Page 17 of Of Song and Scepter
And then I spot her: a tall, silver-haired female, dressed in an elaborate darksteel chest piece, standing with the erect posture of a royal, the rounded ears of magical blood. Nara calls out a greeting, and the female turns. Her eyes are a piercing shade of blue, nearly white, and she locks her gaze with mine. There it is, in her pale eyes—the appetite of a princess.
My stomach turns over, and my nausea returns. The female in my arms—my wicked little dancer—is not my betrothed. All the joy and anticipation slips from my body like water down a drain.
The female squirms again, trying to wiggle free. This time, I set her upright without a word. With the corner of her loincloth, she wipes my blood off her arm and steps away from me.
“Thank you,” she mutters.
“What are you?” I whisper, more to myself than anything. If the silver siren is the real princess, then this Abyssal female must be her special escort, a personal guard perhaps, or a handmaid.
The female, smoothing her spines into their sheath with the flat of her palm, stiffens.
“Enna, darling, come join us,” says the silver siren, stretching out her hand. “Clio was just about to give us a tour, if you’re done making…” She eyes me again, her gaze snagging on my bleeding side. “…friends.”
Three things happen at once. First, the housekeeper rushes forward, having spotted my injury. Clio flutters her hands and fusses, procuring a towel from her bottomless apron pouch.
At the same time, the captain chuckles. “Your Highness, allow me to introduce Prince Soren, crown prince of the Kingdom of Coral.”
And in my head, I hear the echo of the female’s name, meaningthe edge of a sword.A wicked name for my wicked beach dancer.
Enna. Enna. It feels like gritting teeth.
Chapter eleven
Enna
I sliced the fuckingCoral Prince.
The world tightens around me, and with it, my throat. If I thought the air on the beach was dry, it’s nothing compared to what I’m inhaling now. I can hardly breathe. Like a fish out of water, my mouth gapes and closes, gapes and closes, trying to pull oxygen from nowhere.
Since meeting him, I have flirted with him, insulted him, ignored him, scolded him, and then stabbed him. This male who is apparently the fuckingCoral Prince.
My cheeks flush with heat. I haven’t been in this kingdom for a day, and I’ve already fucked up the mission.
The housekeeper fusses over his wound. He stands there with a crooked smile, watching me.
“A pleasure to meet you, my prince,” says Odissa, her voice thick and sweet. She straightens from her curtsy and flashes him a brilliant smile. Guilt teases my thoughts, sour and unwelcome. Would the owner of this corpse have said the same? Would she have been pleased to meet him, given the chance?
The prince catches Odissa’s hand and lifts her fingers to his mouth, kissing them lightly. “Pleasure,” he says, wincing as Clio inspects his wounds.
Odissa’s gaze flicks between the prince and me, her lips tightening into a thin line.
“Enna?” Odissa whispers, her voice tight with control. “What is the meaning of this?”
My stomach twists, and I feel sick.Whatare you, he asked me, notwho. A subtle difference, but I read the meaning enough—I’m nothing but a monster.
I step away from the male, eager to retreat before I make a fool of myself. I scan the environment, searching for concrete details to calm my racing heart.
Odissa gives me a once-over and curls her upper lip. “You’re covered in sand.”
The entrance gate creaks on its hinges, closing with a metal clatter. I glance around. The prince and the captain are gone.
“Your Highness could have waited for me,” I snap, swatting at my legs to dispel some of it. It’s a harsh thing to say to a princess, and I regret my slip immediately, if only for our remaining audience.
The middle-aged housekeeper stands next to Odissa with her hands folded in front of her. Two fluttering ear fins frame her expressive blue face. She’s much prettier than the mermaids of the Abyss, and I blink, transfixed by the contrast. Her large, golden eyes study me in return, lingering on my loincloth.
I fidget with the fabric, wondering if it may be inappropriate. While Odissa wears the travel skirt and darksteel chest piece herborrowed body came with, my breasts hang bare, decorated only by sand where it clings to my sweat.
The housekeeper frowns. “Your Highness, would you like me to fetch some… more appropriate clothing for your attendant… before or after we get you settled in your room?”
