My eyes darted around the area, but all I could see was driftwood, seaweed, and netting. If I thinly sliced the wood, broke down the seaweed... I could make it work. I nodded again.
"Then do it. And come out of the waters. We need to dry under the light of the full moon. Once we gain our legs, we need to cover ourselves the way that the humans do. And I don't want him looking at you. I need to be the center of his attention. So, make yourself one of those veils, the way the humans near the Arabian sea wear." Her voice turned giddy.
I pulled myself from the water. She was right. According to the laws of nature, we could become human during the full moon if we went ashore and allowed ourselves to dry. But we'd be stuck in that form until the next full moon if we wanted to abide by its laws. There were repercussions to breaking nature’s laws.
I'd studied human culture and felt that we could survive on land, but being part of a royal family, most likely Aria had access to some sort of wealth on land with keepers. I could learn even more about the humans and their magic by traversing the land myself.
Who was I trying to kid?
This was blackmail. Aria, supposedly the prettiest and most kind of Triton's daughters, was showing her true colors. Her heart competed with her father’s in a contest for the darkest. Black-hearted, that's what they were. This prized daughter of the king planned to enslave me for at least a month because she'd grown infatuated with a human. It took everything I had not to roll my eyes as I watched my tentacles form into a pair of human legs.
The painless process took very little time, as I used my magic to help us both dry quicker. I even used some to help Prince Evan dry faster as well. Then I offered Aria the garment I had woven.
She eyed it and then shook her head. "It's ugly. You wear that. Make me something prettier, something that shows my collarbone."
I blinked and took a deep breath. For the sake of survival, I would endure this test of patience. I slipped on the garment I had made and started another. She stood over my shoulder and dictated the process.
Once finished, we were both dressed and our feet shod with sandals, and then she eyed me again. "Don't forget your veil."
She had been serious about that? I rolled my eyes and then used the netting to make a silken veil like I'd seen on my trip to the Arabian Peninsula.
Prince Evan stirred.
Aria collapsed to her knees, sitting in the sand next to the prince, holding his hand in both of hers. His eye lids fluttered, emerald green eyes shining in the moonlight. His gaze slipped across mine for a moment before Aria positioned herself to block me from him. He blinked and took a deep breath. "What happened?"
Aria opened her mouth and closed it, her cheeks filling with red. She blushed hard and looked away.
His brow furrowed, and he searched her face again. "Who are you?"
Her eyes met his for a moment, and she opened her mouth to speak, but squeaked instead. She released his hand and slapped her palms over her lips, her eyes looking at him with wide terror.
What on Earth was going on? The spoiled brat had no problem ordering me around a moment ago, but now in the face of the man who was the subject of her infatuation, she couldn't speak?
I knelt down on the other side of him. "Sir, you fell into the water during the storm. My lady rescued you."
His eyes met mine when I spoke, and then he gazed at Aria. His brow still furrowed. "Is that true?"
She pulled her hands from her mouth and nodded.
"Who are you?" he asked her.
She stared at him, opened her mouth, and then shook her head and darted a glance toward me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and accepting my enslavement. "Her name is Aria. She is an Arabian princess and I am her servant, Ursa."
Chapter 3
Walking was not as hard as I thought it would be, but I continuously wiggled my toes, as though trying to find the control of balance that my missing limbs would have helped. The moonlight shined overhead as Prince Evan led us toward his castle. He continued to look at both Aria and myself strangely, and Aria had become as silent as a mouse, clinging to my arm as she, too, learned to walk with her newly-acquired limbs.
“Did you come to my kingdom by land or sea?” he asked as he waited for us to catch up on the rocky road.
I looked up at him. “By sea.”
He nodded. “Is your ship in the port?”
Aria squeezed my arm and nodded when I looked her direction.
“Yes, apparently so.”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. Then he turned about and led us on the rocky path. The driftwood sandals on our feet barely helped keep the rocks from piercing my sensitive soles. Aria weighed heavily on my arm forcing me to carry the weight she burdened me with as well as my own.
When we reached the wall about the castle yard, Evan spoke to the guards. “These ladies of the court will be staying in the castle tonight. Allow them passage.”
The guard nodded. “Yes, milord.”
Evan nodded our direction and guided us through the narrow, cobblestone streets. Lamps lit the way, hanging from the entryway of each building. Few people milled about in the city, and they had to walk gingerly to avoid puddles. The going was slick. A new feeling I had to conquer to maintain my balance. Aria nearly fell several times. I imagined pulling my arm free when she did and letting her fall, but I refrained.
Although I had rebelled by refusing to marry King Triton, I wasn’t the rebellious or quarrelsome sort. I wanted to keep peace, even with my enemy. Who knew what she could accomplish in this month-long servitude? The last thing I needed was to anger her and make my life harder.
I sighed and helped lift her up as she slipped again.
The stone steps on the way to the castle provided another obstacle, though easily figured out after watching him a moment. I lifted my skirt to keep from stepping upon the hem, but Aria did not need to. Her gown had been made knee-length at her request. It made her look younger and fresher while my dress was more modest and matronly. When we reached the top of the steps, we entered the main hall. Evan called a female servant and ordered her to guide us to our quarters.
