Page 72 of The Rose in the Shadows

“Most mermaids are.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Islept late into the morning the next day, and when I finally woke, Iris was still happily resting next to me, leaving me to wonder how long they had stayed awake talking after I had fallen back asleep. I didn’t check to see if Clay was still in my foyer; in my gut, I knew he was. So, instead, I took the brief moment of privacy to draw myself a warm bath. I took my time scrubbing off the marks of yesterday’s attack until my skin was red and raw and my fingertips were pruning. I didn’t want to see a single reminder of what had happened.

After what felt like an eternity of scrubbing, I combed through my hair and folded myself into a thick midnight blue robe that Nessira had hung on the door. But although my body was clean, my thoughts were still terribly muddy.

Would I ever be safe in this castle? Clearly, whoever wanted me dead was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure it.

The rest of our circle had arrived while I bathed, bringing breakfast treats. The smell of bacon was overwhelming as Istepped into my foyer and greeted each of them with gentle hugs. As I gazed over the cart stacked tall with an arrangement of fruits, cakes, and breakfast meats, I almost dissolved into tears once more. Usually, I’d protest the special treatment, but my growling stomach prevented me from being too stubborn, and I took the plate that Kent handed me gratefully.

“How are you feeling?” He asked as he stacked a steaming pile of pancakes high on my plate for me. I smiled my thanks as I folded into the couch next to Lorelai and avoided eye contact with Clay.

“After the attack or after Rankor’s workout?”

The room chuckled, and Rankor winked at me from where he sat folded with his elbows on his knees. “Just wait until the next one. Now that you can handle your own with a Dragon, I know I need to step things up.”

“She cheated,” Clay grumbled.

My back went rigid at the sound of his voice, but I kept my focus on the plate in front of me as they chatted about the palace repairs and made jokes to lighten the mood. I appreciated their efforts, but there were only two places my mind was willing to be today, and I wasn’t interested in spiraling over Clay and what I may or may not feel for him.

“So what’s next?” I asked, sharply. “This is the second attack by a Witch. Surely, that won’t go unpunished.”

Camilla, who sat perched on an armrest of a chair next to Kent, rolled her eyes dramatically. “You have no proof a Witch is responsible for this latest attack.”

Clay frowned, his jaw working to contain his frustration, though for once it didn’t seem directed at Camilla. I suspected he felt angered by still not being able to identify the attacker. Finally, he sighed, folded one leg over his knee, and resignedly raised a hand. “She’s right. An explosion like that could very well be from a Detonator of House Arto.”

Iris sighed as she met my eyes. “Two attacks on a Royal Family cannot be overlooked. It’ll reflect weakness in the ability of the Dragon to protect his own castle. He’ll be firmer in his investigation moving forward.”

The air thickened with tension, and I noticed Rankor’s eyes flicker worriedly to Camilla. She had averted her gaze, focusing instead on her cuticles, but her posture spoke volumes. It was strange to see her like that when I was so used to her haughty attitude and air of self-importance. Her hunched shoulders now told me all I needed to know about what a ‘firmer investigation’ meant. The Dragon would get information however he needed to, starting with another interrogation of the palace Witches.

“The court has already been assembled,” Clay informed me, standing and smoothing out his clothes from where they had wrinkled in his sleep. “You’ll need to speak this morning to show the world that this attack has failed and you are stronger than ever.”

I suppressed the urge to laugh. I didn’t feel stronger than ever. With my body aching and my heart leaping anytime Clay’s tenor voice rang through the room, I felt more like a scared teenager than I did a paragon of strength. Still, I nodded in agreement. I’d been expecting the Dragon would want a statement to be made, and I knew better than to think I could fight against his wishes.

“I assume this means I’ll need to wear another one of those ridiculous gowns.”

His lips pursed as he fought the urge to smirk. He failed, and those full lips turned up ever so slightly, causing my stomach to somersault. “I had something delivered while you bathed.”

“I’m sure you did.”

And in that moment, there was only him and I.

Eventually, the others began to clear out, and Clay instructed Iris to help me dress. Surely, I would need her help and expertise to paint away the purple bruises on my arms and shoulders fromthe blast. She nodded to him that she would care for me just fine and rushed him out of the room. As she shut the door behind him and locked it up, I sighed a breath of relief and threw my head back against the plush velvet of the settee.

I expected her to be comforting, to ask me if I was okay or pull me into a hug, and yet when I peeked open one of my eyes to glance at her, I found her glaring down at me with a raised eyebrow and arms crossed over the fabric of her orange tulle gown.

She always dressed in such elaborately detailed clothes, with flamboyant hairstyles. Seeing her like this, in just a simple gown with her hair in its natural brown coils and no paint highlighting the peak of her cheekbones or fullness of her lips, was a startling reminder of how serious last night had been. Her gaze was unforgiving as she tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for me to say something.

“What?” I asked, attempting to sound ignorant of her meaning.

She scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Don’t be coy. You’re a terrible actress.”

Well, yes. I was. But if only she knew that her very life often depended on my ability to perform well enough when the Dragon demanded it.

“I assure you, I do not know what you mean,” I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose as my headache from the night before began threatening to return.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m an Athenian Spy, Thea. My job is quite literally to tell when people are hiding things.”

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