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55

Claira

F our nights.

I’d survived four nights in these cold, unfamiliar chambers that had once belonged to the woman who gave birth to me.

The cecaelia who’d escorted me here hadn’t been able to stop raving about how grand they were or how honored I should feel to be moved into Princess Leylani’s chambers. Carved walls. Sprawling lounging areas. Flat rocks that had once seen legions of visitors, each seat a coveted place where everyone in the Undersea desired to sit.

Sure, the chambers were beautiful, in a way. But they were also vast and cavernous. Hard to look at, knowing they’d been my mother’s.

Funny. I’d spent my whole life wanting nothing to do with her, yet here I was, slipping right into the space she’d once occupied.

I tried not to imagine her here surrounded by admirers and basking in their attention as I lingered in the hollow remains of everything she’d left behind.

The chambers were so large that I couldn’t even see Hari waiting somewhere in the long corridor leading beyond. Though, to be honest, I hadn’t really wanted to see her. She’d been extra irritable since my relocation, and I wasn’t about to get dragged into another conversation about her brother and questions about how I could fix him.

I hadn’t seen or talked to anyone, really. Not even Aracos, although there were signs he’d been around—creepy, unsettling ones. With each passing day, I was growing more desensitized to the sight of a new skull greeting me in the morning.

From there, the solitude stretched on, offering endless time to practice my swimming, my reading, and my magic. But my dreams? They seemed to feed off the emptiness of this place. Or maybe I was the thing that was empty.

With a long sigh, I threw an arm over my face to block the sight of the lacy algae draped across the ceiling above me.

I’d made it through another night, and all I had to show for it was yet another damned skull resting beside my head. I reached for it blindly, shuddering as the sensitive tip of a tentacle made contact with porous bone.

It was foolish, really, how I let myself hope. Hope that Barren would come, that his presence would cut through the isolation and keep me from being alone in the dark.

He hadn’t come. Not once.

And yet, every night, I sank into this bed large enough for an entire harem and curled into myself. I let my hearts slowly thaw and waited for sleep.

Empty, lonely sleep.

Regardless of the fact that Kai had told me about Barren being able to reach me in dreams. Even though I’d seen him through Cyre’s eyes, whole, strong, and standing tall after Jagati’s attack. There had been nothing.

It had taken three nights for the truth to sink in. It wasn’t that Barren couldn’t come. It was that he clearly hadn’t wanted to.

“Dammit,” I gritted out, pushing myself out of the dense bed of wispy tendrils and taking the skull with me.

I shouldn’t have even wanted Barren to use his trident’s magic, but here I was, wishing for it. Even knowing his presence could end with his hand around my throat again, I didn’t care. I wanted to know what he was thinking, what all of them were thinking, even if it wasn’t fair to Barren to expect him to speak for all three.

Maybe I would always wait for them, no matter how long I stayed down here and no matter how cold I became. A ruthless princess who could still find some way, in those quiet moments, to thaw just enough for them.

The sigh continued as I glided over to the nearest lounging area and dropped the skull onto an empty rock. “Welcome to the happy family,” I muttered, adding it to the four others in the growing circle I’d been unwillingly accumulating.

This had to be the strangest way anyone had ever tried apologizing to me. I wished Aracos would talk to me and tell me why he’d saved Jagati, but I had a feeling he was too ashamed of biting me to face me yet.

The skulls he left me weren’t much for conversation, but they were all the company I seemed to have these days. If they ever did start talking back, well… at least I’d know for sure that I’d finally lost it.

Damn, the silence really was getting to me. Then again, I had a feeling that by the end of today, I’d miss it.

Today was my welcoming ceremony as the new princess of the Undersea. It wasn’t exactly something I was excited about, but it did mean one thing: I’d get to see Abyssal.

My fingers toyed with the black ribbon tied around my wrist, the one that had come tied around the letter he’d written to me revealing his name. It was the first thing I’d thought to grab before being ushered out of my old chamber. I hadn’t taken it off since.

The Undersea was miserable before, but without Abyssal here, it was infinitely worse. Freaking sea wizard . He better have been off doing something important, because if not, I’d?—

“You have a visitor, my lady.”

