Page 49 of Surfaces
I maintained steady eye contact with the mayor, until he was forced to look away by someone asking him a question. Still, that felt like another tiny victory in this battle of wills.
I felt a bit smug, considering the asshole had tried to publicly humiliate me. I couldn’t lie to myself and pretend I didn’t care because I did. I’d have to find a way to thank Gita later for the dress. And Watkins…I still didn’t quite know what to make of him and his help.
I turned to see some of Gorgono’s servants closing the skylight, making the ballroom darker, though it wasn’t completely black. Somehow, the remaining walls, those that weren’t white, had a luminescent quality, and people who swam near them were lit up, their arms or tails glowing slightly different colors. I swam over to investigate.
No one immediately approached me, so I had a moment to examine Gorgono’s ballroom. The crystals were clearly only on the outside of the walls. The octagonal room was made out of perfectly pure white plaster walls. Against one, an orchestra floated and strummed mostly on stringed instruments, accompanied by a low hand drum thumping occasionally. Against another wall were refreshments. A third was obviously set aside for dancing. But then the others walls were fantastic art pieces.
I blinked as I stared at them. They didn’t quite look like murals. But what were they? There were absolutely gorgeous tableaus of mermaids perched upon piles of gold and sand dollars, strands of pearls dripping from their necks and wrists. The only odd thing was, they were upside down. Suddenly, one of them moved, slowly lifting her arm and pushing her hair back over her shoulder.
Julian and Stavros approached me together, the scientist stopping right at my side. “Those camera obscura scenes are amazing aren’t they?”
“The what?”
“Gorgono has an inventor who came up with this tower. There are pinholes drilled into the walls. That lets in light from the adjoining rooms. Those rooms are set up with a lot of magical lanterns and several mermaids hired to pose for the night.”
“He definitely likes to showcase his wealth,” Stavros added.
I stared again at the wall. “Fascinating. But why are they—”
“Upside down?” Julian puffed up a bit, eager to explain further, happy to find me interested. “Nobody knows. There’s a strange effect. It can be counteracted with mirrors apparently, but this room was set up when the obscura was first invented, before such advancements.”
A mermaid on a wall full of golden goblets sneezed in her spot. “It’s like a living portrait.”
Julian nodded. “All due to the brilliance of science.”
“Yes, but don’t you think a spell could possibly have done the same?”
“Perhaps, but the ingenuity?” Julian countered, raising his bronze hand to gesture at the wall. “The incredible power of the mind…isn’t that a great feat in and of itself?”
Stavros smiled brightly at Julian and I felt admiration swell inside my own chest. I tossed a hand onto Julian’s arm. “You’re right. That’s true.”
Julian gave me a shy grin in return but as soon as he did, a flash of anger hit me with the force of a portcullis smashing down on my head.
Shite.
I stepped back from Julian, giving the mint-haired siren an apologetic look. “Excuse me. I need to go get a drink before I mingle endlessly.” He and Stavros gave me polite nods, though Julian did seem slightly startled that I was swimming off mid-conversation.
But the consequences of my magic must have just hit. There must have been a delayed effect. I was glad to have the excuse of my heavy train to dig my hands into my long silk skirt and clench something.
I made my way to the refreshments with Felipe and Ugo trailing me. Of course, Felipe didn’t miss a beat. “Everything alright, Majesty?” he asked in a soft undertone, once we reached the heavily laden tables.
“It’s perfect,” I lied as I grabbed a chilled silver goblet of fermented bubble.
Felipe reached for the cup and pulled it out of my fingers before he deliberately took the first sip to test it. “Liar,” he whispered as he handed it to me with a nod.
I tried hard not to stare as he licked his lips.
“You’re right. But it’s not something we can discuss here.”
“Itissomething we can discuss?” Felipe asked gently.
Tension mounted as I stared at him for a long moment, weighing everything from the steadiness that radiated from his eyes to the fact that he’d done everything I’d ever asked of him and more.
Lizza and Bloss would tell me I shouldn’t…but I nodded. I wanted to trust him, needed to desperately. Perhaps there would come a free moment soon where I could whisk him and Mateo away and pour out all my secrets.
I didn’t want to repeat Bloss’s mistakes. I didn’t want to be alone, with years of wary silence and regret to separate me from happiness.
“Yes.” I gave a slight nod, my nerves giving way to fluttering sensations in my belly—excited, relieved, and utterly terrified of what he’d think.
