Page 47

NARIA

W arm waves lapped around my ankles while sunlight chased the shivers from my skin. Two weeks had passed since our reunion in the faery caves, and still Lukas held my hand tightly, as if he feared I’d be stolen away again. Not that I was worried about that happening. His dragon and I were now well acquainted, and as she slept peacefully within his chest and I leaned into him, breathing in his perfect scent, I realised I’d never felt safer.

“Come now, enough with the dramatics,” Queen Vearla huffed, gesturing towards Erissa who still cowered further up the sand.

Lyssandra was here, too, her delicate shell top and skirt already looking more natural against her skin than any faery gown or healer’s robes ever had. Nearby, Adriana relaxed beside her mother, lazily splashing her blue tail against the waves.

“Come on. My ocean won’t bite you.” Vearla rolled her eyes.

“Your ocean?” Erissa scoffed. “Last I remember, Father was planning on leaving it all to me.”

“He was. Until you ran off with that scoundrel, turning your back on everyone – including me.” Her arms folded, her voice raised until, all at once, sadness crept into her tone. “None of us wanted you to leave, Erissa. We never did. Not for a single moment.”

Erissa appeared to shrink in on herself as Lyssandra rubbed her back soothingly.

“Everyone wants you to come home,” Lyssandra added, her voice soft. “Even me, and I only ever knew you from the stories around the palace.”

Erissa’s sad eyes met hers. After a few moments, she turned to us. “You’ll come and visit me, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Lukas said, emotionless.

The pale woman fiddled with her faery gown. “There’s so much I want to say to you,” she muttered. “But I don’t really know where to start.”

“You can start by returning home to your family.” He spoke in a strong tone. “Spend time with them, heal yourself, and when you’re feeling better, then perhaps we can talk.”

I stroked his arm as conflict warred across his face. Erissa may have birthed him, but that wasn’t all it took to make someone a mother. She’d have to earn that title. And I’d be by his side, whether he gave that to her or not.

“Come now,” Vearla extended out her hands, “the ocean welcomes both of you home.”

Lyssandra stepped forwards first, tugging Erissa along behind her. When they reached the shoreline, Erissa gasped as the first wave brushed her toes.

“I can’t do this,” she wailed, trying to wrestle out of Lyssandra’s hold.

“Be still, sister,” Vearla said, stepping towards her. “Perhaps this will help?”

Adriana let out an excited squeal as her mother placed a seaweed necklace over Erissa’s head. The magic took effect immediately. Erissa’s legs shimmered beneath her skirt before her entire lower half morphed into a long, sea-blue mermaid tail.

Vearla caught her before she collapsed against the waves, lowering her gently into the water.

“What is this?” Erissa hissed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her shaking hands reached out to stroke the scales. “This isn’t mine!”

“You’re right. It’s not.” The Queen shrugged. “This is a mere temporary tail enchantment I had made for you. It’ll only help you travel in the water. Your actual merfolk essence currently belongs to Adriana after Lyssandra decided she wanted to join you above the waves.”

“What?”

“It’s quite a long story,” Lyssandra sighed. “After Adriana’s shark attacked mother’s favourite husband—”

“It wasn’t an attack and Petrov is healing wonderfully now thanks to the algae!” Adriana piped up.

“Yes, well, after the bite…” She shot the red-haired mermaid a look. “I had some of my own business on land to deal with, and I didn’t want to have to worry about having to return to the sea to recharge myself. So I gave my essence to Adriana, since she’d lost hers during her banishment, and I thought I wouldn’t need mine anymore.”

“She’d been banished for good reason,” the Merfolk Queen huffed, “but I suppose I am glad you came back to us.” She glanced at her daughter, sighing. “Petrov is finally healing now, after all.”

“I’ll always love you, Mother.” Adriana grinned.

“You too, Trouble.” She exhaled again. “You too.”

“So I am to exist underwater as a mere human with a tail enchantment and a kiss to help me breathe?” Erissa frowned.

“You chose to give up your essence.”

“I did not!”

“You did,” Vearla argued as Lukas tensed beside me. “You made your choice when you chose that awful man, Ikelos, over your family.”

“But I didn’t know that he’d—”

Lukas held his palm up, cutting them both off. “It seems you have a lot to talk about,” he sighed. “But perhaps you could have this discussion once you’ve returned to the Merfolk Palace? We had intended for this to be a fond farewell.”