My pulse jumped. Finally. I twirled around to see Hari irritably swatting lacy vines off her shoulders, decorations that had followed her in from the corridor.

“Yeah?” The corners of my mouth lifted for the first time in days. “Who is it?” My tentacles were eager to propel me closer until Hari’s sour expression stopped them dead in their tracks.

“Not him,” she said with a cruel snort.

My smile slipped.

A visitor moved up beside her, and I immediately recognized the narrow curve of tentacles belonging to the cecaelia who’d brought me here.

Was it Asha? Isla? I couldn’t remember, although I could still taste the pretty lies she’d tried to feed me about how much I’d love it here—words that had turned out as empty as these chambers my grandmother had ordered her to shove me into.

Sigh.

“Your Royal Highness,” she greeted, her too-wide grin making my tentacles twitch with discomfort. Her hair tumbled forward in a pale cascade as she lowered herself into a bow.

Just like last time, my deep-eyes didn’t know what to make of her hair. An ash white or a pale blonde, maybe? Whatever color it actually was, it didn’t fit with the shades I was used to seeing in the Undersea.

“Asha,” I decided, mostly because of her hair. “Here to mingle with my guests?” I gave a dry gesture toward the collection of skulls gathered in their grim little circle. She’d gushed over how coveted these seats were. Well, now was her chance to claim one.

“Really?” she squeaked, her eyes darting over to my silent companions. She fidgeted with her hands like she was actually considering it. “No, I—I wish I had time to, Your Highness, but I’ve been sent here to help prepare you for your ceremony.”

“Prepare me?” I said, letting the words fall flat as I arched an eyebrow. “That’s surprising since no one’s bothered to actually talk to me about my ceremony at all. I was starting to wonder if I was invited.”

Her gaze lingered on my lounging area, almost wistfully, and it took her an extra second before she caught what I said and laughed. “Ha! You’re funny, Your Highness. But really, we should hurry and get you to the throne room. There’s a breakfast feast waiting, and then we’ll move to land.” Even in darkness, her smile was blinding. “ So much to do.”

I hadn’t been joking, but it didn’t really matter, did it? She was right. There was a lot to prepare for before standing in front of the Undersea and officially becoming their princess. I could only hope I ran into Abyssal before the ceremony. I couldn’t wait to see him, even if just for a moment.

Because whether I was ready or not, everything was about to change.

When we slid through the portal, I stumbled, barely catching myself on what I hoped was the edge of a hot tub.

“Oh—oh, my.” Asha’s dainty grip firmed on my elbow, steadying me. “You’re wobbly,” she said as if surprised.

“You mean blind, ” I corrected, bracing against the tub as a burst of pain flared behind my eyes. Thanks to all my practice, I’d gotten considerably better at coordinating my tentacles, but what did that matter if I couldn’t see where I needed to move them to?

Now that I was on land, I could sense Cyre’s distress. “It’s okay, buddy,” I called out with my mind, hoping to reassure him.

A ripple of magic slid over my vision, and everything snapped back into focus. The shapes and colors of my grandmother’s office suddenly became clearer.

“Shit,” I blew out under my breath, pushing away from the tub. It was completely filled with pawns.

Oh, heck no. The entire office was overrun with men in various stages of preparation for the ceremony. Suits, ties, shoes, and various articles of clothing were scattered everywhere.

Asha yanked me forward, narrowly saving me from backing into the portal we’d just come through. “ Oh ,” I blew out. Her hair was a light blonde, but her eyes were more startling. A clear, crystal blue.

“Nice one, Isola,” one pawn said with a wink. He threw an arm over the edge of the tub and leaned forward, smirking at her from the steamy water. “I hope you haven’t forgotten about that dance you promised me, sweetling. I’ll be waiting for it.”

Isola, not Asha. Damn . Good to know being a princess meant I could call people whatever the hell I wanted because no one would correct me.

The flicker of recognition in Isola’s eyes quickly iced over. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir. ” Her tone was so cold that I was sure she’d dropped the hot tub’s temperature a few degrees.

