his chest against my back. I kick and squirm, but it’s no use.

The queen studies me for a moment. She exchanges more words with her guards, and I’ve never wished to understand their language as much as I do right now. For all I know, she could be ordering them to kill me.

The second guard disappears before reappearing and shoving one of the little harmonica breathers between my lips. I guess they figured out what they do after watching me use them for my daily swims. Okay, so not trying to kill me. At least, not yet. I have no doubt that the queen would feed me to the sharks without batting an eyelash if she thought it would best serve her interests.

She says something else before swimming off with the other guard beside her, leaving Gopher and me alone. I struggle half-heartedly, knowing it won’t do me any good, but I hate the thought of just letting him hold me down here. Eventually, I wear myself out.

I wish I could ask him what’s going on. Maybe if we could communicate, I could even win him over or get him to help me. I doubt it, but it’s possible. Since we can’t, though, I’m stuck.

The other guard returns. Gopher asks him something, and the two of them talk for a while. I can’t see Gopher’s face, but the other guard fiddles with his spear throughout the entire conversation. His eyebrows pinch together, lips turned down. They’re concerned.

The longer they keep me down here, the more convinced I am that what I saw was a ship. One that wasn’t supposed to be there. I get the impression that this isn’t a normal shipping route. In fact, from what Caspian has told me about not knowing humans existed, I’d venture to bet boats never come this way.

My heart beats a little faster, and I tug on the bond with Hunter. Hope soars down his end, a mix of urgency and determination. Is it stronger than before? Closer?

I think it might be. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

20

“Did you hear that?” We’re all clustered along the railing at the bow of the ship. I’m not sure we’ll see anything from the surface like this, since the city is no doubt deep in the ocean, but we’re still watching the horizon like hawks. We figured out that the i’xal would work in a bowl of fresh seawater, so Sebastian has our makeshift compass clutched between his hands as he signals the captain, who’s got a bird’s-eye view from the window above us.

“What?” Phoenix asks.

I shake my head. “I thought I heard something.” There’s nothing now, though. “It must have been the wind.”

The bond in my chest tugs, the sensation sharper and stronger than before. “I think we’re getting closer.”

“There!” Phoenix yells, pointing off the port side. “What is that?”