Page 77 of Of Song and Scepter

Page List

Font Size:

The water parts aroundme like butter softened in the sun, luxurious and warm. I glide through the reef, skimming over the fronds and corals that cling to the rocks beneath me. Anemones dance in my wake. Crustaceans suck their eyes into their shells. My tail cuts the current, and the fish spin, darting out of my path.

I’m doing the right thing. The farther away from Aquisa I swim, the less and less I sense the tug of my blood oath. I cannot turn back now.

The Intercurrent lies at the far edge of the reef, in the open water after the sandbar drops into the sea. Once I reach the current, I’ll hitch a ride on a fleetwhale. The drivers rest on top of the whales’ great heads, so I’ll approach from beneath, tethering to the belt around its waist. It’ll be an uncomfortable ride, butit’s much faster than swimming to the Frost border alone. And somewhere along my route, I’ll drop the necklace into the deep and fulfill my duty to Odissa in the best way I can.

The reef deepens beneath me, sloping toward the ledge. Beyond it, nothing but dark blue expanse awaits me. The pale line of the intercurrent cuts through, the only object of size amidst the stretching monochrome. That old familiar fear ruffles my scales—of my utter insignificance in the wide, open sea.

I pull up short, hovering at the reef’s edge. The sea floor bottoms out in a sharp descent. Few fish venture beyond its edge, hugging the rock. A wrigglefish slips around my torso, circling me with a brush of slippery scales. The fish darts away, vanishing among the corals.

Suddenly the colors of the reef are too vibrant. The sweetfish are too pink, the wrigglefish too orange. The reedgrass, brilliant strands of blinding green. My heart aches to behold its beauty, knowing I’ll never lay eyes on it again.

I dig my nails into my palms, sharpening my mind with the pain.Focus, Enna.This should be simple. I have nothing to worry about, now; no one to give me orders. No one to care for except myself.

This is the freedom I wanted.

With a grunt, I kick my tail again, angling for the stretching Intercurrent. My body is light. Fast. I twist into a spiral, reveling in the way the water lifts my hair, caresses my skin. I’ll never have to use my legs again. Never again constrict myself to pointless fashions. I reach behind my neck, and with a slice of my claw, I sever the band securing my chest piece. The top slips from my body, its many strings of beads reaching sunward as it sinks into the blue.

For a moment, the light shifts, and I imagine it’s not the top but my ball gown from last night. I swallow, throat tightening.

Did Soren find my dress this morning? Did he wake sad and alone? Did I cause him pain at my leaving, or is he going about his duties as normal?

Pain rips through my chest anew. I flinch, fingering my sternum to locate the injury. But there’s nothing there—no bloodfish bite, no stinging nettle. My skin is smooth and unharmed.

I stir my thoughts, searching for something to distract me, something to focus on. But I cannot clear the image of Soren, cradled by the satin pillow. Those long tresses framing his face, softened by slumber. Is he eating breakfast by now? Is he… angry at me?

My throat constricts, and I choke out a sob. My mouth parts in a silent scream, releasing a spray of bubbles. I batter them away with my hand, blinking to clear my vision, but I cannot see. My eyes sting. My throat burns.

No.I will not cry over this. I’ve made the right choice. This is the best way I can preserve Soren’s life. If I could kill Odissa without a blood price, I would. I would do it in a heartbeat, if I knew it would ensure Soren’s safety until the full moon.

With four days left in her bargain and the necklace out of her way, Odissa won’t have to work hard to convince him to go through with this fucked-up wedding. He’s a male of his word, and he will put the needs of his kingdom before his own happiness.

Another sob wracks through me, and I swim blindly toward the rush of water before me.

It’s all a fucking lie.There is no alliance with the Abyss. The real princess is dead; I killed her myself. Soren is not marrying some noble female; he’s unwittingly hitching himself to a death-dealer in a walking corpse.

What will Odissa do once they’re married? Will she really stop at winning his throne? Or will she kill him in his sleep? Will she torture him? Forcehiminto a blood oath?

The roar of the Intercurrent drowns my restless thoughts, and I stop short of its edge. The water rushes past, the clouded forms of fleetwhale and mermaids speed by me, caught in its path. I glance down into the blue. My hand inches for the pouch on my hip.

Drop the necklace, then go.

I tread water slowly, barely keeping myself in place. The spray of the current brushes my neck, and my gills flutter to match the restless tempo of my heart.

The shell warms in my grip, humming at the touch of my palm. It vibrates, growing more and more persistent, like a hungry guppy begging for attention.

Odissa will ruin this place from the inside out, and I’ve left her alone to do it.

Soren grew up here. He knows every inch of coral, recognizes every species of fish. That reef formed him into the kind, dedicated male he is, the great king I know he will be. I trace his domain with my gaze, and my teeth clench against the rising panic.

The necklace heats further. I can sense its appetite for action. For blood. Soren was going to use this weapon on Odissa, I’m sure of it. My blood oath would not have let me get this far unless it was true.

Why the fuck am I stopping him? For my peace of mind for four short days?

I tighten my fist, and the pendant purrs in my grip.

I’ve always been a pawn in Odissa’s game. What if, for once in my life, I did something selfish? If I’m dead at the end of this, why not risk it for something good for a change?

I can’t help Odissa woo a sweet, caring male just so she can sink her teeth into his fortune and steal his crown. Not on my watch, not anymore. I’ve been sabotaging the plan since day one—what’s the harm in making it intentional?