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They’d taken my very soul.

The Ever King wasted no time asking more questions. Under Daj’s guidance, we rushed to the place where Tait was meant to have gone missing.

A woman near me screamed. There, on the sand, a young sea witch’s lifeless eyes peered at the sky, blood soaking her throat.

Erik pressed a fist to one hip and winced when he lowered to a crouch. He closed the girl’s eyes, took in the sand. Footprints were everywhere. Multiple men stood here not so long ago.

Gavyn and Stormbringer paced the edge of the water, searching for signs, anything of where they’d gone.

From the sand, the Ever King plucked something small and fisted it.

Erik rose, nothing but violence written on his features. “I want to know how the hells those bastards entered my kingdom!”

Tavish shoved through the crowd. “Erik, we sensed nothing. The wards had no reason to break. Unless they have power stronger than our voices. They may have already been here.”

“It’s possible,” Sander insisted. “We don’t know what they use to conceal themselves. They destroyed an entire sea fae ship, Erik. Concealed their village. They may have been here, and we could not see them.”

Erik let out a shout of frustration. “Sound the call. Make to the ship, you sods.” He roared for the Ever Crew. “We sail at the next chime. There are folk who must meet the gods by our blades.”

Roars rattled through the crowd. Gavyn and Celine called for their crews to meet posts on their vessels. Jonas pressed a kiss to Skadi’s palm. His wife nodded. No mistake, they were preparing to join the Ever Crew. Sander already counted the blades he kept at his waist and inside his boots.

Bloodsinger paused at my side. He snatched one of my hands and dropped something cold and small into my palm.

Tait’s pocket watch. Something cracked down the center of my chest.

“It signaled danger.” Erik’s voice was nothing but a low rasp. “As he always does, the bleeding idiot took the risk on himself.”

“They came for you?”

Erik’s eyes flashed. “It’s not pointing at me.”

Without another word, Erik stormed past, barking commands for his crew to make haste and get their asses on the ship.

Daj stood by one shoulder, Livia at the other, and slowly I lifted the lid on the clock. The sharp points of the hands aimed at me. The trinket would reveal danger for the one who held Tait’s fiercest loyalty.

Godsdammit, Tait.

Livia squeezed my hand. “Blood is calling.”

My chin trembled, not from fear, not from risk, but from a swirling rage.

I wanted innards strewn across the sands. I wanted every hand who dared think they could take him from me torn from limbs. And if they discovered my mother, if they hurt her, well, I would stand back while my father piked their heads in a row.

I looked at the Ever Queen, a new calm of the storm settling over me. My voice was flat; I did not recognize it. “Then we answer, Livie.”

On the deck of the Ever Ship, Sander dragged his fingers down my brows and cheeks. Blood from fish would serve well enough for the painted runes of protection, strength, and power across my nose and forehead.

Daj reminded me of the warrior he became during the Great War.

Jonas and Skadi were next, helping each other paint runes and line their eyes in kohl. The compulsion to protect the Ever Kingdom flared within Jonas. He’d gone quiet and focused, eyes like a black night, and worked with Sander, Bloodsinger, and my daj on strategy.

“We could summon them,” Swordeater offered. “Bring them to us, fight them on the seas. We know the cursed tune.”

“And have the power of their storm devour our ships again?” I said.

“Unfortunately, I must agree with the princess,” Bloodsinger said.

“I would not say it’s unfortunate.” I huffed. “I’d say it’s about time.”