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“It’s a good thing she’ll never be queen; she eats like a savage.”
“Speaking of savages, did you see the nymph?”
The back of my neck prickled, and I looked up. Rainn, Tor, and Shay sat at the head table, an honor I had never been bestowed even as a youngling, on my mother’s knee. Tor’s face was blank, but I knew him well enough to say he was enjoying the company of Irvine’s favored undine as much as a Mer enjoyed walking on land. Rainn seemed to be having a better time, piling his plate high with food. When a Sidhe tried to speak to him, he nodded though his mouth was too full to speak.
Shay was in his element, having attracted several of the unmated courtiers. Both female and male. If Shay had pushed his chair back, it wouldn’t have surprised me if someone had crawled in his lap. He seemed at ease, drinking wine and leaning close to listen to each fae speaking.
My teeth ground together, but I looked away, searching for the source of my unease.
Cormac Illfinn.
Leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he unapologetically stared at me.
I met his gaze and bared my teeth.
I hadn’t seen Cormac since coming to Cruinn, but I’d known he was here. Still, seeing the Mer-king always felt like a punch to the chest. My heartbeat roared in my ears, and I wanted to run away—but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
I turned to my food, hoping that ignoring Cormac would push his attention elsewhere, but I had no such luck.
The sounds at the surrounding tables grew in volume, and the water filled with excited and nervous chatter.
I looked up, meeting Cormac’s green eyes.
“Maeve Cruinn.” He purred. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Go feck a barracuda, Illfinn.” I snapped. Several undine gasped, and the water rippled as they moved closer, but I didn’t care. Neither, it seemed, did Cormac.
“Touchy.” Cormac held up his hands in a disarming fashion. “You claim I’m nothing to you, but I don’t think you’d be so riled up if that was the case.”
I hated that his words gave me pause, even for a moment.
“What do you want?” I pushed my plate away.
“Come to the head table with me.” Cormac urged. “I’ll let you sit on my lap.”
“Really?” My eyes widened, and I injected an ungodly amount of innocent awe into the word. Insulting him hadn’t worked, so I had to try another tactic. “You’ll let me sit on your lap? Will you feed me? Braid my hair?”
Cormac made a strangled sound. Half snort, half shock.
“You’re fecking with me.” He narrowed his eyes.
“And here I thought you were an eejit.” I bared my teeth.
“Maeve...” His tail made it hard to sit on the bench, so instead, he leaned forward and lowered his voice until only I could hear. “You need to sit at the head table. By my side. Please.”
Fae did not say please or thank you. Even an apology was a tenuous thing. Those words could be considered a debt, which was very serious among the Fae. Unbreakable even by death.
I felt the magic in the water latch onto his words, but if Cormac was bothered, he didn’t show it.
I didn’t know his plan, but he was willing to incur a debt for it.
I didn’t trust Cormac Illfinn, but the debt was too valuable to ignore.
I stood up, feeling the bargain slide over my skin and lock into place. Cormac held out his hand though the table separated the both of us. I shrugged, feeling emboldened by the whispers from the surrounding courtiers.
They thought I was mad anyway, but I got a perverse thrill from how their jaws dropped as I stepped onto the table and walked two steps to the other side, ignoring the plates laden with food.
Cormac helped me down on the other side, struggling not to laugh
