Before The War Of Five Kingdoms, this island was where the siren queen invited other rulers to come for peaceful revelry because, while part of our queendom, it was treated as neutralground. When the Spell was cast, the island stayed untouched by its magical border. With no enchantment surrounding it, the Northern Island is technically open to all.
The stone beneath my feet softens into something more polished as I enter the palace through a large archway. Sparkling tiles of gradient blue and shimmering silver and gold glint in the sunlight like tiny gems. Above me is a large chandelier, small shells in pale blue and iridescent white hang in long strands from five different tiers. Tall columns in the same dark stone of the cliff line the hallway on either side, images carved into them that are too layered with dust and dried salt for me to decipher. The tapestries between the columns are tattered, age fraying them into unrecognizable strips of fabric that gently blow in the breeze coming in off of the ocean.
My mother had said that the treasure room where the rings would be kept is beneath the first floor, a magical locked door leading the way to the underwater vault. Remembering her instructions, I make my way through the maze of the first level, having to turn back and retrace my steps twice, until I arrive at the door with the sea urchin handle. All the while an eerie feeling makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
Now, Aria, you must remember this next step. If you fail to do it, you will die, and I’d rather not have to wait weeks to realize you couldn’t complete this simple task.The memory of her words floods my cheeks with heat despite the fact that she isn’t even here. Huffing out a breath, I drag my finger along the sharpened points of the handle before pushing down. Once blood beads on my fingertip, I smear it on the center of the urchin, watching in fascination as the liquid seepsintothe unassuming metal and completely disappears.
The sound of locks sliding out of place echoes into the air, starting near the top of the wooden door and then traveling down until the last lock is opened and the door cracks open onits own. Hesitantly, I push it open a little more, poking my head just past it to see into the room. But it isn’t a room that lies hidden beyond; it’s a pool of glistening teal-colored water. The walls aren’t made of tan stone but dark craggy rock, as if this place was carved here before a palace was built atop it. I expect to be plunged into darkness when I step past the threshold and shut the door, but crystals spark to life all around me. Some are embedded into the rocky walls, while the distorted light of others glows beneath the surface of the water.
“Into the water and through the tunnel,” I whisper to myself, recalling my mother’s pointed instructions. I dive into the water and transform, my eyes quickly adjusting to the view beneath the surface. The colors of the crystals gleam in pink and purple and yellow, and the temperature of the water is surprisingly warm as it glides smoothly against my skin. I move in the only direction that I can, the pool narrowing the farther I go until rocky edges brush against my shoulders. There are no crystals to light this part of the tunnel, and I’m left to swim blindly in the dark. I stretch my arms out in front of me, fear trickling into my veins and making my heart pound heavily as I wonder if perhaps this is some kind of elaborate trap put in place by my mother to finally kill me.
Out of habit, I begin to repeat my mantra to myself:Jaw and shoulders relaxed, lips flat, spine straight, and attitude vicious.Over and over, I say the words, first in my head and then out loud as I swim in the oppressive darkness. Something brushes over my arms and down my body, its texture slimy and inducing a million different horrible images of what it could be in my mind, but I push forward. Light glistens farther ahead, growing brighter the closer I get. A crystal, green in color, finally breaks up the darkness of the tunnel. The same jagged dark rock surrounds me, although moss and kelp line its edges—giving answer to the earlier slimy feeling. The water levels are lowerhere, and when I pop my head up from beneath the surface, thousands of crystals shine in the rock all around me. Like gleaming stars of every color, they illuminate the dark space in a rainbow of brilliance.
I’ve never seen so many gathered in one place before, and I’m momentarily so distracted by it that I don’t notice all of the other items that are lying on natural stone shelves and stacked against the rock wall. Not until I shift and climb the three steps out of the water do I actually observe everything. Treasures and mementos that must date back to even before my mother and her mother. Older still if the film of algae covering some of the items is any indication.
I walk slowly, my gaze traveling over gold bracelets and necklaces with gems of all colors attached to them. There are conch shell helmets and armor, similar to the style the Queen’s Legion currently wears except for the silver metal that has been melted and infused into the material. Three swords lay propped against the rock, their hilts glimmering with what looks like opalescent scales, a round diamond set at the very end of each. A line of dark blue cuts through the shining silver of the blades, a faint magical sensation buzzing from them. In fact, this entire room feels as if magic is coating every square inch of it. I stand on my toes to peek at a shelf. Small daggers and jeweled pins line it, giving way to leather-bound books that don’t look decayed in any way. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I squat down lower to another shelf where I finally spot a collection of rings. Sifting through them, I find three that match my mother’s description.
