Page 5 of The Deep End of Death (Twilight Lake #4)

Lulled to sleep by the tumultuous waves, I woke to the endless sea without a speck of land to be seen from our tiny boat.

It was darker the further we traveled across the Night Court. The Dark Sea had truly earned its name. An endless mirror of black glass as far as the eye could see.

My neck ached, having fallen asleep on the hard bench at the edge of the ship. My braids were damp, and my lips tasted of salt as the waves lapped the bottom of the boat. I sat up, finding myself alone, as I rested my arm on the rail and looked out into the darkness.

I didn’t give much thought to where the others had gotten to. The Merrow, at least, couldn’t have gone far—his magic was powering the boat. The subtle vibration rippled across the surface as we sliced through the waves, though no one stood behind the steering wheel.

Cormac, Rainn, Shay, and Tormalugh were nowhere to be seen.

A pang went through me, and a heavy weight settled in my stomach, though I didn’t quite recognize the emotion. Jealousy, perhaps?

I couldn’t get Balor’s words out of my head, knowing that as I lay bleeding at the hands of the dark god, my mates were in the harem below the city. Enjoying women that very much weren’t me.

A part of me, once so large it lived under my skin in its entirety, whispered that it was only right. I was the Mad Queen’s daughter, after all.

Lost. Powerless. Insane. Just like Caoimhe.

Had that all been a lie, too?

Had Elaine, aka Balor, planted those seeds?

Why hadn’t she killed me when she had the chance—snuffed me out as a youngling.

But she had tried.

At least, King Irvine had.

The Migration .

Those Undine guards had accosted me before I could reach the Frosted Sands. The first time I had left Cruinn.

I let out a sigh. Resting my chin on my folded hands, closing my eyes as I felt the mist of the sea brush against my face.

I took the moment of reprieve. Allowing the enormity of what had to be done to settle over me.

To find out who killed the Siren Queen’s firstborn—and which pirate stripped him of his wings and gave them to the Night King.

I did not know where to begin, but Everfall Port was a good place to start.

I wondered where the Princelings had gone. No doubt, having a manly meeting I wasn’t privy to.

I let it slide, mainly because I didn’t want their pity. Their concern.

It was only a matter of time before I became a burden to them. Their poor, addled , Shíorghrá.

I heaved my weary body to stand, ignoring the twinges and aches that had settled in my bones—reacting to the bite of the frozen air and a poor sleeping position.

I hadn’t explored the ship beyond a cursory glance, but it was small enough that I should have been able to see all of the men if they remained on the deck.

I padded across the wooden floor, and though the floor was slick, I kept my feet.

After circling the entirety of the ship, I found the low hum of voices at the front of the vessel, hidden by the dull roar of waves at first. In front of the railing stood a protruding lip that I had initially assumed was purely aesthetic.

Attempting to make the small boat look more like a shark on the water's surface, with its pointed nose.

I followed the voices, climbing the rail though the metal was slick.

The lip was a trap door held aloft by a single stick. Light shone out of the water, carrying the familiar blue of faelight. I shimmied down onto my bum and slid into the hole, landing feet first, into another room hidden under the deck.

Conversation halted, the scent of cooked food in the air and a homey warmth that made me realize just how cold I was before that moment.

The Merrow sat at the end of the bench, waving his hand grandiosely as he gestured to the stove in the corner and the heavy pot resting on top.

“Have some fish stew!” The captain shouted. “It's fresh!”

None of the Princelings looked at me when I walked past them to the stove

The conversation hadn’t restarted, which led me to believe they had been talking about me .

“We’re heading over the Wash.” The Merrow reached for his wine.

“The Wash?” Rainn echoed, his mouth full and his spoon half raised to his mouth.

I reached the stove, grabbed a wooden bowl and a ladle, and served myself a portion. I listened carefully but remained silent as the conversation started again.

“It’s an underwater river.” The Merrow’s skin looked green in the faelight, and he had a slight smile on his lips as if he delighted in imparting any wisdom he had to give.

“We, the Merrow, are the guardians of the sea. We tend to stick to the shore. Pirates monopolize the sea between the cove and Everfall port. The water here is not kind. The land-fae fill it with badness. Dump their waste.” He made an audible sound of disgust. “The Naiads protect the rivers and fast-flowing water, but when the river between the lake and the sea dried up, they made their home in the Wash. It’s been said the Wash was once a river inside the sea, different water.

