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He approached me now. “Prince Lachlan, we’re ready to leave tomorrow. The boat is stocked with tuna and swordfish, thanks to the Emperor.”

“The journey won’t take long,” I mused aloud. “He’ll create a current for you.”

“I imagine so.” He glanced up at the enormous petrels who soared overhead, then waved to the dozens of orcas who had been guarding Menthera as closely as they could, swimming lazy circles day and night. “We’ll be well protected.” He hesitated, his jaw trembling slightly. “Is there any word on… on the Warqueen?”

I forced myself not to touch my mate mark. It had gone cold in a way that felt more than temporary. I couldn’t feel the area around it now, like my own body was falling into a torpor. Or worse.

“She’s fine,” I lied. When his brow furrowed, I amended, “She’ll recover. Skadi and Lusca have taken her to the deepest trench to help her. They’re all healing. It will take time.”

Adiah shouted from the beach. She’d dropped her sword and now was kicking a rock and cursing. It was so unlike the behavior the Omegas had started with, so noisy and real, that the hope I’d pretended now kindled a spark in my chest. If these women could curse and scream, maybe Rada would fight to recover.

“Fucking stupid shoes,” Adiah shouted, flinging the too-large boots someone had given her into the ocean. Goran said something to her, and she grabbed her sword again, slicing it toward him. Goran’s sword met hers with a clang, and she roared again.

Dustin hissed. “Prince Lachlan, I must go.” He ran down to her without another word, at the same moment that Kellin moved alongside me.

We watched as Goran and Adiah sparred—though from her vicious swings, I wasn’t sure Adiah understood this was a lesson and not a battle—and I waited for Kellin to speak.

I hadn’t been able to face him since the Alldyns Vug. I wore my pelt on my waist, as usual, though now it felt like a taunt. He’d put on human clothing, and every time I looked at him, I fought tears. No selkie had ever lived without their pelt.

“Someone is dying,” he whispered, his hands limp at his sides. “Can you feel it? In the bonds.”

I turned to him and grabbed his arms roughly. “It’s not you. Tell me it’s not you.”

His smile was strained. “It’s not, brother. I promise.” He flinched, and I let go of his arms.

“Did I hurt you?”

“Everything hurts, Lach.” He closed his eyes for a long moment. “But I would do it again to pull her out of there.”

“I wouldn’t let you.” My throat was almost too tight to speak. “I would use my own. I should have thought of it.”

“You’re the only selkie Omega in existence, Lach. The only male Omega we know of. And you’re my little brother. You would’ve thought of it. I know how much you love her, what you would give for her.” He patted his chest. “I can feel it in the bonds, and in my heart. I’m glad I was the one to think of it first.”

We embraced for a long moment, until shouts from the beach had us looking out to sea. The top of Lusca’s shell, glimmering with gemstones, was visible on the horizon. When they were close, Kellin, Goran and I waded into the sea to meet them. The crowd gathered behind on the beach, listening.

In one set of tentacles that was shaped almost like a nest, I could see Rada’s hair and one of her arms. Her skin was pink, but the tentacles around her steamed where they came in contact with her. In another grouping of tentacles, the ice god lay, and his own human-shaped limbs were leaking something glacier blue.

Blood? I wasn’t sure. It could be pure power.

Lusca shifted the top of his form so he could speak with a human tongue. “Brothers, we cannot stay here. Not for another moment.”

“We must go to Starlak now?” Dustin murmured behind us.

But I understood. “Skadi isn’t healing.”

“He is,” Lusca corrected. “But not quickly enough. He needs to go home. And our mate, we cannot keep her heat suppressed in the trench. Perhaps Skadi’s ice…”

“Yes,” I said. “We can go north.”

Lusca’s gaze landed on me. “We may be there for some time, selkie. The cold will be extreme. It may harm you.” His gaze moved to Goran, then Kellin. “The Warlord is needed to take the Omegas and children to Starvale, as our mate commanded.”

“I can take the cold,” I snarled.

“But Kellin cannot.” Lusca bowed to Kellin as I floundered. “I have not had a moment to thank you for your sacrifice. Truly, you are a worthy brother and mate.” He moved closer and reached out to take Kellin’s hand in his. “I cannot replace what you lost. I can only honor you.”

“Save the one we love, and I will ask for nothing else.”

“Worthy indeed.” Reaching behind him to the hardened carapace, Lusca plucked off a pearl-and-diamond-studded gold crown. “I ask you to sail with the rescued ones to Starvale, Kellin, High King of the World’s Seas, Brother and Friend to the Emperor of Emperors.” He didn’t give us time to react to the coronation, but placed the crown on my brother’s head. Kellin stared wordlessly, stunned. “Prince Lachlan, Warlord, King Kellin. See the Omegas and their children safely ashore and wait for⁠—”