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A shadow flickers in the corner of my eye, and I suck in a breath, realizing a man is standing on the other end of the moor. I don’t particularly care for most of the men I’ve met on land, but I get the sense that this one isn’t quite human.
He possesses a supernatural sort of beauty, his long black hair framing a flawless pale face with a strong jawline and sharp cheekbones. His dark eyes glow red around the edges, and there are hooves where his feet should be.
He lifts a finger to his lip to stop me from screaming, and Zephyr’s essence surrounds me, their energy lifting the flyaways around the crown of my head.
“Don’t wake the Duchess,” the man says, his voice reaching me even though he’s not visibly speaking. “She’s not a friend to my family, but you two are. Please come with me.”
My fear subsides, transforming into curiosity.
“That’s definitely a monster of some sort,” Zephyr says, exasperated. “But I’ll be right here if you want to see what this is all about it.”
“I can hear you,” the monstrous man cuts in. “I promise this will be worth your while.”
I check that Darcy is still sleeping before winding down the stone stairs after him. When we reach the bottom, he dives into one of the pools, and shadows twist above it.
A horse emerges from the water, a rich black mane decorated with seaweed spilling over a glossy black coat. He’s much larger than any of the horses in the castle’s stable.
“I’ve been looking for you two.” His eyes glow brighter as he puffs steam from his nostrils. “I wanted to thank the ones responsible for returning my young nephew to our family. He’s the first in our bloodline in nearly a century, and we’re all relieved he’s back where he belongs. I owe you a debt. Whatever it is you want from me, please name it.”
I’m stunned into silence. Kelpies aren’t known for their generous nature. “It was no trouble. I don’t want–”
“He’s an ancient fae being,” Zephyr says. “Ask him if he has any knowledge of how the Order of the Undine used to perform the magic of divine transformation before the capital city sank into the sea.”
The kelpie’s ears flick back.
“Divine transformation,” he muses, leaving wet hoof prints in the grass as he walks a circle around me. “No, of course you’re not human. But how did you get here, little mermaid? And why do you smell like one of them?”
“I lost my chance to invoke the Full Moon ritual and gain the ability to shift at will,” I tell him. “So I made a deal with the sea witch.”
He swishes his tail disapprovingly. “And now you want to get out of it?”
“I want another chance to revive the Order of the Undine and be able to move between the land and the sea.” It hurts to say it aloud after accepting that it will never happen.
“Hmm.” He blows air through his loose lips. “I hate to admit that I have little knowledge of that magic, but I have a friend who might be able to help—a selkie. The merrows and the selkies were the ones who taught the original members of the Order of the Undine how to harness the power of the moon to protect the coast and the sea.”
Not many people know that human women were the first ones to invoke the Full Moon ritual and become creatures of the land and ocean. His knowledge of that fact makes him more trustworthy in my opinion.
“Where can I find your friend?” I ask.
“The Misty Pearl Theater,” he says. “But you’ll have to catch her in her dressing room after a performance. Her husband doesn’t let her out of his sight at any other time. There’ll be a show at midnight tomorrow.
“How will I know who she is?”
“You can’t miss her; she’s the pearl.” He snorts sharply, the ruby light of his eyes shining on something above me. “Thank you again, but I’ve got to get going.”
He dips back into the pool, his form dissolving and blending into the steam.
“Dee,” Darcy calls, fear pitching her voice higher.
“I’m down here.”
“What are you doing?” She peers over the ledge, her knife’s blade glinting in her hand. “Were you talking to someone?”
“Only myself.” I clasp my hands behind my back and rock onto my heels. “I thought I forgot something, but remembered I never brought it with me.”
“Get back up here.” She motions for me to take the stairs. “We’ve got to fetch the carriage.”
“I’ll meet you in your bedchamber tomorrow night at ten o’ clock,” Zephyr whispers as their essence returns to my pendant. “We’re going to the theater.”
