Page 24

24

Abyssal

F inally, my last meeting was over. My work for the day, however, was far from done.

I stood at the door of the office I detested, in the building I loathed, under the rule of a queen whom I despised. My fingertips dug into my palm, clenching around the bag that had been thrust upon me at my last meeting.

The time had come.

Dreading it would do me no good. What came next was inevitable.

“Aracos,” I called out with my mind.

He was as ill at ease as I was. “Master?”

“Remember what you must do.” It was a reminder he didn’t need. We’d rehearsed it well, but I had to be certain he was ready.

“Aracos knows.”

Excellent. As soon as I opened my office door to discover that the princess was gone, the crown’s command would compel me. Then, my hunt would begin.

Aracos would strip from me as much magic as he could. Everything he would do from then on would be in an effort to slow me down as I began tracking the Undersea’s princess. And either the task itself or fighting to resist it would tear me apart.

But for a twisted, tormented soul like myself, what was a bit more torture?

I pushed my hair back and loosened the front of my suit.

I would miss her. Oh , how I would miss her. The longing had begun well before I’d left her alone in my office. But this was a price I had to pay for her survival, and I would endure it.

I’d already had so much practice, after all.

“Masterrrr.”

“I will be all right.” My lies were seamless at this point, a testament to the twisted creature I’d become. But I wasn’t unfeeling. The moment I looked into that empty office, thread by thread, I would unravel. Aracos knew it, too.

With a hissed breath, I turned the doorknob, bracing myself for the weight of the crown’s command to descend upon me.

After having her so near, her absence would be a heavy burden more profound than?—

“Wizard. Hi.” Those blurted words, clear and bright, seemed to chase the shadows out of every one of my hearts. My dear captive’s cheeks flushed as she quickly hopped down from my desk.

“You—you’re done?” she stammered, trying to hide her flustered expression. She’d been perched on the edge of my desk, casually flipping through the book she now used to cover half of her face.

Her cheeks flushed even deeper as our eyes met. “Sure took you long enough,” she muttered, abandoning the effort and lowering the book to set it down on my desk.

The moment I saw her soft, blushing smile, the way my clothes draped over her shapely figure, I lost all sense of everything—who I was and who she was.

What we weren’t.

Aracos’s astonished hiss rippled through my mind. “She didn’t leave us, Master.”

How? How could she possibly be here?

My body felt frozen, stiff, and entirely confused. She’d managed to both break and heal me in one fell swoop.

Her eyebrows drew together, her head tilting in a way that made her red hair sway. “Wizard?”

Why had she carelessly thrown away the opportunity I’d offered her? Why had she chosen to remain in our shared world of misery rather than return to her lovers, finding her happiness elsewhere with them?

A nervous chuckle escaped her as she took a cautious step closer. “Is everything okay?” She frowned. “Did your meetings not go well?” Her curious gaze fell to the bag I held at my side, and her hand went to rest over her stomach. “Is that... food?”

She sniffed at the air. It seemed her familiar was already influencing her senses.

As she looked back at me for confirmation, silence was all I could give her. My mind was blank as I lifted the bag.

Her eyes widened as she spotted the box nestled inside it. “ Oh . Something smells sweet.”

She reached out tentatively, and without thought, I let her take it. At that moment, there wasn’t a single thing I wouldn’t surrender to her if she desired it.

As she spun around to take the bag over to my desk, all I could do was stare, my mind twisting in turmoil.

How could she be so oblivious to the danger she was in by staying here? She should have run. Far from this place. Far from me. Instead, she had spent her time reading—and, apparently, even made herself comfortable with a pair of my socks.

Her voice was filled with wonder as she lifted the lid of the box. “Oh my gosh, is this cake? ”

“I—” My voice caught as memories of the last hour I’d spent making arrangements for a party I thought would never come to pass flooded back. “Indeed,” I managed to force out before clearing my throat. “Queen Sagari’s favorite.”

A tinge of disappointment crossed her face. “Oh,” she murmured, biting her lower lip. “I see.” She’d already found the eating utensils the baker had tossed in the bag, and her shoulders drooped as she put them away.

Carefully, she closed the lid of the cake box.

“No, no—” I took an awkward step forward, nearly tripping over my heel. “I brought it specifically for you to taste.”

Though I never expected her to be here to try it. Or that she would even want to. Personally, nothing could ever compel me to consume anything that vile queen favored.

“For me?” Her hand slid back to the utensils. She must have been starving after all of her time spent here. I’d even managed to delay my return an extra hour, hoping to give her ample time to work through her magic.

Yet, she remained. All of it had been for nothing.

Why had she stayed?

“And if I’m not a fan?” She let out a playful snort, glancing from the cake box back to me. “Do you think the queen will let me choose something else?”

I stood adrift, lost in the wake of her teasing smile. She looked at my lips expectantly as if waiting for a witty reply.

Instead, I found myself uttering the truth. “I don’t believe the queen would care much for your opinion,” I said hoarsely, casting my gaze to the box sitting atop my desk.

This party would not go on as planned. I wouldn’t allow it. I refused to stand idly by while Queen Sagari officially welcomed a new princess to the Undersea, knowing what she’d done to the previous one.

