I moved the water around me so I could run up the beach while I spoke mentally with Rayna. I’d practiced my magic enough that it took barely any effort.

“The selkies are attacking. There are squids outside. Triton is gathering warriors to help fight them, but we need to lock down the castle,” I urged.

“Fuck,” Rayna hissed.

We’d practiced locking the building down a dozen times, so I wasn’t worried about that. That wasn’t difficult.

But controlling the ocean outside the castle was the only true way to protect us.

And Triton and I were the only ones who could do it.

It wasn’t hard, but it required a lot of energy.

“I’ll take the southern and western entrances, starting from the bottom and moving up. Can you take the northern and eastern doors?” I asked.

“Of course. See you on the top floor.” Rayna’s confirmation was quiet, but solid. She still wasn’t thrilled that I was functioning as the queen, but she’d stopped bringing it up, and we were civil to each other.

There were warriors sprinting out the doors when I reached the castle. They hauled ass as they ran past me on my way in. I wasn’t supposed to leave the doors open for them, so they would have to find another way out.

“Queen on the left!” one of the warriors yelled, and they made a path for me to enter the building.

I waited for the last in the group to run through, then pulled the lever on the wall, shoving magic into it to make it function. The doors closed, and a fresh batch of warriors skidded around the corner.

“Use the west side,” I called, and they sprinted in that direction. I was at their heels, with another wave of men at my back.

“Any sign of the selkies on the beach yet?” one of the warriors called as he ran past me.

“Not yet.”

“Try to keep it that way, Your Highness.”

“As long as you don’t let the squids kill my mate,” I tossed back.

“You’ve got a deal.”

Triton’s voice entered my mind, and I could feel him speaking to the rest of the warriors around us too. “Do not kill the selkies unless it’s your only option,” he commanded. “Tie them up. We want as many prisoners as possible when we end this.”

Their agreements flowed into my mind just like his words. He’d included me in the conversation, like he’d included me in everything since the day he claimed me.

I was his queen, no matter how anyone else felt about it. Because Triton wouldn’t accept anything less.

We reached the western doors, and the warriors poured through while I grabbed the lever. The last of them sprinted out, and I pulled the doors shut behind them.