I felt a sourness in my belly when I thought about all the advantages she had been given. And then I pushed it aside. I didn’t need to be jealous of her. I could still learn. Her advantages didn’t really have anything to do with my lack. She couldn’t become a less heinous Mer.
After all, she had to be herself every morning when she woke up. Being mean and horrible probably cancelled out being spoiled and pretty.
I told myself so anyway.
Anyway, I had bigger fish to fry.
Annaruth held up a gown, her face beaming. I gasped at the delicate layers of the dress, cascading nearly to the floor. It was extraordinary. Elegant yet youthful, the dress moved in a way that almost looked like water itself.
“It’s . . .”
“I know. It’s perfect.”
I nodded dumbly, then floated uncomplaining while she took the robe from my shoulders. I sighed as the dress drifted over my head. It was not like getting dressed. It was like being enveloped in a cloud of magic.
In fact, I wondered for a moment if it was magic.
“You’re not a dressmaker.”
Our eyes met as the dress settled onto my body. It wasn’t a question. She knew it and acknowledged my bravado with a nod.
“When you walked into this tent, it provided what you needed. With my approval, of course.”
“You are a Royal Magician.”
“Not just any Magician, my dear,” she said with a wink.
I stared at her, trying to decide whether I should bow.
“You’re . . . the High Priestess?”
“At your service, young Katriana.”
She bowed to me, and I laughed, bowing back to her. Her eyes shone with approval. For some reason, the most powerful Mer in the Kingdom liked me.
“Yes, I do like you. How could I not? I was told you tried to go back for your friends.”
I nodded slowly.
“I had to warn them. Starla . . . she’s too small to be in the Trials. She never would have made it around the net or survived the rocks. Never mind the Octopus.”
I shivered at the memory.
“Those tests were gauged to the competitor. She would not have faced the same challenges as you. But you knew that, didn’t you?”
I stared at her. The thought had crossed my mind.
“Are you a mind reader as well?”
She gave me a saucy look.
“I have my own secrets. Now tell me about the young man. You also wished to save him?”
“Dane?”
She arched an elegant brow.
“Is that his name?”
I nodded, holding still as she arranged my hair and then laid a heavy necklace against my throat.
“And you are . . . friends? Or simply allies?”
“Friends.” I said it firmly, without hesitation.
“You’ve known him long?”
“No. Only a few days.”
“But you know his heart?”
I blinked.
“He’s a good person. I know that. I don’t know about his heart.”
“Ah, I think you see more than you allow yourself to admit.”
I looked away, not sure how to answer that.
“I don’t have magic,” I finally muttered.
“No? Not even a trace?”
I shook my head. I’d come to terms with my lack of magical ability. It hurt because my mother had been magical. Only female Mers had High Magical abilities, and they were usually passed on to female children.
“Perhaps it is simply hidden.”
I shrugged, uncomfortable with this kind of talk. I was not magic. It was as simple as saying that I had red hair or that I was a fast swimmer.
It was just . . . true.
“All right. You are ready. Should we join the others?”
“Where?”
“Right where you are floating.”
“The banquet will be in here?”
“Simply step outside and come back in.”
I just nodded my head, awed by her magic. This went well beyond heating water or magical goblets. I swam out of the tent in a daze, only to see two familiar faces waiting for me. Dane and Starla were outside, staring at me. Dane had a hooded cloak on, but I could see his eyes.
I could see that he didn’t like the way I looked. I’d thought I looked beautiful, or as beautiful as a spotty, mop-haired Mer could look. Better than ever. But he didn’t like it at all.
I realized I hadn’t seen myself yet. There hadn’t been a human-made mirror or another reflective surface in the tent. Maybe I should have insisted. But Annaruth was the High Priestess. Surely, she would not have led me astray?
I swallowed, looking away from Dane. I saw that his hands were fisted and his tail was swishing, a clear sign of annoyance.
I lifted my head proudly and turned, bumping right into another Mer. Bright blue eyes stared at me in shock. Thalia. Perfect timing.
Triton help me.
My stepsister’s mouth opened and shut like a gaping fish. I smirked, realizing she hadn’t expected to see me. And she certainly didn’t expect me to win the opening race.
“Katriana, come.”
Annaruth was signaling me from the open tent door. I gave Starla a little wave and left, not bothering to give Dane or Thalia another glance. I would not waste another thought on either of them, I decided!
Tonight was a night to celebrate and observe. And eat as much as I possibly could! My empty stomach grumbled at the thought.
I stepped inside the tent and gasped.
Chapter 13
The tent had been transformed. Larger, somehow, with a higher ceiling that rose to multiple peaks. The walls were shimmering with opalescent colors, not unlike the inside of a shell when struck by sunlight. Soft music played from unseen musicians. Servants moved throughout the room with trays of food and drink.
I closed my open mouth before anyone saw me gawking.
The room was already filled with guests, glittering, dazzling Mers wearing gowns and formal tunics that defied description. Even the servants wore uniforms that were nothing like the ones I’d worn in my stepmother’s household.
These uniforms shone a dark blue, looking almost like they were woven out of gemstones. They were trimmed in what looked like braided gold. I blinked, realizing they were wearing the Royal colors. These were Royal Servants.
Not nobility, but well-paid and tended to, especially in their old age.
And every now and then, dispersed in the crowd, I saw something that made my heart stop.
My father. I blinked. No, it wasn’t him. But there were Royal Messengers here, wearing the same uniform he had worn. It was a magical suit, designed to blend you into the background. But only when it was activated. The rest of the time, it was a similar dark blue to the servants’, also with a golden braid.
But that is where the similarities ended.
Where the servers’ uniforms were simply cut, the Messenger and other Royal Army uniforms were form-fitting and ornate. The gold braid was thicker, forming neat rows near the wrists and waistline, with curlicues and swirls elsewhere. The design reflected their position.
And the Royals themselves . . . well, they were here too.
I’d never seen a Royal, but once I saw them, there was little doubt of who and what they were. Their clothing also reflected the traditional dark blue and gold colors, but they were not limited to them. I stared in awe as Annaruth waved a hand over her own gown and it changed before my eyes to a patterned blue with actual gemstones woven into it. The heavy gold at the collar and sleeves gleamed. It must be real gold, I realized.
“You’re a . . .”
“The High Priestess is always chosen from the Royal family.”
I nodded slowly.
“But it is a very large family, as you know.”
She handed me another covered goblet, pronouncing this one ‘shampayne.’ Then she guided me through the room, introducing me to people as we went. I was congratulated, but I felt that most of the people were looking down their noses at me, as if I was a curiosity rather than a possible future Spark.
I felt like I would never be one of them. I felt like a crustacean trying to swim among swordfish. I was out of place, outnumbered, and outclassed.
“Dante! I must introduce you!”
The man floating before me was the one I had mistaken for my father. They had similarly sandy hair and a similar profile. He wore the uniform of a Messenger, with a design that specifically denoted speed on each shoulder, not unlike wings. He was very tall, with the slender, ropey build of a distance swimmer. He stared at me coolly, sizing me up.