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Claira

M y gaze followed the drips of blood over to the sea wizard when the queen seized my chin, angling it up in the light. I swallowed nervously, watching her smile deepen as she studied my face.

Crisp wrinkles, as delicately thin as tissue paper, feathered out from the corners of her eyes, making me wonder how old she truly was.

“What business do you have with me?” I asked.

The sheer delight in her grin made me question if I was ready for her answer. Her covetous gaze roamed over me like I was already one of her trinkets. A fanciful bauble or a toy collected for her amusement. One she seemed eager to put to good use.

But what purpose could I serve here? My one strength was worthless to them. The cecaelia weren’t cursed. They could go underwater as they pleased.

Wait—

A knot of dread tightened in my gut. “If this is about the tridents…”

Queen Sagari cut me off with a laugh. “Poseidon’s relics?” Then she scoffed. “What good are they to me?”

“I overheard your soldiers. They were searching for the other kingdoms. Why, if not for the tridents?”

“The oceans were empty, not a single shimmery mer in sight,” the queen said with a shrug. “Can you blame us for exploring territories that had once been beyond our reach?”

She was lying—the tridents were the most useful objects in the entire ocean, and the Rook had proven that cecaelia could use their magic. It would be foolish of her not to want a trident’s power.

My teeth grit as I remembered the way King Eamon’s trident had looked wrapped in the Rook’s tentacles. The cecaelia’s presence had left the palace in utter ruin. “You were doing more than exploring,” I accused. “The gems, the corals. Your soldiers, they stripped the palace walls down to nothing. And your Rook, he…” My voice broke away as she waved a hand, as if to clear the air of all my grievances.

“Believe me when I say that our actions were not motivated by ill will, child. We were searching, yes. Can you imagine how frightened and confused we were to wake one morning and find the oceans empty? We scoured the waters for a sign of what happened to our dear neighbors, those glittery merfolk. You see, it was vital to determine whether their misfortune might one day drift down to the Undersea. And do you know what we found?” She released my chin with a flourish and spun around, her swimsuit slapping against her wet thighs as she swayed back over to her desk. “Turns out, they hadn’t vanished. They’d simply abandoned their place in the sea.”

She grabbed a trinket—a brass globe that rotated on its axis—and ran a long nail over its tarnished surface, causing it to spin. “So, did I permit my soldiers to salvage anything they deemed valuable from the merfolk’s former riches? Yes. Indeed, I did. But is scavenging really so terrible, child? The merfolk had abandoned it, after all.”

“You know they didn’t mean to leave those things behind. Those kingdoms were their homes,” I cut in, but my retort seemed to bounce right off her neatly shrugged shoulders.

“Did I know that?” She drew out the question, her eyebrows soundly raised. “As you may have observed, our kingdoms are not currently on speaking terms.”

Sighing, she dropped the globe back on her desk. “Sure, here on land, we work merely a tentacle’s curl away from the merfolk. Hidden right underneath their upturned noses,” she said, bitterness punctuating every word. “But only for as long as they believe us to be nothing more than pathetic humans entranced by their glamour. If they knew of our true nature, child, they would not permit us to stay on this island, which I might add, was inhabited by our kind well before the merfolk came to use it.”

“Poseidon’s little followers think they’re so clever,” one of the queen’s pawns spat out, his voice as abrasive as a shard of sea glass. The rest of the men around the hot tub jeered along with him.

Ugh. I would have really appreciated it if they’d found some clothes before calling my attention over to them again.

Instead of reprimanding them for their outburst, a shrewd look passed over Queen Sagari’s face. “Clever enough to get themselves cursed,” she added, causing them to howl with laughter. “And what a pity that was. But some good did come from this dreadful curse.”

She fixed her excited gaze on me. “An opportunity to gain the merfolk’s trust.”

“Do you really believe King Eamon would ever trust you?” I asked dryly. “Or did you forget you gave the order that destroyed his palace?”

“Once we cure the merfolk’s blight,” she sang back to me, “they will trust us without hesitation.”

The cecaelia wanted to cure the merfolk? Nope. I wasn’t buying it.

