Chapter 43. A Foreboding News

Ajax slammed Kai across the floorboards of his own ship. Blood splattered across the deck as the king crashed into the wood, groaning in pain. The crew stood frozen in place, eyes wide with fear as they dared not move. No one stepped forward. No one helped. They simply watched.

“What the fuck are you all looking at?!” Kai spat, blood dripping from his mouth, his pride shredded in front of his men.

Ajax loomed over him, turning his cold gaze toward the silent bannermen. “Ah,” he said mockingly, “it seems they think of you as less than a king.”

“You’ll regret laying your filthy hands on me, Ajax Nyth!” Kai hissed, glaring up from the floor.

Ajax shrugged with maddening calm. “Set foot in my territory again, and I’ll make sure your ships burn before they reach shore. Perhaps the sirens will be full for a year.”

Kai’s eyes flicked to the water—where shadows swirled beneath the surface. Long, sinuous tails sliced through the depths like blades. Watching. Waiting.