Page 5 of Waves (Tangled Crowns #6)

Avia

S ahar, Lizza, and I sat at a table placed in the middle of the ring of tents as dappled sunlight danced over us.

We’d been up before dawn, conferring with Lizza to amend the competitor’s contract and allow them to withdraw without damaging their nether regions.

Nearby, a lavender fire crackled merrily, the flames happier than we were.

“Don’t see why the shrimp dick spell is so bad all of a sudden,” Lizza grumbled, her back hunched even more than usual as she leaned over the table and scratched magical words onto the parchment.

I watched her while trying not to stare at the bald patch of skull on top of the undead woman’s head.

“Think a lot of women would rather put shrimp in their mouth than a cock.”

Sahar cringed so hard that her nose wrinkled. “They’re live shrimp. They have legs.”

“Still. Unwashed cock cheese is worse. And those cowards who withdraw deserve it.”

“Thank everything I haven’t eaten breakfast,” I groaned as my shoulders rose and a disgusted shiver rolled down my back as I added my signature and then shoved the scroll away. “Look, it’s signed. Let’s change the topic. I want to address the official statement you drafted for me.”

“Yes?” Sahar looked relieved to move on from Lizza’s tirade.

“It’s just…there’s nothing personal in there about the dead. And, I don’t even say I’m sorry for their loss to the families.”

Sahar took a deep breath as she looked down at the wood grains and gathered her thoughts, but Lizza had no compunctions about sparing my feelings. The undead wench grabbed the scroll and whacked me on the head with it.

“They don’t want to hear a ton from you, ninny. Not about sadness. Down here, emotion is weakness.”

“Compassion?”

“Weak! The old queen exploited emotions right and left. Punished them. You can’t rewire their brains in a few months.”

I began to protest but Sahar interjected. “She’s right. Given this situation, the best you can offer them is a promise that those responsible will be found and punished.”

They wanted me to act ruthless when I hadn’t even lost my heart yet? When the one thing I prized above all others dangled on the precipice of an abyss?

I shoved up from the table, putting both hands on it and leaning forward toward my adviser.

Waiting until her golden eyes locked onto mine in full concentration, I said, “Mayi always mistook cruelty for strength. I refuse to do the same. Without compassion, justice becomes vengeance. Without mourning, tragedy becomes a wound that doesn’t heal.

Okeanos is better than that. Now, give me my damned speech. ”

Without argument, Sahar shoved the other piece of parchment across the table.

Lizza clucked her tongue, or tried to, at least. With the missing patch of skin on her cheek she really just created a few odd bubbles that burst from her face.

I wrote and rewrote as the sun grew hotter, as men came up to the table and signed away their right to compete.

Many men. More than I’d expected. Each signature was a slap in the face, but I merely nodded at them and continued working, trying to ignore their shuffling steps or nervous tail flickers.

Trying not to notice how quickly they swam off.

Finally, I decided that I had a version of the speech that I approved of heralds shouting in my name.

When I lifted my aching neck, it was to find Felipe and Mateo in front of me. Sahar and Lizza had wandered off to tend to other matters and, of course, this overprotective pair were hovering nearby.

The gray streaks in my former guard’s blue hair shone in the sunbeams, while his navy eyes were shadowed.

Staring at him for a long moment, his strength seeped into my bones, as if he physically pushed it toward me.

I gave him a soft smile, and while he was a somber merman, not prone to smiling, he gave me a nod that I knew meant the same.

My gaze moved over to Mateo who was clumsily fluttering his fin and making his silver curls bounce upon his head. Better at pretending to be a merman with each passing day, he’d still never be mistaken for graceful. Not here. Not like he was on land.

Still, I found it hard to believe, and also breathtakingly amazing, that he’d followed me into the sea and done whatever it took for us to be together.

That kind of devotion filled me with soft warmth, like someone was kneading together all the days of spring—sweet gentle breezes mixing with budding flowers and hope.

