Page 14 of Seas and Scepters

"Do you?"Lydia's voice held unexpected gentleness."Because I've seen too many girls fall for charming clients, only to watch their hearts break when reality intrudes.Don't let his handsome face and sweet words make you forget who you are and why you're here."

If only you knew,I thought bitterly.If only she understood that my heart breaking was the least of my concerns.That I was a creature designed for killing, not for these complicated emotions that made my chest tight and my thoughts scattered.

Commotion in the hallway saved me from responding.Voices rose in excitement, and I could hear Nell's distinctive laugh.Lydia frowned and moved toward the door.

"What's all this noise about?"she called out.

"Oh, Madam!"Nell's voice carried clearly through the walls."The most wonderful news!Poppy's client last night was a duke's advisor, and he was talking about the royal wedding.It's been moved up!"

My blood turned to ice.

Lydia opened the door wider, allowing Nell and two other girls—Celia and Margaret—to spill into my chamber in a flutter of silk nightgowns and excited chatter.

"What do you mean, moved up?"Lydia demanded.

"The prince's wedding to Princess Astrid," Nell explained, eyes bright with gossip."It was supposed to be in three weeks, but apparently there's been some complication.Political tensions with neighboring kingdoms or something.They're pushing it up to next week!"

The words hit me like a physical blow.Next week.I had thought I had more time—time to plan, time to figure out how to complete my mission, time to somehow reconcile my growing feelings with my duty.

"Well," Lydia said with forced lightness, "that certainly explains the unusual generosity last night.Men tend to spend more freely when they're feeling particularly mortal."

The other girls giggled, but I barely heard them.My mind raced, calculating.If the wedding was next week, that gave me perhaps six or seven days at most.After that, Eirik would be bound to another woman, protected by the sanctity of marriage and the scrutiny that would come with his new status.

More importantly, if I didn't complete my mission before the wedding, I might never get another chance.The curse that bound me to human form was already taking its toll—I could feel it in the way my connection to the sea grew weaker each day, the way my siren instincts dulled while human emotions grew stronger.

"Selene?"Nell's voice seemed to come from far away."You look pale.Are you feeling well?"

I blinked, realizing all four women were staring at me with concern."I'm...yes.Just tired."

"Of course you are," Celia said with a knowing wink."Your first real client can be exhausting.But you'll adjust."

Margaret nodded sagely."With tine, your body will grow accustomed."

"Just remember what I told you," Nell added more seriously."Don't let yourself get too attached.Men of status are not for girls like us.Some are pretty to look at and pleasant to bed, but they have their own lives, their own loves.We are not among them.Best to enjoy them while you can and not let your heart get involved."

The irony of her warning wasn't lost on me.If only she knew that my heart was inconsequential.That my very survival—my identity, my future, everything I had ever been—depended on hardening that heart and completing the task I'd been sent to do.

"I should let you girls return to your preparations," Lydia said, business instincts taking over.

The girls filed out in a flutter of empty chatter, leaving me alone with Lydia once more.She studied me for a long moment.

"You're troubled by something more than simple attachment," she said finally."There's something you're not telling me."

I met her eyes, seeing the shrewd intelligence that had allowed her to build and maintain her establishment in a world that offered few opportunities for women.For a moment, I was tempted to tell her everything—about my true nature, about my father’s curse that bound me, about the impossible choice I faced.

But how could I explain that I was a creature of the sea, sent to murder the man who had treated me with more tenderness than I had ever known?How could I make her understand that every moment I spent in this borrowed human form was stealing away pieces of who I was?

"We all have our secrets," I said instead.

She nodded slowly."Indeed we do.Just be careful, Selene.Whatever game you're playing, make sure you understand the rules before you bet everything you have."

After she left, I moved to the window and stared out at the distant harbor.Somewhere beyond the forest of masts and maze of docks lay the sea that had been my home.I could smell it on the wind, taste salt in the air, but the connection that had once been as natural as breathing was now little more than a whisper.

How long until it faded completely?Before I became truly human, trapped forever in this fragile flesh with its bewildering emotions and impossible longings?

The questions tormented me as I prepared for the day.I bathed in lukewarm water that seemed alien compared to the living embrace of the ocean.I dressed in silk and lace that Madam Lydia insisted enhanced my appeal, though every piece felt like another layer of disguise over my true self.

I was finishing the complicated process of arranging my hair when another knock came at my door.This time it was Thomas, the establishment's doorman, looking slightly flustered.

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