She was here.
Naiads didn’t travel often, and certainly not without a reason. They preferred to stay close to one another, not isolated like this one. Magic shimmered across the water in a thin veil. Low and melodic laughter twisted through the trees. “You brought me a gift.”
I didn’t smile. She was speaking about Ace.
Naiads didn’t compel obedience. They didn’t need to. They seduced, teased, and lured with a truth you didn’t want to admit—you wanted to go with them.
And if you did… Well, that was on you.
Naiads should never be underestimated. They should be feared and treated with respect and caution.
And I feared this one.
I feared the truth she possessed and the history she had with Ace.
We approached the bank slowly, every movement deliberate and careful. A circling ripple formed in the current like a predator deciding whether I was prey.
I crouched at the edge and touched the river with my bare hand, and let my magic bleed out as an introduction. I wanted to remind the naiad we had met before, and I posed no threat.
“We’re not here to harm you,” I said.
The river stilled and for a moment nothing happened. Would she swim away or pretend she didn’t hear us?
Then, she rose.
Glistening droplets clung to her iridescent skin like jewels. Her hair flowed behind her in thick braids intertwined with rivergrass, small seashells and blossoms. With a willowy frame, she looked as though water and moonlight forged her in a forbidden tryst.
She locked her gaze on mine, her sharp, unblinking eyes the same blue-green shade of deep water before a storm.
“Daughter of Mab,” her voice whispered. Her gaze landed on Ace, and she sucked in a deep breath. “Actaeon.”
“Hello, Avani,” he said.
She pressed her lips together as her gaze flicked between us, back and forth, her scowl deepening with each blink. “What do you want?”
I didn’t flinch. “We need your help.”
She tilted her head, amusement dancing across her face. “Most who come to me want power.” Her gaze drifted back to Ace. “Or pleasure. Or to forget.”
I stood slowly, magic still humming under my skin, and tried to squash the need to throttle her for simply looking at Ace. I couldn’t hate her just because she had a past with Ace. “I want a truth.”
Avani kept her gaze locked on Ace, not acknowledging I spoke at all. “This is why you left,” she said in short, clipped words. She swished the water around her. “She is why.”
Ace grimaced and stepped forward.
Avani held out her hand, indicating he should stop walking. “And now you’re here for answers.”
“There is something sinister going on around us and we’re hoping you can help us,” he said.
“Sinister?” She raised her eyebrows. “Does she know who you are?”
“Avani…”
“Does she know what you are?”
“I’m aware,” I whispered, and it changed nothing.
“Daughter of Mab, you are clueless if you are still standing beside this man. If you knew what he could do…”
