“You’re not wrong,” Ursuline said, a smirk on their lips. “Want me to order for you? In case it wasn’t obvious, I’ve been here plenty.”
“That works for me,” I said, relief prickling through me. I could barely focus on the menu let alone make a choice right now. Not with all the changes coming up.
“Cinnamon roll pancakes,” Ursuline said. “A club sandwich for me as well as a coffee.” They paused to look at me. “Coffee or tea drinker?”
“Tea,” I stated. “Coffee makes me too jittery.”
“I’ve got you,” Sofia said, passing me a kind look. “We’ve got a great tea selection.” With that, Sofia whirled around and headed for the kitchen. Her skirts swirled around her legs as she moved with a mesmerizing fluidity.
“She’s quite a woman, isn’t she?” Ursuline said, a low mirth to their tone.
I blinked, realizing I gawked, and another blush colored my cheeks. “Does she work here?”
“She’s the owner,” Ursuline said. “As well as a formidable witch.”
I nodded. “That makes a lot of sense.”
“You don’t seem twitchy to be in Haven,” Ursuline commented. “Unlike most of the humans I’ve met in your sphere.”
I shrugged. “I don’t share their perspectives. A kraken is the one who taught me art, and he’s probably the closest person in my life.”
Ursuline arched a brow. “How well known is this kraken in the art community?”
“Fairly,” I said, a hint of a grin on my lips. In the moments where despair crept in, I held those memories with Jason close to my chest. Maybe I’d still be able to see him. To go visit his home and find the escape I’d need.
“It wouldn’t be Jason VanStaten, would it?” Ursuline asked.
I blinked. I forgot I was around monsters here, not in my parents’ world, where only human artists and creators were lauded. “He was the best teacher I could’ve asked for.”
“If he deemed you worthy of teaching, I now want to see your work,” Ursuline said. “Jason is a close friend of mine.”
“Really?” I asked, excitement prickling through me. “What are the odds?”
“Mm, undersea monsters band together a little more than you’d think. The ocean might be vast, but the ones who traverse between this stretch of the sea and Peregrine City are limited.”
“What’s it like?” I asked, fascinated. “Being able to go to the depths like that?”
“For me, swimming is as natural as breathing, so the sea feels more like home than the land often does,” they said, one of their tentacles giving a lazy twirl. “Curious?”
“More than anything,” I breathed out.
“Sofia’s right,” Ursuline said, their voice low and decadent. “You’re sweet.”
A shiver rolled through me. “Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?”
They shook their head, a wan smile on their face, one that didn’t reach the shadows in their eyes. “In Peregrine City? You’ll get eaten alive.”
I swallowed hard. The warning in their voice, the seriousness, settled in my bones.
Those dreams of escape, of running free in the city felt so laughable when faced with parts I’d never even explored before.
Maybe I really was destined for nothing more than a gilded cage.
Chapter 6
When Ursuline finally dropped me off at the estate, I’d been tempted to beg them to stay.
Odd, seeing as they were a total stranger, but their formidableness filled me with the first bit of comfort I could latch onto.
