Page 47 of Queen of Ever

Haddock blew out a breath.‘Fine, fine.Let’s get this done and then get me out of here before anyone decides to put the satyr in a cage for the next feast amusement.’He headed towards the edge of the water, looking around as if checking for something, then nodded to himself.‘Come, come, we need to get in the water.’

‘Right,’ I said uncertainly, remembering the last time I’d gotten into the water with him.‘Is this going to be like last time?’I asked as I reached the edge.I took my cloak off and handed it to Tarian.

‘No, different.We’re just reading the stars.No trances, no gods to see,’ Haddock said.

That was a relief.Meeting actual gods had been equal parts incredible and terrifying.Who knew what would happen if I had to speak with them again.I took a step into the water, the cold wrapping around my foot, up to my ankle, sending a shiver through my body.Then the other foot went in.How the hell was I supposed to go all the way in?It wasfreezing.And who knew what was living in that dark water.

‘Haddock,’ Tarian said, a warning in his voice, ‘no mistakes this time.’

‘No, no, no.Course not.No mistakes,’ Haddock stammered nervously as he coaxed me further in.

The icy water climbed up my legs, over my hips, to my navel before Haddock finally stopped, almost up to his neck in the inky black.‘This will do,’ he said with a tight nod of satisfaction.

‘What happens now?’

‘Take my hands,’ he said, holding them out to me.

I swallowed hard before I took them, nerves knotting my stomach.What if we got the information we were looking for and it made everything worse?What if all Haddock saw was me fulfilling that terrible fate Tarian had believed me bound to when he’d come to find me?If he had to choose between me and his crown, what would he choose?I looked over at him, my eyes drawn there despite myself, probably showing him everything I was feeling.He was leaning against the wall near the staircase, fingers on one hand tapping restlessly against the stone, watching me carefully.I had the sense he was ready to jump into the water after me, like he was remembering my last encounter with Haddock.

‘Concentrate,’ Haddock said, bringing my focus back to him.‘Clear your mind.You can close your eyes if you need to.’

Clear my mind?That might be easier said than done.But I had to try.I closed my eyes, focusing on the feel of the water seeping through my dress to chill my skin, the silence that filled the space around me, broken only by the faint sound of crickets chirping happily outside and the low buzz of wings—not like a fly, it was softer than that, almost musical.Soon it was a gentle hum that filled my ears, somehow drowning out the crickets but never getting louder.

‘Ah.Right.Not what I was expecting,’ Haddock said, and my eyes snapped open.The little lights that had been floating like lazy fireflies were moving in a slow swirl around us, almost concentrating their attention on us.Some drooped lower to hover above the water, balancing on the reflection of stars, making patterns in the surface.

‘What’s happening?’I asked.

‘Well…I don’t know.I’ve never seen this before.’

Some of the lights drew close to me, almost touching but not quite before floating back to join the swirl, and more still broke away to dip down to the surface of the water, where they seemed to hold in position.

‘Oh!’Haddock said, as if he’d just remembered something, and he began to scan the water.‘That one looks like a feather!… or a leaf…’ He kept scanning the water, muttering to himself, changing his mind several times.

I decided not to interrupt him, despite the fact that some weird shit was happening around me again.

The furrow in Haddock’s brow grew deeper as the seconds passed and his muttering grew silent, though his lips kept moving as more and more of the lights settled on the water and the swirl around us slowed to a stop.

Then they rose in a swarm, jolting my heart to a canter at the sudden movement, as though whatever forces had been pulling them had snapped all at once.They shot up towards the ceiling as a mass of fuzzy light, before they began to float back down again, lazy and directionless once more.It seemed they’d achieved what they had set out to do.I looked at Haddock, questions in my eyes, but he was too deep in his own thoughts to notice.

‘Come on, let’s get out.This water is bloomin’ cold,’ he finally said, as if he was coming back to his senses, though the frown didn’t leave his features.

He didn’t have to tell me twice.I made my way back to the shore, my body trembling with the cold that had begun to seep into my bones.‘Should have brought a towel,’ I said as I picked up my cloak.I put it on, knowing it wouldn’t do much to warm me up while I was dripping wet, but it was better than nothing.A moment later, arms were around me, chafing at my shoulders.‘You’re just going to wind up getting wet too,’ I said, but Tarian just pulled me closer.

‘So, what did you find out?’he asked Haddock as he trotted out of the water and gave himself a shake.

‘It’s ah, well… it’s complicated, Your Highness,’ Haddock said, the use of the title showing how nervous he was.‘I need time to decipher it.’

‘Then you’d better get started.’

‘I will, I will.I’ll get right on it.Soon as I get home.’

‘Oh no you won’t,’ Tarian said.‘You’ll stay right here until you have some answers for me.’

‘Tarian!’I chided.‘He can’t stay down here.’

‘It’s safe.We can get him food and whatever else he needs,’ Tarian said.‘And he’ll be extra motivated to work quickly, won’t you Haddock?’

Quickly would be better.If I knew how my fate was laid out, perhaps we could find a way to avoid it.‘I’m sorry, Haddock,’ I said, guilt twisting my stomach.

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