Page 77 of Surfaces
“Hope there’s enough bubble in all these places to keep the men sated,” Sahar gave me an exaggerated look of horror. “I’m glad we’re heading out tonight. I can only imagine the current’s going to smell of piss and vomit here tomorrow.”
“Seconded,” Paavo agreed, from where he stood behind me, suspiciously eyeing any of Gorgono’s servants who dared walk nearby as they went about their evening duties.
I laughed. “This is true.”
“You may be earning the ire of all the wives,” Ugo warned me, chewing on his lower lip in mock fear.
Our conversation ceased when Marea swam around the corner, her brightly patterned skin and fin hair making her easy to spot.
She stopped short at the sight of us, her eyes turning to gaze at the trunks and bags being shucked out the door.
She swallowed once, and then slowly made her way forward to me, her right hand clutching at her left elbow in a fearful, submissive sort of posture. When she grew close enough, she spoke, though she didn’t directly face me, she faced the hallway so that anyone swimming by might think she was just making her way past. “Careful, Majesty,” she whispered in a low tone. “You’ve made him angry. He’s evil when he’s angry.”
“Marea,” I reached out but retracted my hand when she cringed away. “Are you in danger?”
She turned her luminous eyes to mine and blinked once. “No. You are.”
And then the mayor’s wife swam off in a flurry…leaving only a trail of bubbles and worries behind her.
* * *
The moon shonedown bright and happy, full as a pearl, while we made camp. This time, the square tents didn’t use anchors because the sea floor wasn’t nearly as deep or cold, so we spread them out on the soft, fine sand just like humans would spread their tents. The guards insisted on a target formation: an inner ring with the competitors and myself, and an outer ring with all of them and the servants.
The center was where we would gather for our evening meal. The castle mages and Lizza were already in place as I swam over. They were just starting up the purple fires that would cook our dinner of halibut.
Several of the fires were already surrounded by servants or guards who were packed in rather tight, because the inner ring of tents was rather small. One fire was still vacant, however, and I made my way over to it.
Rather than intrude on anyone else’s respite, forcing them to be polite around the queen, I settled myself down onto the sand by the solitary lavender fire. I was ready for a calm dinner after the tension that had surrounded our trip to Navagio. I’d have to figure out a way to remove Gorgono from his position sooner rather than later.
But that’s a task for another day. Right now, just relax and bask in the fact that you get to keep Valdez, Felipe, and Keelan, I chided myself and sighed and subtly stretched my shoulders with a soft smile.
“We should have stolen a barrel of bubble,” Keelan declared as he swam over and joined me on my left, sinking down to sit on the sand with his knees propped up, resting his arms on top of them. Mr. Whelk groaned his agreement as he floated around on his back, showcasing his belly, above his master’s head.
“It’s not a barrel, but try this,” Valdez and Felipe appeared on my other side, their faces both slightly flushed. The pirate passed something akin to a wineskin (though it looked like it was made of seal skin) over to the younger competitor while the other two sat.
I studied Felipe and the contrast between his graying navy hair and the pink of his cheeks. I’d never seen him drink before, much less hover on the edge of tipsy. It was adorable.
I grew a tiny bit giddy, to see the three of them surround me casually, brushing against me intentionally as they handed across the skin full of bubble.
Keelan took a slug and coughed. “Oh, that’s strong stuff.”
“Majesty?” Valdez’s hazel eyes dared me and sent a tendril of heat spiraling down through my stomach.
That look. That right there. I needed to explore it so much more. I licked my lips as I stared at him for a moment, while my breathing grew shallow.
He gave a playful lift of his brows that said, “Well?”
I snagged the skin from Keelan’s hand and took a small sip.
Sarding hell!My tongue and throat lit up like I’d just coated them in lava. I pounded my chest as my eyes watered and I handed the skin over immediately to the next set of contestants to arrive—Julian and Stavros.
“Bastard!” I cursed Valdez, who only laughed.
Julian smirked at me, and the level-headed siren shook his head. “No thank you. You look like you just licked the underside of a barnacle-covered boat.”
He tried to push the skin gently back toward me but I insisted.
“Come on, Julian. One night. Loosen up. Just give me one night.”
