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“He is not religious, if you ask me, but all Skylians worship Ouranos,” Valda explained, and then frowned as Maris slipped her hands away from hers. “Maris—”

“I had a conversation with him, a couple of days ago—” Maris raised her hand, just as Valda’s anger unfurled deep within. “He didn’t hurt me or say anything insulting. He was, surprisingly, apologizing.”

Valda still didn’t yield. She wanted to grab Arwin by his throat. How dare he get close to Maris after all the shit he had talked about her?

“What took me by surprise was something he said when I accepted his apology.” Valda canted her head, and Maris continued her explanation. “He said ‘Blessed be the goddess.’ And I wondered what goddess he was talking about. Then I remembered that he was holding a something resembling a golden apple during your birthday celebration.”

Valda pulled back. A questioning frown darkened her features.

Goddess Eris, accept my sacrifice.

Valda swallowed hard as the whispered words came in the form of a blurry and misty memory. Valda moved away from Maris, giving her enough space for the other woman to wonder if something was wrong.

“Valda?”

“Eris. He worships Eris.”

Maris’s eyes widened. “Of all the gods he could pick, that asshole chose—”

“The goddess of chaos and discord,” Valda muttered, racking her hands through her hair again, this time clutching it at the top.

“Do you think she cursed you?”

“Probably…” Valda muttered, her brain crawling with details she had forgotten. Between them was the vision of a woman, light blue hair, Sealian features. A woman she believed was her mate, but disappeared just as her nightmare began.

“Who is she?” Maris asked.

Valda released a shaky breath, surprised that she had dug so deep into her own thoughts that Maris was able to read her mind. “I have no clue. She came to me on my birthday. I thought…”

“She wasn’t.” Jealousy and possessiveness dripped from Maris’s voice.

“Of course, but… that woman looked like a Sealian and—”

“Gods and goddesses can shapeshift at will, Valda. Why wouldn’t Eris be any different?”

Valda raised her eyebrow at Maris.

“I read a lot back when I was a kid.”

“That explains everything.”

Maris chuckled at the queen’s playful tone, yet touched Valda’s lower back. “This is a problem, though. If she were to shapeshift, we wouldn’t know who she is. If she is amongst us. And what guarantee do we have that Arwin won’t use her to do more harm?”

“We are not sure of that yet, Seashell.”

“I guess,” Maris mumbled.

With a sigh, Valda grabbed Maris’s hand, pulling her close enough to plant a kiss upon her lips. The soft caress turned heated in seconds as Valda kept her eyes open to take in all the smooth lines on Maris’s face. She deepened the kiss, licking at the seam of Maris’s lips only to be stopped by her lover.

“Valda, wait.”

“No, I don’t want to. I’ve been denied seeing so many parts of you. I think it is only fair that I see as much as I can.”

“And you will. But, darling, I still have to make an appearance out in the square. Eyphah—”

“Please don't mention her.”

“Well, I don’t think she and I are on the best of terms,” Maris said, inhaling deeply through her nose and scratching the back of her arm.