It carved out a canyon in the seabed over the years, and though the river is no more, the Naiads still make their home in the canyon. ”

“Do the Merrow and the Naiads get along?” Shay asked benignly.

“The Dark Sea is not at war. Not like your lake.” The Merrow said, quirking a brow. “The Kraken would not allow it. Saying that, Naiad are seldom seen and survived.”

The mention of the Kraken turned my blood cold. “The Kraken lives at the center of the Dark Sea.”

“The Kraken has many homes. He keeps many boltholes, filled with trophies, treasures, and offerings.” The captain sipped his drink. “We, the Merrow, gift him a whale during the whaling season on the Míol Strand, the beach over the way.”

“The Twilight Lake doesn’t have whales,” Tormalugh commented lightly, resting his spoon on the edge of his bowl. “Are they large enough to sate the Kraken?”

“The Merrow haven’t been eaten yet, so I’d say so.” The captain let out a loud, barking laugh.

I cupped my bowl, feeling the warmth seep into my fingers.

I didn’t want to hear any more about the Kraken.

The stone in my pocket was already heavy enough without thinking about the monster it belonged to.

I was careful as I made my way to the only empty chair between Cormac and Rainn, swaying with every wave that rocked the ship.

“What do you plan to do once you reach Everfall?” The Merrow asked. “The Siren Queen has it out for the pirates. If she’s planning on torching the port, she’ll leave the smaller fishing vessels alone.”

I choked on a spoonful of stew. My eyes watered, and I reached for a cup of water, taking a sip before I spoke. “Torching the port?” I echoed incredulously. “Does she do that kind of thing?”

“Aye, yes.” The Merrow pondered, cocking his head to the side as if remembering something long ago. “Ever since young Darragh was taken, stripped of his wings, and left to die on land, she hasn’t given much patience to the fae of Everfall.”

“Let the bastards burn, I say,” Cormac muttered.

We ignored him.

“Are Siren wings that valuable?” I asked.

The Merrow gave me a look akin to pity. “The Fae of Everfall are very poor. They’d scalp a hag if it meant an extra penny.”

“The lake provides.” Tormalugh said sagely. “Kelpies do not concern ourselves with gold.”

“The Undine are bejeweled.” Cormac pointed out.

Rainn cleared his throat noisily, giving Cormac a pointed look. My creed was a secret we had to keep, even from the Merrow.

“How did you know we hail from the lake?” Shay said, breaking the silence. He leaned forward, reaching for the jug, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular; his tone held no emotion.

The Merrow pulled his collar away from his neck.

“I feel like I’m being interrogated.” He chuckled harmlessly.

“We don’t get Kelpies in the sea. They stick to lakes, and the Twilight Lake is the only one within spitting distance.

Unless you come from the Onyx Lake. The Night King hunted all the Kelpies there for sport.

They were driven away before my Nana was born, and she’s old.

A thousand years, maybe more. She remembers the lights and the day the sky bled stars. ”

I’d never heard of such a thing, but I took his word for it.

Tormalugh placed his wineglass down with a thud, though his expression didn’t betray his anger. I felt it in the air like the taste of a sour cherry. I didn’t know if Tor meant to project or if the others could sense it. He hid it well.

A fight was going to break out.

Tormalugh’s fist clenched. “For sport, you say?”

“Aye.” The Merrow nodded. “I’d recognize those dark eyes anywhere.”

I cleared my throat. “Does the Night King often hunt water fae for sport?”

The Merrow shrugged. “Wouldn’t know. The Night King is not interested in this part of his kingdom. Too close to the Day Court.”

“You were talking about the Wash?” Rainn interjected politely.

“Ah, yes.” The Merrow nodded sagely. “I was just saying that this particular section of the journey is remarkably uneventful. The Wash, for all its name, is quite a peaceful stretch of the sea. I’d get some sleep while you can.” He advised.

Something lingered, unsaid, but I didn’t know what.

“Bunks are down the hallway.” The Merrow continued.

We would be on the water for at least a week, maybe more, but I hadn’t thought much about the sleeping arrangements before that moment.

I placed my spoon on the edge of my bowl, suddenly losing my appetite.

The Merrow stood up, heading to the deck to check on something, leaving me with the Princelings.

The silence felt like a hand around my throat.

Cormac pushed his chair away from the table. “I hope the beds are comfortable.” His smirk had a smug edge to it. “It's not the finery that I am used to, to be sure.”