Page 55 of Lore of the Tides

“I feel as though I havebeenpatient,” Lore said stiffly before adding as an afterthought, “Your Highness.”

“I was hoping to have our refreshments first. If you are anything like my Jaladri, business is best discussed with a full stomach.”

“If you wish us to needlessly wait to ‘discuss business,’ then why show usLore’sgrimoire before the refreshments have arrived?” asked Finndryl, his voice cold.

Lore warmed. She loved that he took up for her.

“Jaladri, this one reminds me of you at that age.” The queen grinned fondly at her partner. “Abrupt, irreverent to his elders, and quite striking.”

Lore had to admit the queen wasn’t wrong. That was Finndrylto the letter. It was clear, even in their old age, that the queen and her prince consort had both been striking in their day—and time had not diminished their beauty at all, only transformed it.

The queen continued, addressing them all, “Now, I showed this alarmingly powerful object to assuage any worries you might have that it was lost to the deep. To know it was located, safe.”

“It will be safest in my hands,” Lore said through clenched teeth.

“Ah, so it doesn’t burn you when you touch it?”

“Of course not.”

“I only wish my scout who recovered it could say the same; she’s been badly burned.”

“I can make a poultice for her. It works on both humans and fae, so I imagine it would help siren.” Lore frowned. “Though it will have to be oil-based to withstand the water, and I worry putting oil on a burn will only insulate the heat of the injury and might actuallyhinderthe healing properties of the salve. I suppose it would depend on how long ago the bu—”

“Child, let me interrupt you, though I can see you feel quite impassioned about healing. We may be siren, but we deal with burns quite often. You won’t be surprised, but living atop an active volcano creates the ideal environment for burns.”

Lore widened her eyes. Did she just say anactivevolcano?

“Are you saying we are, right now, as we speak, sitting on top of a volcano?” Coretha cried out. She glanced down as though she expected lava to erupt through the rug at any moment.

The queen cut her eyes at Coretha. “How do you think we cook our food, girl?”

“I hadn’t thought ab—”

The queen dismissed Coretha with a look, turning back to Lore. “Our healers expect her to make a full recovery. Our kind heal very quickly— Oh there are our refreshments, thank you, Cuan, dear, I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost.”

Lore eyed the tray set before them. Sautéed oysters drenchedin garlic and butter and returned to their shells sat on a bed of seagrass. Slices of grilled fish rolled in seaweed with strips of an unknown root or tuber were drizzled in a peach-colored sauce. Six clear orbs made of artfully blown sea glass were placed on the table next, with an odd, short bit fixed to the top of each.

The queen picked up the round glass and held it out to Lore. “If you drink the fresh water through here”—she pointed at the opening—“the water will flow. Simply stop, and it will remain in the glass, safe from seawater.”

“Let me, Lore.” Finndryl plucked the glass from the queen’s outstretched hand before Lore had the chance. He sipped from the straw mechanism and swished the water in his mouth for a moment before Lore could protest.

“It’s fine,” Finndryl announced as he moved to place the glass down in front of her, but Lore, suddenly realizing just how parched she was, snatched it up before it even had the chance to touch the table and took a long pull.

The queen raised a thin eyebrow. “Boy, if I were going to poison you, why would I go through the trouble of keeping you alive?”

“I’ve heard there are other ways your kind can persuade; I know it’s not just from your songs. I was testing for a serum,” Finndryl replied to the queen, his gaze steady, brazen, before pulling deeply from his own glass.

Meanwhile, Lore would have been poisoned, persuaded, she didn’t care, as long as she could drink the contents down.Thistle and sage, she had been thirsty. She was pretty sure the salt water they were in, despite the magical properties of the... jellyfish’s kiss... was actively leaching all hydration from her body.

She noticed midswallow and quite against her will that Syrelle refused to drink any water at all, despite Coretha gulping hers down beside him, not any more or less frantic than Lore probably looked. Was his lordship too arrogant to drink a life-giving substance? Asher, if he were still Asher, would have gulped the waterwith her. Oh, well. She wished dehydration on him and a migraine from the depths of hell.

Satisfied, Lore pulled the straw from her lips and twirled the glass in her hands, inspecting it. Despite the removed water, no seawater filled the empty space. And even when she tipped it upside down, the straw pointing at the table, the fresh water that remained at the bottom within did not escape. This was rather ingenious; she would have to find out how this was done.

The queen laughed again, not unkindly; she was just... joyful, Lore observed. “If I could add a serum to the water supply to guarantee I achieve my every desire, I would be the queen of more than this section of the sea, dear.” She picked up her own glass and took a sip. “Indubitably, you’ve heard gossip spread by the many clans who distrust siren. Yes, we can influence others with our song.” She waved her hand at Cuan, who floated behind the queen. “But only those possessing great power can usurp the mind of another. And it is only through our sacred song that we can do this.”

Queen Naia placed her glass on the table, turning it idly between her hands, as she took a moment to look at each of the four guests—hostages—at her table.

Lore had to force herself not to lower her eyes from her discerning gaze.

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