Page 18

The vortex swirled, twisting me through the water as colored lights appeared behind my eyelids. I lost the sense of time, slipping in and out of consciousness until pressure squeezed my chest, forcing my eyes open when a panicked convulsion rocked my body.

I sealed my mouth shut, thrashing my arms to propel myself to the surface. Lungs on fire, I broke through and gulped in a breath of air. The sun seared my vision, and I dipped below the waves, letting the tide pull me closer to shore.

A wave sent me tumbling onto a sandy beach, and I clawed my fingers through the wet sand, dragging my shivering body out of the surf. Air wheezed from my throat; my chest shuddering as my greedy lungs sucked in air for the first time in three years.

I rolled onto my back, staring up at a blue, cloudless sky. Seagulls sailed overhead, their squawks melding with the crash of waves against the shore. I tasted salt and the grit of sand. It clung to my skin, warming beneath the rays of brilliant sunlight.

Tears spilled down my cheeks, dripping off my chin and onto the beach—salt mixing with salt.

I made it. I’m free .

Almost deliriously, I wriggled my toes. A laugh bubbled in my throat.

I had legs! Knees! They felt rubbery and leaden, but they moved when I curled them toward my chest. My shimmering scales had transformed into a turquoise gossamer cloth that hugged my wet skin from my hips down to my ankles.

The fabric was torn and tattered in places.

A glaring reminder of the damage the mines had done to my tail.

The kelp wrap still bound my chest, and my long hair tangled in sandy clumps around my shoulders.

“Look, mommy! It’s a mermaid.”

I angled my head, spotting a woman and a child seated on a picnic blanket a short distance away.

“No, sweetie. It’s just a young lady. Mermaids are only a myth.” The woman climbed to her feet and walked through the sand until she stood over me. Her body blocked the sun, casting me in shadow. “Are you all right? Do you need help?”

“What kingdom is this?” I asked, struggling to my knees.

The woman offered her hand. I flinched, afraid to touch it.

Her act of kindness felt foreign and suspect, as if her fingers were a net waiting to drag me back to the sea.

My gaze trailed along her fine-boned wrist, the smooth unblemished skin, and I tucked my hands behind my back, horrified she might see the scrapes and bruises covering them.

Her gaze softened. I bit the inside of my cheek, hard enough for the pain to join the rest of the aches in my body. The last thing I wanted was anyone’s pity. Ignoring the fatigue weighing down my arms, I planted my palms into the sand and pushed myself up. I staggered as I regained my feet.

A light breeze could have knocked me over, and it almost did as the air gusted off the water. The surf swirled around my toes, then drained out to sea. But the ground felt solid and secure. I trusted it more than the stranger in front of me.

“It’s okay to go slow. You might have hit your head. You’re in the Kingdom of Ever.”

Home.

Fresh tears swelled, and it took everything in me not to crumple to my knees.

“Do you know your name?” The woman’s eyes widened as she looked over my shoulder at the horizon. “Were you in a shipwreck?”

I shook my head with a rueful smile. She wouldn’t believe me if I told her the truth.

“I’m fine, just disoriented. I went for a swim and got stuck in the current.”

“The sea is rough today. You should take better care of yourself. You might have drowned.”

Most days, I wish I had.

Giving her a placating nod, I brushed the sand from my skin. I took a wobbly step, testing my weight against my newly transformed legs. When I didn’t pitch into the sand, I took another step, inching my way up the beach.

The queen gave me three weeks to find the shard, and by the feel of it, I'd take three weeks just to walk properly. I should have bargained for more time.

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” she called after me. “I have a carriage waiting beyond the dunes, and we’re just about finished with our picnic. You look unwell. I can take you home.”

I hesitated and glanced at the woman over my shoulder.

A feverish shudder wracked my body. The thought of stepping into a confined carriage made me recoil, but the practicality was tempting.

At my rate, I’d keel over before I walked halfway to my destination.

If I died in a ditch after surviving three years of captivity, the joke would be on me.

“Are you familiar with the Moreland estate?”

The woman’s brow pinched. “You mean, Lord Moreland? You don’t want to go there.” Her gaze dipped to the filmy cloth gathered around my legs. “Not dressed like that. He’s a wicked man.”

I made a sound in the back of my throat.

Define wicked.

“I’m looking for his sister, Cassandra Moreland. It’s likely a fool’s errand. She’s hardly in residence.”