“And now our long search for a cure has finally found its end.” Her smile seemed almost crazed as she returned to seize my chin again. “A day of glory awaits. Soon they will acknowledge us.”

This time, I jerked away from her touch. “I’m failing to see how you think you’ve found a cure or what I have to do with any of this.”

“Dear child…” Unconcerned by my rejection, she raked a long nail across my cheekbone. “You are unaffected by their blight, are you not?” A thread of terror slithered through me when she sauntered over to the hot tub to swirl that same nail over the water’s bubbling surface. “Shall we test it and see?”

Was she going to make me transform in front of everyone here to prove it? Dammit . In my panic, my eyes snapped over to the sea wizard.

“There’s no need,” he spoke up almost immediately. Although he stood tall, his voice was strained with pain, revealing the extent of his injury.

Rather than showing remorse for his condition, the queen’s eyes narrowed. Her pawn’s earlier interjection might have been well-received, but the sea wizard’s disruption was not. “I do not recall giving you permission to speak freely, puppet .”

His eyes were growing increasingly hollow as blood continued to seep down the front of his suit. “I reported all that I saw of her tail. She remains unaffected by the merfolk’s curse. You have my word.”

Slinging the salt water from her fingers, the queen moved back over to me to further scrutinize my legs. “How fortunate for us that the blight spared her,” she mumbled.

“You think I could somehow… help with a cure?” My head shook—sure, my touch had an effect on the curse, but that didn’t mean I could break it for good.

… Could I?

“It’s not possible,” I asserted. The cecaelia didn’t know me—didn’t know how I lacked the magic normal mermaids possessed. Once they found out, they would realize I was no use to them at all.

“Oh, but it is.” Queen Sagari’s crown knocked around as she threw her head back to laugh. “Anything is possible with magic, child. Up until now, the merfolk have treated us as a threat. Pushed us down deeper into the sea’s forgotten hollows. For centuries, we’ve remained hidden in the cramped darkness while the merfolk frolic in the open waters. Now, once we have a cure, that will change.”

Her resolve was unwavering, as if she had complete faith in her prediction. But would the merfolk truly be grateful?

Yeah—not likely.

The queen tutted. “You could not imagine how degrading it is, being treated as if you are not meant to live in the very ocean you were born into.”

A wave of emotion caused my throat to constrict, but I stayed silent.

“Consider yourself lucky for not having to endure the anguish that we cecaelia face every day,” she continued, a gleam in the depths of her emerald eyes. “You, my dear, shall bring an end to this blight. And once it’s cured, there will be no more hatred, no more fear. Only equality between merfolk and cecaelia.”

My head was spinning—no, she couldn’t be right. “You make it sound so simple, but I—I don’t have magic. I can’t be the cure,” I said, but her face lit up like I’d already agreed to the entire scheme.

“You will barely have to do anything. Allow us to examine you, your innate abilities. Let us discover that special something that makes you so resistant to the blight. Then, we will simply replicate it and hand the spell over to the kingdoms. We won’t take all the credit, of course,” she said with a wry grin. “I’m certain the merfolk will be quite pleased with your valuable contribution. Maybe even revere you as a hero. A real savior. How exciting.”

Revere me as a hero?

Queen Sagari knew little about the nature of merfolk, it seemed. King Eamon was more likely to imprison me than he was to praise me, even if I broke the curse for his entire kingdom. “So, the reason you abducted me, brought me all the way here, was to use me to break the curse?”

Now why did this situation seem familiar?

“Necessary, I assure you. As I said, the merfolk are unaware of the business we conduct here on this charming little island.” She snapped her fingers. “Now that you’ve heard my proposal, I shall give you time to think it over. My puppet will return you to your dear companions. Don’t forget to watch what you say, dear, or the magic will do it for you.” She dismissed me with a wave of her long fingernails.

“Oh. And puppet,” she called. “Ensure our guest has the means to contact us if she decides to take advantage of this fabulous opportunity.”

While I struggled to comprehend all that was happening, the sea wizard appeared next to me, leading me toward the exit with a gentle but firm hold.

“Wait—you’re giving me a choice?” I called back, noting the dark cloud of magic emanating from deep within her hair.

