I wanted to spit at her, but I bit back the urge while Lukas slipped my arm around his.
“Are you alright?” he murmured.
Catching my breath, I nodded. “I will be.” My free hand buried itself in the skirt of my chemise. “But perhaps we should find a way out?” Despite the merfolk giving us space, I could still feel their spindly hands on my skin. I needed somewhere quiet and dark. And I needed it now.
“Don’t leave my side.” His grip on me tightened while his smoky eyes scanned for the exit.
“You must forgive my darling daughters.” The Queen’s booming voice filled the ballroom once more. “And Adriana too.”
Reluctantly, Lukas spun us around to see the Sea Queen rising from her throne. Everyone, aside from the two of us, bowed accordingly. Long indigo hair fanned around her face while she studied us all, passing a gracious smile towards Lukas.
“Please join me up on the dais and our celebrations can continue,” she carried on, beckoning us over with a flick of her wrist.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Lukas replied coolly, “but unfortunately we cannot stay. We are needed back in Ryntook.”
“Nonsense!” the Queen scoffed. “You always have time for your Auntie Vearla, and besides, it’s my birthday.” Then she turned to her side, bellowing, “Guards!”
My pulse quickened.
“Please escort my dear nephew and his pet up onto the dais.” Her smile returned just as quickly as it’d left before she settled back into her throne. “And fetch us another chair.”
A low growl vibrated through Lukas as guards closed in on us.
“Stay close to me,” he whispered, his arm pressing me against his side. “We’ll leave as soon as we can. Even if it means I have to resort to less polite methods…” His voice trailed off and I could’ve sworn I felt something crackle below the taut skin of his chest. My lips parted. Perhaps it was just the light from the pearl chandeliers but there was something different about his face too. Like all the colour that wasn’t there before had somehow flooded back. He looked more… alive.
The intense music and dancing resumed as we were marched up to the dais. But the moment we reached the Queen – orVearla– my feet paused in front of a lone shell chair.
“For you and your pet.” She grinned at Lukas, motioning to the chair that’d been placed beside her.
My breath caught. Surely they could bring us a spare? But before I could ask, Lukas took a seat and pulled me swiftly into his lap. When his arm curled around my waist, I squeaked in surprise.
“Quiet pet,” he murmured, though his words were loud enough only for me to hear. I had no issue with sitting in his lap. None at all. We were engaged to be married and I’d sat on his lap before. Only this time, the only thing standing between my racing heart and his bare torso, was a thin chemise that did little to protect my modesty. Not that modesty seemed to be an issue here. Some of the merfolk that twirled around the ballroom wore nothing more than a few small shells to cover their breasts. Even Queen Vearla’s chest was barely covered in a pearl-decorated seaweed top.
Indigo hair swept around her shoulders as she watched us both curiously.
“There is so much I wish to learn about you, dear nephew,” she started with a grin. “And your pet too.” Something glinted in her yellow eyes as her gaze flicked to me.
“There is not much to learn,” Lukas said dismissively. “Our lives are very boring.”
I almost wanted to laugh. But I kept my focus on the mermaid as she leaned against the armrest of her throne. “Hmm,” she murmured. “And what of my sister? How is she faring now she’s lost that metal-workingkingof hers?”
Lukas stiffened. I wanted to answer for him.Let’s just give her enough to satisfy her curiosity then we can somehow sneak out of here.But his hand tightening on my thigh kept me silent.
“She is well,” he replied gruffly.
The conversation proceeded like that for what felt like days, but couldn’t have been longer than a few hours judging by the loud party that continued around us. Occasionally, turtles floated past, their shells laden with brightly coloured canopies, which Vearla helped herself to before jumping into another prying question. Lukas kept himself closed off for each of them, his annoyance growing with every clipped word until the Queen began to speak of other things. She spoke of her kingdom, the vast oceans she had control over, her ten daughters (excluding Adriana), her husbands. Plural.
I could almost feel Lukas’s displeasure rolling off him as she described the handsome sailors she’d charmed and trapped here. A few even danced amongst the other merfolk on the dance floor.
“There’s Pierre.” She pointed to another muscular human man dancing with one of her daughters. “I spottedhim on one of those disgusting merchant ships that humans plough through my oceans with.” She curled her lip, as if the very thought offended her. “I was going to sink the whole thing but then I saw Pierre and…” She sighed wistfully. “Well, then I had another wedding to plan.” A cackle burst from her chest while my hands became fists.
I didn’t have time to ponder if merfolk or faeries were worse as a shrill voice came from the base of the dais.
“Mother?” a young mermaid princess with bright orange hair called up to her.
Queen Vearla smiled sweetly. “Yes, my little angel fish?” I couldn’t help but cringe at their exchange. She may be one of the youngest, but she was still surely older than eighteen.
“Erica, Seycha, and I were wondering if we could borrow our cousin for a dance?” the princess asked shyly, shooting Lukas a grin.
