Page 19

“ O f course our queen is keeping us safe from the dying lands.” Bay chatted, flitting around me with her little brushes, painting my scales with intense scrutiny. Something she had been doing for the past three hours.

I unclenched my hands from wanting to strangle her for the hundredth time and sat straighter. “Dying lands?”

She nodded sadly. “Yes, some of the most bountiful parts of The Under have been rotting from within. Several smaller cities of ours have now been lost forever to this death. It is the other reason why our city is so busy aside from the festival of course.”

“How has your queen been keeping you safe?”

Bay smiled, lost in her art, while she ran her webbed claws through my tangled hair.

“She has found a way to enhance her power and grow stronger. They say she has the power to bring back Atlantis. Sadly most of us don’t even remember our great city of old, we are content with just saving The Under.

Of course our queen sacrifices much for it.

I assume that taking care of the young fry utilizes much of her time but I am told that it is the source of her power. ”

Quickly, I snatched Bay’s arm and gripped it hard. Startled, she attempted to pull away from me.

“A fry? As in a faeling? That’s not possible.”

Bay’s black scales turned gray and her lip trembled.

“Oh goddess! Please forget I ever said such a thing! We aren’t supposed to know about her.

The queen keeps her hidden but my—my cousin is one of the guards and she told…

she wasn’t supposed to know! Oh goddess, my lady…

please I beg you. Do not tell my queen! I swear I have not said a word to anyone else! ”

I stared into her panicked eyes, resisting the urge to snap her arm in half to squeeze every last drop of information she had.

Goddess. A child? It wasn’t possible!

Slowly, I peeled my clenched fingers from her frail arm and patted it with a reassuring smile. “Apologies Bay. Of course I understand. We will not speak of it.” I picked up her paints and held them outwards to her. “Please, let’s continue?”

Bubbles blew out from Bay in a sigh of relief and then a beaming smile full of razored teeth spread across her face as she took my apologetic offering, closing the shell.

“Thank you, my lady. But there is no need for me to continue. You are finished!” Gripping my shoulders, she spun me to a reflective opal mirror set in a monstrous oyster shell. “What do you think?”

My eyes grew wide with shock at my appearance.

From the tip of my webbed feet to the top of my head, my entire black scaled body was delicately painted with various shades of green scrollwork that reminded me much of my brands in my land form. It was intricate, detailed, and meticulously placed.

Bay was an exquisite artist with her paints and I—I was her masterpiece.

My gaze traveled up to my hair which was tied halfway back into a braided knot at the base of my skull, the rest flowing freely around me in the water and thankfully away from my face.

On top of my head was a sparkling silver headpiece that was draped like a delicate net over my hair weighing down the floating strands.

Hanging along its delicate chains were teardrop emeralds, the exact same color as my eyes.

I reached up to delicately touch the one resting between my brows, realizing they were still arched with complete shock .

“Thank you Bay.” I said softly, dropping my arm and turning slightly in the mirror to admire the rest.

“I am pleased you approve, my Lady Solaire.” She clapped her webbed hands enthusiastically. “Come! The festivities will be starting soon and I must make sure you are not late.”

I felt her water power gently caress my body and urge me out the door. The touch of it was just as warm and graceful as the fae wielding it.

“And what of your queen? Will she not meet us here?”

Bay shook her head. “My instructions were to take you to the festivities and Queen Kira will meet you there. It takes much more talent than my humble paintings to get the queen ready.”

“Bay.” My hand grazed the young fae’s shoulder and she turned mid-swim with wide eyes, much too big for her head.

“Your paintings are truly the most beautiful work I have ever seen because they are humble. I am honored to be a part of it and it is only the beginning of the masterpieces you will one day achieve.”

Bay flung herself towards me, arms stretched wide to grip me in a fierce hug, before crying out. “Oh I mustn't mess up your paint!” She reared back and then gently reached her hand out to cup my face instead. “Thank you my lady, for your kind words.”

I took her hand in my own and nodded. “You are welcome, Bay.” I nodded to the open ocean. “Shall we?”

The young fae smiled wide and then spun back around, pulling me forward. Her hand never left mine as she pulled me along and I resisted the urge to free myself from the possessive touch. Instead, I took solace in the tenuous friendship budding between us.

Following Bay out of the city, I tried to ignore the growing feeling of unease.

Even without my aura sight, I could still feel the presence of that unnatural burgundy power growing stronger the further we traveled.

When a sea of flowing grass and white sand appeared before us, Bay finally released my hand.

Other painted water fae began to join us.

Their excited tones trilled and clicked within the shallow water.

No males were here yet. They would come later if I remembered correctly—without being painted.

I turned my head up to the blurred light of the three moons shining in the shallow underwater grasslands. I inhaled their energy and light, preparing myself against the sinister power crawling beneath my webbed feet .

Switching back to my aura sight, I found the ground saturated deep red, with tendrils of power oozing upwards and hungrily latching onto every water fae here.

Seeing my concern and mistaking it, Bay leaned in towards me whispering, “do not worry my Lady Solaire. You are the most beautiful one here, aside from the Queen of course, I made sure of that.”

I gave her a sad smile, watching the muted burgundy haze of her aura and the leeching tendrils twining up from the white sand towards her petite frame.

“Thank you Bay.” I gently pulled her away from the parasitic power, closer to me.

The burgundy strands paused, repelled by my presence.

“But in your dedication to me, you have totally forgotten about yourself.” I waved my hand down her body.

Bay's eyes widened and her webbed hand covered her mouth. “Oh my goddess. I was so excited to show you the festival, I forgot about my own paint!” She cried.

I gave her a reassuring pat and gently pushed her away. “Go, quickly. You should still have time before the festivities begin. The queen will find me soon. I will not be alone for long.”

Bay looked at me sincerely with those electric blue eyes. “You are sure?”

“Of course.”

I stiffened when she wrapped her arms around me for the second time this night. “Thank you, my lady!” Pulling away from me she flashed a bright needled smile.

Smiling back, I jutted my chin outward. “Go on. I’m sure this festival will be one you’ll never forget. You must look the part!”

She nodded and then in a graceful flip, she shot back through the water. I watched the burgundy power keenly as it recoiled back to the white sands.

Bubbles burst from me, Bay would be safe for now. It wouldn’t protect her indefinitely, the haze was already strong around her, but maybe I could buy her more time. Whatever this power was, it had deeply infiltrated The Under and was growing.

I turned back towards the amassing soiree and narrowed my eyes. I just needed to figure out why.