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“And I suppose you’re going to tell me what a horrible idea that was.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Rainn’s coat slipped from my shoulder.
Tor laughed, the sound free and easy. “I don’t think either of us are stupid enough to do that.”
“She was meant to be imprisoned, according to the stories anyway,” I mumbled. “Charybdis angered Belisama by trying to take the High Throne, and he buried her under the lake bed.”
“Someone freed her?” Tor leaned forward, his interest piqued.
“One of the gods?” Rainn asked. “If Belisama imprisoned her, it stands that only a God could free her.”
“You think?” I gnawed my bottom lip.
Both males were silent, and the drumming music slowly drifted through the air, alerting us to the impending celebration. I sighed and pulled Rainn’s coat from my shoulders, dropping it onto one of the cots and pulling out a dress from one of our packs. A plain dress made of two panels joined together in a knot over my stomach, leaving my chest largely exposed and a large slit between my legs. The dress wouldn’t be out of place among the nymphs, which was no doubt why it had been chosen, though lower than I would have liked, considering I didn’t have the curves of a nymph.
Rainn and Tor took my contemplative silence as a cue to get dressed. Tor, in black leather painted to his skin. Tight hunting trousers, a soft linen shirt, and leather laces holding the collar together. Rainn had chosen an ornate tunic embroidered with silver thread; the collar was decorated with seals. The beading was exquisite.
I turned away, pulling the dress over my head and taking a moment to adjust the fabric. I had no idea what to do with my hair and considered asking Tor to help fix it, but nymphs favored loose hair, and I didn’t want to look out of place.
As I span, I plastered a smile on my face, allowing my dress to fan out. I expected a lascivious look or comment from either of my mates but was met with silence.
Both males stared at my chest, but there was nothing sexual in the gesture.
I followed their gaze, finding a black mark burned into the flesh over my heart. A circle and a slash, like someone had heated a coin, pressed it against my skin, and then tried to obscure the scar.
The burn didn’t hurt, though the skin was raised. Frowning, I brushed my thumb over the mark, but it didn’t smudge. My low-cut dress gave a clear view of the brand.
Horror washed over me like a stone sinking to the bottom of the lake. “Do you think—” I couldn’t finish the thought. “Did Charybdis…?” Did she mark me?
Rainn picked up his coat and pressed it into my hands. “Cover it for now.” He urged. “We’ll worry about it after the wedding.”
Shay Mac Eoin’s words cycled through my head as we sat in the main hut, surrounded by the entire village population.
The thin band of sunlight had dissolved, the moonlight bleached the color from the streamers, and the hot torches surrounded the procession as we waited for the bride and groom.
I felt sick.
The heat was too much, and I fanned myself, ignoring Rainn and Tor’s concerned looks.
Cormac Illfinn sat amongst several mer guards. He had gained the attention of some of the younger female nymphs, preening as they touched his bare arm or wove their fingers in his golden hair.
I scoffed. “Why did the Mer-King come to the wedding?”
“Shay and Cormac are close.” Rainn supplied, glancing over at the Merman. “It seems he is using the wedding as an excuse to expand a harem.”
My nose wrinkled in disgust, but Tor barked a dark laugh.
“If Cormac wants to drag a nymph to the depths of the lake, he’ll have to pay the family for the funeral,” Tor muttered.
“Don’t let him bother you,” Rainn suggested.
“I’m trying. I promise I am.” I patted Rainn’s thigh. “It’s just—”
“He stabbed you, and you want him to burn in the fires of the Morrigan’s cauldron.” Tor supplied helpfully.
I snapped my fingers. “Exactly. I doubt I could get near enough to stab him in the back, though. He’d be expecting that.”
“Find something he loves and rip it away,” Tor suggested, his dark eyes sparkling.
“You both scare me.” Rainn shuddered.