Water splashed as the other pawns clapped the smirking one on the shoulders, laughing at his expense, but Isola didn’t react. She simply turned her back to the chaos, opened up one of my grandmother’s cabinets, and retrieved a square of neatly folded fabric.

“Here, Your Highness.” With an apologetic smile, two of her tentacles pulled the fabric around my waist. She secured it with a knot, fashioning the material into a long skirt that draped over my tentacles. She tied one around her waist next, her figure so slim that her tentacles nearly vanished beneath the flow of her silhouette.

I swallowed the impulse to thank her. Instead, I straightened up, forcing my tentacles to hold me with the kind of posture I imagined a ruthless Undersea princess might have. So many eyes were on us. I’d probably made a fool of myself in front of most of the pawns here already, but if I was going to act the part, I had to start somewhere, didn’t I?

Low whispers and a shift of movement from the couch made my spine stiffen.

A group of pawns were sprawled out over it, their shirts and ties half-worn. Some were barely buttoned, and others hung loose as if they’d given up on bothering to finish getting dressed before hunkering down on the couch.

One of them—a dark-haired pawn with a lazy smirk—had just sunk back into the cushions after murmuring something to the pawn beside him. His eyes crinkled as he caught my gaze, making my stomach turn.

It disgusted me how my grandmother kept these men like trophies. And this one thought he was the grand prize. His suit jacket hung carelessly over his shoulder, his shirt open just enough to seem intentional.

“Hey, princess,” he drawled, clearly hoping to reel me in, but I wasn’t about to bite. He brushed his knuckles lightly over a bare leg, a not-so-subtle attempt to draw my attention to his lap. “Care to join us?”

Now that —that was repulsive.

My nails dug into my palms, my jaw rolling when Isola popped up between us. “Let’s depart, Your Highness.” She smiled at me, then gave the pawn a sharp glare over her shoulder before guiding me away.

I certainly wasn’t about to argue.

As soon as we were safely in the hall, Isola blew out a breath. “I wish they’d take their jobs more seriously,” she said, propping a hand on her hip. “They’re really only supposed to be flirting with each other.”

Yeah, that was way more than I ever wanted to know about my grandmother’s personal preferences regarding her pawns.

“Does that mean you didn’t promise that pawn a dance?” I asked, suddenly aware of how starved I was for conversation.

Pop . My tentacles turned into legs, and I nearly rolled an ankle as I tried to keep myself upright. Phew , thank goodness for the skirt.

Isola’s transformation was much more graceful. “No, I—” She bit her lip, twirling a damp lock of hair around her finger. “You won’t tell Her Majesty, will you?” Her expression was pure innocence, so expertly practiced that I was sure just about anyone would buy it.

I cleared my throat and glanced away, my steps settling into an easier pace now that I had legs. “Not really my business, is it?”

Wait a second…

“The fish tank’s gone,” I said, blinking at the empty spot where it had been just a few days ago.

“Oh! They probably moved it out of the way with all the traffic through here,” Isola reasoned as she swung open the next door.

Cecaelia were everywhere, rushing between rooms and through the hall. At first glance, they could have easily passed for humans, but I knew better. My eyes darted around, my pulse jumping every time I spotted someone in black.

Abyssal… I swallowed hard, tension curling inside me. Where are you?

He was the only good thing about this place, the only thing that made all of this bearable.

We passed the open doors of a conference room, and my grandmother’s voice caught my attention, startling me into nearly tripping on my skirt.

“Hurry yourselves! I need everything to be perfect for when he arrives . ”

He?

Queen Sagari stood in the center of the room, pointing a long nail like a weapon as she issued more orders to scrambling workers. If it weren’t for her voice, I might not have recognized her in that glittering black gown.

She looked so… different. Remarkably younger. Even her hair was smoothed to perfection, with delicate braids woven into her crown instead of the usual knots that held it in place on her head.

I couldn’t tell if it was makeup or some kind of magic, but it was evident that she’d gone to great lengths with her appearance, and all that effort made me uneasy.

