Arden pulled Selene down on the couch beside him. Iris watched as Selene scooted an inch away, a move so small that it was almost imperceptible. Her friend was ruffled. And Selene hated to be ruffled.
But before Iris could read more into it, Carm was making a beeline for her, her heels clicking on the stone floor. She shooed Iris into a curtained-off dressing room and shoved gown after gown at her.
Both she and Arden had been ruthless with their criticisms of the gowns, with Selene throwing in her usual clap-backs and support.
Iris knew it the moment she moved out from behind the curtains when they finally landed on the right gown—and thank the seas, because there were only three left.
It was a satin halter gown with a gathered waist and a pooling hemline in a stunning shade of ‘Sienna rose.’
“Wow,” Selene said, nodding. “That’s the one. For sure.”
“It is so close to perfect. But do you have it in blue?” Arden asked.
“Why does it have to be blue?” Selene asked.
“It goes with the whole mermaid thing.”
“The whole mermaid thing being, you know, her entire identity? For goddess’s sake, you don’t have to keep shoving that down everyone’s throats.”
Arden considered her words. “I don’t know if Henry will agree with that, but he’s not here. All right, Carm. Let’s ring this up.”
With that, Arden’s arm finally fell from Selene’s shoulders. Iris could have sworn there was something akin to disappointment on the witch’s face.
“Come on,” she said, fighting through those feelings Iris imagined she wanted nothing to do with. “Get back in your street clothes. You must be ready for another hot pretzel by now.”
“And a good book and comfy clothes,” Iris agreed. “And about a week of nothing to do.”
Fate—and Henry—had other plans for her.
18
Iris
“What, exactly, is a town hall?” Iris asked, still only half-awake after staying up until almost sun-up reading the Caprica Coraline novel Selene had handed to her as they parted ways at her shop.
It had been a giant mistake.
She really needed to be avoiding romance. Especially ones that got spicy.
She’d lain there afterward, pulse pounding, desire thrumming, just trying to talk herself out of walking into the living room and climbing on top of Finn.
“It’s a meeting with various constituents,” Henry explained as she dropped down on one of the island stools, leaning forward to rest her head on her arm. “In this case, it will likely be heads of various paranormal interest groups. It gives everyone a chance to ask Finn about his stances on certain subjects. Or request he focus on problems theyand their communities are facing. I imagine there is something similar in your kingdom.”
Iris’s memory flashed back to endless meetings sitting in the throne room, listening to her mother and the advisers work through issues various merfolk were facing.
“Something like that,” she agreed. “Why do I need to be there?”
She knew she was being surly. She had a book hangover and hadn’t had a cup of …
A mug dropped down in front of her face, making her head angle up to see Finn giving her another of his tight, fake smiles.
“Look like you needed that.”
“Thank you,” she said, perking up from just the scent of it.
“The short of it is … Finn’s opposing candidate’s wife goes everywhere he goes.”
Oh, Selene would have a field day with that.
