An irate Jagen swims to the center stone. Rayna halts him. “What do you think you’re doing? You can see that it’s my turn to give testimony. You wanted this, remember?” Atta looks as if she’d rather not repeat that, but Rayna gives her a reproving look. The Archive concedes. The Arena hums with scandal when they hear.
Jagen whirls on the crowd. “Do you hear the nonsense she has spoken? She’s calling into question your good judgment! You have already seen, have already decided for yourselves that my own Paca has the Gift of Poseidon. She has demonstrated it for you at your every request. This Royal is calling me, and all of you, liars! How can we trust anything she says? Look at her.” He points to her bathing suit top. “She wasn’t hiding from me. She was enjoying herself on land, living like a human. It seems having an ambassador to humans for a brother has been quite convenient for our young princess.”
Galen feels his throat constricting. The crowd is wild with agitation.
Rayna lunges for Jagen. “You slithering eel!” But her voice gives out and she sounds like an angry sea lion trying to make words. Jagen moves out of the way. Trackers seize Rayna and pull her back by the arms. She glares at Atta. “You tell them that I don’t like humans. You tell them that I was hiding from Jagen!”
Atta shouts over the disgruntled moans of the assembly, but it falls on deaf ears.
Then a voice speaks up, louder than everyone else. Angrier than everyone else. “She’s a liar!” The crowd grows silent.
Because the voice belongs to Toraf.
“What is he doing?” Grom says, nudging Galen’s shoulder with his own.
Galen watches as Toraf makes his way to the center stone and comes face-to-face with Jagen. Then Toraf, his best friend since they were fingerlings, bows to the traitor. Jagen seems as surprised as Galen feels.
“Toraf!” Rayna shrieks. “What—”
“Someone shut her up,” Toraf says, motioning to the Trackers who hold his mate. “I’m tired of listening to her lies.”
Jagen is still unsure. He narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“All the Royals are lying. They’re covering up for themselves. And I won’t be a part of it any longer.” Toraf makes eye contact with Galen. He doesn’t even flinch when he says, “Especially Prince Galen. He’s found a Half-Breed. He’s been hiding her existence from all of you.”
The entire Arena seems to gasp in unison. Toraf clasps Jagen on the shoulder. Galen feels like he’s swallowed a blowfish. “If you will forgive me for my part in it, Jagen, I vow to bring the Half-Breed to you. As proof.”
“No!” Nalia screams. She springs forward and almost gets her hands around Toraf’s neck before Triton Trackers move in front of him. She wrestles them with the sudden power of a predator. “You disgusting traitor! We trusted you. What have you done?”
Toraf rolls his eyes. He tells Jagen, “I cannot tell you how sick I am of that imposter. I can’t believe I almost helped them. I saw Paca’s Gift with my own eyes. I don’t know how I could have doubted your cause.”
Sheer delight spreads on Jagen’s face. He cocks his head back and laughs a toxic laugh. “You’ve done the right thing, Toraf. You are not as foolish as I thought.”
“No, I was. You give me too much credit, friend. But I can see now how they’ve tricked me.” Toraf turns to the Arena. “Just as they’ve tricked all of you for so long. They’re not worthy to rule. None of them. I will go and get the Half-Breed and prove to you just how untrustworthy they are. All of them know about her. Every last one. I challenge Prince Galen to deny it.”
Galen locks eyes with Toraf. How could he do this to me? How could he do this to Emma? Now everyone present knows of her existence. She won’t be safe anywhere, not with Jagen in control. Especially because Toraf, the best Tracker in Syrena history, has just vowed to find her and bring her here.
Which will be excessively easy, since he knows exactly where she is. She trusts him. Rachel trusts him. It will be so simple for him. And I have no way of warning her, of getting to her. All I can do is protect her when she gets here.
Tandel quiets the crowd, one of his primary duties as of late. When he has achieved control, he turns to Galen. “Your Highness, would you like to address these accusations against you?”
Galen swims to the center stone without taking his eyes off Toraf. “If something happens to her because of you,” he whispers to his one-time friend, his voice raw with hurt, “your death will be my priority.”
Toraf opens his mouth to say something, but Galen cuts him off to address the crowd. There is nothing Toraf can say to him that will make this right. There is nothing Toraf can say to him that will hurt him more. “I have nothing at all to say to these accusations.”
Tandel sighs. “Very well, Highness. Thank you.”
Galen swims to the Trackers who hold his sister. His sister who now sobs uncontrollably. “Come on, minnow,” he says. “He’s not worth your tears.”
“Yes, he is,” she wails. The Trackers release her to her brother. They’re distressed with the task of comforting a hysterical female.
Galen squeezes her to him, but won’t let her turn around and look at Toraf. “He isn’t. In time you’ll see that.”
“Why would he bring Emma here, Galen? Why would he do this to us?”
Galen swallows the vomit creeping its way into his throat. “I don’t know, minnow. I don’t know.”