Most people in Ios know better than to challenge Vivarre and its powerful navy. Queen Thea, however, is not afraid to challenge anyone who gets in her way. For years, her kingdom has been supported by pirates. They sail the Iosian sea and raid any ship they come across for resources.<br><br>When Thea takes the throne she is challenged by enemies and allies alike. Though women can be warriors, they can never be true rulers. She hopes to change that belief, but she cannot do it alone. Driada is the only female pirate enlisted in Ios. She has served her kingdom faithfully for years, her dedication inspired by her father’s work on the royal ships. When she sees injustices being done against innocent people, she cannot simply sit idle while they suffer.<br><br>When these two bold, powerful women meet, it is obvious that they must form an alliance to keep Ios safe. But this alliance quickly shifts from being solely a political move, to one of the heart. Thea is forced to decide which path will lead to victory -- fighting Vivarre without divine help or betraying her promise to never bow down to the gods ever again.

Thea

“What did the siren look like?” Thea asked.


“Frightening. Not at all beautiful, as I expected. Perhaps in a terrifying kind of way.”


“I’m amazed they actually exist. And that she let your crew leaved unharmed.”


“Perhaps she was there as some kind of a sign, a warning,” Driada mused. “I still haven’t figured out why she showed herself to me.”


“I would wager that it has something to do with the attention you’ve received from Pirei. Your Fate had already been written.”


“I wonder what the fates have in store for me. Sometimes I shudder to think of it.”


“Yes, but you have the gods on your side.” Thea grimaced. “I don’t.”


“I doubt the entire pantheon wishes you ill.”


“Then you don’t know them as well as I do.”


“It can’t be as bad as that, can it? You’re the queen of Ios. Surely that counts as some kind of good fortune.”


Thea threw herself back onto the ground. “What does worldly fortune matter when your enemies are the most powerful beings in the world?”


Chapter 31