Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

28 | The Duke of Ephi

Two Weeks Ago

"The town I grew up in, Ephi, was a small village built into the side of a cliff. It was lucky enough to contain the duke's main estate." Mara's eyes became distant as she spoke. It was as if she could see the port spread out between them.

Oddly enough, Kain, too, could imagine it. There had been a handful of times when he was younger that Artemios would bring them to that particular Aeolian port. As the years passed, however, it only grew more dangerous for Kain in particular, so he quit taking jobs that drew them to the Levantis duchy.

"Many generations ago it became tradition to grant the duchy Ephi falls within to the king's right-hand general. Aeolis, as you know, is the closest country to the Land of the Gods. Ephi was the closest port. It was an important trade town, but also one of the most dangerous places to live due to the growing number of nightmares. Which is why it required a strong protector."

Natia gave a soft whine and Kain grimaced. He could recall being attacked on those waters more than once. One could never know what they would encounter so close to the Wild. It was entirely possible you might see a nightmare that hadn't existed before that day. Only the best survived those waters. It was sometimes deemed 'the Nightmare Coast' for a reason.

"That changed during my parents' generation, however," Mara continued.

Dalphie approached the table at that moment, laying a tea cup first in front of Mara, then Kain.

"The king's younger brother came of age just as the previous general retired. It was decided that the new duke would take control of the duchy despite his young and untested age. Most guessed the king was hoping for exactly what came next. Shortly after taking control, the young Duke Levantis died. He was survived, however, by his two-year old son, Kyril.

"Seeing a way to save face, as not too many were pleased by his brother's sudden demise, the king decided that from then on, the duchy would belong to the Levantis family. The benefit was two-fold. His orphaned nephew was guaranteed an estate when he came of age, and the King would not have to worry of power gathering behind him as might have occurred if the boy was allowed to grow-up at court."

The information settled into Kain's stomach like a rock. He knew just how difficult it was to live with a birthright that did not feel your own. He may not have liked Kyril, but he could empathize with how wrong growing up in that life must have felt.

"The reason I started there is the impact these choices had on Ephi," Mara explained, swirling a spoon through her tea. She eyed it with a small frown. Her fingers gripped the plate beneath it with a white-knucle hold. "The military might of the duchy rapidly fell following the duke's appointment, and death. Someone was placed, of course, to control the duchy until Kyril was of age, but the choice was driven by politics, not experience. Many died in the years that followed--most to nightmares. My father was one such victim."

Kain heard, rather than saw, Natia leap from the couch following Mara's admission. The wolf circled around the table, before sitting a few feet from Mara's chair. If a wolf could wear the expression of a human, Kain held little doubt it would be intense attention that reflected in the girl's gaze.

"I was five, nearly six. A hunter had 'bagged' a rare nightmare, or so he claimed. My father worked for the guard, and was watching the gates when the hunter tried to come back through. He was pulling long hours due to a shortage of fighters, so my mother and I had stopped by to bring him dinner.

Kain's heart stuttered as something unfurled in the back of his mind. A similar story spoke in a different voice. Someone who's tone sounded so much more bitter, and at the time, a bit drunk. It had taken more than a single cup of rum to give her enough courage to tell her tale.