Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

08 | Blades and Hippogriffs

Three weeks ago

"The way I see it, we've got an awful lot to thank you for," Melas continued, obviously unaware of the surprise engulfing Kain's mind. Or perhaps just willfully ignoring it. "If you hadn't jumped into the mess, most of the folks here would've just kept shaking in their boots, too scared to leap at the thing. We would've lost quite a few good folks before anyone got the courage to jump in. As it is, I don't think anyone died. A good many got caught up in the mess, there's broken bones and so on, but ultimately, that's nothing. No one dead is the best outcome we could've expected, I think.

"So, thanks. The area'll be much better off now that the nightmare's dead."

Kain shook his head, guilt sinking a weight in his stomach. "No, don't thank me. It followed us down from the mountains. There wouldn't have been a danger in the first place if we hadn't led it here."

"Nonsense," Isidor scoffed, hands leading a golden trail over Melas as he seemed to search for further injury. "Don't you remember what I said before you set out? There's been rumors for weeks about a dragon, well, wyvern. The stories might've been wrong, given that thing clearly didn't have enough legs to be the Apophis of legend, but that doesn't change the fact that it was here before you."

Kain hesitated, the words doing little to lessen the sense of responsibility haunting him. It was too much of a coincidence, wasn't it?

The wyvern had attacked just as he entered the mountains, then followed their group specifically as they fled. Memory of the wyvern staring at him flashed through his mind. His hand reached for his hat, instinctively, then paused as he realized it was missing from his head. Had he lost it in the fight? Loss lanced his chest. If there was a chance, he'd have to search before they left.

He couldn't lose it. His mother's cap was the last thing he had with Iliana missing, and the Airlea left back in Nokos.

"I suppose," he murmured as his mind spun. Issue after issue tumbled over each other in his thoughts, the entire mess only complicated by the fuzzy feeling still flowing through his tired body.

Melas opened his mouth, perhaps to argue further, but said nothing as he caught sight of something beyond Kain. The noble's eyes widened as he leapt to his feet, drawing a startled curse from Isidor. Gold sparks flew from the witch's hands.

"I swear to the gods--"

"Kallicrates?" Melas whispered.

Kain glanced over his shoulder in time to catch Callias' expression as it slid from subtle surprise into utter nothingness. Whatever he might've been about to say was left silent as he paused behind Kain's cot, hands tucked behind his back.

Silence seconds stretched into an awkward pause. Kain glanced between them, taking in the continued shock on Melas' face, and the blankness of Callias' returned stare.

"I think you have the wrong person," Kain ventured. "This is a friend of mine, Callias. Callias, this is Lord Melas Zika."

"Oh, I..." Melas muttered, and Kain heard him drop back into his seat. "I, sorry. You're too young, I just, you..."

"Stay still," Isidor ordered. "Or I'm going to tie you down."

"Sorry, sorry..."

Callias continued to study Melas wordlessly for a moment, before turning his attention to Kain. "You seem well?"

Apparently, they were going to ignore the strangeness that had just occurred.

"Isidor healed me," Kain confirmed. "I'm tired, dizzy, bruised, but in no danger. He said Melitta was okay...?"