Page 156 of Cruel Tides

“I seem to be back in your good graces,” he said as soon as our heads slipped under the tide. I looked up from my tail to discover one of my arms wound around his neck and my shell braced against his chest. Ugh. I really hated being carried.

“For now.” I huffed, hating how my tail dangled helplessly while his tentacles writhed and twisted around it.

Amusement flickered in his white eyes, his dark hair lashing over his head much like his tentacles did underneath us. His powerful appendages undulated, and the smooth movement propelled us across the seafloor.

Gradually, the surrounding ocean darkened with our descent, and I glanced around, wondering how long it would take for the bioluminescent algae to react to my magic and start to glow.

My face flushed at the memory of Barren and me drifting through the sea of stars. Him carrying me—now that, I didn’t hate. It had been one of the most romantic sights I’d ever seen. Recreating that magical moment with the sea wizard only hours later? Laverne would be judging me with a spitball to the face if she knew.

“It’s a ways down,” the sea wizard muttered, focusing on the shadowy water ahead.

No—this time, it wasn’t going to be romantic. With any luck, the lights would irritate him and mess with his vision. The perfect start to my revenge for him tricking me into a bad deal.

We passed into the shadows, and my eyes pricked as the darkness set in. But instead of my magic lighting the algae, my vision switched, and colors drained away.

“What the heck?” My throat constricted as my gaze darted, taking in the many shades of gray in the nearby beds of coral and seagrass. There were no stars. No other magic.

This whole time, I’d thought the bioluminescent lights had been a combined effort—mine and Barren’s magic working together to light up the sea.

Now I knew the truth.

The lights had only glowed for Barren.

It was a realization that left me feeling strangely numb.

“Is there a problem?” The sea wizard’s voice was like a gentle wave, lapping at the shore of my consciousness.

I snapped out of my daze at the realization that we’d stopped moving. The sea wizard’s chin dipped, his inquisitive eyes aimed at me.

“Nope,” I lied, averting my gaze toward the water. With my new vision, the stark whiteness of his eyes stood out even more, making it uncomfortable to look at him for longer than a passing glance. “No problems here.”

His hand unexpectedly touched my face, sweeping my unruly hair aside. “It’s a long way down to the Undersea.” Then his tentacles resumed their work, drawing us into deeper waters.

“Deep in the bowels, so I hear,” I muttered, wondering why he’d even bothered with my hair. It had a mind of its own, both underwater and on land, much like his kind’s tentacles seemed to. Only Kai had ever been able to tame it. “Is there a reason you haven’t just teleported us?”

“The change in depth can be… jarring,” the sea wizard said, his tendrils twirling to yet another stop. “We can try it if you’d like. Although you may end up with a headache.”

More head pain—fantastic. Just what I needed.

I thought over the offer, absentmindedly searching for the bump on my head. Only… where was the bump again? Under my fingertips, my scalp was completely smooth.

My eyes snapped to the sea wizard. “Did you?—?”

A smirk was waiting for me. “Did I do what?”

The more my eyes narrowed, the further his mouth seemed to broaden.

Yes, it had definitely been him.

“I didn’t ask you to do that,” I said, pressing into my skull, already missing the soreness. Maybe it was silly, but I kind oflikedthat minor bump. It was a reminder that my voice had called to Barren. He’d been so flustered when I’d finally asked him if it had.

“Oh?” The sea wizard’s look turned puzzled. “Did you enjoy being concussed?”

“Concussed?” Had I really hit my headthathard? “No, I—I don’t have a concussion.”

“Not now, no. But you were concussed when I found you,” he said, continuing our descent. “Initially, I wondered if walking on sand was a new experience for you, considering how you kept stumbling over your feet.”

“I wasn’t stumbling,” I said with a huff. Okay, maybe a little, but it wasn’tthatmuch. “I’ve had years of experience walking on sand.”

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