“I will ask the chef to prepare a meal for us. Would you join me?” Evan asked us both. He’d quickly figured out that I spoke for both of us, and as such, addressed us both even though I’d taken the role of servant and it wasn’t the usual decorum.
Aria nodded to me.
I closed my eyes and let out a long breath before reopening them. “The princess would enjoy that immensely. Thank you, sire.”
Prince Evan bowed to us both, and we followed the female servant to the quarters Evan had commanded her to take us to. Once there, Aria closed the door. Her high-pitched voice grated on my nerves. “This is perfect. Much better than I imagined. I was right to let you come with me.”
I blinked at her. Let me come? As if I had wanted to do this. There was no limit to this girl’s insanity. She was as daft as her father.
“You are not to leave my side, understood? I don’t want to look like an idiot in front of my prince.”
A huff escaped me before I could stop it. I clamped my lips shut as she glared at me.
“I have one month to make this prince fall in love with me or we will have to go back to the sea. You will need to help me. If we go back to the sea without reaching my goal, I’ll tell my father where you are hiding.”
I shook my head. “You’re changing the arrangement. You said—”
She stepped forward and slapped me across the cheek. My hands fisted and warmed with magic. I could kill her. I could destroy her utterly and make it so that no one would ever find a single trace of her body. I could rip her to shreds and scatter the smallest fragments to the winds. This child forgot herself.
“The pact we made on the shore was unfinished. I commanded you help me, but I didn’t describe how. I’m doing that now. I am no liar or oath-breaker.”
My back teeth hurt from me clenching them so hard. My
nails dug into the palms of my hands. I could kill her, but doing so would change me. Her blood would change my magic from light to dark. I would no longer have the power over creation but destruction instead. And her soul would cling to me—haunt me for the rest of my days. I couldn’t let her have that hold over me. What was a month in the face of eternity?
I let out a deep breath and forced my hands to relax. Then I listened to her prattle. She railed on and on about what she might do and what I might do to help her. Over and over she changed her mind. Somewhere along the way, her words blended together, and I could no longer make them out.
“Are you listening to me?”
I mentally kicked myself. I must have let my boredom show on my face. The prince was lucky that the girl found herself tongue-tied around him. If this princess wanted to win the prince’s love, she’d have an easier time doing so without talking. I bowed slightly. “Of course, my princess.”
She eyed me incredulously. “Then call a messenger.”
I blinked at her, trying to remember some of what she had said, and then nodded. I concentrated on my need and a raven cawed. It lighted upon the window sill, answering my call. Nearby were parchment and pen, and Princess Aria scribbled a quick message. She handed the message to me. I tied it with a ribbon to the bird’s leg. “Where do you want this delivered?”
“My keeper is on the Salt Maiden, moored at the eastern docks.”
I nodded and concentrated, giving the bird the message. When it had received it, the bird cawed again and lifted into the air, flying westward.
Then a soft knock rapped on the door, and the servant girl entered. “I am to lead you to the dining hall now. The prince awaits.”
Aria came over and gripped my arm again. I looked down at her. The child’s eyes were full of fear, even as she looked at the servant girl. Was it fear that kept her tongue from wagging. Was she afraid of these humans?
Triton had yet to declare war on the land-dwellers. There had been some wars fought between the humans that we all watched from a distance. They were a violent lot with no regard for spilling blood. And they tended to kill that which they didn’t understand. Could it be that these thoughts ran through Aria’s head when she looked upon them?
I nodded toward the woman. “We will follow.”
She led us to a great dining hall, where Evan stood beside a chair at the end, but not at the head. Across the table from him, two places were set. The woman gestured toward the seats, and a butler waited at the chairs to pull them out for us. Once we were seated, Evan sat as well. “I hope that you found your accommodations acceptable?”
“Yes, thank you, Prince Evan.” I bowed my head toward him.
“Wonderful. You both are welcome to stay for as long as you like. We have a festival coming up in a little more than two weeks. I hope you’ll remain until then at least?”
Aria gasped next to me, her eyes growing wide as she grabbed my arm and nodded.
I leaned in. “The festival is something the princess is looking forward to.”
“Then I’ll do what I can to make it the best festival we’ve ever had. I trust you both enjoy seafood, as it is my kingdom’s specialty.”
Aria nodded to him with a coy smile, letting her gaze slip his direction, and then looking down again.
I rolled my eyes. And I might have been caught in the act by Evan, since his smile widened when my gaze returned to his. I cleared my throat. “Yes, your highness, we both greatly enjoy the seafood in the area.”
“Excellent,” he said as the courses were brought out.
Some of them were raw, as we were accustomed to eating, but other dishes were cooked so that they looked little like the animal they once had been. It was interesting, the different smells and tastes that accompanied the act of cooking and spices that were used. Cooking was a form of creation magic that I greatly wanted to learn. “Your highness, while we stay in your castle, would it be alright if I spent some time in the kitchens?”
He raised a brow. “Of course.”