Perfect for when he arrives… I knew she wasn’t waiting for Abyssal. So, who exactly was she expecting?

“Your Highness?” Isola’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone soft with confusion. “Is everything okay?”

“I'm fine,” I said, a little too stiffly. “Do you know of any special guests coming to my ceremony?” I tossed the question out casually, though my eyes kept drifting over the faces around us as I followed her down the hall.

“Oh, yes,” she replied quickly. “The entire court will be there.”

Helpful.

I let her lead me into one of the rooms farther down, raising a brow when she shut and locked the door behind us.

“Guess it’s time for my makeover,” I muttered, turning to the long row of dresses lined up in front of me. A neat row of heels sat beneath them, most looking like they’d never been worn. “I take it I won’t get to shower first?”

“You want to shower?” Isola’s head tilted, her perfectly shaped brows drawing together. “Why?"

Yeah, I figured that was too much to hope for.

Instead of answering, I sighed, and she took that as her cue, grabbing a brush and setting to work on my tangled mess of hair.

“You should have a seat,” she suggested, so I settled in, planting myself on a stool while my eyes swept over the rows of sparkling dresses. No one had bothered to ask me my size, so this was sure to be interesting.

“I didn’t know what kind of dresses you usually wear, so I brought everything I hoped you might like,” Isola said cheerfully, her brush never pausing, even when I winced from the pain.

I wondered how she’d react if I told her I’d spent most of my time on land covered in thermal overalls.

“See anything you want to try on?”

What kind of dresses did I like? Honestly, I had no idea. As I scanned them, I noticed a shimmery green gown, and I found myself biting my lower lip. “Maybe I’ll try the green one.”

Isola’s smile brightened as she put down her brush, moving toward the row of dresses. “Great choice, Your Highness!” She pulled the rich emerald gown from the rack, and when its gold accents caught the light, it was more beautiful than I’d expected.

But then, as she turned it, my stomach dropped. The back of the dress was completely missing, cut away in one bold sweep.

“Oh,” I breathed, unsure of what to say. “Maybe not.”

“What, why?” She didn’t seem to understand my hesitation. “You should at least try it before deciding.” Her wide grin returned as she reached out a hand to help me up.

Still uncertain, I let her unwind my skirt and ocean silks, her hum light and chirpy as she eased the dress over my head. She fastened the delicate gold chain at my nape, adjusting it to secure the gown in place while the rest cascaded in a shimmery wave down my legs.

“Wow.” She stepped back, hands clasped in delight as her chin bobbed in a firm nod. “It looks perfect with your eyes, Your Highness. I’m confident this must be the one.”

“Yeah?” What were the odds that it fit me right off the rack? I glanced down, turning slightly to catch a glimpse of my back, only for my insides to flip. The dress dipped low , its golden accents barely covering the top of my ass. “You don’t think it’s a bit… shameless?”

Isola gasped, scandalized. “No one would ever think that, Your Highness. You’re the Undersea’s esteemed princess.”

I knew one sea lion who definitely would.

The gown felt textured on the outside but silken within, hugging my thighs in a way that made me want to keep running my hands over it. I did another slow turn, a small smile tugging at my lips as I imagined Abyssal’s face when he saw me wearing what I suspected was his favorite color. “Is there a mirror?”

Isola’s smile fell. “Oh, shoot. I knew I’d forget something. My apologies, Your Highness. Would you like me to find one for you?” she asked, looking eager to fix her mistake.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll take your word for it.”

She beamed at that. “How about we move on to your shoes next, then?”

It took about ten pairs to find a reasonable set I could walk in. “You’re still a bit wobbly,” Isola said, carefully sliding the shoes I hadn’t chosen back in line, “so when it comes time for you to dance, you’re going to want to make sure you center your weight on the balls of your feet.”

Um, excuse me?

“I’m not dancing.”

“Oh…” She tapped her chin, frowning slightly. “Actually, you’re expected to. But don’t worry. You can name any partner you’d like.”

My brows lifted. “Anyone?”

“Of course!” She beamed. “It’s exciting, isn’t it? Shall we finish your hair?”

