“Just find out,” he rumbled.
Two minutes.
Two minutes was all it took to confirm Eluned’s hare-brained scheme. I locked eyes with him, both of us gulping.
“Well, we can’t get to her in time to stop her, so start planning what we’re going to do,” he barked, already striding for the door. “I need to lock the rogues down, then I’ll be back. Come up with something good, witchling, or we’rebothdead.”
Then he stormed out of the kitchen, leaving me to stew in anxiety and exasperation.
“Thirty-six hours,” I whispered to myself. “Then Mother will be home.”
Damn you, El! How dare you do this to me?!
#
Eluned
The wedding gown was heavier than I’d anticipated. The lace clung to my skin, the layers of tulle and satin dragging like a weight around my legs. But I didn’t care. It was perfect. A vision. A statement. Serafina would see me rising from the lake like some vengeful goddess, and she’d know that her happiness was as fragile as glass.
That I could shatter it with a single, well-placed blow.
“Are you sure about this?” Ondine asked, her voice tinged with doubt. She was shaky and ancient, but she’d do. Her magic was strong enough to get me into Evermere, and that was all that mattered. She stood at the edge of the pool, her hands hovering over the water, her brow furrowed. “The wards around Evermere are no joke. If they catch you—”
“They won’t catch me,” I snapped, adjusting the bodice of the gown.
It was a little tight, but that only made me feel more powerful. Like I was wearing armor. And it made my tits pop. I couldn’t wait for Foster to see. Maybe he’d rip the silk and lace to shreds. The thought made my belly flutter and my thighs quiver.
“But if they do, they could trace you back to me,” Ondine whined.
“Sounds like ayouproblem. Besides, even if theydocatch me, what’s the worst that could happen? They send me back? They’re too soft to do anything worse than that.”
“TheCimmerians?Soft? Are you dense, little girl?”
“Serafina’s made them soft,” I scoffed. “You haven’t seen them since they married her. Laughing and dancing and fawning all over her. Even the blond one, taking curses for her.”
Ondine didn’t look convinced, but she went back to work without further arguing. Good. I didn’t have time for her cowardice. Foster’s words still echoed in my mind from yesterday, spurring me on.
“You’re an incredible witch, Eluned. A surprise attack sounds perfect. They won’t know what hit them.”
Foster believes in me,I thought with a smile, feeling invincible. And I believe in myself.
“Now send me through,” I said, stepping into the pool. The water was freezing, biting at my ankles, but I didn’t flinch. I waded in deeper, the gown billowing around me, the fabric darkening as it soaked up the water. “And don’t forget the monster. Something big. Something terrifying. I want Serafina toscream.”
Ondine nodded, her wrinkly old face shifting from doubt to determination. She rummaged around in a tall, wooden cupboard for a moment, then came back and handed me a token, a small silver lobster inside a clear ball, like a toy from a bubblegum machine.
“Take it out of the plastic and put it in the water when you’re ready for screaming to start,” she muttered.
Then she raised her hands, and the water around me began to churn, swirling in slow, deliberate circles. I felt the pull of her magic, the way it wrapped around me like a current, tugging me deeper. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. This was it. This was my triumph. My masterpiece.
“Ready?” Ondine asked.
“Do it!”
The water surged, and I went under. The weight of the gown dragged me down, but I didn’t fight it. I let the magic take me, let it carry me through the depths. The world around me was dark and silent, the pressure of the water pressing in on all sides. But I wasn’t afraid. Iwas exhilarated. I could feel the magic working, feel the distance between me and Evermere shrinking with every passing second.
I almost laughed, the sound bubbling up in my chest. This was going to be perfect!
The water shifted, and I was being pushed upward, toward the surface. I opened my eyes, the darkness giving way to faint, rippling light. The lake. I was there!