He was the man who made tears form in my eyes for no reason at all, other than the glory of his existence.

I blinked hard in order to avoid turning into a sappy shite just from his presence, training my attention on the list Mateo gripped in his hand. He was scanning over the withdrawals. “How many are left?” I asked, already able to tell from his expression that the number wouldn’t be good.

“Eight.”

My throat grew a bit tight, but it was actually better than I’d expected. “Could have been worse. I could have been down to you two.”

Both of them scoffed and swam closer.

“Impossible.”

“Please, my old cousin here would be scared to fight me. He’s thrilled he can face off against other people at the next event instead,” Mateo teased as his tail accidentally whacked the table.

One side of Felipe’s mouth ticked up–at the reference to their cover story for Mateo or the fake-mer’s clumsiness, I wasn’t sure.

Either way, he turned toward the other mer and said solemnly, “The strength battle is already over. As is the battle of wits. I highly doubt your willpower can outlast mine. Young minds don’t know the meaning of patience. ”

“I’ll destroy you in the battle of the heart,” Mateo challenged.

“I’m not sure heart challenges are meant to be destructive,” Felipe shot back.

Mateo narrowed his eyes and wagged a finger at the older man, acknowledging his point. Felipe gave a tiny, rare grin.

My eyes flickered between the two of them, chest warming at how well they got along. At least a few things in this world were going right.

“You done working?” Mateo asked, shifting his attention back to me as he set the list down and swam closer. He put a hand on my shoulder and gently rubbed his thumb across it. “We wanted to feed you.”

His thoughtfulness made me smile and my stomach gave a little twist, reminding me how hungry I was. “Well?—”

“Sorry, boys, but I’ve claimed her today.” Lizza’s voice commanded from behind me.

Turning, I saw the undead mage and Posey standing side by side. The part flower-sprite with purple petals for hair had the decency to at least look sheepish, but Lizza had no shame at all. Her rotting hands were on her hips and her expression was serious. One might even say dead set.

“Her Majesty owes me some magic practice.”

Dammit.

Unable to withhold my sigh, I nodded. “She’s right.” Much as I might hate or dread it, there would be another attack. My lack of preparation for the last one was glaringly obvious.

Felipe’s protectiveness immediately reared its head. “She needs a moment to eat and rest. She’s been working all morning.”

“Bah! Eat. I’ve got some fried cockroaches in my bag somewhere. She’ll be fine,” Lizza pronounced.

“How about I meet you in ten minutes outside the circle of tents?” I proposed a compromise, mostly because I planned on gorging myself so that none of those cockroaches came anywhere near my lips.

“That will work,” Posey answered for them, ignoring Lizza’s glare. “We’ll go set up.”

The two of them wandered off as my men came and encased me on either side. Mateo immediately put my arm into the crook of his elbow, but Felipe merely hovered close, studying my face for signs of exhaustion.

“I’m alright. I promise,” I told him, reaching out and taking his rough palm with mine. He immediately gave my hand a squeeze. “How are you?”

“Those bastards need to stop.” Felipe’s dark growl shouldn’t have been attractive, but it was. It sent a thrill up my spine as we stared at one another, dark heat banked in the navy depths of his eyes, his scars gleaming dangerously in the light.

Somehow, I knew that this hardened guard wouldn’t be afraid of my dark side when it appeared. He wouldn’t shy away from it, just as he didn’t shy away from any danger. He rode the line between honorable and violent…and I hoped he’d help keep me right there with him.

Our shared fury at the rebels mounted and the tension between us heightened until his anger mutated into something wilder. More feral. Something we unfortunately didn’t have time for because Lizza wouldn’t give a damn about privacy.

Instead of leaning in and taking his lips like I wanted, I simply murmured a promise. “We’ll find them.”

“But how?” Mateo asked the question none of us had dared to voice, shattering the momentum that had built between Felipe and me. Shattering my confidence.

Turning to my other mer mate, I hated that I had to answer, “I don’t know.”