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There are more benefits to having the well-loved king on my side. I’m certain that if my dad was in charge, the suite would still be in disarray. But then again, I also wouldn’t be back.

I get into my pajamas and clean up as quietly as I can, but in true Marra fashion, I knock something off the bathroom counter, but don’t manage to catch it, so it breaks.

Halen sits up. “Marra? Is that you?”

“Yeah. Sorry. Go back to sleep.”

She gets up and wraps her arms around me. “Are you okay? I was really worried about you.”

I return the embrace. “I’m fine. Just needed some space until people cooled off.”

“You mean until your uncle set them straight.”

“Basically.”

“He came here and called an emergency meeting. Told everyone that how they treat you is a direct reflection of how they feel about him. He promised to dole out punishments to anyone who didn’t treat you like the heir to the throne that you are. That confused a lot of people, including me. Is your dad still king?”

“I can’t see that happening. I’m not sure what Tiberias’s plan is, but since he has no kids, he says I’m heir to the throne.”

“Not your dad?”

I snort. “After everything he’s pulled? I foresee a lifelong banishment at best.”

Halen’s eyes widen. “What are you going to do? I don’t think I can handle you leaving again.”

“Uncle Tiberias says I can stay, and I want to. But if I can, I think I’ll visit my parents on land sometimes. I don’t want to never see them again, you know. Plus, I want to see my old friends. You should come with me! I bet you and Ivy would get along even better than she and I do.”

“You want me to go on land?” She scrunches her face. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“It would blow your mind. There are so many things up there that we don’t have down here. Ever seen a bird?”

“A what?”

“Or a monkey, or a lion. There are as many animals on land as varieties of fish down here. And that’s just the beginning.”

“What about magic?” She tilts her head.

“Not that I ever saw. I mean, there could be. I’m not denying that. It’s a taboo subject, so if it exists, people hide it like I hid the fact that I’m a mermaid. People are curious about it, though. There are lots of novels on the topic.”

Halen looks deep in thought. “It does sound interesting. You might actually be able to talk me into a vacation up there. Are there cute guys?”

“So many. There was this guy Roman I liked a lot. Maybe we can take a trip there sometime, and I can introduce you.”

A slow smile spreads across her face. “I do like the sound of that.” She glances at the time and yawns. “We’d better get some sleep. Only a few hours until the first class.”

I groan. “Isn’t it the weekend yet?”

“Almost.” She yawns again. “But didn’t Earwyn say you have to practice for the pageant all day?”

“After what she did to me?” Anger swirls in my chest. I clench my fists, and they glow green. “No way am I helping her! And with my dad not being king, I don’t have to listen to Middlebrooks and be in the pageant at all. Earwyn can deal with not having a ‘little sister’ to boss around. Or she can find a new one. I quit!”

Halen high-fives me. “I hope I can see her face when she hears that.”

“Same here. No way am I prancing around on a stage in a bikini.”

“A bikini? What’s that?”

“Shells. I meant shells.”