Page 68 of The Dark Sea Calls

“She’s dead. Uh-huh.” I nodded.

Elsbeth exhaled sharply, in a move that I realized was uniquely Kelpie. A horsey kind of noise. “That’s why my brother refused to join the Mer campaign,” she said, speaking to herself more than to me. “I’d like to have this information in the future.” She waved her finger at me. “I can’thelpif I’m ignorant of your relationships and their politics.Belisama’s ballsack, when I find my Shíorghrá, I hope they don’t give me half as much trouble as you seem to bring.”

I tried not to let her words offend, but they hurt my heart just a little. “Rainn and I are Shíorghrá,” I told her.

Elsbeth rolled her eyes. “You carry his skin around with you everywhere you go. It was kind of obvious.”

“Did everyone know except me?” My face folded in on itself. Rainn’s hurt expression flashed before my eyes. “Rainn told me it wasn’t his skin!”

“Well, duh,” Elsbeth clucked her tongue. “It became yours when he gave it to you. Semantics.”

“Trickery,” I corrected with a hiss.

“It’s the Selkie way.” She shrugged.

“Well, your brother isn't my Shíorghrá.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “He's lying to you.”

She lifted a brow. “You have said yourself that you’ve seen his markings.”

“Tor’s tattoos?”

“Shíorghrá markings,” She interrupted with a knowing look.

“Aren’t Shíorghrá markings supposed to glow?” I asked reluctantly.

“Kelpie markings don’t,” Elsbeth pointed out, holding back laughter. “You have two mates with Shíorghrá bonds, and you didn’t know?”

“I haven’t reached magical majority!” I protested.

Elsbeth gave me a long look. “You were on my back. I felt your magic. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

I sank to my butt, sitting on the damp floor, staring at nothing. “I haven’t reached my magical majority,” I echoed again. Everything I knew was crashing down around me. I had discounted every thought and feeling to fit my narrative, one where I held no magic and wouldn’t recognize my mates because I hadn’t completed the migration. What did the migration even mean if not to meet the gods and get our magic?

I didn’t know what was real. I couldn’t think. My mind had reached the end of the path and decided to turn to fog. No matter how much I pressed, I couldn’t tell the difference between reason, truth, or lies.

It was too much.

Elsbeth waited until I had gathered my wits enough to stand before she helped me up and urged us both through the shadowy pond and back to the Reeds.

I had to admit that it was beautiful. A shimmering city of light in the darkness, like hundreds of thousands of fireflies.

It wouldn’t be hard to stay here, I realized.

To ignore the war on the other side of the reed wall and allow the Kelpies to protect me.

But I couldn’t do that to Liam.

He would die if he didn’t get out of the iron chains. If Cormac didn’t kill him when he realized I wasn’t in Cruinn.

Elsbeth directed us both to one of the higher balconies at the castle's center. I had expected us to sneak in, but a wave of noise greeted us as we swam past the open doors into the room.

Straight into the throne room.

Filled with courtiers, with Tormalugh and Rainn on a platform overlooking the crowds of Fae, Elsbeth grinned and dropped down, allowing her feet to touch the mosaic floor. I supposed there was no reason to sneak around if you were royal.

Tormalugh stood up, looking at me as if he had seen a ghost. Standing to the left of his throne, Rainn dropped his arm from where he had rested it on the back of the obnoxious chair. Both men raced forward, but Tor was faster, his jaw gritted and his eyes alive with something I could only describe as rage.

I held up my hands, thinking of a dozen ways I could apologize for running away to spy on the Merfolk soldiers traveling past the Reeds and then another dozen ways I could defend my actions.

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