She waited for me to return her smile. When I didn’t, she carefully set her cup on her saucer. “Unless you were born and raised in an oceanic colony, Naiads live in hiding. We wouldn’t have to, if not for humans. There was a time when we coexisted, but not anymore. It would endanger our race to openly reveal yourself to one. Humans have too many superstitions—”
“The prince knows I am one.”
“Yes,” Selena said slowly. “It would be wise for you both to pretend he did not.”
Her words were firm and smooth, but she spoke with enough finality I knew she’d ended the subject. She stood to leave, but I wasn’t quite finished.
“Do most Naiads have difficulty understanding humans?”
Selena regarded me with curiosity. “It’s a skill for you to master. Though it might always be a challenge for you. Understanding other Naiads will be much easier. More instinctual. You can usually trust your gut when dealing with aNaiad.” Her eyes dipped down to my empty tray. “I assume you have no problems eating fish?”
“Fish?” My brows raised. “No, no problems. Islanders eat fish more than anything else.”
“Good. Then we won’t have to worry about your development. In the future, when given the option, always choose something from the sea. Don’t eat moray eels,” she instructed. “Let’s get you dressed. They’ll be bringing your breakfast soon. I’ve made an appointment for you with one of the royal tailors. She’ll be here this afternoon.”
“I’ve eaten them before. They’re safe when cooked.” The dark spotted eels were a delicacy, once they were rid of bones. Well known on the island for their toxic blood, moray eels were only a threat when eaten raw.
“You ate them before your transition. They’re not lethal to Naiads, but they will cause intense stomach cramps. You’ll find yourself losing your breakfast or your bowels. Or both.” Selena smiled as she retrieved my only dress from the edge of the bed, as if visiting a distant memory.
“I haven’t transitioned.” I said, wondering what information about me Thaan could’ve possibly offered Selena, if not this seemingly important piece of knowledge.
Poised with the dress over my head, Selena paused to give me a strange look. “You’ve never changed?”
I stared blankly at her.
She pulled the garment on. In my anger the day before, I hadn’t realized how beautiful it had been. Rich, forest green satin shifted over my skin as Selena tugged everything into place, lacing the sewn-in corset and cinching me tight. “You show all the signs of a mature Naiad. Someone who has gone through transition.”
“What signs are those?”
“For starters, the feeling I experienced when we first made eye contact. It’s calledspiculae. Do you know what spicules are?”
“No.”
“They’re slender, sharp-pointed crystal processes made of calcium. They make up the skeletal bodies of marine and freshwater invertebrates.” Taking a notebook from her bag, she flipped to a blank page and began sketching a piece of coral, shading the protrusions like small anchors and blades. “Though we are not invertebrates, our bones take on a similar shape once we’ve changed—unless we are Naiad-born. Then it’s already there. It’s part of the reason it’s painful the first time we change. Many Naiads lose consciousness, or sleep for a few days after. Spiculae form down our spine, and when we make eye contact with a Naiad, the nerve endings along our spinal column fire, causing the chill that runs down our back. Mine wasverystrong when I first looked at you.”
“I’ve always felt the prickle, even when I was young,” I challenged.
“Yes, but is it not stronger now than it used to be?”
My mouth opened to sayno, but I hesitated. I’d avoided Nori and Olinne since they dragged me underwater. My mouth parted, sharp comprehension burning through my mind like wildfire.
“They said they were taking me to meet their queen and pulled me under,” I said out loud, my mind swimming in memory.
“Nori and Olinne?” Selena asked, watching me with interest, her eyes deep and focused as she followed the sudden change of conversation. “What happened when they pulled you under?”
Exhaling, I thought back to several days before. It had only been a week ago, but it felt like a lifetime. “Olinne held my arms and legs, so I couldn’t swim. We sank down deep enough there was no light, and I thought I would drown. There were a hundred of them. Nori—someonegave me a breath…” I stoppedto shake my head, the memory growing hazy. How long had I been underwater?
Selena waited patiently, her chin sitting over her delicate fingers.
“Then they were gone,” I said slowly, the vision of the bright surface of water, high above my head while I floated in darkness, unfolded in my mind’s eye.
“You didn’t breathe forher?” Selena asked.
“What do you mean?”
“She gave you breath. Did you return it back to her?”
“No,” I answered warily.