While all three rings are gold and carved to mimic a spindly piece of coral, two have a small pearl in the center, while the other has a thin line of dark blue similar to the swords. I can’t tell if it’s a trick of the light or not, but it almost looks as if the inside of the pearls and the line of blue aremoving.Like mist is somehow trapped within them. Magic radiates from the jewelry,and despite the fact that it’s clearly siren power that is imbued into these items, I drop them into my bag quickly, eager to stop touching them. I take a final glance around the room, grateful I’ll never have to be here again, and dive back into the water.
Shutting the door to the vault, I head back towards the entrance of the palace. Perhaps it’s the unnerving silence or maybe my own imagination, but I can’t help but feel as if I’m being watched. My breaths rush in and out of me as I quicken my steps, checking over my shoulder every few feet. By the time I emerge from the palace and begin my descent down the steps carved into the cliffside, I’m practically running. When I reach the bottom, I sprint through the white sand, stumbling as I go, and back into the water, changing my form when I’m deep enough. Luckily, I find Mashaka a little ways offshore, his squeaks of surprise—or more likely annoyance—loud when he sees me.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say to him, and together, we begin our journey west towards the kingdom of the fae.
Chapter Fifty-Six: Rhea
“Good morning, Barron,” Isay cheerily to the guard, the window behind him allowing in a trickle of the early morning sun. His hands are laced together in front of him, and a wide smile brimming with joy greets my own.
“Lady Rhea, good morning to you.” I wave a folded-up letter in front of me, Barron chuckling as I hand it off to him. “Never would have taken the prince as one to pass love notes.”
Laughing, I shrug my shoulders as we both descend the stairs. “I think people often surprise us with what they are capable of.”
Barron hums, his baritone soothing. “Or maybe it just takes the right person to bring out a side of us we didn’t know we had.”
“Well, that is entirely too sweet, Barron,” I tell him as we reach the bottom of the stairs. “Please tell me you have someone special you’re using those lines on?”
Barron scratches the back of his neck, a boyish grin making his cheeks lift. “I’ve been married for ten years now,” he says, fiddling with the straps of the sheath that houses his sword, the hilt peeking up over his shoulder. I’ve never paid much attention to the weapons that the guards here have, but the sun hits the metal of it in just the right way that it highlights the small sun and moon engraved there.
“I hope they appreciate how sweet you are?” I question.
“I think they do.”
“Good. Please tell your crown princenotto lose this note and that I’ll see him later,” I say with a wink, turning towards the front doors. Barron laughs at my back, the sound echoing even as he walks to wherever Nox is with his father today. Nox had confessed to me that he misplaced my last note. I was happy that one in particular didn’t have anything overtly scandalous in it.
I only make it a few steps into the foyer before my name is called out. My magic surges within me at the familiar voice, and I internally curse at it to settle down before turning to face Haylee.
“Are you off to the training grounds?” she asks as she comes to stand next to me, her cheeks flushed and skin glowing against her all-black training uniform.
“I am. What about you?”
Folding her arms over her chest, she takes a deep breath before shaking her head. “No, I just finished my training for the morning.”
“Already? It’s barely past sunrise,” I say with awe, marveling at the fact that she managed to do anything at all before the sun was up. Nox is lucky if I give him a groan of acknowledgement when he kisses me goodbye that early. Although, with the nightmares coming back in full force these past few weeks since King Dolian’s appearance through the Mirror, I wasn’t sleeping as well or as much right now. Which means Nox isn’t either. My guilt at constantly waking him with my screams of terror in the middle of the night sits heavily in my gut.
Haylee smiles, her pretty pink lips showing off her perfect teeth. “You know how it is. When you want something badly enough, you will do whatever it takes to get there. By the way, you should be aware that you’ve made some enemies.” I blink in surprise as I stare at her, something sharp flashing in her gray eyes. “I’m kidding,” she says, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I overheard some of the women complaining that Nox has stopped training shirtless since you two have officially announced your courtship.”
“Oh, right,” I say around a forced laugh.
“Anyway, I better go say hello to my uncle before the council meeting starts. I’ll see you around.”