The queen shrugged, her regal posture relaxing as she ambled back to her corner hot tub. “I’m a busy woman. I have no interest in coercion; my time is too precious.” Her voice melted into a purr as she met up with the closest of her men.

I couldn’t believe it—she was really letting me go. Giving me a choice. The merfolk hadn’t granted me that luxury.

The sea wizard opened the doors and escorted me out, leaving the queen and her unusual office behind us.

The moment we were through the doors, he slipped something hard into my hand. Looking down, I found a small shell—a delicate abalone with a smooth, pearly cream finish—resting in my palm.

“Use it to contact us,” he said, clearing his throat to cover the lingering rasp in his voice. If cecaelia were anything like merfolk, it would take a day or two for his wound to fully heal.

The hot tub noises ceased once the doors closed, and already, the air felt easier to breathe in.

Doubt lingered as I turned the shell around in my hand. “To use? How?” It looked ordinary enough. Pretty, even. Curious, I held it up to my ear, wondering if maybe it worked as some sort of shell phone, when an impatient hand plucked it straight from my grip.

When I looked up, the sea wizard’s eyes were narrowed. “You crush it. When you’re ready to contact us,” he instructed, though I didn’t appreciate his condescending tone.

It was a freaking shell . How was I supposed to know how to use it?

He let out a frustrated sigh and loosened his tie. “And make sure you’re alone when you use it,” he added, undoing the top of his suit with angry jerks, as if it had been suffocating him.

“Crush the shell when I’m alone. Got it. You’ll take me back to the casino now, right?” I asked, holding a hand out for the shell. Not that it mattered—I had no intention of ever using it.

My eyes were drawn to the gash on his neck as he placed the pearly shell back into my hand. Now that the top of his suit was undone, I could see the full extent of his wound.

Damn . How was he still standing?

“It needs pressure,” I said, opening my bag to slip the dainty shell inside it.

I hadn’t thought it possible for him to look any more irritated with me, but he managed. “Pressure is normally what one uses to crush things, yes,” he said with a scowl. “I polished it thin. Trust me, it won’t take much.”

My lips pursed as I began searching through my bag. “I’m not an idiot. I was talking about your neck.”

There had to be some way to stop the bleeding, but unless I wanted to peel down wallpaper or ask him to strip his shirt all the way off, our options were limited. Sighing, I dug through the bottom of my bag.

I pulled out the swim wrap I’d packed and took a deep breath, mentally bidding it farewell, before leaning up to reach his neck.

He took a startled half-step back at my approach but didn’t stop me when I pressed my wrap against his wound. Warm blood pooled under the fabric. Although it wasn’t very absorbent, I knew I could never wear it again. Oh well .

The sea wizard’s lips tightened as I added additional pressure, and my great sacrifice was met with only a stiff, “Oh.”

“ Oh? That’s it?” With a sharp glare, I applied perhaps a bit too much pressure. “I think what you meant to say was thank you .”

But instead of expressing gratitude, he stood rigid before me, his lips firmly shut. Figured.

“I’m not sure why I’m even helping you,” I grumbled, but as I spoke, my stomach twisted with the unwanted burden of guilt.

Queen Sagari may have had a sweet smile, but she was just as cruel as any other king or queen of the sea. A blade to the neck, just to prove to me his loyalty? Had I not provoked his queen, maybe he might not have?—

I nearly lost my footing as the sea wizard leaned into my hand. He cracked a grim smirk, an expression as darkly bitter as he was. “I don’t recall asking for your help, little captive.”

Instead of moving away, I kept the pressure steady by resting my forearm on his shoulder. “I don’t enjoy seeing anyone get hurt,” I said, matching his bitterness. “Why stay loyal to someone who would use your pain to prove a point?”

I felt the warmth of blood trickling down my arm and soon realized that my clothes were also dotted and smeared. Shit . Was it from when he’d ushered me out of the queen’s office?

His porcelain throat bobbed underneath the weight of my hand. “Why stay loyal to those who never cared for you until they found a use for you?” he asked, the words devoid of any warmth.

