17 AELIA

I paced around my room, emotions swirling in my head. Between my suspicion of Baylis and Tharan, I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t want to think either of them would betray me, but then again, I had been tricked before.

I let out a long breath. I needed to talk to Tharan.

Twisting the stone in my ear, Tharan’s jovial voice came through, “Hello, my darling.”

“Your friend wants me to steal the siren’s song, Tharan. Did you know about this?” I tried my best to keep my voice calm.

“I knew he would ask you something far-fetched. I just wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted. He was very cagey about it in his letter.” From the defensiveness in his voice, he knew I suspected something.

“Oh, so he knew I was coming? Why didn’t you just tell me before I left?”

“I’m sorry, Aelia, I wasn’t sure if he’d even agree to see you. As you know, he’s quite eccentric.” He paused. “Is everything alright?”

I shut my eyes. Was I being too hard on him? He had only ever shown me love, affection, and acceptance. I couldn’t let my old relationships influence this one. Tharan loved me and I loved him. I didn’t need to be afraid, but old habits are hard to shake.

“I’m fine. Just tell me next time. I can handle it.”

“You know you can tell me if you’re not fine.”

Guilt struck at my heart, and a familiar loneliness washed over me. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with Tharan. I should’ve trusted him.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“So, are you going to the siren’s lair?”

“I don’t think I really have another choice. We asked around the docks, and everyone else laughed in our faces when we asked if they’d take us to the Isle of Fate.”

“Well, you knew that going in. No one has stepped foot on that island for at least two hundred years. There’s no telling how wild it has become.”

I blew out a breath. “Lovely. Can’t wait to face certain death to see my own mother.”

There were so many things I wanted to say to her. Did you know where you were sending me when you signed my marriage contract? Was it a part of some grand plan? If so, why? Why was I a pawn in their game? What was this thing in my chest and who is my father? I did also want to know if she was alright. Our lives had been nothing but turmoil for so long, part of me couldn’t blame her for the things she’d done.

“I wish I was there with you, Aelia. I wish I could help more.”

“I wish you were here too. But you’ve got an important mission of your own.”

Only silence answered. I twisted the whisper stone, and my heart clenched in my chest. There were certain places magic could not penetrate, and some towns put up wards to disrupt the magic. Had I lost Tharan?

“Aelia?” His voice sent a warming sensation through my body.

“Yes?”

“I miss you. That’s all. I miss everything about you. The way your skin feels against mine. The sparkle in your eyes when you laugh. The whimpers you make in your sleep.”

“I miss you too, Tharan. It’s funny. I’ve only known you a few months, but I feel as though we’ve known each other for ages.”

“I know, I feel the same way.”

A knock at the door tore me from my thoughts of Tharan.

“I’ve got to go. There’s someone here.” I wanted to tell him I loved him, but the words stuck in my throat like flies in molasses.

“I love you, Aelia.”

I twisted the whisper stone, and the connection was severed.

“Come in!”

The head servant entered, bowing his head low.

“My Lady, Miss Ursula is here. She said she’s here for dinner.”

“Wonderful. Set a place for her, and I’ll get ready.”

The servant bowed and shut the door behind him. I quickly changed into a low-cut satin gown, letting my hair fall in loose waves. Ursula had a penchant for long hair, and I knew how to tempt her. Pulling a soft wool shawl over my shoulders, I took one last look at myself in the mirror. Tonight, I would be the queen I was, and the mercenary would be put away… at least for now.

I stopped at Amolie’s room and knocked.

A sleepy-eyed Amolie answered the door.

“Ursula is here.”

She yawned. “I didn’t expect her to have an answer from her queen so quickly. It’s only been two days.”

“The queen of the Undersea never misses an opportunity to gain power. She’s likely been waiting for an opportunity to present itself.”

“Then we better not keep Ursula waiting. I won’t be long changing. Come on in. I have news.”

Amolie shut the door behind me, and I sat on the bed.

“What is it? Did Caiden and Roderick find something?”

She nodded excitedly, her brown curls bouncing. “Yes, well, kind of. They found a map to where they think a Well is.”