I smiled, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to see it because of the gossamer veil that hid the bottom of my face. “Thank you, sire. I will endeavor to learn much.”
He smiled and drank from his goblet. “I hope you enjoy your time there and if you have any questions, feel free to let the head chef, Sebastian, know that I have given you permission to learn.”
Aria kicked me under the table, and a winced a bit, but tried to keep my posture consistent. Still, I bowed my head toward the Prince. “Your generosity is great, your highness.”
He laughed a little. “Princess Aria, what will you do during your visit?”
Silence. A blank stare. Then tears filled the bottoms of her eyelids as she looked toward me again.
I sighed and then leaned toward the prince. “The princess wishes to know more about your culture and your kingdom. She hopes that you might show her, personally, more about them yourself if possible?”
She smiled again and nodded toward me and then toward the prince as well.
His brow knit over his forehead and his eyes darted a bit as though calculating the possibility. Finally he smiled. “I will make time for it.”
Chapter 4
Sebastian watched me as I added ingredients for the cupcakes and mixed the batter. Cooking was both magic and an art form, and Sebastian was happy to teach me both. Creating something of value to the people who consumed them, the enjoyment that it brought others… these were the things I wanted to learn.
“Excellent. Now pour them into the cups.” Sebastian smiled at me through his wiry gray beard. The corners of his blue eyes crinkled as he watched me.
Once I set the cupcakes into the oven, I sat on a stool with Sebastian. The chef had been a bright spot in my enslavement. His general zest for life was infectious, and hard to find for anyone in their later years like he was. He made me realize what I’d been missing during my self-imposed exile. Although I traveled and learned what I could, I hadn’t made any true, lasting friendships. The tall, older gentleman with a constant smile was open, honest, and a patient teacher.
I kept watch over my cupcakes while they sat in the oven.
“They won’t cook faster if you watch them, you know? It will actually feel as though they are cooking slower.”
I laughed.
Eventually, the heavenly aroma of the cupcakes filled the kitchen. When they'd hit a certain smell, Sebastian grinned. "They are ready."
I wrinkled my brow. "You can tell they are ready by how they smell?"
He laughed and nodded. "Yes. When you pull the scent in and taste it with your magic, you can tell when it's hit the right amount of cooking. You have a small window of perfection before it becomes overcooked, and if you jump in and pull things out too early, you'll have raw dough. Remember the scent of raw dough?"
I nodded.
"Good. When you no longer smell raw dough mixed in among the cooked, you'll know the window is open. When the tangy scent begins, and things start to smell sour, you'll know it's overcooked and starting to burn in spots."
That made perfect sense. I nodded and opened the oven door, allowing the heat to splash against my skin in much the same way as the waves did when I sunbathed on the rocks or on a beach. I loved the feeling. It almost felt as good as sunshine after a cyclone. Once I pulled the cupcakes from the oven, I took a deep whiff. I allowed the magic in my core to pull the scent in and taste it. It didn't smell the same as it did when it was raw, nor did it have the tangy, sour scent that Sebastian described. This aroma could help me learn to time my cooking in much the same way that Sebastian did—with his nose.
The elder chef gestured to a metal grill he'd placed on the counter top and then opened the window over the counter wide. "Set your cupcakes here and allow them to cool."
Just as the oven had washed my skin with heat, the window above where I placed the cupcakes bathed my skin in coolness. With a breeze like this one, it wouldn't take long for the cupcakes to cool.
/> "Call to the wind, ask it to shift so that it blows in from the north, bringing just a wee bit cooler air."
"Change the weather?" I asked with a smile tugging at my lips. "You do that just to cool your cupcakes?"
He offered me a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's only for a short while. It's not as though we're calling in a storm."
"I'm just teasing you." I smiled and pulled magic from my core, asking the breeze to shift from the north. I closed my eyes and imagined the snow upon the peaks of the mountains in the next country and pulled the wind from there and called it near.
"I'll get the icing we can use once it's cooled." Sebastian's voice said, but I had yet to open my eyes.
I continued to pull the snow drifts and the cool air down the mountain and toward the town where Evan's castle sat. I imagined the icy breeze coming directly in the window I stood before and knew that it would soon wash me with even cooler air. The breeze approached, almost to the very spot where I stood. Next to me, feet shuffled, and I imagined Sebastian's return. Then the cool air arrived, and I shivered with its sudden freeze.
With a smile on my lips, I opened my eyes.
Sebastian stood before me, and I smiled at him.
He pressed his finger across my forehead playfully and pulled it away, red.
I furrowed my brow at him. "What did you just do?"
"Nothing." He shrugged and licked the redness off his thumb. Then I saw that he had a small tub of red icing in the crook of his arm.
I blinked at him and stuck my thumb into the icing. "I know you didn't just do what I think you did."
Sebastian stepped back, laughing. I followed him step for step. He was about to turn around when I grabbed him by the arm and then spread my red thumb down his cheek. He retaliated with another finger full of icing across my arm. There wasn't much of my face he could reach because of the veil the evil princess forced me to wear.
A squeal escaped me, and I reached for the tub again, but Sebastian pulled it from my reach.
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