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I had no desire to make myself known as Vidalia and Ilra argued amongst themselves.
“Why Ilaria?” Ilra pleaded. “You told me I would be the chieftain’s wife. You promised, and then you gave Ilaria the necklace.”
“Ilaria has a gentle temperament. The Mac Eoin needs someone to protect. You are too fierce, Ilra.” Vidalia clicked her tongue. “The necklace is too valuable to waste on someone that would push the Mac Eoin away with her barbed tongue before he could wed her. Ilaria will simper and fluff up his ego enough that he won’t notice she doesn’t have a lick of water magic until they have consummated their marriage in front of the Gods.”
“Grandmother—” Ilra snarled, but Vidalia held up a hand to interrupt her.
“Ilaria is more biddable.” The elderly Fae assured the younger female. “You would chafe under the stresses of being the chieftain’s bride.”
“I love him, Grandmother.”
“Love doesn’t breed true.” Vidalia snapped before she stepped closer to the water and paused.
I closed my eyes, resting my head against the rock. I stayed still, hoping they would not find me. Especially after I had heard the truth.
Ilaria didn’t have water magic.
Shay Mac Eoin was marrying a fake.
Chapter Nine
Despite my earlier assertions that I did not want to be a coward, I ran, slipping into the water and sinking into the reeds as I waited for Vidalia and Ilra to return to the village.
I had never swam the lake shore by the nymph village, but the water was deep enough by the ledge that I could stand without my head poking out above the water.
A moment passed as my gills emerged like an old friend. The lake welcomed me, the water pressing close against my skin. I breathed a sigh of relief as I floated about the sand. Weightless. At home.
I crossed my legs, letting my body drop into the tall black seaweed, moving with the current. My hair was silver, and I hoped that anyone looking might mistake me for a fish.
A school of flounder burst from the reeds, rushing away as I swam past, a fish rarely seen in the deeper parts of the lake. I swam to the beach where the elderly women had gathered to wash clothes, the water free of nymphs due to the arrival of the Mer-King.
I wanted nothing more than to keep swimming, but I wouldn’t have left without Rainn and Tor.
I crawled toward the shore on my belly until the water grew too shallow, and I pulled myself onto the beach. The waves crashed against my legs as I flicked the salt water from my hands, shivering under my dress's heavy, wet fabric.
Cormac was nowhere to be seen, though Shay, Rainn, and Tor appeared to be arguing by the bonfire.
I gathered the fabric of my dress and wrung the water from the material before stomping over to the males. My eyes narrowed as my anger at Cormac reared its head again.
It seemed I needed more than a five-minute breather before I was ready to let the issue lie.
I didn’t want to watch Shay get married.
I didn’t want to stay in the nymph village, knowing that Cormac Illfinn and a host of murderous Mer were a few feet away.
Rainn broke away from the group.
“Went for a swim?” Rainn grinned, his sky-blue eyes flashing.
“I want to go home,” I whispered.
“To Cruinn?” the selkie cocked his head to the side.
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t know. I don’t know where my home is. I just feel…” My arms flailed by my side.
“You want to feel safe,” Rainn concluded. “Tor had words with Cormac after you left. Cormac knows Tor will drag him to the deep and feed on his death if he so much as looks at you.”
I rubbed my arms, shivering, though I didn’t feel cold. “I don’t want Tor to protect me. I want to be able to protect myself.”