My pulse quickened. We were one step closer to finding at least one Well. “That’s fantastic. Did he say where?”

“No. It’s all very hush-hush. We’re sending messages in code via raven. Just in case they get intercepted; our rings will glow if the other one is in danger.”

That made my load a little lighter. “Smart.”

Amolie changed into a black satin gown that cinched at the waist, making her breasts look particularly ample. “Ready.”

We pulled Baylis from the library, where she was studying a book on poisonous mushrooms, and headed down to greet Ursula.

Thanks to the blue fire sprites I hired to light the chandelier, the ballroom glowed an elegant aqua.

Ursula marveled at the intricate murals on the walls depicting ancient battles of the Alder King riding his famed white stag. Her spider silk dress of woven fishnets left little to the imagination, and she wore her blue hair in pleats around her head. She was a clever girl. She knew we’d be playing games tonight, and she came prepared.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” I asked, summoning the diplomat I’d been in another life.

She raked her sea glass eyes over my curves, lingering where my hair brushed my collarbones.

“Quite exquisite.”

Baylis and Amolie took their seats at the long table.

“Come, sit. I hope you have good news for me, my friend.”

She took the open seat next to the head of the table.

I ran my hands over my dress, collecting myself. Do not let the merc out no matter how she may tempt you. You are not that person anymore.

I snapped my fingers, and satyrs streamed from the kitchens into the grand ballroom, silver trays stretched high over their horns.

Finneas, the head satyr, poured us a glass of red wine each.

I held my glass in the air. “A toast. To friendship.”

“To friendship!” We clinked our glasses together.

The satyrs pulled the lids off the plates, revealing an array of suckling meats and roasted vegetables, complete with an assortment of pastries for dessert.

“Did you speak to your queen, Ursula?”

She clicked her tongue. “In the court of the Undersea, we wait until after dinner to discuss business. But yes, I did.”

“And?”

She sighed, toying with her food.

“She said she’ll make a deal with you.”

My chest tightened, but I dared not show it on my face.

“That’s good. What does she want?”

“We can discuss that after dinner. I’d like to finish my meal first. Then we can talk about a bargain.”

I shut my eyes. Should have known a magical bargain would’ve been involved. At least Conrad had the decency to spare me that.

“Wait, she’s not here. I’d have to shake her hand to make a bargain with her.”

“Who said anything about the bargain being with her?” A wicked smile cut across Ursula’s delicate yet terrifying face.

“I should have known better.” I downed the rest of my drink. “The deal will be with you on behalf of your queen.”

“Everything I do is for my queen. My life is hers to do with as she commands.”

“Ursula,” Baylis chimed in. “How did you become the queen’s assassin? I bet there’s a story there.”

Blue flame flicked across Ursula’s face. Her eyes lowered as she dredged up a memory.

“My mother was her favorite handmaiden. I grew up in the halls of the Undersea Court, which, as you may or may not know, is half above water and half below so we could entertain those courts who did not have gills. My mother and father, a soldier, accompanied the queen on a diplomatic trip. They were attacked by a band of barbarians—no doubt hired by another court. Both my mother and father died defending the queen, and in return, she promised to care for me as her own. I wanted to ensure no one would ever hurt her or me again, so I became an assassin.”

“Blood is always thicker than water,” Baylis said, laying a hand on mine.

Ursula nodded. “It is easy to be thrown into the depths of the Undersea. Many orphans are taken to the underwater mines to work for room and board. The queen spared me that fate, and I am forever in her debt.”

Amolie and I exchanged knowing glances.

“Your queen is just.”

“As any good ruler should be. She does what she feels is best for her people. And I hope I am a part of that.”

At that, we finished dinner, the conversation much lighter.

Finneas and the other satyrs cleared the plates sometime later.

Turning to Ursula, I leaned in and whispered, “Why don’t you and I have a drink in the study? Just the two of us?”

A flirtatious smile full of sharp teeth brightened her face.

“I’ll see you two ladies in the morning. Ursula and I have business to discuss.” Taking Ursula’s hand in mine, I led her into the study, where rows of books lined the walls. The room smelled of leather and parchment. I poured her and I a glass of brandy, and we took seats on the couch.

