Page 7 of Secrets and Starlight

A woman rose from the water, her fin parting into legs covered by a brightly colored skirt. Blue and pink scales covered patches of her skin, and her blonde hair was streaked with color too.

Iona.It had to be.

I had never met Rhett’s mer fae teenage flame, but that puppy-dog look in his eyes could only mean one thing.

She took to a run, sprinting into Rhett’s waiting arms. I watched, dumbfounded, desperately recalling everything he had told me about her. He’d written a song about her, and supportive friend that I was, I had listened to it a painful number of times. Most of it was insignificant—her beauty, her intelligence, the way her mother tore them apart…

Wait, her mother is someone important, right?

“I still can’t believe you’re really here.” She stepped back, holding him at arm’s length, her gaze trailed up and down his full height so intently that a blush started creeping upmyface. “Has it really been years? You still look like a rogue.”

“And you are even more dazzling,” Rhett said, rushing his words. “Thank you, by the way, for helping us join the festivities.”

Ah. So she was the one who got us in.

She waved it off. “Anything for an old friend. I can’t wait to catch up.” Iona turned to me, piercing me with her bright eyes. “And this must be your mysterious cousin!”

“Meet Aida,” Rhett answered.

I offered her my smile in return. “Rhett’s told me wonderful things about you.”

“Funny,” Iona said. “He never told me about you.”

“I didn’t meet Aida until I was older,” Rhett intervened. “Since she was born in Valterra.”

“Sure,” Iona said, fanning out her already-dry hair. “At any rate, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

She led the way, taking us to one of the many watery channels that were the arteries of the city. Bewitched with mer magic, their currents could flow uphill, and the channels allowed the mer fae to swim quickly throughout the city. Fortunately for us, we could hire a gondola.

I sat on one side as Rhett and Iona cuddled opposite me, Rimu and Ninti settled at our feet, the two dogs entirely distracted by one another. Between Ninti’s silence and Zayne’s constant shadows, I quickly became a third wheel as Rhett and Iona retreated into whispers.

Zayne settled beside me. Or at least, I thought he did.

We rode through the city, up the hill, and toward the palace, and my heart raced with uncertainty. Everything had unfolded so fast. And while I trusted Rhett, I had to admit it was possible he was distracted.

If only I could speak to Zayne. I trusted his instincts nearly as much as my own. Was he nervous too? What did he see that I might have missed? With each step we moved farther from theUmbral Star, the vessel now trapped behind a coral wall, my fear grew.

Through it all, I maintained my small smile, allowing my eyes to dart with awe. It wasn’t hard to pretend, especially as we approached the sprawling palace estate.

“The palace has multiple wings, all of them connected by courtyards and channels,” Iona explained. “You’ll be staying in the guest wing, but the festivities will be in the throne room.”

“And where will you be staying?” Rhett asked her.

“I still live with my mother,” Iona sighed. “She has a suite in the royal wing.”

Rhett frowned.

“Your mother must be very important,” I probed carefully.

“Of course, though I wish she didn’t find Rhett so…common.” Iona’s smile faltered.“You see, she’s one of the Kings’ nieces, their favorite advisor, and honestly, she’s let the position go to her head. You may have heard of her—Lady Calindra.”

“Oh, I see.”

Nervously, I wrung my hands.

Lady Calindra.

Iona’s mother was the very same mer who had been working with Inarus, and we were here to take the shard from her.

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