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Has he always looked like…that?

Layne laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, now, why would I do that? How boring. But, you know what’s not boring?” He vanished again, appearing right above me upside down, his face dangling in front of mine. “That show you put on up there. Very dramatic. I felt your rage all the way down here!” He flashed his grin.

I lurched backward, clenching my jaw. “How did you even know?” I asked.

He paused, flipping upright again. “I made you princess, you think I can't see everything you’re doing?”

The muscles of my stomach tensed at the thought of him spying on me, but I tried not to give it much stock. I couldn't be sure that what he was saying was the truth or another one of the games that he seemed to love playing with me. “Get away from me, Layne. Seriously, you’re not wanted here.”

He frowned, but his smirk returned quickly after. “You know you’re right, actually. I don’t know if you need me at all. You handled him like a pro. I didn't have to hold your hand like last time or anything.” He slowly circled me, his body a blur of dark shadows and pale iridescent skin. He paused in front of me, slowly reaching for my face. “Although…you did almost lose it there at the end, so maybe some more private lessons are in order, no?” He beamed back at me, his smile almost as bright as his eyes were.

“I don't need any more lessons,” I said, jerking my head away from his hand. “I need answers.”

“Ah! There's that fire!” He growled, studying my face with admiration. “That’s what I like about you, Evelyn Graymore. That inextinguishable flame…not even drowning could put it out.”

Was that supposed to be a compliment?

“That bastard almost told me where Preston was. It’s been a month, and that was the best lead I’d gotten, which isn't saying much.” Frustration spread across my face, and my nails bit into my palms. As much as I had reveled in the moment, it still wasn't Preston. No matter how much I pretended and wished it were.

“Patience,” Layne said.

I’d been patient enough. “And, what even happened up there? My compulsion failed. I had him right there, and it just stopped working–”

“Tsk tsk tsk—how ungrateful,” he mocked, turning his back to me.

“Stop deflecting,” I snapped, my tail pounding the sea floor. “You’re not telling me something, and it ruined my only chance. This is your fault!”

Layne’s expression shifted, and the water around him rippled as the grin on his face dropped, giving way to something dark and sinister. His body brimmed with shadows that billowed off his muscles, and the dark veins across his body pulsed with power.

His voice was sharper now, his words cutting through me. “You pushed too hard.” He shot towards me, eyes boring into mine. “I told you that there were limits and rules of the curse. You can't just do whatever the hell you want,” he snapped.

Slowly, I glided away, fear creeping over me. I hadn't been this scared since I'd watched him transform that first night. “I needed more information. I was just⁠—”

“And you almost died for it. What good would it do you then? The longer you starve yourself, the weaker your magic becomes. Push it too far, and everything breaks down.” He towered over me, his shadows enveloping us both until all I saw was the blaze of his eyes and darkness. “The glamour. The golden song. All of that goes out the window if you push past your limits.”

“So what the hell am I supposed to do, Layne? Feed and then just scurry back here? How the hell am I supposed to find Preston then?” My voice was meeker than I would have liked.

Layne’s shadows slowly waned as I watched the anger in his face subside. He sighed and shook his head. The charming mask fell right back into place, and the tension in my body eased up.

“No. You just need to plan better.” He laughed and drifted back, resting on his throne of shadows, which he conjured so effortlessly.

I hated that he was right. I had never gone that long on land without feeding. Unfortunately for me, it couldn't have been at a worse time. “You know…you could have told me this before. I might have been able to avoid all of that,” I said, shooting him a sidelong glance.

A smile spread across his face, no trace of the menacing darkness from earlier, but I knew it was just below the surface. “Where’s the fun in that, darling?”

I clenched my teeth and glared back at him.

I want to wipe that stupid grin off his face.

“Oh, don't be angry,” he quipped, “Pain is the best teacher, wouldn't you say?” He leaned back on his throne, the smugness dripping from his grin. “Besides, you don't strike me as someone who would make the same mistake twice.”

Regardless of whether he was right, I wasn't giving him any more satisfaction than he’d already gotten from me. “Fuck you, Layne,” I said.

His eyes lit up. “Maybe later. I’m a very busy man.” He winked and mimed a kiss, his devilish grin returning.

My face burned red, but I quickly cooled myself, manipulating the temperature of the water around me. Regardless of whether Layne was some kind of God, devil, or angel, it didn't matter.

Ultimately, he was still just a fucking man. A stupid, crude, annoyingly attractive-looking man.