Warrior Prince by Emma Raveling

ONE

    Moonlight glimmered and spring air gently carried the sharp saltiness of the Pacific.
    Cold metal pressed into my back as I leaned against the streetlamp in front of the modest, white house. I remained hidden in the darkness, away from the flickering yellow light that cast a small triangular glow across the sidewalk and front lawn.
    The quiet street was like any one of the countless other residential streets that lined suburbs throughout the country.
    But it wasn't.
    Because an ondine I hadn't heard from in seventeen years lived on this particular one in San Aurelio. And I was here because of the call I received from her two days ago.
    I spotted her aura first. The soft, pale white glow shimmered as she moved down the street toward me.
    "Tristan."
    She emerged from the shadows with an easy grace, the light illuminating her petite, athletic form.
    "Naida."
    I leaned down to embrace her.
    She'd developed a precise and deliberate form of control to deal with her powerful and often chaotic Clairvoyance Virtue and that meticulous efficiency was evident in her perfectly braided hair and practical clothing. A sharp, piercing intelligence shone through hazel eyes set within a face that was still unlined and youthful.
    Firm hands rested on my arms and she looked up at me. "I'm sorry about Eric and Eleri."
    I nodded in acknowledgment and spoke the words that could only be said in person. "Ansel was a friend. I miss him greatly."
    The last time I saw them was seventeen years ago when I left Haverleau to hunt down Eric. By the time I returned six months later, they'd taken their newborn baby and gone Rogue in the middle of the night.
    Ansel had been a brilliant chevalier, a finely honed fighter and strong leader. After he died, Naida had somehow managed to keep herself and her child safe throughout the years. Were they constantly running? Hiding?
    A weary sadness washed through me. I was so damned tired of this war.
    "I informed the Governor about tonight."
    I'd known Rhian almost my entire life because of her close friendship with my mother and we continued to work together on elemental politics and security matters.
    I wasn't sure what had transpired between her and Naida all those years ago. But I couldn't keep this meeting a secret.
    "I expected as much."
    She understood the message. Whatever she told me would be shared.
    "How can I help?"
    She hadn't mentioned it during our brief conversation over the phone, but I knew that was the reason behind this meeting. Someone who survived for sixteen years as a Rogue wouldn't suddenly make a social call.
    "Ansel trusted you more than anyone." She hesitated, then took a deep breath. "It's about our daughter, Kendra. Should anything happen to me, I want you to bring her back to Haverleau."
    Alarm shot through me. There was only one reason a powerful clairvoyant like Naida would say that.
    "What is the —"
    "Promise me, Tristan." Her voice brooked no argument. Like her mother, she possessed an innate authority that had the force of steel. "You must make sure she returns to Haverleau safely."
    Bravery was a defining Irisavie trait, one that the Governor and her daughters possessed in spades. But blind bravery could be dangerous. I'd seen it many times with selkies throughout the years.
    This was a rash decision. She was asking for the impossible. She wanted me to ignore a known threat and report to the Governor something no mother should ever have to hear.
    "You want me to do nothing while —"
    "She's the sondaleur ."
    For a moment, I thought I misheard her."What?"
    "I believe my daughter is the sondaleur ," she repeated steadily. "She possesses three of the four marks and I've seen glimpses of her future."
    I stared. Outright disbelief turned to skepticism. Then shock.
    As the seriousness of her expression and statement finally sank in, a warmth slowly spread. The tiniest flare of cautious excitement.
    If it was true, her safety was the utmost priority. The sondaleur could not remain