“What?” I said.
Maggie took my arm and I had to sheath my sword so it didn’t touch her.
“Yeah, we’re not leaving here without breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day. Extra eggs and minerals for strength and lasting energy. No sugar before battle. You’re not getting chocolate or anything.”
Maggie dragged me downstairs and all but forced me into the one chair in the small dining room. Though the chamber looked little used, Arthur gently cared for the space. It was swept, dusted, and the wood wainscoting polished. Maybe he took his meals here because the other chairs were missing and the table only showed wear at this one setting. It would have been quaint if I hadn’t been filling it with a terrifying bulk of military might.
Maggie woke Arthur, who startled when he saw me in all my glory and quickly scurried to the kitchen to do whatever Maggie said.
I should have eaten before I put on the armor because Arthur would not stop staring as his tiny dining room flickered with my annoyed shadows. The eggs and toast and sausages didn’t tame their agitation but Maggie pulled up a crate, eating with me, like it was a perfectly normal breakfast and the armor next to her wasn’t breathing with menace and a thread of death. Anxious toleave, fidgeting with a creak of metal, I looked to the door whenArthur brought out a quiche, which I didn’t have room for anyway. I refused to acknowledge how smug my Nightmare was that our Mate fed us and finished as quickly as possible.
I started to stand up from the table and Maggie put a hand on my gauntlet.
“Let’s take a walk. You need to digest before battle or your stomach will cramp.”
My patience snapped. “We will walk to the mermaid’s house.”
Maggie rolled her eyes hard enough to make me want to throttle her. “I’m just trying to help.”
“Help send me to my death?”
She paused, as if realizing what she was doing and composed her face into more somber lines. “Of course. Nevermind what I said. I hope your stomach cramps you in half. Let’s go.”
Finally. All this domesticity was making my stomach clench anyway. Arthur cast a cheery blessing on us as we left the inn and I wasn’t quite sure if he realized my mission was to kill one of his fellow townsfolk. He seemed happy to help, regardless.
The walk down the cliff stairs was even more terrifying in armor. I didn’t glance down, afraid I would teeter right off the edge. It would have been a perfect opportunity for Maggie to kill me if she hadn’t been staring at my ass like she saw through the culet.
Townspeople fled back to their homes when they saw us. Maggie gave a cheeky wave to that Tuna man. He turned green at the sight of her. I dragged her forward to walk in front of me. Vera’s house came into view as we mounted the small rise and I summoned my helm. Maggie gasped as I settled it on my perfect hair. The cheek plates, visor and bowl were pure Elvish design but a brace of twisting horns sprung from the top rather than silk or Hippish hair.
Sometimes everyone needed to be reminded I was a Nightmare as well.
The cottage stood dark when we arrived at Vera’s front door. I wasn’t about to knock politely. I would finish this one way or another.
“Come out, mermaid, and meet your reckoning.”
Maggie snorted out a laugh that I ignored. If we started, we were going to end up killing or fucking each other. Today, I needed to take a step closer to my crown.
“I will have the Calix so you might as well bring it out with you,” I called into the morning air.
Banging and crashing sounded in the cottage before Vera ripped the door open, still in a floor-length nightgown. Her white braid swung around to tap her chest as her forward momentum took her to the first step.
“What in the high holy hells are you squawking about–Oh!”
She assessed me slowly and with less fear than I would have liked entered her eyes.
“I'm going to need a shawl for this,” she said.
I looked to Maggie. Godds knew why. She just did some stupid human gesture with both her upright thumbs, settling herself on a nearby stump to watch. We would have words later if that was a curse.
Vera returned with two shawls and the Calix. There was no mistaking the green gleam of fertility magic across the metal or the wild roses sluggishly twisting to form a guard. Vines with wicked thorns moved as if they too were waking up as they wrapped around Vera’s forearm. She took a few experimental swipes with the sword and I held my ground, not at all worried about the powerful blows.
“Ready yourself,” I said.
I wanted to give her a fair shot but I would take her life if there was no other way. I spread my stance for battle, calling the night terror into my hands. My hair whipped behind me and shadows danced across the sand.
Maggie might have been clapping, but it was hard to hear over the magic I called forth. The song of earth and living things poured into my chest. The taste of crushed herbs filled my mouth and my eyes glowed ruby as my Nightmare stirred to life even during the light hours.
“Whoa, whoa. What’s all this then?” Vera held out a hand, shaking her head.
