AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I knew I should feel fear, genuine fear that we were not as safe here as I had somehow come to believe we were the last few days. I wasn’t even sure when or how that had happened, but I knew better now. Arys could not be trusted.
Neither could Lyv.
“I wouldn’t have let it happen,” he claimed. “Arys never would have followed through.”
Albert scoffed, tucking Esther under his arm. Normally I would find it funny how the smaller man tried to shield her when she was easily four inches taller than him but all I could think wasI’m so glad Dyande told us before it was too late.If anything had happened to Esther…I couldn’t survive here on my own. I needed her.
“Thank you, miss,” Albert said to Dyande, if not for your kindness, I fear what would have happened to us.”
Dyande’s smile trembled on her lips. “You are most welcome to stay here. Lyessa would be happy to look after you.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. Not if we really did look so much like this Loyobv species. Still, we were likely going to take her up on it regardless because where else could we go?
Lyv looked to his angry mate. “He is male.”
Dyande shrugged. “They will make an exception.”
Lyv scoffed. “If there is no exception for a mated male, there will not be for a Loyobv lookalike.”
“What is she talking about?” Esther asked, nearly bent in half to fit under Albert’s arm.
Dyande sighed. “Lyessa is a female ruled seaport. We do not typically offer refuge to males of any species.” She held her hand up when we all went to speak. “ButI will meet with the council and share your plight. I am sure they will make an exception.”
Lyv shook his head. “They will not.” He turned to me then. “Lala, I am a mated male that had been refused the opportunity to live with my mate. There areno exceptionsmade in Lyessa.”
“But you’re here now,” I pointed out. “All the males from your ship are here…I’ve seen a few—”
Lyv shook his head, cutting me off. “It is calm season, the seas are tranquil, Lyessa has opened its gates for trading, but that invitation is limited. Arys will be asked to leave by moonfall.”
“You aren’t allowed to live with your mate?” Esther asked sadly, shooting Dyande a sympathetic frown. “That’s terribly sad.”
Dyande shrugged. “He has asked me to leave with him. Arys has approved my presence on board—”
“Which is rare,” Lyv stressed. “He does not often allow females aboard.”
“Sexist,” Esther mumbled.
Dyande sighed. “Arys was once captain of the late king’s fleet. Females were often sacrificed to the sea serpents under his rule. Arys’ refusal of females onboard is done out of respect to those he could not save.”
My stomach churned at that bit of news. “He sacrificed them? How?”
“Not Arys,” Lyv growled, scowling. “The king. Arys saved many. All that he could. He never condoned it and ultimately was the one to slaughter the king for his disgusting practices.”
Albert whistled sharply. “Didn’t think I’d ever have a reason to like that fellow.”
Esther winked at me. “I sure did.”
“That’s…horrifying,” I croaked. I never wanted to see asea serpent. Ever. But I had a feeling I’d seen the tail of one very recently. But also, Arys had killed his own king? And for good reason it sounded like. I wondered what kind of bravery and conviction that took. But also, “He wasn’t punished for that?”
Dyande chuckled darkly. “Arys incited an uprising. There was a war, we won.”
Simple enough. “And you created a sanctuary for females.”
Dyande smiled softly. “It was Arys that suggested it.”
Dang it. How did I go from feeling betrayed by him to wanting to give him a hug in the span of a few minutes?
Dyande let us chill out at her place for a few hours and even explore the immediate area. Mostly just other huts. We couldn’t go far because Lyv wasn’t comfortable allowing us out on our own with the questionable looks we’d been getting and he wasn’t willing to take us sight-seeing.
