Page 41 of The Dark Sea Calls

“Nice?” Moira repeated the word three times. “Eating oysters on the beach isnice. Rainn Shallows, seventh in line for the Selkie throne, took youto his bed.”

“Could you lower your voice?” I hissed, placing a hand on her shoulder to force Moira back in her seat.

“I can,” Moira conceded. “I don’t understand why you’re not jumping from the table and dancing in celebration. He gave you his skin, and he fucked you har—”

“He didn’t give me his skin,” I corrected.

“Vehement denial aside, Rainn has made his interest clear. Barring a horrible performance in the sexual arts, I expected you to be happy. Aren’t you happy?” Moira cocked her head to the side in a distinctly Siren-like gesture.

“He wasn’t there when I woke up,” I told her, feeling my anger color my skin. “What kind of male takes someone’s body and then leaves in the morning?”

Moira sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Okay.” She nodded staunchly. “I can work with this. Should we push him into the canyon? Mix sand into his food?”

My brow furrowed. “Straight to revenge?”

“No one fucks with my best friend,” Moira placed her hand on her chest.

I heaved a sigh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I told her. “I feel like my emotions are underwater while I stand on the shore. I can’t reach them. So many things have happened, and I’m worried I'll break if I think about them.”

“You’ve been through a lot.” Moira’s gaze softened as she scooted closer. “You don’t always have to be strong. Arden told me that you were returning to the lake with the convey of soldiers.”

“I have to,” I sniffed before placing my hands over my eyes and grinding the heels of my palms against my cheeks. “King Irvine will kill me; he’s tried once and will try again. Tarsainn wants my head on a platter for killing their dowager queen. It seems that everywhere I go, I bring death and misfortune.” I pulled my hands away from my face; they were wet. “I’m trying so hard, Moira. I’m trying to be a good person. I’ve never raised a hand in anger. I’ve never stolen for my own gain. I kept my tongue inside of my skull every time one of those stupid courtiers chittered on about things they knew nothing about. About my mother. I’ve kept my head down, praying to Belisama that I wouldn’t succumb to the same madness as her, the madness everyone in that god's forsaken lake seems to believe I already have. You’re my only friend, did you know that? No one else wanted to get close enough to catch my insanity.”

“You’re not crazy, Maeve—” Moira sat up, anger flashing.

I held up my hand, spluttering a wet sound halfway between a sob and a laugh. “I might just be.” I turned my wrists over, brushing my thumb over the scar tissue from the High Throne. With a sigh, I explained the Kraken’s bargain and the similarities to the stone in the trench and the Heart of the Lake.

Moira sat back in thought, rubbing her chin. “I have to come to the lake with you,” she said, her eyes flicking to me.

“No,” I said, shocked by the power in my voice.

Moira ignored me. “It’ll be safer if I go to Cruinn castle with you.”

A host of arguments gathered on my tongue, but none made it out when Moira placed her hand on mine.

“If you argue with me, I’ll tell everyone that you used to think sea urchins were young peasants that had been cursed.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

Moira grinned as if she had won. “Test me. I dare you.”

We gathered in the cradle, just like any other day, only it was no longer a line of recruits with ungilded wings but a mass of Sídhe Sirens. Polishing weapons and stretching as they prepared for training.

Ever since childhood, I’d heard stories of the migration. Of dancing on the frosted sands and waking up new. Immortal.

I had risked Rainn’s life, and mine, for nothing.

My back ached from the stone floor in the hall of silvers.

My hand fluttered to my chest, willing some sort of change. Anything to prove that our late-night excursion hadn’t been for naught.

But there was no sign. No magical awakening or itching fingers, nothing to indicate that Belisama had gifted me with anything besides adrenaline from running for our lives.

I should have reached my magical majority.

Perhaps the gods hate me, I thought.

Arden stepped forward, addressing the herd of soldiers.

---