She picked up her brush, and I sank back onto the stool, my sea-tangled scalp already anticipating the inevitable torture.

“Whoever you choose will become a court favorite overnight. Most speculate that you’ll choose one of our knights,” she went on, clearly set on making conversation. “Jagati, specifically—he’s the one who saved you from that awful attack the other day.”

Ugh. So, the Undersea really did believe that he’d saved me. Just knowing that he would attend made me want to jump out of the next window I came across.

“But if I may speak with honesty, Your Highness, I wouldn’t advise choosing him. I’ve never seen the knight dance, and something makes me doubt he has the grace to be a suitable partner.”

“Yeah, I’m not choosing him,” I muttered, clenching my teeth as she tugged through another section of hair.

“Oh, good.” She sighed, relieved. “If dancing makes you nervous, having a confident partner to lean on will make all the difference. We wouldn’t want you to have any missteps in front of the court. I can offer some recommendations if you’d like?”

Maybe I’d misjudged her. I’d thought her enthusiasm was fake at first, but she genuinely seemed helpful. Kind of sweet, even.

“I’ll figure it out,” I said, struggling to ignore the heat rising up my neck at the thought of Abyssal wearing his dark suit. He was the definition of confidence.

Would the court consider calling him out as my partner a misstep? Definitely.

My grandmother would lose her mind, and everyone who looked down on him for being her tool would likely agree. But just the thought of calling out to him in front of everyone made my stomach flutter. She’d stolen his name from him, but this was my chance to give it back, loud and clear, to the entire Undersea.

Yes… That’s what I’d do.

Screw their opinions. If they couldn’t accept Abyssal as my partner, then I wouldn’t dance at all. And if my grandmother tried to retaliate against him, I’d stop her. My magic had replenished over these last few days, and I felt stronger than ever. Once he returned, I wouldn’t let him out of my sight.

“Do you have a preference for your hairstyle?” Mercifully, Isola’s brush had finally run out of knots to fight through. “Your crown will sit here, but for the rest… we can pull it up, or you can wear it down.” She twisted sections of my hair as she spoke, her brow furrowed in concentration like she was already mapping out a plan.

It was strange to let someone else do my hair. The only thing that made it bearable was that Isola wasn’t particularly gentle, so there was no chance of closing my eyes and mistaking it for Kai’s careful hands working through my hair instead of hers.

“A braid, maybe? Is that formal enough for a party?” I was clearly still lost in thoughts of Kai, and how he’d once braided my hair.

“A braid? Hm.” Isola twisted a section and let it hang over my shoulder, considering. “That could work. A long braid can be very elegant. Would you like me to use extra ornaments or ribbons? Or just your crown?”

My gaze dropped to my wrist, catching on the black ribbon tied there. I tugged it loose and held it out. “Could you use this?”

Isola hesitated, eyeing the ribbon. “Oh. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer something gold to match your dress?”

“No. I’d like it if you could make this one work.”

Isola’s grin sharpened with determination, her smile illuminating her face. “All right! We’ll make it work.” The way her smile caught the light gave me pause, a frisson of unease working through me as I stared at her too-perfect face.

“F-for a second, you?—”

“Looked like a mermaid?” she said, her nose crinkling with amusement as her hands started working through my hair again. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. You’re not the first to notice.”

Wait, really? I blinked at her, trying to process the unexpected confession. “Oh, I—I wasn’t sure if you’d be offended.”

“Offended?” Her fingers stilled for a split second before she picked up a comb, switching out the brush. “Not at all.” Her hands were quick as they moved through my hair, and before I knew it, she was already weaving the black ribbon into a braid. “My mother was a mermaid. My father met her here on the island, actually. She didn’t even know he was a cecaelia until I came along.” She laughed at that, the sound light and carefree.

I found it odd that she could find humor in it, considering the superstitions the merfolk around here believed. Still, something about her words pulled at my heartstrings. I hadn’t realized how much we had in common.

Maybe if I’d opened up to her sooner, these last few days wouldn’t have felt so lonely.

