Page 52 of Sea of Evil and Desire (The Deep Saga #1)

50

Morgana

I was given a room on the third floor, and my mouth fell open as I stepped inside. Walls of deep cerulean faded into the watery backdrop, contrasting with the golden furnishings, and wispy aureate drapes framed an arching window that looked out on the sea beyond. There was a long gilded mirror, a human-style ensuite bathroom with golden amenities, and glittering chandeliers winding down from the roof. The space made me think of sunlight on the ridges of deep blue swell as it dipped toward the horizon. The bed, woven from thousands of strands of seaweed, hung from the ceiling on bronze chains. It swayed gently with the current—perfect for beings with tails.

There was a knock on the door.

“Are you in there, my dear?” a kind female voice asked. A matronly mermaid with a crimson tail and silver hair piled on her head in a messy bun swept into the room. “I’m Laoise. Prince Aigéan asked me to dress you for the ball.” She clicked her tongue as she surveyed me.

“Dress me?” I raised my brows. Surely, the Mer didn’t wear gowns for these things.

The lady chuckled at the look on my face.

“Beautiful red hair like fire, and eyes like the ocean on its best day . . . I have the perfect thing for you.” Clucking, she shuffled out of the room.

She returned holding a wooden box inlaid with shells. Inside, a sponge cushion cradled the most exquisite dark green jewels I had ever seen—a necklace, earrings, and a matching shell clip.

I ran my fingers over the stones. This was the moment in my blockbuster where I was supposed to reject the jewels and stick to my old, tatty suit—but there was no way I wasn’t wearing these!

After Laoise had finished with my hair and fastened the jewelry, she covered my body with purple and silver glitter flourishes from a little terracotta pot.

“This is how the Mer dress.” She led me to the gilded mirror so I could survey her handiwork.

The earrings and necklace, which clasped my throat like a choker, shone in the aquamarine light. My eyes glimmered turquoise underneath a winged line of kohl. Laoise had pinned my usually wild hair into an elegant bun with a sweeping fringe, adorning it with the shell clip and an array of more glittering green jewels.

“It’s beautiful,” I gasped.

Laoise’s cheeks glowed.

After Laoise left, I paced back and forth until a note was slipped under my door.

His Majesty King Neptūnus cordially invites you to attend the Blood Moon Ball. The grand ballroom awaits you at the far end of the hall.

Seriously? I bit back a snort of laughter.

I followed the green-tinged banisters to a set of large wooden doors. Two guards stood at attention outside, their breastplates gleaming and spears poised, but their helmets had been replaced with glittering white masks. With mouths drawn in their usual stern expressions, they held the doors open, and I drew in a sharp breath as the ballroom unfolded before me.

The space held a magical glow, illuminated by bioluminescent chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling. The walls, crafted from what looked like mother-of-pearl, reflected the soft blue light, creating an atmosphere that reminded me of moonlight under the ocean’s depths.

At the far end of the room, a long table held an array of what must have been Mer delicacies. Platters of sea fruits, kelp sushi rolls, and jewel-like caviar pearls were paired with crystalline goblets that the Mer filled with a luminescent substance.

Several Mer twirled gracefully on the ballroom floor in the room’s center, their tails creating ripples that danced alongside the hauntingly beautiful melody played by a group of musicians near the stage. Four thrones carved from deep blue lapis lazuli overlooked the festivities.

How many thrones does one king need?

King Neptūnus sat upon the grandest one, his chin resting on his fist. He was surveying the room with a bored expression in his dark eyes. A golden crown encircled his head, and part of his ebony hair flowed freely, while the rest was tied into a topknot.

Finn was seated beside him, and I could see their likeness; they both had the same thick, obsidian brows. Next to Finn sat Pisceon. He shared the dark Neptūnus features, though his skin was a coffee-colored tone where Finn’s was fair. The sapphire tips of his tail curled elegantly around the back of his chair, and he offered me what seemed to be the faintest hint of a smile.

Princess Glacies sat on the king’s other side. She was looking radiant and cold as always. Her white-blonde hair fell over the glittering scales that decorated her bare breasts, and her pale eyes caught my stare. Guilt curdled my stomach, and I swallowed loudly. Her eyes held no malice; she simply surveyed me from top to bottom with a cool distaste. Strings of pearls hung around her neck, and little sea flowers were pinned artfully into her wavelike curls.

If I was supposed to be an all-powerful Selkie, my outfit could have been a bit more flattering. My furry bodysuit didn’t have much on her tail, which glistened like a black pearl as it slithered up the side of her throne.

I sighed in relief when I spotted Edward sitting at one of the gilded tables surrounding the dance floor. His eyes were wide as he surveyed the room.

I hurried over and slid into the chair across from him, and he grinned. “Can you believe this?”

I shook my head.

The music ceased as the herald who had delivered our sentence in the throne room stepped onto the stage. This time, I recognized him. It was Mr. Inegar. The familiar scowl had given him away. So Finn hadn’t been lying when he’d said the man was an old family friend—perhaps a relative, given that he could walk on land.

“We are gathered here to celebrate the blood moon and thank the ocean that gives us our power. We invite you to feast, dance, and be merry whilst leaving your offerings.” He gestured to a crystalline pool beside the entrance, where a stone statue of a mermaid cradling the moon in her arms leaned forward to scoop the water from it into her mouth. Offerings rested around the edge: strings of pearls, shells, and sea flowers.

“Prince Aigéan and Princess Glacies will now dance an ode to the blood moon.”

Mr. Inegar retreated to the sidelines.

Jealousy spread through my veins like venom, bitter and uncontrollable, as Finn glided over to Glacies’s throne and held out his hand. Her expression remained cold as he led her onto the now-empty dance floor.