“Put pressure on your own damn wound,” I spat out. But before I let go of his neck, my eyes fixated on a black streak that was nearly hidden under the blood oozing down the open flap of his collar.

What the heck?

Before I could think better of it, I’d lifted the flap. My hand brushed over the top of his chest, smearing away blood to expose more of the pattern etched on his skin.

My breath caught.

Crimson streaks nearly concealed it, but there it was. The dark, ominous tip of a trident.

I held back the layers of his suit to stare at the marks. My pulse hammered, a fierce gallop in my ears that distracted me from how the sea wizard’s face loomed ever closer to my own.

His square jaw tilted, an enticing rumble in his smoky voice as he murmured, “See something you like?”

My palm, sticky and smeared in his blood, froze over his bare chest.

I raised my chin up to discover his eyes were far from empty. They pulled me right in, their alluring darkness so captivating I couldn’t summon the strength to move away. “No,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

He took a sharp breath, his nostrils flaring.

“Careful,” he said, a smooth warning I felt all the way in the pit of my stomach. His mouth hitched into a smirk, a roguish flash of straight, white teeth. “Or I might be tempted to keep you.”

“What? No.” Flustered, I slid my hand free from his suit. Was it possible cecaelian men possessed the same charm as mermen? It would explain why my skin was so hot, my face so flushed. “I was… admiring your tattoo,” I said, cringing. As far as lies went, it wasn’t a smooth one.

The sea wizard’s chin tilted, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure he would accept my lie. “Ah. No tattoos.” He gave a short, bitter laugh. “Just a lot of blood.”

My heartbeat quickened. “Oh. My mistake.” Was this another one of his tricks, or could he truly not see the mark on his skin? I was certain it was a trident—the same one he’d held underwater, by the steep curve of its tip.

Did that mean he’d stabbed himself with it since the last time I’d seen him?

But before I had the chance to straighten out my thoughts, his voice rumbled. “Time to go.”

“Wait, my clothes,” I said, panic rising. I was smeared with blood, looking like I’d disappeared to go on a damned stabbing spree. “I can’t go back like this.”

“I’m sure you can figure out a solution.” His arm slid low, hooking around my waist and pulling me up against him. Fantastic—even more blood. His searing gaze followed the deep red stains dotting the top of my shirt. My insides turned to liquid, the heat from it rising up my face. “If not,” he said slowly, like his tongue was toying with the words. “Allow me to assist.”

My lips parted. His eyebrows quirked as he awaited my answer, but I couldn’t find the words. Now that he’d shed his docile puppet persona, he was too close, too bold for me to properly gauge.

“No?” he asked with a deep hum that brought me back to when he’d bound me to the walls of King Eamon’s dungeon cavern. I couldn’t help but arch my back as his thumb stroked over the column of my spine. “You wish to return covered in my blood?”

I shook my head. “Please, I…” The words tore out of me, but what I was pleading for, I wasn’t sure.

With that, he chuckled. Darkness drained from his eyes, leaving a stark white that matched his smirk. With a sudden lash of dark magic, the air pulsed with energy. The floor vanished in a haze of smoke. Only this time, when the new surroundings materialized around us, my feet did not find the ground.

Off-balance, I jerked forward. I seized a desperate hold of the sea wizard’s shoulders, but his arm hooked around me kept me from falling.

We’d materialized, suspended in the middle of the air. Well, I had . The sea wizard was perfectly balanced, the end of his black shoes expertly braced against a smooth edge of glass. He held his other arm far above his head, grasping the long pole of a skylight that ran parallel to the ceiling.

Lights and finery glittered overhead, and I looked up, instantly dizzied by the circular mural that sprawled above us.

He’d teleported us next to the damned ceiling.

Which meant the glass he was standing on was…

I glanced back down, and immediately regretted it, my stomach rolling.

Yep. A giant freaking tank of water.

The sea wizard held me there, dangling me over the ledge, his white eyes more piercing than the surrounding lights. When his lips finally parted, his voice was steeped in dark humor. “Not the solution you were hoping for?”

And then, he let go. I fell straight down, a cold rush hitting as I splashed into the enormous tank of water below.