So far, the score definitely seemed to be in Hailana’s favor.
Kona didn’t understand because he was selkie—and selkies, in general, were honorable and compassionate. Sure, there were exceptions to that rule—like Malu, the selkie I’d been forced to kill eight months ago to defend myself—but for the most part, the ones I’d met really did seem to care about each other and the world around them. I’m not sure I could say the same about mermaids—at least not most of the mermaids I’d had the misfortune of getting to know.
But Hailana’s court didn’t represent all the mermaids in the world, I told myself. It was just a small portion. Which meant that if I could stick it out here long enough to finish this death match with Tiamat, then—if I somehow managed to survive—I could find my own place, far from here. Cecily’s legacy, and all that comes with it, be damned.
I often wondered why my mother had chosen to return here. Could she really have been best friends with Hailana, like everyone said? I liked to imagine that the stories were mistaken, that they couldn’t be true, but honestly, I wasn’t so sure. My mother had abandoned her husband and three children without a backward glance. A woman who could do that, who years later could still plot to use her only daughter for her own means, was pretty much capable of anything.
Shoving the disquieting thoughts out of my head, I concentrated on clearing my mind. Doing some deep-water breathing. I needed to be as close to Zen as I could get when I went in to see Hailana, or she would dig until she found my weakness and exploited it.
Not this time, I assured myself as I stopped in front of her chambers. Today I was not going to let her rattle me. At all. As for the electric thing? I’d play it by ear, see how it went. If it was beneficial to me, and not just to her, maybe I would ask for help in understanding my new power. And if not, then there were other ways to get the information I needed.
After knocking on the door, I waited patiently to be admitted by one of her servants. But when it finally swung open, the merman standing there was definitely not like any servant I had ever seen.
Dark and gorgeous and full of life, with piercing blue eyes that looked right through me, he exuded power from every pore. He was as tall as Kona—which meant he was huge, as my boyfriend was close to six and a half feet tall in his human form—and heavily muscled. Even more disarming than that, though, was the series of dark blue tattoos covering nearly every inch of skin between his neck and his waist. They weren’t the kind you got in a tattoo parlor.
No, I thought as I tried to press forward into the room. These tattoos, with their slight phosphorescent glow, were like mine. Like Kona’s. Like Hailana’s and my mother’s. They were gifts from the sea, markings of true oceanic power.
I couldn’t help staring in astonishment. Not because he was the first merman I’d ever seen with such marks—he wasn’t, of course. But never before had I seen so many on one person. Not even my mother or Hailana, or even Kona’s incredibly powerful father, had close to this number.
Who is he? I wondered as I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. And why was he looking at me like I was a present he couldn’t wait to open?
Chapter 7
Come in, Tempest, Hailana called from within the chamber. Tearing my eyes from her mystery guest was more difficult than it should have been, but I managed as I stepped into the large, opulent room that served as Hailana’s meeting place while she was below the surface.
I expected the merman to move aside as I entered, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood right in the middle of the doorway so that I was forced to brush against him as I passed. Jolts of electricity shot through me, sizzled along my nerve endings, and if we hadn’t been underwater I would have sworn that I’d been burned. A quick, startled look at him confirmed he had experienced the same thing. Only he didn’t look at all surprised.
Who is he? I wondered again. He didn’t look much older than I was, but I’d learned that, down here, looks could be deceiving. After all, Kona—despite just having reached the end of selkies’ teenage years—was actually over two hundred years old.
Even more important than who the guy was, however, was the question of how Hailana was planning to use him against me. Kona would think it was crazy of me to be so suspicious, but I’d been around the merQueen long enough now to know that she never did anything without a purpose. And that purpose was always self-serving.
Come over here, Hailana told me impatiently. I don’t have all day, especially considering I’ve wasted most of the morning waiting around for you to wake up.
I’m sorry. My experiences yesterday left me quite … drained.She studied me through narrowed eyes, this frail, old mermaid who looked like she might shatter at any moment. But eight months of exposure to her had taught me that the frailty was only on the outside. Inside she was as tough, as unyielding, as a rock. And as she looked me over, I knew she was being meticulous in her search for a weakness. She found it in my almost completely healed tail. Did one of Tiamat’s soldiers do that to you? she asked.
Yes. I straightened my shoulders, tried to look as healthy as possible. If she sensed I still wasn’t 100 percent, she’d poke at me until I was too weak to continue. But it’s fine now.
Well, I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?
Shit. I obviously hadn’t done as good a job of faking it as I thought. What do you want, Hailana?
Queen Hailana or Your Majesty! she snapped back at me.
I stared at her with a look that was deliberately insolent. Of course. Your Majesty.
She looked ready to take offense at my provocation—which I knew was juvenile but so satisfying—when the merman cleared his throat.
Hailana looked at him and some of the fire died out of her eyes. Tempest, I called you here to introduce you to my grandnephew, Sabyn. Sabyn, this is Cecily’s daughter, Tempest.
Nice to meet you, Tempest. He stuck his hand out to shake mine, a friendly look on his face that did nothing to put me at ease. I’d learned from bitter experience with Hailana that sometimes smiles were sweetest right before you got stabbed in the back.
Even worse, the second our hands touched, electricity once again rocketed through me.
Sorry, he told me, so softly that I knew he didn’t want his aunt to hear.
No problem, I answered, though half my body ached from our contact.
Sabyn is going to take over your training, the queen said.
This startled me enough that I spoke without thinking. But why? Jared and I are doing great together.
Yes, well, Sabyn has much more experience with mermaids of your … ilk. As for Jared, he’s been transferred up to the Alaskan borders. I think he’ll do well there, don’t you?
I fought to keep my face free of the turmoil churning inside of me. Besides Mahina, Jared was my closest friend here—which was probably why the old hag had banished him. She was working overtime trying to bend me to her will, and the more I struggled to remain my own person, the worse it became for me.
Hailana could use whatever excuse she wanted, but I knew the truth. Jared was gone because he was one of my staunchest allies, and as such, was not to be trusted. What about his family? I asked, because I had to know. Jared adored his wife and infant daughter. Did they go with him?
The queen looked amused—and very satisfied—meaning I hadn’t sounded as nonchalant as I had hoped. But sometimes it was hard to keep my mouth shut. She was so heinous, so determined to get me to fall into line behind her, that she never missed a chance to exert her authority.