I would do everything in my power to spare Claira from that fate.

My desk creaked as my dear captive leaned away from it, coming closer. “Did something happen? You’re not acting like yourself.” She tried to lighten the mood with a chuckle. “Need me to dismiss someone else for you?”

She reached for my arm, and the unexpected touch sent a jolt through me that heated every remaining drop of her blood I had within me. I tensed, forcing myself to pull away before I lost control.

She gasped, drawing back as well. “... Wizard?” Her eyes grew wide as she watched me.

I realized then how I must have appeared to her—cold, uncaring. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

No, I was simply trying to protect her. She would find nothing worth having here, even if she had always been meant to be with the cecaelia.

“I assure you, princess, there’s no need to concern yourself with me,” I said as evenly as I could manage. However, it was no surprise my curious little captive wouldn’t let it go so easily.

She planted a foot, reaching out to grab me by the sleeve of my suit instead of my arm. “Yeah, that’s bullshit,” she said firmly, yanking me in the direction of my desk. Her grip was fierce, and I couldn’t bring myself to resist her. “Come on, wizard. You don’t have to tell me what happened, but why don’t you sit down?”

She softened as she added, “Have some cake with me. Honestly, you look like you need it more than I do.”

It was almost comical how things had turned out. Instead of returning to her lovers, the princess was here, inviting me to share cake .

The hem of her shirt— my shirt—rode up her thighs as she hoisted herself onto my desk, settling next to the box. With an insistent smile, she gestured to my chair.

“There,” she announced, looking satisfied when I reluctantly took a seat across from her.

A rosy hue highlighted her cheeks as she reached for the knife and began slicing the wedge of cake down the middle. She certainly seemed determined to cheer me up.

“See? We’ll split it.” She paused to throw me a questioning look. “You do like cake, don’t you?”

Aracos answered for me, tapping into my mind like he’d forgotten she wouldn’t be able to hear him. “Master said he would never eat the vile queen’s cake.”

I ignored him. “I am fond of cake, yes.”

“Right?” Her soft chuckle was a gentle caress to my ears. “Who doesn’t like cake?” After finishing her cut, she held up a plastic fork and spoon. “Go ahead and pick one.”

I studied the two options before me. “Your choice.”

She narrowed her eyes. Switching things up, she hid her hands behind her back. “Okay, then. Pick a side.”

So, she wished to play a game? Clearly, the tedium of hours alone in my office had gotten to her.

“Choose left, Master,” Aracos chimed in, and with a tilted nod, I agreed to his suggestion.

“Aracos says the left.”

“I didn’t even know he was playing,” she muttered, although her lips were still grinning. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she brought her left hand forward to show that it was empty. “Damn. I guess Aracos has some pretty terrible luck.”

I chuckled at her antics, feeling lighter and like the weight of some of my burdens had faded away. If only it were so.

I edged closer, reaching behind her to grab one of the utensils from her other hand.

“Hey, whoa, wait a minute,” she protested playfully, twisting out of my reach. Her teasing smile was as irresistible as always.

I felt my magic gather, streaming to my fingertips, but she stopped me with a stern look.

“Not fair,” she scolded, pointing directly between my eyes. Her lips pursed in an even more irresistibly cute frown. “No magic.”

Ah —those white eyes always gave me away. “Very well,” I said with a half-hearted pout, playing up my disappointment. “If you insist on feeding me yourself, who am I to refuse?”

Her reaction was immediate. “Fine, one more chance,” she said, quickly hiding her hands behind her back again. This time, she allowed me to reach behind her and take what I needed.

When I pulled back with my prize, I gave it an appraising look. “Ah. The spoon.” Having her feed me would have undoubtedly been a far more entertaining end to this game.

“Cheers.” She clinked my spoon with her fork before digging into what I supposed was her half. With every new mouthful, her eyes seemed to grow wider with delight.

I’d only just noticed, but her eyes reminded me of the silvery gray of a newly polished abalone shell, captivating and luminous. How curious. Why had I never noticed the similarity before?

“Wow.” She shook her head. “My grandmother might have terrible taste in men, but she definitely knows how to choose a cake.”

I indulged in a bite for myself, though it couldn’t compare to the sweetness of her company. “I doubt your grandmother would approve of your taste in men either,” I remarked with a dark chuckle.

The fork slipped right out of her hand, dropping into the box.

“How—how did you...?” Her face paled as she stared up at me, her mouth suddenly agape.

I arched an eyebrow. “How do I know that the queen dislikes merfolk?”

She wouldn’t want to hear the answer to that. To change the subject, I coughed lightly and retrieved her fork from the box. “You know, I’ve never been permitted to eat the queen’s cake. It’s not bad,” I said, trying to sound casual.

She blew out a breath, the color slowly returning to her face. “Really?” she asked, glancing down at the cake.

“Indeed,” I replied, handing her the fork. “Your grandmother typically keeps her indulgences to herself.”

Another playful smile. “I suppose that makes you quite the rebel then.” She leaned over, took the fork, and scooped up another bite.

A rebel? I grinned at her, deciding to play along. “Oh, you have no idea, princess.”

