Page 74

Esmyra

T he water of Esmyra’s walk-in bath formed gently against her skin as she floated, letting her siren form drift just beneath the surface.

Teal scales shimmered like stars in the night sky as her hair floated around her in dark tendrils.

It should have been soothing, the way the water cradled her—the way it dulled the edges of everything pressing down on her. But tonight, it offered no comfort.

She lost control today, of both her temper and thoughts. And she lied straight to his face repeatedly. Esmyra sighed, sinking deeper as the water curled around her.

Draevyn was right—she had been pulling back. Her heart ached with the knowledge that the warmth he brought her was a dangerous illusion, a tempting mirage she couldn’t afford to chase. It wasn’t even an option.

Not for a monster like her.

Esmyra’s fingers traced through the water absentmindedly, as if the motion might help her piece through the tangle of thoughts. And yet, she couldn’t deny that she missed whatever had been sparking between them. The way Draevyn had looked at her, a hunger in his eyes that typically only held fire .

He’d looked so disappointed today as they fought, almost betrayed, and it stung in a way she couldn’t comprehend.

But Syrena’s words played over again in her mind: He tried to seduce me. Even though Syrena said she could’ve been wrong about his intentions, Esmyra needed to pull herself back. Perhaps Draevyn acted like he loathed her sister because she denied his advances.

Esmyra was here to help bring the kingdom back from the depths, not for Draevyn Rowe. Not for the son of the king she loathed so intensely that it fueled the very reason they were even there.

She had to keep her focus. For the sister and kingdom she’d lost. For her father, who rotted in a cell beneath Castle Lephyrin, regardless of the fact he was the reason they were in this mess to begin with.

She would never let him perish there, withering away in a miserable existence, even if she knew he likely deserved it for all he had done.

But what surprised Esmyra even more was that she needed to do this for herself. And getting distracted by a man wasn’t an option.

Still, Draevyn’s face drifted back into her mind. His frustration, his intensity when he’d stepped closer, demanding she be honest with him. Maybe he really did care about her. Maybe he saw something worth saving in her, something she thought had died a long time ago.

Her heart squeezed at the thought. She clenched her fists, letting her talons bite into her palms as her gills breathed for her beneath the surface.

What if she let herself believe that? What if she let him in, only to have him turn on her or leave?

These swarming thoughts overwhelmed her, and Esmyra let out a scream; the sound pouring out of her in a rush of bubbles.

It was fierce and silent, swallowed entirely by the surrounding water, as all her anger and confusion spilled out in a voiceless fury.

She watched the bubbles rise, dissipating before they even reached the surface.

It was raw, yet strangely freeing, though the silence in its wake felt hollow.

Breaking the surface, she drew in a shaky breath as she crawled up the slanted incline of the pool, her body weighed down by exhaustion that went beyond the day’s training.

She shifted back into her mortal form and brought her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly as she sat there, entirely bare.

Just as she started to gather herself, the door creaked open, and soft footsteps approached.

“Ms. Esmyra?” Briar’s voice made her go still. She turned to face her, watching as she carried fresh towels and a robe. “Are you ready to get dressed, milady?”

With a small nod, she stood from the water, mentally preparing herself to see Draevyn and Syrena together at dinner.

The great hall was quiet that evening, the only sound between them the clink of silverware and the soft murmur of the council as they spoke among themselves.

Esmyra kept her gaze on her plate. Draevyn sat across from her, and every time she snuck a peek, she found his expression distant, a slight crease between his brows that hadn’t left since their earlier argument.

Every now and then, she felt his gaze flicker in her direction, but she pressed down the urge to meet it with her own.

Syrena watched them with a curious eye as she sipped from her goblet of gold, seeming to pick up on the tension that neither of them addressed.

She leaned forward and broke the silence.

“Tomorrow evening, we’ll be holding a grand celebration in the heart of Maerinys.

A long-overdue gathering for the kingdom.

Our people have waited centuries for such a night, and they deserve to rejoice.

After all, I think we’re rather close to breaking free of our bindings.

” She smiled, a glint of excitement in her eyes.

“It will be a night of music and dancing, with you two as our honored guests.”

The announcement caught Esmyra off guard. She looked up from her plate, her heart skipping at the idea of the kingdom’s people all gathered in one place—for her. Draevyn looked equally surprised, his arms resting on the table while the rest of his body looked taut .

Syrena continued. “I know this is short notice, but we’ll need to cancel our meeting tomorrow, Esmi. There’s much to prepare.”

Draevyn shifted the moment the nickname slipped past Syrena’s lips.

Esmyra wondered what he was thinking. Perhaps that she’d asked Syrena to call her that, while she threatened to cut his tongue out for it.

“Does all of this sound good to you? Will you fancy a night of dancing in the streets of Maerinys?” Syrena added, directed at him.

Draevyn gave a slight, restrained nod as his foot bounced beneath the table, rattling it subtly. “Of course.”

Esmyra felt the weight of the unspoken words between them, as if he wanted to say something more but didn’t.

Dinner resumed, filled with chatter between Syrena, the council, and the staff as they moved about the room. While they discussed the celebration’s finer details, Esmyra and Draevyn shared quiet glances across the table, each look a conversation of its own.

When her gaze fell back to her plate, she felt his linger on her like a steady heat. Her cheeks flushed beneath the weight of those fiery eyes.

Why does he do this to me? It was driving her to near madness. And she needed to get to the bottom of it.