I turned back to Edward, whose eyes were narrowed on me.

“What is this stuff anyway?” I plastered a grin onto my face, gesturing to the vat of luminous liquid on the table before us.

“If I was to guess, Mer moon wine.” Edward’s brow creased. “I wouldn’t drink it if I were you.”

The music was soft and haunting, like the full moon shining over the waves at night. Despite myself, I glanced over my shoulder. Finn was holding Glacies gently against him, a hand clasping her waist. His movements were fluid yet commanding, and his tail shimmered aqua as it flicked through the water. Glacies’s hair cascaded around her like threads of spun gold, catching the light with every turn. Her slender arms reached out to him, their fingers brushing as they spun apart and came back together in perfect unison.

Heat crept up my neck, flushing my cheeks, and I poured myself a glass of the luminescent liquid.

“I’m going outside,” I muttered, gesturing to the grand glass doors leading toward what looked like a balcony.

“Mer wine is much stronger than anything you’ll be used to!” Edward called after me.

I sucked in another breath as I pushed open the doors. If the ballroom had been beautiful, this . . . this was something else. From the ornate granite-sand balcony, a garden of coral spread out below like a sky full of colorful stars.

The coral bloomed in crimson, gold, and lavender, each colony glowing as tiny spawn drifted upward like scattered orbs across the dark sea. Twisting spires reached toward the surface, their tips dusted with bioluminescent specks, while delicate sea fans swayed gently in the currents. I thought of Taranis and Abalone. This must be the garden where they used to meet.

I took a little sip of my wine. It was like nothing I’d ever tasted, the freshest blueberry popping in my mouth mixed with what I imagined it would be like to drink moonlight shining on a pool of ice. The substance traveled through my veins, almost immediately relieving my inhibitions.

A giggle cut through the silence, and I spun around. Princess Glacies’s face was alight with laughter as she burst outside with a mermaid on her heels. The mermaid giggled as she reached for Glacies’s hand, the glass doors swinging shut behind them. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with long black curls, dark skin, and a golden headdress complemented by an array of gleaming bracelets and bangles.

I slunk into the shadows on the other side of the terrace as Glacies, still laughing, pulled the woman to her. My jealousy evaporated, and my soul ached for her. Perhaps she was so withdrawn and cold because her heart was with this woman, yet, like Finn, she remained a prisoner to her duty.

The mermaids continued to laugh as they made their way to the balcony’s edge. I slipped back into the ballroom before witnessing more of this intimate moment I should not have been privy to.

Finn had taken my vacated seat and was deep in conversation with Edward, much to the dismay of the other Mer, who cast sidelong glances of disapproval.

He rose as I approached. “Could I have this dance?”

“I don’t know how.” My cheeks burned as I put my empty goblet down on the table.

“I will lead.” A devilish grin split Finn’s face as he held out his hand.

Sensible Morgana wanted to say no, but the moon wine in me said “Yes!” and I let Finn lead me onto the dance floor.

“You look very beautiful in our jewels,” he murmured, putting one arm around my waist and pulling me into him. “Put your hand on my neck.”

King Neptūnus watched us from his throne, something like amusement dancing in his dark eyes. He was now the only one still sitting. Glacies remained outside, and Pisceon had taken a partner to the dance floor.

“Thank you.” I toyed with the crystal choker as Finn pulled me closer, heat rising within me as his hand settled on the small of my back. “It seems to glitter even when there is no light.”

“They were my mother’s.” Finn exhaled, his gills quivering with the movement. “Mer from the Kingdom of Thálassa can store fragments of magic in objects.”

A hauntingly beautiful song drifted around us, and I let my webbed fingers graze the back of Finn’s neck. He was wearing his seaweed coronet, and his dark eyes locked on mine as we began to move.

“I saw Glacies in the garden with a mermaid.”

“Ah, yes. Princess Aarna Okeanós is staying with us for the event. I’m glad to see her happy,” Finn said with a sad smile.

The water provided a sense of weightlessness, allowing me to spin fluidly. Finn’s tail propelled our movements, compensating for my lack of natural aquatic grace.

“You don’t like balls,” I stated as the dancing Mer around us became a blur of color.

“I don’t like this ball.” A wrinkle deepened between his brows. “My mother was murdered on a blood moon. I see nothing that warrants celebrating.”

I glanced over Finn’s shoulder at the king again. He was staring toward the back of the room, a vacant expression now in his eyes, as if he was lost in the past.

We moved in silence, and I let the music swell within me. It was like the song I’d heard on the rocks, but a merman was singing in a language I didn’t know. I could tell from his tone that it wasn’t a happy song.

“It’s the old language of the ocean,” Finn said softly.

Maybe it was the wine, but something about the song and the dance allowed me to relax into his chest, resting my head against his.

“What’s it about?” I asked.

“This is the ballad of Siana and Kyano.”

“Kyano?” I pulled back, searching Finn’s eyes. “What happened to him?”

“No one knows.” He sighed.

We continued to spin, the world melding until only our bodies gliding to the haunting tune remained. The chandeliers above became golden smudges against a blurry sky. Dizziness consumed me, and I put a hand to my temple.

“Did you drink our wine?” Finn’s brows drew together as he pulled back from me in concern.

I nodded, blinking. My vision had started to contract.

“I’m glad you haven’t changed.” He let out a low chuckle. “Our wine is practically a sedative for humans, and you are still part human.”

“Do you know how much I like your V muscles?” I slurred, attempting to make a V shape with my fingers and stumbling against him.

“I will call Laoise to take you to bed.” Finn tangled his hands in my hair as I nuzzled his neck. “I wish I could take you myself, but it wouldn’t be appropriate.”