Syrena.
Flanked by Jasper, her cloak whipped by the wind, her silver circlet glinting beneath the overcast sky.
“What the hell is the queen doing here?” Caelen muttered.
Slade sat straighter, ignoring his wound for once. “This isn’t just a supply run. They’re staging something.”
“They wouldn’t leave Shadowmere Castle unless something had changed,” I said, pulse rising.
“Or unless something went wrong,” Slade added grimly.
My gut twisted.
We raced down to the docks. Soldiers, seeing our approach, moved quickly to clear a path. Syrena turned at the motion—and tensed the moment she saw us.
Jasper stepped forward, blocking our way instinctively.
“Phoenix. Slade. Caelen,” he said carefully. “Good to see you.”
“What are you doing here, Your Majesty?” I asked, breath tight. “You were supposed to stay in Shadowmere. It’s not safe out here.”
Jasper tried to step between us again, but Syrena placed a gentle hand on his arm and eased him aside.
The cold blame in her eyes was clear.
“I received a message from Duskfall about my daughter.” She said, her voice cold as ice. “From King Ivan.”
“Ivan?” I asked.
“He has Elira—or at leastVaeldoes. Ivan claims he wishes to talk.”
No one spoke.
The sea crashed against the docks behind us, indifferent to the weight of her words.
Syrena reached into her cloak and withdrew a sealed letter. The wax was black. The crest stamped into it—
Shadowmere’s sunburst.
But warped.
Twisted.
“He wrote as if it were a courtesy,” she said tightly. “As if he were doing us a favour. He claims Elira isunharmed. That she’s being…protected.” Her voice curled around the word like it burned her throat.
“And you believe him?” Caelen asked sharply.
“No,” Syrena snapped. “But I can’t risk assuming he’s lying, either.”
“Your Majesty—”
“You let her go.” Her voice cut sharp, eyes locking onto mine. “You didn’t protect her.”
She took a step closer, her voice rising—not with rage, but with something far more dangerous.
“You promised me,” she said, voice cracking. “You promised—”
She looked away before the words could finish hollowing her out.
