House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)

The Ocean Queen seemed to grow an inch, then another. She jerked her chin toward Hunt. “Your mate hunted demons for centuries—has seen their brutality and bloodlust up close. What does he have to say about their supposed altruism?”

Hunt squared his shoulders, utterly unshakable. Bryce’s throat tightened to see it—to know even before he spoke that he had her back. “It’s tough for me to accept, especially when they wrecked Lunathion this spring, but if Bryce trusts them, I trust them. Besides, we’re out of options.”

Bryce spared him from dwelling further on the topic by saying, “There is another thing.”

All of them turned to her. Hunt, at least, had the good sense to look nervous.

Bryce kept her gaze on the Ocean Queen as she said, “We need to head to Avallen.”

“Why?” the Ocean Queen demanded. A tsunami roared in her tone.

“There’s some research I need to do in its archives that might help our cause.” It was at least partially the truth. “About the First Wars and Hel’s involvement.”

Okay, the last part was a lie. But she wasn’t about to explain what she really needed on the mist-shrouded isle.

The Ocean Queen drawled, “I don’t recall becoming a ferry service. Do you assume my city-ship is at your disposal?”

“Do you want to win this war or not?”

Shock rippled through the room at her words. Hunt tensed, readying for a physical confrontation.

But Bryce blazed with starlight as she said, “Look, I know nothing is free. But for fuck’s sake, let’s talk plainly. Name your price. You’ve gone out of your way to try to help people for years, working toward bringing down the Asteri. So why are you making things more difficult when we finally have a chance at beating them?”

“This is becoming tedious,” the Ocean Queen said. “I did not come here to be ordered about by an impostor queen.”

“Call me what you want,” Bryce said, “but the longer we don’t act, the easier it will be for Rigelus and the rest of the Asteri to move against us.”

“Everything seems urgent to the young.”

“Yeah, I get that, but—”

“I was not done speaking.”

Bryce hid her wince as the Ocean Queen surveyed her. “You are young. And idealistic. And inexperienced.”

“Don’t forget ill qualified and always inappropriately dressed.”

The female cut her a warning glare. Bryce held up her hands in mock surrender.

The Ocean Queen loosed a long breath. “I do not know you, Bryce Danaan, and so far have seen little to recommend you as a reliable ally. My people have managed to evade the Asteri’s influence for millennia now—to remain safe down here, fighting against them as best we can. And yet you have informed me that even here, we are not untouched. Even here, in my domain, the Asteri’s parasite infects us all.”

“I’m sorry to have been the bearer of bad news,” Bryce said, “but would you rather I had kept it from you?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.” The Ocean Queen studied her hand—a banded sea krait twined around her wrist like a living black-and-white bracelet. Poisonous as Hel. The ruler said quietly, “Have you thought about an evacuation?”

Bryce started. “To where? There’s nowhere on Midgard, except maybe this ship, that isn’t under their control.” Avallen was apparently shielded by its mists, yes, but King Morven still bowed to the Asteri.

The queen lifted her head. “To the home world of the Fae.”

Hunt shifted, wings rustling. “You mean leave this planet completely?”

The Ocean Queen didn’t take her eyes from Bryce’s as she said, “Yes. Use the Horn, allow as many through as you can, and then seal the way forever.”

Horror twisted through her. “And what—abandon the rest here? To be slaves and feeding troughs for the Asteri?” She’d be no better than Silene.

The Ocean Queen asked, “Isn’t it better for some to be free, than for all to be dead?”

Hunt let out a low laugh, stepping closer to Bryce’s side as he said to the Ocean Queen, “You can’t mean that. Who the fuck would even get chosen to come? Your people? Our families? In what universe is that fair?”

Seated at the conference table, Baxian nodded his agreement, but Tharion kept still as stone. Maybe he didn’t want to attract the queen’s attention or ire once more. Spineless asshole. But Bryce squashed her distaste. She needed all the allies she could get.

“I do not say it is fair,” the Ocean Queen said, stroking the sea krait on her wrist. “But it might be what is necessary.”

Bryce swallowed the dryness in her mouth. “I came back here to help everyone, not to abandon them to the mercy of the Asteri.”

“Perhaps Urd sent you to that other world to establish a safe harbor. Have you considered that?”

Bryce exploded, “What was all this for, then? The stealth, the ships, the Ophion contacts? What the fuck was it for if you just want to run away from the Asteri in the end?”

Eyes blacker than the Melino? Trench pinned her to the spot. “Do not dare question my dedication, girl. I have fought and sacrificed for this world when no one else would. Once, my kingdom was vaster than you can imagine—but the Asteri came, and entire islands withered into the sea in despair, taking the very heart of this world with it. The very heart of the mer, too. If there is anyone who understands how futile it is to stand against the Asteri, it is I.”

Bryce’s breath caught in her throat. “Wait—you were here before the Asteri? The mer were here? I thought only humans lived on Midgard then.”

The Ocean Queen’s face became distant with memory. “They had the land—we had the seas. Our people met only occasionally, the root of the humans’ legends about the mer.” A wistful smile, then her eyes again focused on Bryce, sharp and calculating. “But yes, we have always been here. Midgard has always had magic, as all nature has inherent magic. The Asteri just did not deign to recognize it.”

Bryce filed away the information. “Fine—you win the award for longest-suffering people on Midgard. That doesn’t entitle you to jump to the front of the Evacuate Midgard line.” Hunt touched her shoulder lightly, a gentle warning. But Bryce ignored him and laid her hands flat on the table, leaning over it to breathe in the Ocean Queen’s face. “I refuse to open a gate like that. I won’t help you condemn the majority of Midgard’s people while a select few dance off into the sunset.”

The sea krait on the Ocean Queen’s wrist hissed at Bryce. Even as its mistress’s face remained as cold as the ice floes of the north. “You will come around to the idea when your friends and loved ones start dying around you.”

“Don’t you dare condescend to her,” Hunt growled at the queen.

Sendes cleared her throat, trying to bail them out of this clusterfuck, but all Bryce could hear was a roaring in her ears, all she could see was a blinding white creeping over her vision—

“You’re a coward,” Bryce spat at the Ocean Queen. “You hide behind your power, but you’re a coward.”

The ship shuddered, as if the very sea tensed with rage.

But the Ocean Queen said, “Against my better instincts, I will deposit you and yours in Avallen, as requested. Consider that my last gift.”

Bryce ground her teeth so hard her jaw hurt.

“But when you fail in whatever uprising you think you can muster,” the Ocean Queen said by way of dismissal, striding for the door, leaving a trail of water in her wake, “when you realize that I am right and fleeing is the best option, I ask only this in exchange for my services: take as many of my people as you can.”





42


Bryce couldn’t help but be impressed that Hunt, Tharion, and Baxian held their shit together until they got back to a cabin barely big enough to fit all of them, let alone so many egos. She certainly had a Hel of a time with it.

But as soon as the door shut, absolute chaos erupted.

“What the fuck—” Hunt exploded.

“Are you all right—” she started.

“The home world of the Fae?” Tharion demanded at the same time Baxian chuckled, “That was epic.”

Tharion sank onto one of the bunks, his normally tan skin pale. “Only you would tangle with the Ocean Queen, Legs.”

Baxian said to the mer, “Confined to the ship, huh?”