I passed him a smile. This couldn’t have been easy for him. Still, pride swelled in my chest as he dropped my hand to pat Erissa on the back.

“Goodbye, Mother,” he said plainly. “I hope you find the happiness here that you lost with my father.”

All she could give him was a uncertain nod before the Merfolk Queen pressed a quick kiss to her lips and helped her below the surface.

“Come, Lyssa,” Adriana called out to her. “Mother said she still has my essence locked away at the palace, so you can have my tail now that I have yours.” She grinned, and Lyssandra returned her smile.

“I did always think green suited me more,” she laughed.

Before the pair dipped below the waves, Lyssandra cast one more look over her shoulder towards us. “Arenn has been dealt with,” she said coolly. “Your bond has been broken so he won’t come for you again. But even if the fool tries, he’ll have both my wrath and your husband’s to deal with.”

“Thank you,” I said, and I meant it.

With a final smile, she slipped beneath the waves.

Once a few moments had passed, Lukas returned to my side, pulling us both down to the warm sand. Letting my head rest on his shoulder, I leaned against him.

“So what now?” I asked. Evening sun danced off the gentle waves as water lapped around our feet.

“What now, indeed.” He huffed out a laugh. “There’s still the issue of my aunt’s ‘husbands’ to deal with. No matter how merfolk I may be, I’ll never agree with keeping humans as captive pets – it’s just not right. So I told Vearla she needs to order that all charmed humans be uncharmed and returned to Ryntook, or at least given the choice to stay or go.”

“You think she’ll agree to that?” I narrowed my eyes.

Lukas smirked. “I told her she has to if she ever wants to meet her grand-nieces and nephews.”

My heart fluttered. Unable to hide my smile, I teased, “And how soon will we be having those, do you think?”

“As soon as my lovely wife is ready.” He drew closer. “Though, if it were up to me, I’d start trying right now.” I giggled as he nipped my ear.

“But where will we raise these children?” I asked before he could push me to the sand. “With Arenn no longer a threat, I can return to Corlixir, to my friends!” A smile touched my cheeks. But then it faded.

I may have grown up with other Corlixins in our forest village, but that village had long since gone. And all the buildings had been moved to a kingdom I’d hardly visited… Could I really call that place my home?

“Where we go would be up to you.” His voice melted the sadness in my heart. “We can stay in Drothmore until we have a palace built for you in Corlixir. Then, if you’d like, we can split our time between the two kingdoms.” He brushed the hair from my face. “It might be a challenge at first, but we’d get through it together. Neither of us would have to give up our thrones.”

My stomach twisted. Speaking of thrones… “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?”

My voice shook. “I spoke with Ivy and the village mother before we left to come here.”

“And?” Lukas pressed.

“I brought up the concept of some kind of democracy.”

“ Naria .”

“I just think it would be best for my people to make their own choices,” I explained. “There’s no need for me to stand apart from them. I’ve already assembled a small team who’ll be responsible for holding multiple elections, and I made it clear that I want those who are elected to fairly represent the people within my kingdom. I just think this is best for us.”

A breath whooshed out from my chest, heavy and raw. “I grew up with my people. Not in a palace, or anything special like that. And that’s how I want it to stay.”

Lukas blinked at me, and for a moment, I feared he might demand we return to Corlixir so I could fix this awful mistake I’d made. But then his hands slipped around my jaw, and he pressed his lips against mine.

“You may rule your kingdom however you wish,” he murmured against my lips, “but you’ll always be a queen to me.”

I smiled, and he kissed me more until we fell back against the sand in a tangle of limbs.

“So what will you do with all this new time you have?” He pressed soft kisses against my jaw, trailing down to my neck.

Arching my back, I replied breathily, “I’m not certain yet.” I ran my fingers through his soft hair. “Travel the realm with my healing services? Help my people with their research back home? The Dalking Queens wanted me to send a temporary clinic over, so maybe I should leave for Corlixir to assemble a team?”

“You’re not going anywhere until I’m finished with you.” His voice buzzed in my ear as I sighed out a laugh.

“Of course, we still have our honeymoon.”

His fingers laced through mine, a soft smile curling at his lips as his answer rumbled through me. “And our wedding night, dear wife.”

When his hand brushed my thigh, and stars began to twinkle across the darkening purple sky, I’d never felt more loved. More at home.

Just myself, the endless ocean lapping gently at our feet, and Lukas.

And finally, there was nothing stopping me from drowning in him.