Page 55 of Between Fear and Favor

“You ate her? Why would you eat her?”

“I grow tired of your interrogation, even if you are my guest.”

I swore the water grew colder around us, and I wasn’t sure how much farther I could push my luck. Certain she was about to kill me over what Smokkar had told me anyway, I asked one more question.

“Were you in love with each other?” I whispered, aware that my simple curiosity could be deadly. When her tentacles tightened on me, drawing me closer to her, I closed my eyes.

“What is love to a god?” Her whisper skated over my skin, and a chill ran up my spine. “When Rhia told me she was returning to the eternal lands, tothem, I couldn’t stop my truest form from taking over. I didn’t bother quelling my rage. Now, before you bring me to that same point, what did my son say to you?”

“He showed me your prison,” I said, aware of her vanishing patience. “I think he meant to threaten me.”

I wasn’t sure if it was me or Mairin I was protecting by leaving it at that. If Estri had lied, had heard everything Smokkar had said, what would she do? If what Smokkar had said was true, the Seaborn Queen would already be wary of Mairin. At the very least, she’d quickly catch on to any plots against her. So, would divulging more put her at risk? Despite my almost inconceivable anger toward the merrow, I still didn’t want to see her in danger. As it was, she seemed almost as trapped as I was. With her pendant at throat, why hadn’t she left?

“But he did not tell you who inhabits it, did he?” she asked, and her hand caressed my cheek. “And you didn’t think of it either, my sweet girl.”

“No, he didn’t,” I whispered. Her tentacles shifted against my body, and my breaths quickened. She could kill me in the blink of an eye.

“Anyone who ventures beneath the waves bends to my rule or they die. Why would I choose this for them, if death would be far easier?”

My heart jumped into my throat—erratic. Could her prisoners really be who came to mind? When Smokkar had mentioned Estri’s favored daughters, I’d scoffed at him. But he’d been speaking true.

How could someone do such a thing? The longer I stared at the hole in the ceiling, though, the more I knew she spoke true. Mothers could do truly horrific things.

“You refuse to kill them—your daughters,” I said. She didn’t move, merely tilting her head. Her jawline was sharp, and she’d never looked less human to me.

“Return to your chambers, treasure,” Estri said, throwing me toward the window with shocking strength. Her tentacles released me and I glided through the water, twirling like part of some unsettling dance step.

When I found Fox waiting alongside the rude merrow from before the ball, relief twisted low in my stomach, but I wasn’t sure what exactly it was for. I didn’t speak as the merrow dragged me between the spires, finally bringing me to the one I knew housed my chambers.

They were completely underwater when we arrived.

There was no place for me to walk or lay on the bed of seaweed. The merrow laughed before darting away, leaving Fox with me to navigate the new situation. She darted into the room, swimming to its center, before shifting into her humanoid form. It felt intrusive to watch, but I couldn’t drag my eyes away. Her skin lightened as she grew larger. Suddenly, her tail split into two legs, and the change hastened as she approached the height I’d seen her reach before. It was unsettling to see her skin’s texture fade away, becoming as smooth as mine while the frills along her spine turned into hair.

“Is she punishing me?” I asked, awkwardly swimming forward. Estri’s magick from the ballroom didn’t extend to my chambers, making it nearly impossible to walk along the floor as I had before.

“I do not know, Princess. But it is not so bad, is it?” the shifter asked. Large, pink eyes looked hopefully at me, and Fox nodded encouragingly. “Perhaps she will give you another form if you ask her nicely.”

“That’s possible? I thought that had been a joke. Why wouldn’t she have given me a merrow’s body from the start?” I supposed she could have given me any type of secondary form, but one that was more human seemed ideal. Blinking, I stared at Fox with an open mouth when I realized exactly what her words implied. “She could turn me into a seaborn? With..with that kind of magick, she could do terrible things. Amazing things.”

Fox’s eyes widened, nearly bulging out of her head. “No, no, I—” The small woman looked over my shoulder and swallowed hard. “I only jest. I do not—she cannot?—”

I narrowed my eyes, but slowly nodded. For whatever reason, I wasn’t supposed to know about the depths of magick the Sea Queen supposedly held. I did not believe for a moment that what Fox had said was only a joke. The seaborn shifter was clearly afraid of revealing a secret to me. Even though Estri had said it herself, I hadn’t believed her. Perhaps that had been intentional? The poor woman’s chest heaved, and Fox’s mouth opened and shut several times as she stared.

“Silly me,” I said, shaking my head and chuckling. “I suppose I was too excited over the prospect of turning into a creature as beautiful as yourself. A cruel joke, Foxglove,” I chided, but I knew my words rang hollow.

She visibly relaxed, chin wobbling. “I am so sorry, Your Highness. I did not—I did not mean to get your hopes up.”

“Perhaps you can make it up to me tomorrow? I’d love to speak to the elder you mentioned. The leatherback, I think you said?”

“I suppose I can ask him,” she said, voice high. Fox swallowed, still appearing fearful, and I wished to remove that trepidation from her.

“Now, how does one go about sleeping in the water like this?”

When she inhaled deeply, allowing a tentative smile to soften her expression, I relaxed. But it didn’t stop me from wondering why Estri wouldn’t want the seaborn to speak of her power. How much magickdidthe Seaborn Queen possess?

I vowed to find out.

Chapter 27

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