“Was she upset?” I asked before I could stop myself, my eyes following her as she turned to open a box. When she pulled out a crown, I grimaced—even though it looked different in the light, I could tell it was the same one I’d lost in the Undersea.

“Very.” Isola was careful as she set my crown in place. “She never forgave him for it, and she never wanted to meet me again after that. But it’s okay. My father raised me, and he did a great job.”

I swallowed hard, my gaze dropping to the floor as a knot tightened in my chest. “That’s nice,” I murmured, genuinely glad for her. I’d once believed my birth father could do no wrong, only to have those thoughts shattered by harsh reality. It was great that Isola’s father had remained wonderful. “It sounds like he really did a great job. I’m sure he’s very proud of you.”

She arranged my braid just right on my shoulder before stepping back, that flawless smile never dimming. “Oh, he is very proud. You should have seen his face when I came of age and brought him my mother’s head.”

My breath caught, and for a moment, my mind went completely blank. I had to force myself to exhale. “Her head? You… killed her?”

Isola’s sweet expression didn’t change. “She was a mermaid,” she said with a casual shrug, as if that one simple fact made it all understandable. “I think a braid was a fantastic idea, Your Highness. And the ribbon.” She flicked the end of my braid with a satisfied grin. “You look stunning.”

…. Right.

For a moment, I’d let myself forget—where I was, who I was, what lurked around me.

Dark spawn were killers. Monsters.

Heartless.

My throat tightened, and I swallowed painfully, a cold sweat creeping down my neck. “Yeah? I think I’ll take that mirror now. If you could find one, I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh, of course!” she chirped. She quickly put on a pair of shoes before rushing out.

I watched her leave, heading left, and I waited a moment before slipping out the door and going right.

Geez , that was creepy. I’d never trust a cecaelia’s smile again.

I had no idea how far away Abyssal’s office was, but I’d had more than enough of Isola. Shuddering, I wrapped my arms around myself and quickened my pace, relief sweeping through me when I recognized a hallway. I turned into it, grateful to find it empty. Just a few more steps, another turn—There.

Abyssal’s office.

There was no strange pull or stirring in my blood. All I had was a desperate hope that I’d find him inside. It had been four days, but it somehow felt as if he’d been gone forever. If I were going to survive this party, I needed to see him.

I bit my lip, smoothing my hands over my dress one last time before twirling to see how the skirt of the dress moved. Maybe it was silly, but I hoped he’d like it. Given how much time he’d spent staring at my new eyes, I was sure he had a thing for green.

Goodness , my mouth already hurt from how wide I was smiling.

If I asked him to be my dance partner, would he say yes? The thought sent flutters through me—I could almost feel his hands on my lower back again, see that sly grin that always made my breath catch as he bent forward to accept. My stomach swooped, and I pressed a hand to the door to steady myself.

Yes, I was very silly.

He probably didn’t even remember, but we’d danced together once before. Well, sort of. He’d spun me around the grand foyer outside of King Eamon’s throne room, casually hinting that he knew my tail didn’t work, even though we’d just met.

He always noticed things like that. Every little detail. Which was why I knew he’d recognize the ribbon in my hair. I trailed my fingers over my braid, my hearts picking up their rhythm as I whispered, “Hope he likes it.”

Steeling myself, I knocked. “Abyssal?”

The door wasn’t locked. When I didn’t hear anything, I hesitated, then pushed it open, peering inside. Darkness. I reached along the wall, searching until I found the switch.

The lights flicked on, and I exhaled, letting my shoulders sag. He wasn’t here.

Disappointed, my gaze dropped to the floor, and my stomach dipped all the same.

It was damp, especially in front of the wardrobe.

I frowned, stepping further inside. Dammit . I’d missed him. Where would he have gone from here?

Just as I turned to leave, something new caught my eye.

“A fish tank?” Huh. That was strange. It was the one from the hallway.

Why had they moved my grandmother’s fish into Abyssal’s office?

I drifted closer, searching for signs of life inside the tank—but before I reached it, something else made me freeze.

An open book.

It lay on Abyssal’s desk, pages spread wide, and the moment I saw what was on them, a gasp tore from my throat.

“What the fuck? ”