“Oh.” The woman’s voice dropped as if the wind might steal her gossip. “You mean, the lady who lives in the house of glass? She’s there, toiling away in her exotic garden. I hear she’s eccentric. Some call her a witch.”

Cass? I frowned at the picture the woman painted. She had the plants right, but a reclusive witch? I’d been gone too long, apparently.

“I’ll drop you outside the gate. You’ll have to find your way from there.”

“That’s more than enough.” I eyed her warily, then reached for the words that scraped like rusted nails inside my throat. “Thank you.”

The woman gathered her things and linked hands with her daughter. The simple gesture made something tighten in my chest, a flare of longing I hadn’t felt in years. It burned out quickly, the ash of hope whisking away on the wind.

My fingers curled into a loose fist. Any thoughts beyond my current mission could wait.

First, I had to come back from the dead.

** *

Blazing sunlight reflected off the wrought-iron framework and glass walls of the once grand conservatory. I shielded my gaze with the palm of my hand and took in the domed-ceiling, vine-covered panels, and creeping moss that clung to the tarnished metal.

Cass lives in that?

I wasn’t thrown by the building itself. The exotic plants, fragrant blooms, and wild aesthetic suited her. More so than her brother's Gothic mansion looming in the distance, nearly shrouded by dense trees. The Moreland residence was austere, even bathed in the warm rays of the sun.

What surprised me was that she was here at all. I’d always imagined Cass living off the land, exploring uncharted jungles in search of new plant species to name. Maybe she’d be married to a handsome botanist. One who’d mastered the art of carefully strewn rose petals.

Cass used to laugh at my romantic notions, teasing me for dreaming in a trade where men prized gold over a woman's heart.

And I'd had plenty of proof she was right.

Yet we'd still sit around the campfire, and she’d listen with bated breath as I recited another fairytale from memory.

I think part of her wanted to believe, too.

But she’d been right to laugh.

Love—the kind I used to dream about—didn't exist. And life wasn’t fair or kind, evidenced by the rumors that ran rampant about the young woman who hid among her plants. Though maybe Cass had the right idea. Plants never lie. They can't break your heart. Not like people.

A pleasant tune flowed on the wind, and Cass appeared, strolling along a winding path of leafy ferns and lavish blooms. She tipped a watering can toward the base of a giant sunflower, then reached up to brush the vibrant yellow petals.

I had the sudden urge to duck behind the conservatory. It was foolish of me to come here, but the luxury of time and supplies hadn’t washed ashore with me. I needed help. And if anyone knew where to find magic seeds that granted access to the realm in the sky, it was Cass.

She resumed her song, tucking a long section of blonde hair behind her ear. Cass looked the same as when I last saw her aboard the ship. She wore a comfortable linen dress with worn boots peeking from beneath the hemline.

I flexed my fingers, nerves making them tingle. There was still time to run. But unfortunately, no time to waste. I blew out a breath and cleared my throat.

“Nice place you've got here. I bet you can see the stars through the domed ceiling.”

Cass gasped and nearly tripped over a rock in the path. Her watering jug slipped from her fingers and crashed to the ground, water spilling at her feet.

“Marin?”

My throat closed so tightly at the awe in her voice that I couldn’t speak. I nodded instead, taking an instinctive step back when she took one closer.

Then she choked on a sob and leapt over the watering can, almost knocking me down as she dragged me into a fierce hug.

Panic raced up my spine, and my arms locked at my sides. I tried to tame it, breathing deeply through my nose, but it wasn’t enough. This was too much. Too soon. The glare of the sun, the thick fragrant air, and the warmth of human touch overwhelmed my senses.

Suddenly, I was drowning again; the air trapped inside my lungs. But Cass was crying. Her tears soaked my skin, and I forced myself to stay still. She reared back, asking a million questions at once.

“Where have you been? We thought you were dead. What happened?” She paused, and her gaze traveled over the colored length of my hair.

“It’s blue,” she said with surprise, before her eyes landed on the kelp wrapped around my chest and the sheer fabric clinging to my waist. Her brow creased. “What in the world are you wearing?”

I laughed despite myself. The answer to that question was as unbelievable as all the rest. Squinting against the sun, I felt my energy evaporating faster than the water she’d spilled on the path.

“Can we talk inside?”

“Of course! I can’t believe you’re really here.” She squeezed my shoulders as if to double-check. “Have you seen the others? Gavin—”