Page 14

Obviously, she would go. She’d been dying to experience the celebration from the mortal’s perspective for centuries.

For the past century, each year, after a gaudy birthday event orchestrated by Mira in her great hall, Naia would surface from Kaimana in her shape-shifted form, hoist up on a sea rock—her fin grazing the water to fulfill the requirement of her curse binding her to Kaimana—and watch the mortals celebrate.

“I’ll go find you something else to wear other than Yuk’s ridiculous pajamas.”

Naia’s eyes followed the backside of his shoulders as he exited the room.

The tension in her muscles loosened, and she moved to the ajar door to close it.

She spun around, took in a deep, concentrating breath, and quickly cloaked her divinity.

Afterwards, she made her way to the other side of the room, the old wooden planks of the floor creaking underneath her feet as she did so, and peered out the open window. The sea was truly a stunning view from this perspective. An aquamarine marble surface cresting with waves, glittering beneath the sunlight as far back as the eye could see.

Ecstasy fluttered in her chest as she soaked in the view. The sea was in front of her, rather than above her, like a dome.

By a miracle, she’d escaped Kaimana.

At the price of a new curse.

A wave of restlessness washed over her. She inspected the inside of her palm—still free of Cassian’s mark. For now.

Finnian will know what to do.

A knock sounded on the door.

Naia looked back to find Akane’s head popping in. “May I come in?”

“Yes,” Naia said.

The sunlight streaming in bounced off Akane’s shiny black pigtails, and she wore a white t-shirt with a picture of a sparkly unicorn.

Akane handed Naia a clump of rice, shaped in a triangle. “Here you go.”

Naia couldn’t hide the dismay on her face when the rice stuck to her fingers, only being accustomed to feasts in Mira’s great hall—entrees of braised seafood, roasted potatoes, sautéed vegetables, and an endless variety of fresh fruits and three-tier desserts lined across the table.

Food was an unnecessary pleasantry Naia always found joy in.

“Hold it there, on the nori.” Akane’s hand came up, gesturing to the strip of green at the bottom of the rice. “So, your fingers don’t get dirty.”

“Thanks,” Naia said, intrigued by the child’s chiding. It tempted Naia to ask how old she was. Judging by her height, she couldn’t have been older than nine or ten.

“You look different.” Akane’s face scrunched, extending her neck to get a closer look at Naia’s face. “Your eyes are brown. They were green a second ago.” She lifted an arm to point at her cheeks. “And your skin looked like my doll’s.”

Naia scoffed. “I have no clue what you are referring to.”

She had debated changing the color of her silver hair, but decided it might raise questions from Ronin and the nosey little girl. How did you change your hair color without hair dye?

Glad to know she was correct in her thinking.

“Don’t mess with me, Ms. Lady.” Akane inspected Naia from head to toe. “You’re not as beautiful as you were a second ago.”

Naia took a large bite of the plump rice, filled with a pocket of creamy, tangy tuna. “I ant ere fhoo.”

Akane scowled, rolling her eyes.

It tugged a small smile out of Naia as she chewed. Dissecting the flavors of sesame seeds and salt, and the crunch of the seaweed.

Akane picked at the chipped tangerine polish on her fingernails. “It is my first time making them by myself. Everyone tells me they’re good, but I’m not convinced. So, be honest with me.”