Tessa glared at me angrily, but I knew that look was for those who’d taught me to be ashamed. “Whoever did that is an imbecile and a rotten asshole.”
I laughed, having not heard those sorts of words come out of Tessa’s mouth before.
“You are utterly gorgeous, Jessa. Even the pretty glowing dots all over you. Is that because you’re a nendovir?”
I wanted to tell her the truth, but I still feared becoming a pariah among the clan. Tessa had been nothing but kind to me, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t warn her mate that I had the ability to kill anyone at will if I wanted to. So I lied.
“Thank you. Yes.” Though my claws had come out, I hid them in the water. My fangs had descended but I ducked my head and hid those as well.
I wouldn’t explain to her what my true purpose was. What this ethereal glow was meant to do— entrap men so that I might kill them.
“The language you spoke was lovely,” said Tessa, seeming to know I wanted to change the subject. “What were you saying?”
“It’s a sort of request or plea to the water, asking her to be transform for us and nourish our cold bodies with warmth.”
“Well, this is a gift beyond my imagining.” She paused. “How long will it last? Can the men enjoy it after us?”
I nodded. “I think so. I can ask the water when we are done.”
“What a magnificent kind of magick, Jessa. You should be so delighted the gods gave you such a gift.”
I smiled and nodded, turning to dip my head back and wash my hair. But I’d simply wanted to end this conversation. To not have to talk about this anymore.
My family had never expressed pride or admiration for my magick. It didn’t matter that my sisters were also willodens. It was my secret skill as a syrenskyn that made me an outcast in my own home—to everyone but my brother. Even servants shook with fear around me and avoided me. I wasn’t afforded the custom of most royal princesses—a servant to help me bathe or dress, like I’d suddenly decide to kill them out of sport or something.
Perhaps it was for the better. It taught me to be more independent, to learn to do things for myself. It was one of the reasons I had the courage to flee that awful place, to try and find a life of my own.
I’d been taught since the first moment my skin glowed and I revealed the syrenskyn markings to my mother that my magick was meant for only one purpose—to seduce and kill men. At that moment, I had become a weapon. And while my father had no enemies in Morodon, other light fae certainly did. He knew it would gain him a hefty marriage price in exchange for me.
Indeed, it had. Apparently, Lord Gael was a wealthy man, and he’d given my father chests of gold and jewels to gain ownership of me in marriage. I was sure that my father hadcursed me every moment of every day since I’d ran away from home months ago. And honestly, I didn’t care. He’d never loved me. Not like he’d loved Draydyn. Only his son was worth his time and effort. Daughters were merely bargaining chips for gaining wealth.
That was why my fear began to escalate when Draydyn died. Draydyn was the only one who protected me. When he was gone, I knew my days were numbered. And I was right.
“I’m heading back now,” Tessa called as she stepped out of the water and onto the bank, using the absorbent blanket to dry herself and Saralyn. “I’ll need to get Saralyn close to the fire to dry off fully. Don’t be too long.”
“I won’t,” I said, wading to the farther bank, enjoying the warm rush of water on my skin.
Tessa redressed, slipping her cloak and hood on and wrapping Saralyn in her bundle. “I’m leaving you this blanket to dry off.”
“I’ll be along soon,” I assured her as she set off with Hallizel flying above them.
I needed a moment to myself. A sort of grief had taken root in my chest and I couldn’t pluck it out. It wasn’t that I’d lost my family when I left Morodon—it was that I never really had one in the first place. Only my brother. And when he was gone, I had no one.
Here, in this clan, I could see the beautiful bond of family. How it was supposed to be. And though they’d allowed me to stay—for now—I didn’t belong here either.
“She thought this a gift,” I murmured to myself on a sigh, staring down at my arm, half in and half out of the water, glowing bright, the luminescent markings pulsing with magick.
“It is certainly a gift,” said a wispy voice.
I jumped, peering into the reeds that grew on this side of the bank. Two bright green, luminous eyes—like the first leaves of spring—stared back at me from just above the water’s surface.
“Who are you?” I asked, lowering my body into the water, as if shielding my nakedness would help.
Fluidly, the naiad glided out of the reeds. Her ears had three points rather than one, shaped like the fins of a fish. Her butterfly-blue hair cascaded in long strands, streaming through the water. Her body was a mesh of vibrant blues and greens, glowing with luminescent light beneath the surface of the pool. It did not escape me that her skin bore similar markings as mine. I’d seen them on others before, but it always shocked me to see that I shared this with naiads.
“I am Zella.”
“I am Jessamine,” I said hesitantly. I knew that naiads could be hostile, though this one seemed rather friendly.
