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“Why are you telling me this?” I looked away.
“Just trying to distract you.” Cormac placed his cup on the table. “You look like you want to vault the table and stab Lady Elaine in her eye for daring to speak to Tormalugh.”
I glared at the Mer-King.
“Relax.” His lips ticked with an annoyingly condescending smile. “I won’t say anything else about that.”
My nostrils flared, and my hands tightened into fists.
“And the Selkies?” Elaine’s voice drifted over to me now that Cormac was silent. “Would they agree to a treaty?”
Rainn shot Elaine a guileless grin. “I couldn’t possibly know.”
“I’m certain that once you all experience what Cruinn has to offer, you’ll see that we want to protect our peace.” Elaine simpered. “Just as the Selkies wish to protect the Skala Beach.”
“Just so.” Rainn tilted his head regally.
“You should all come to my private quarters tomorrow evening. We can discuss terms in a more casual setting. As friends. Allies.” Elaine’s mouth pulled into a seductive pout.
Cormac lifted his drink in a toast. “What of Maeve?” Cormac called out loudly as if in a pub instead of the royal dining hall. “Wouldn’t it make sense for the Mad Queen’s daughter, the true heir to Cruinn, to be present?” Cormac released a belch to excuse his taunting words and patted his muscular stomach.
Elaine shot him a peevish stare. “Maeve is not the heir.” She turned to me for the first time. “But I suppose there is no harm in inviting her to dinner. If she remembers her manners.”
She held my gaze for a moment before I looked away. I felt her triumph like ink in the water.
Chapter Sixteen
As a youngling, I had never been invited to my uncle’s private suite, though I knew he had hosted many of the members of the Undine Court.
King Irvine’s room had a balcony overlooking the courtyard and the bridge to the castle. The window was a cage, like all the windows in the castle, to avoid intruders from climbing inside. Things like height didn’t matter so much when swimming.
I was certain Elaine hadn’t meant to invite me to the private dinner with all the princelings. In fact, everyone bar Cormac seemed to have a vested interest in keeping me away. With his giddy desire to meddle in my affairs, only the Mer-King had pushed for my attendance. No doubt, sending the wrong signals to Elaine and the rest of the undine court.
Rainn and the others were closer to the royal suite in the guest wing. They had already arrived by the time I’d made it across the castle—their jovial chatter filtered through the heavy-plated door.
I felt a pang. The same discordant twist of my stomach that I’d had as a child, ignored and excluded.
I told myself that I was being foolish. I had told Rainn and Tor to hide our relationship, but Shay didn’t know we were both marked. I couldn’t very well fault them for doing as I asked.
I knocked on the door and waited. A moment passed, and then another, before the chatter stopped and the door opened.
Rainn’s sky-blue eyes sparkled before he forced his smile to drop, and he stepped back, beckoning me inside.
Elaine had several rooms in the royal suite. The entrance led to a dining room with a table made of polished stone. A dozen worn stone stools ringed the table, and an elaborate display of flowers woven from silver wire stood proudly in the center. No doubt, it was crafted by my uncle when he was alive. I could sense their magic from where I stood, a weaving designed to make food taste better.
Elaine did not bother standing up or greeting me. Her wine glass was full, and her attention was rapt as she listened to Shay speak. I was too far away to hear what was said, though Elaine leaned in several times. No doubt, feeling the effects of Shay’s magic.
The nymph had no designs on reigning himself in, and he placed his hand on Elaine’s arm, shooting her a smile that was too intimate for my liking.
Still, Shay Mac Eoin could do what he wanted. Shíorghrá markings aside, he was his own person. Though it burned me to watch him flirt, I ignored the feeling, pushing it down my body until I hoped it would disappear.
Instead, I marched to the end of the table and grabbed a goblet, filling a cup with wine. The enchanted bubble grew as my cup filled, separating the liquid of my glass from the lake.
I sipped my wine, eying Rainn as he sat back down and served himself a plate of shrimp. Tor did not glance my way as he did his best to look interested in Elaine and Shay's conversation.
I drained my glass, waiting for matters to turn serious, but they didn’t.
“I’ve heard the east of the lake has less snow. Is that true?” Elaine smirked as she refilled her glass.