She swirled it around the finely cut crystal.

“The Alder King knows how to stock a bar.”

“Nothing but the best for our guests.”

“Oh, I’m just a guest now? A few weeks ago, you were nearly in my bed. And now we are just friends?” She leaned into me—the smell of brandy heavy on her breath.

“A lot has changed since the Yule Revelry, Ursula. I was a mercenary out for revenge, trying to save my sister. Now, I am the Hand to the Alder King, trying to save the continent. Perhaps the world.”

Her bright expression darkened.

“Oh, you mean Gideon and Erissa? I heard their kingdom burned to the ground.” She moved closer. Her breath made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. “They had to flee. What a pity. You land dwellers love to burn each other. The sea folk know the order of things.”

I tightened my jaw, the weight of our actions pressing down on me, the realization of the destruction we had caused. “Tell me what your queen wants, Ursula.”

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“It’s really a very simple ask. She wants the siren’s song.”

Fuck . I downed my glass of brandy, letting it burn away everything I wanted to say.

“Can’t the queen of the Undersea get that herself? Are the sirens not her subjects?”

Ursula twiddled her webbed fingers.

“It’s complicated. Calypso, the queen of the sirens, is my queen’s sister. And she can’t very well go and just take it from her. They struck a bargain long ago. Calypso would rule the sirens while Calliope ruled everything else. But my queen has grown tired of her sister’s antics and wants the song for herself. She would pull back the monsters guarding the Isle of Fate so a boat could dock to get it.” Her sea glass eyes narrowed on me.

I swallowed hard.

“What is your queen planning?”

“She just wants to be prepared.” Ursula twirled a piece of my hair around her finger. “You know how monarchs are… Always scheming.”

I bit my lip. I did know how monarchs were. There was more to this than she was letting on, but what choice did I have? I needed those monsters cleared.

“Do we have a deal?” Her eyes sparkled with the delight of trapping me.

“Fine.” I held out my hand. “I will secure the song, and in exchange, your queen will remove the monsters from the Isle of Fate so we may dock and hold them off until we are safely back on shore.”

Ursula scrunched her mouth to one side as she contemplated the bargain.

“That seems right.” She moved closer, running her tongue up the side of my neck before grabbing my hand. “Although in the Undersea, we seal our bargains with a kiss, too.”

My pulse raced as her lips met mine, wet with brandy. Magic swirled around us, binding us to our words. Either Ursula hadn’t noticed my specific wording, or she didn’t care that I had given myself an out.

She pulled me in closer and my hand naturally went to her hips, grasping the soft flesh. She fisted her hands in my hair while slipping her tongue past my lips. A heat rose inside me.

I let my lips linger on hers for a moment before pulling away. I didn’t want to upset her.

“The bargain is sealed. I will get the song, Ursula.” I combed my fingers through my hair.

Ursula pouted.

“Oh? The night’s over? But we were having so much fun. Don’t you want to play like we used to?”

I took a deep breath averting my eyes.

“I am loyal to Tharan.” I scooted away from her. Part of me wanted to see if she would fill the space between us, but when she didn’t, a weight lifted itself from me.

Ursula flipped her aqua-blue hair to one side, framing her long face. A diamond not unlike my own whisper stone glinted in her ear. Had the queen been listening in this whole time or was it just a normal gem?

She started to slide her hand toward mine but stopped herself.

“Fine.”

Ursula smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.

“Let me show you out,” I said, and reached for her hand, but she pulled it away.

“I can see myself out.” Without looking at me, she rose abruptly and floated to the door.

“Don’t be like this, Ursula. You have two lovers waiting for you. You said you wanted to be my friend… so be my friend,” I pleaded.

Pausing, she did not look back at me, but from where I was sitting, I could see her wipe a tear from her eye.

“I know,” she said. Her voice was barely a whisper. “I was just…” Her words faded into nothingness—a dagger to my heart. I never meant to hurt her.

Ursula straightened and adjusted her dress.

“Goodnight, Aelia. I will see you in two days.” She peered over her shoulder. “The sirens will require all of your strength, so be ready.”