feels.
“Toraf!” Rayna shrieks. “What—”
“Someone shut her up,” Toraf says, motioning to the Trackers who hold his mate. “I’m tired of listening to her lies.”
Jagen is still unsure. He narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“All the Royals are lying. They’re covering up for themselves. And I won’t be a part of it any longer.” Toraf makes eye contact with Galen. He doesn’t even flinch when he says, “Especially Prince Galen. He’s found a Half-Breed. He’s been hiding her existence from all of you.”
The entire Arena seems to gasp in unison. Toraf clasps Jagen on the shoulder. Galen feels like he’s swallowed a blowfish. “If you will forgive me for my part in it, Jagen, I vow to bring the Half-Breed to you. As proof.”
“No!” Nalia screams. She springs forward and almost gets her hands around Toraf’s neck before Triton Trackers move in front of him. She wrestles them with the sudden power of a predator. “You disgusting traitor! We trusted you. What have you done?”
Toraf rolls his eyes. He tells Jagen, “I cannot tell you how sick I am of that imposter. I can’t believe I almost helped them. I saw Paca’s Gift with my own eyes. I don’t know how I could have doubted your cause.”
Sheer delight spreads on Jagen’s face. He cocks his head back and laughs a toxic laugh. “You’ve done the right thing, Toraf. You are not as foolish as I thought.”
“No, I was. You give me too much credit, friend. But I can see now how they’ve tricked me.” Toraf turns to the Arena. “Just as they’ve tricked all of you for so long. They’re not worthy to rule. None of them. I will go and get the Half-Breed and prove to you just how untrustworthy they are. All of them know about her. Every last one. I challenge Prince Galen to deny it.”
Galen locks eyes with Toraf. How could he do this to me? How could he do this to Emma? Now everyone present knows of her existence. She won’t be safe anywhere, not with Jagen in control. Especially because Toraf, the best Tracker in Syrena history, has just vowed to find her and bring her here.
Which will be excessively easy, since he knows exactly where she is. She trusts him. Rachel trusts him. It will be so simple for him. And I have no way of warning her, of getting to her. All I can do is protect her when she gets here.
Tandel quiets the crowd, one of his primary duties as of late. When he has achieved control, he turns to Galen. “Your Highness, would you like to address these accusations against you?”
Galen swims to the center stone without taking his eyes off Toraf. “If something happens to her because of you,” he whispers to his one-time friend, his voice raw with hurt, “your death will be my priority.”
Toraf opens his mouth to say something, but Galen cuts him off to address the crowd. There is nothing Toraf can say to him that will make this right. There is nothing Toraf can say to him that will hurt him more. “I have nothing at all to say to these accusations.”
Tandel sighs. “Very well, Highness. Thank you.”
Galen swims to the Trackers who hold his sister. His sister who now sobs uncontrollably. “Come on, minnow,” he says. “He’s not worth your tears.”
“Yes, he is,” she wails. The Trackers release her to her brother. They’re distressed with the task of comforting a hysterical female.
Galen squeezes her to him, but won’t let her turn around and look at Toraf. “He isn’t. In time you’ll see that.”
“Why would he bring Emma here, Galen? Why would he do this to us?”
Galen swallows the vomit creeping its way into his throat. “I don’t know, minnow. I don’t know.”
Below, his fin throbs with pent-up tension. But it’s nothing compared to the sharp ache in his heart. The twins take their place with the rest of the Royals.
Jagen claims the center stone. He can barely contain his glee. “Friends, we were hoping to end our debate today, which has turned out to be the greatest tribunal in the history of our kind. For many seasons, the Royals have produced generation after generation of useless heirs, heirs who have not shown evidence of the Gifts left to us by our great generals. How long has it been since we’ve seen the Gift of Poseidon from this Royal line? Too many seasons, I think. And how long has it been since we’ve seen