Dark Ocean Princess (The Cursed Seas Collection) by Nina Walker & Cursed Seas & Charmed Legacy

Author:Nina Walker & Cursed Seas & Charmed Legacy [Walker, Nina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780999287682
Publisher: Addison & Gray Press
Published: 2018-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

“We’re almost there,” Kyon whispers. His voice is a low timbre that brushes against my ear and makes me shiver. I’m again struck with the questions born from my fear. Why is he being so nice to me? This man is supposed to hate me. Could all of this be an elaborate trap? I keep my eyes wide and gaze searching, just in case.

“We need to keep quiet,” he continues. “We don’t have much time before people are going to start waking up. Maybe an hour or two.”

I nod, taking in his tall form, his broad shoulders and the way his clothes fit tightly against his strong body. My muscles grow tense as we turn another corner. I’m dying to question Kyon, but my need to be in the water outweighs even that, so I go along with him, following this person who could be leading me to my death.

In front of us is a long stretch of dock. Gone are the familiar shanty homes of wood and metal. Instead, we’re standing in the middle of what appears to be a long line of vendor booths. It reminds me of the market back home where sirens come from all over the city to barter over clothing, goods, and services. I smile just thinking of the lively place. I often went to admire the jewelry, the pearl items being my favorites. These booths are all locked up tight for the night. I try to imagine how this place will look in the light of day. I see the people rushing about, in a hurry to find exactly what they’re looking for. I smell both fresh and cooked fish. And I hear the people as they call to each other over the crowd. Each vendor is eager to empty their carts, unafraid to holler about the merits of their items. I wonder if they have jewelry here too, and if so, what it would look like. Would it shine as ours does? Do land-dwellers covet pearls as my people do?

We hurry through the market. The mountainside looms up ahead. I’m much closer than I’ve ever gotten before, and I eye the rocky top—on the other side is the palace. And the stone.

“Are we going up there?” I ask, pointing. Anticipation zaps through my blood at the idea. This could be my chance.

“Not even close,” Kyon replies gruffly. “There are a lot of restricted areas on the island and the palace is by far the most off limits to us. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t public zones here. There’s the evacuation centers, plus a few beaches and coves open for swimming. That’s where we’re headed now.”

I want to ask about the evacuation centers but stop myself, the questions bitter on my tongue. No need to remind Kyon of why he should hate me. The evacuations must be for when the docks aren’t safe, like when a dragon shows up, or a siren, or a bad storm.

I stare out into the darkness, trying to figure out this place.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.