Free Torrents (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 3) by Meaghan Rauscher

thought all of this was done.”
         “No,” I shook my head and tried to hold the tears at bay. “I’m sorry.” I gave her a quick hug, unable to look at my younger siblings, and fled to the door before I did something foolish.
         Again the warm air swirled around me. This time I stepped into its embrace as though it were an old friend. My eyes met the gaze of the merman, who glanced over his shoulder, his back to the door. 
         “Let’s go,” was all he said and I followed, surprised when he led me toward the trees on the hill leading down to the restaurant. My expectation had been to head toward the beach, as soon as possible.
         I stopped in my tracks, “Wait.”
         In a swift move, he leaned back and grabbed my bad arm beginning to drag me behind him. I inhaled sharply as his thumb pressed into the scar and I bit back a groan.
         “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on!” My voice escalated until I was close to yelling. The only control remaining inside me was for Jillian’s benefit, I didn’t want her to hear the fear in my voice if I yelled at him.
         Voon suddenly whipped around and faced me, his fury burning as heat rose in his cheeks. He grasped my arm harder as he brought his face close to mine. “Let’s make something perfectly clear. You’re coming whether you like it or not, because Tunder sent me to fetch you.”
         “Tunder?” I asked and realized I had slipped up; my suspicion he was actually working for the Hyven coming to the surface.
         “How dare you?” He spit the words at me and I felt his breath waft over my face. “It’s no secret I hate you, but I would never betray Lathmor.” I tried to shift out of his grasp, but he jerked me again. “Never.”
         Rather than say anything to defend myself, I remained silent and glared back at him. The rage stood out sharply from his face, as though carved into the lines along the sides of his mouth. I found myself wondering if he had ever smiled.
         “Then tell me what’s wrong,” I demanded and was surprised by how strong I sounded. Part of me wondered if I should convince him with my voice, but I knew now was not the time. If I ever used my siren voice to control him, he would never forgive me.
         Voon sighed, his strong grip on my arm lessening. “The king is dead.”
         If he had spent an hour kindly talking to me about the events of Lathmor and catching me up on what was happening in the war, I still would have been shocked to my core by what he said.
         “What?” The word barely escaped my mouth, the blood leaving my face.
         “Yeah,” was all he said and his hand slipped from my arm. “Now let’s go.”
         “Okay,” I mouthed and shook my head from side to side to clear the doubts filling my mind.
         My last memory of the king had been during his visit to the island, the day he told me to go home and learn my power in such a way that I could turn it back on Morven. My mind couldn’t grasp just what this all meant, and I selfishly wondered who else would be able to tell me what to do. King Oberon had been my one source to understanding what had happened to me, to Patrick, everything. There was still so much he could have told me.
         Without another word, I followed Voon down the hill and as we crossed Main Street I got the feeling people were looking at us. The sun was a floating orb on the horizon and long shadows stretched toward the ocean across the faded, cracked pavement beneath my bare feet. Even so, it wasn’t dark enough for people to not recognize me. Some locals looked at me as I passed, but I ignored their stares and walked beside Voon with a purpose. If Tunder needed me then I would come, not because of how he treated me when I last saw him, but because of who he had been to Patrick and to the king.
         Crossing another street, a tall, dark figure leaned