Her luscious lips moved with a slow, taunting grace while she chewed, savoring the forkful of cake as she studied me intently. “Is that so?” she asked after swallowing. “And what other rebellious acts have you been hiding?”

I leaned forward, my eyes locked on hers. “Well, just for starters, today I took advantage of a loophole in one of the crown’s commands.”

“A loophole, huh?” She raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing in her eyes. “Do tell.”

I shook my head. “Unfortunately, elaborating on it would mean breaking the very same command.” With a shrug, I watched her try to decipher what I could mean.

“Always talking in riddles,” she muttered. It wasn’t surprising she didn’t appreciate the way I chose to wield my words. “Shocking.”

“Keeps things interesting, doesn’t it?”

She suddenly squirmed where she sat, guilt etching its way between her eyebrows. “Um, speaking of riddles... While you were gone, I accidentally knocked into your desk, and one of the drawers opened.”

She paused, swallowing hard as if waiting for my reaction, but I wasn’t yet positive of what she could be getting at. “I noticed there were a couple of books inside, and when I saw they were riddles, well, I wanted to read them.”

The books in my desk?

I took a peek at the book she’d been reading when I arrived— The Chemistry of Seawater. Riddles would undoubtedly be a more engaging read than that.

“Excuse me,” I said, waiting for her to shift her legs to allow me access to my desk’s top drawer.

When I pulled them out, I offered her the best of the two. “Unfortunately, these can’t be taken underwater. But perhaps you’d like to read one while finishing your cake?”

Underwater . How regrettable. I hadn’t expected to take her back to the Undersea.

Her hand hesitated as she reached for the book I offered. “Actually, I already skimmed through both of them,” she admitted slowly, looking like she wanted to hide her face yet again. “And I—I couldn’t help but notice there were notes written inside.”

Notes? Ah, yes.

“These were given to me when I was a spawnling,” I explained, extending my hand to take the book back from her if she wished. “I must confess, they do hold a special meaning for me. They’re some of the only gifts I’ve ever received.”

“A spawnling? Oh.” She bit her lip, the guilt on her face now unmistakable. However, as she handed back the book, I couldn’t help but notice a hint of relief in her expression as well. “I shouldn’t have even taken them out of your desk without your permission. Sorry.”

“Curiosity suits you,” I said, shrugging lightly. “There’s no need to apologize for it.”

But before returning the books to my desk, I flipped each of them open, scanning their handwritten notes.

Regrettably, my memory had been correct—my name wasn’t included in either of them. How disappointing.

The notes were brief, but they had once held so much meaning for me. Now, they served as a sobering reminder that nothing and no one, not even the strongest and purest souls, was safe in the Undersea.

I closed the drawer gently, feeling my entire mood shift. “You must be enjoying your time in the Undersea.” I could feel the bitterness on my tongue as the words left my mouth.

“What?” Her response was frantic, almost breathless. “Why would you even joke about that? You know I hate being in the Undersea.”

I locked my gaze on hers. “Do I know that?”

If she did hate it, she certainly wasn’t acting on it.

She leaned in, almost as if she wanted to rise to my challenge, and for a second, I worried she might topple right off my desk. Then, as if reconsidering, she tilted her head thoughtfully. “Um, maybe it’s not entirely terrible.” A shy smile lifted her lips. “But only because you’re there.”

What?

My hearts took off as if competing to see which could pump the fastest.

But only because you’re there . I could feel the gentle pull of those words, tugging at something deep within me that I’d long kept hidden.

She held up a hand, showing me the dark wisps of magic curling around her fingertips. “Look. I practiced while you were gone.” She beamed, her whole face lighting up. “When do you think you’ll be able to teach me some more?”

Ah—

How foolish. It wasn’t me that she wanted, but rather what I could teach her about magic.

Yes, that must have been why she’d chosen to stay instead of leaving.

Although my hearts were now settling, my chest tightened in a way that made it difficult to speak. “Soon,” I said, tearing my gaze away from her lips.

“How soon?” She swung her feet, sounding like she was ready to dive headfirst into another lesson. “Because I was wondering, since Hari will be gone for the rest of the night, maybe you could teach me something new after we get back? Something I could practice with tonight? I’ve gotten pretty good with the invisibility spell, but I know I could be better.”

Perhaps she wasn’t confident enough in her abilities yet. Maybe that was what kept her here. She didn’t yet know how powerful she was, but she would soon see.

“All right,” I said darkly, my jaw feeling tight. “How about I teach you something even better than being invisible?”

Her abalone eyes shimmered with interest. “Something better than being invisible?”

A sly smile tugged at my mouth as I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. Yes—this could potentially work out even better than invisibility. When she did leave, it would make it that much harder for me to track her.

“Teleportation. Or poofing , as you like to call it.’”

“No way.” She gasped, sounding positively delighted. “Can you really teach me how to poof ?”

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to bask in her excitement, the way her eyes sparkled as she watched me intently as if I’d become someone of great significance to her. But fleeting happiness was just that—fleeting.

“Indeed,” I replied, my voice going smooth as silk to mask the sorrow. I would teach her how to leave, even if it broke me. “You never know when it might be useful.”