Shattered by the Sea Lord - Starla Night Page 0,74

point alone, just themselves. If the Luscan patrol was busy kidnapping Nuno, no one would stop the Sanctuary warriors from leaving the island. They should escape quickly for the echo point.

But it was not a great plan.

Hadali hugged Bex. “They took Nuno on Lukiyo’s order. Didn’t they?”

“Yes, it seems Lukiyo has embraced the ideals of his grandfather,” Konomelu said heavily. “He has forgotten Prince Ankena, us, and you.”

Hadali hugged his mom tighter. “What can we do?”

“Here? Stay on your guard. We will return as quickly as possible.”

Bex jerked her chin at the waves. “Can I come with you?”

Hadali sniffed. “Me, too?”

“And me,” Tulu said.

“No,” Konomelu snapped, and Itime also shook his head. “It is too dangerous.”

Bex’s eyes narrowed. “Not for me.”

“For the young fry,” Konomelu clarified. “The barrier has collapsed. You must guard them. And when the patrol returns, only you can drive them back.”

Bex grimaced.

“It is now clear to me and Itime that Ciran was right. Queen powers are the key. Bex’s push attack and Dannika’s war cry were both highly effective, even though they were undirected. You two must gain control. And, because we need more queens, we will go to the crash site of the airplane to retrieve the potent elixir. Meg and Angie must gain the same effectiveness.”

Angie turned on her heel. “Didn’t you say the crash site is near Lusca?”

“Yes because of the currents. But do not fear. We have snuck into the city before, such as when we searched for Prince Ankena. We will exercise caution.”

“Don’t take too long.” She slapped one platter down with more force than it needed. “Not on account of me.”

“You have not experienced the true effectiveness of the queen powers. It is worth the delay. And we must summon the Atlantis queens. The king will try to convert Nuno to his allegiance. We have time.”

Angie fell silent, focused on her work. Meg and Bex helped her, and the two warriors debated the finer points of their strategy. Ciran heard the gist, but it was largely what they’d already discussed, and he was so tired.

He collapsed in a seat and closed his eyes. His body felt heavy. Dannika’s grief or just the injury? He forced his eyes open and beckoned to Dannika, who lingered at the outside of the solemn group. “Sit with me.”

She stopped at his knee. “Here?”

He looped her wrist and tugged her to his lap. His shoulder complained, but everything was better with her in his arms. She’d taken the time to dress, and her damp fabric clung to her skin.

She sat stiffly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

He squeezed her close “Having you in my arms outweighs any discomfort.”

Her chin wobbled. “Don’t say that.”

“But it is true.”

“All I do is make your life harder.”

“Only one part.” He nuzzled her suggestively. “And you like when that is hard.”

An unwilling ghost of a smile lightened her. She melted against him, finally accepting the comfort he offered, and he hugged her, taking his own comfort in return.

She was soft and feminine and all he wanted, forever. He wanted her in her dark moments and in her bright moments. All her moments. And obviously, this was a dark moment. His heart hurt for what she’d witnessed. After losing one soul mate, a second loss always weighed on her. If Lieutenant Orike’s thrust had been more central, in Ciran’s spine instead of his fleshy shoulder, Dannika’s worst fear could have come true.

Ciran well understood her fears and recriminations. He would bear any pain if it would ease her regret. But he couldn’t, and so, all he could do was snug her close and try, try, try to help her heal. “I want you to swim with me to the echo point.”

She sucked in a sad breath. “I nearly got you killed.”

“Today was not your fault.” He stroked her bare biceps. “The warriors invaded our reef before you finished the tests. We were disorganized and unprepared. You did very well, all of you.”

“Getting you stabbed and Nuno kidnapped was a good job?”

“You secured the young fry, as we trained you. You worked with Bex and Meg.”

“They did things. I did nothing.”

“Because, as you said, you lost focus. The next time you face them, your powers will flow.”

“Or I’ll mess up again and you’ll die right in front of me.”

This encouragement wasn’t working. “Every trainee makes mistakes.”

“Does every trainee’s mistakes get people stabbed and kidnapped?”

He sighed. “Not often.”

“Tell me something honestly.” She snorted to herself. “Sorry. Everything you say is honest. I don’t

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