Page 66 of Liar Witch

“Ma’am, we should leave a guard with the princ—”

I wince for the guard, even as I feel my mother’s fury start to roll off her in waves.

“I have spoken.” Her voice is liquid sharp, the sound cutting my eardrums even though her power isn’t aimed at me. “The next time you suggest my heir is incapable of escorting a single male to his quarters will be the last time you speak.”

“Yes, Empress,” the guard whispers, not quite managing to mask the pain in her voice.

Experience tells me she’s already started to bleed from her eardrums, and the rich iron scent that perfumes the air seconds later confirms it.

I don’t have much sympathy. What did she expect, trying to question the Empress surrounded by so many people?

My mother is always happy to listen to the opinions of her warriors, as long as it is done in private.

It takes a minute at most for Lexi to come. She bows before my mother.

“Not too long, Alexandra.”

I rise from my knees, ready to follow my sister, but my mother stops me with an arm in my path.

“Know this, Niklaus. This is a kindness, a goodbye. Something to give you peace, not hope.”

I barely nod, but it’s enough for her to drop her arm and let me pass.

“Can you still do the flip?” Lexi asks the moment we’re alone.

I manage a nod as my mother’s meaning finally kicks in.

The Empress means for us to spy on her. The only way to see into the Empress’s balcony is to reach the guard tower roof. The best way to do that is to launch out of the sea below at just the right moment so the guard is looking away as you land.

We used to do it as kids when we spent our days playing at being spies and soldiers.

Mother thinks that she’s giving me a chance to see my mate for one last time before Adella slaughters her on the sands. A final good memory to tide me through a loveless mating.

Joke’s on her; Nilsa won’t lose.

Cassie won’t confirm it, but I have to believe my favourite sister wouldn’t encourage a doomed match if it was just going to end in heartbreak.

Lexi leads me down into the water and I feel the change take over me the moment I’m submerged. It’s natural to go from walking to swimming and my gills flare as they instinctively take in water. My senses are sharper in this form, adjusting to our natural home.

My sister leads the way down, toward the inky depths and the subtle glowing light which is the true Marisang.

Nilsa will never see the real home of the sirenae. Built into an ocean trench so deep that some of those living there have forgotten the sun altogether. She’ll never see the phosphorescent patterns which glow on our fins as we go deeper, letting us see in the darkness. She won’t get the chance to swim the halls of a palace grown from corals as bright and colourful as gemstones.

Not that I ever want to see the inside of that palace again.

“Ready?” Lexi asks as we reach a suitable depth.

Up above, I can barely see the silhouette of the guard.

Although our timing has to be perfect, a lot of the trick is down to pure luck. If the guard looks back at just the wrong time, we’ll be spotted, as we were hundreds of times as children.

The shadow starts to move. The guard moving to the other side of the tower.

Instead of answering, I swish my tail as fast as I can, building up as much momentum as possible. The powerful muscles in our lower halves work hard to propel us up into the night sky.

I break the surface of the water, with Lexi right behind me. Both of us shift upon contact with the air and arrow our bodies.

The final twirl required to land on two legs on the roof is why this particular jump was always called ‘the flip’.