Page 51 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

Michio stands and hands me a typical human business card. The front is in Greek. The back says Deep Blue Jewels, and there’s a vector mermaid tail with scales made out of gems. “We have a storefront in Athens. It’s not far from the airport. In fact, we have digital marketing on the airport screens. Say you saw it and came to the store.” He holds out his block. A photo of a merman with dark hair and piercing blue eyes is on it.

“That’s Daimon?”

Eros moves to my side. “Yes. You say you begged for him to bring you back and he did. But he brought you to me. That you weren’t sure they wanted you, so you stayed here.”

“It’s an alibi. But I’m telling Nico and Holter the truth.”

Eros and Michio share a look. “Fine, Sunshine, you can.”

“Good, now where is that book?”

“Book?” Michio says, his scowl back in place.

24

CASTOR

“You’re not going.” I glare at my best friend. A day ago, he was still having tremors from the Arg-leth, the poison—one of the many things—that almost killed him. Yes, we’ve talked to Annabelle through the book, but this can wait. He’s not strong enough yet.

“I’m going.”

Holter laughs.

“What are you laughing about?”

“You. You think you can keep him from going to the Vividaria ball? That’s absurd. We have the plan. Annabelle is going to appear at the ball with Eros’s sister. A public event, one that will show everyone she’s here, but where no one would dare attack her. Vividaria, it’s the perfect timing. You know it, I know it, and Mr. Death’s Door knows it.”

“I’m good. I want to see her. The waiting is killing me.” Nico is sitting on the side of my childhood bed. A traditional nightshirt hangs open, the ties swinging at his waist. It’s dirty; he’s sweated through it. The nurses have offered to bathe him. At least one did before he scared them out of the room.

“You are far from good,” I say. “You’re not even in the same ocean as fair. You don’t even know the address of ‘almost okay.’”

He glares at me again.

“Seriously, Nico. After everything you’ve been through, don’t let going out to a ball to collect Annabelle be what kills you. She will be here afterwards, and with all the security improvements we’ve made, no one will get close to Glyden.”

“Standing at the edge of the ball, being seen, isn’t going to kill me, Castor. You’re turning into your mother.”

Holter laughs again.

It’s a low blow, but I understand where he’s coming from. “Fine. We arrive late and leave early.”

Nico nods. “That’s acceptable. As long as we arrive back with Annabelle.”

The door swings open. The only ones who don’t knock in this apartment are Pertusio and my mother.

Ophelia’s gown is a golden silken brocade. Her updo has her long braids cascading around her head in a crown. “What is this about the two of you going to the ball? How can you go to the ball without your mermaid?” She glares at Nico and Holter. We’ve kept Annabelle’s disappearance from a lot of people, but Mother isn’t just any person. She could be on the security council of the governors and outdo all of them. But we have managed to keep Annabelle being in Zaffiro a secret from her.

“We’re working on it, Mother.”

Her eyebrows rise. “You’re not part of them.Theymust work on it.”

I bite the inside of my mouth because she’s right.

“Augustine will bring in your clothes if you’re insistent on this. And I’ve arranged anomadafor you to travel in, Nico. You don’t need to fold yourself into that preposterously small Gorsca that Castor likes to drive around. Really, if you’re going to be king, get a more sensible form of transportation to take you around the city and back and forth to land.”

“Yes, Mother.” Which is the one and only way to get rid of her.

She points at each of us. “Get her and bring her back home. She’s not going to be happy on land. And that you thought she could revert to being human, while living with her mermaid hormones, without you, is absurd.” She points directly at Holter. She hasn’t mentioned anything about Holter, ageminae, mating with her. Which I know she can’t scent but is guessing. The hagissa potion is working well. Sometimes my mother surprises me. But then again, Constantine, her final mate and ageminae, was hanging around her for a long, long time before they mated.

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