“They’d undoubtedly try to eat you.”
At that, Tristan’s brows rose. “Do you think they’d succeed?” At Austin’s hesitation, Tristan leaned in, a gleam in his eye. “They’re that dangerous?”
“They can get up to twelve feet high standing on their back legs,” Austin said. From some deep recess of his mind, the facts that Tammy had spat at him in a rush when she’d proposed the project months ago came bobbing up. He hadn’t been listening, dramatically covering his ears and leaning away from her instead. He often did that to Tammy. She was too used to it to let it stop her. “They can weigh as much as a horse. And more than that, they’re in their natural environment in the Arctic. By the time you spot one, it’s on top of you.”
“My eyesight’s better than yours. I’d see it before then,” Tristan said.
Austin scowled. “If you think so, then let me draw you a map. Go ahead and see who kills who first.”
Tristan made a mollifying sound and leaned across the space between them. He bent and pressed a coaxing kiss to Austin’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of harming a single member of a species you’re in the middle of saving, never mind going off and hunting one down. It would be a sightseeing mission only. If I could manage to spot one before it was on top of me, of course.”
Austin warned Tristan back with a growl, supremely irritated at the flash of amusement in the merman’s eyes. He was gazing at him as if Austin had done something unexpectedly precious, but Austin didn’t know what.
“And what about you?” Austin asked. “Justice isn’t your passion.”
“No,” Tristan agreed, settling back into his chair. “But supporting Hal’s pursuits gives me great satisfaction. And though it does not particularly interest me…” His gaze slid to the court floor, his expression going distant. “It is nice that my territory differs so greatly from my father’s.”
The door into their viewing box cracked open. It opened only a slit, and Austin couldn’t see who was on the other side,though Tristan was angled perfectly to catch whoever stood there.
“Does he look very angry?” a man hissed through the crack. Austin recognised Hal’s voice immediately.
“Quite, brother,” Tristan replied.
A mournful groan came through the gap. “I sent a page to invite him to dinner, but I don’t suppose I’ll ever gaze upon those beautiful eyes again.”
Austin cast a look down at the floor. A man was handing Kas a note, and the fiery look in his eye was familiar. Austin knew that sort of rage: the kind that demanded immediate action.
“I think he’ll accept your invitation.”
“That’s not Char’s voice.”
A breeze rustled the hair at Austin’s nape. The door snicked shut.
When Austin turned, Hal was tucked behind a drape at the edge of the box, holding the fabric out to hide from the audience below.
Hal was undoubtedly a merman. The cold of the ocean radiated from his skin, seeping through his clothes and chilling the air around him. He was tall like Tristan, but not as lean as Austin had gauged from a distance. There was the swell of muscles beneath his courtly clothes. Hal’s blue eyes burned bright with intelligence as they connected with Austin’s and then were overcome with a look identical to the one he’d been wearing for Kas.
Austin considered it fortunate that he’d just personally seen how deceptive that look was.
“This is my brother Hal,” Tristan introduced. “Hal, this is Austin. I mentioned him,” he added, quick and quiet.
“You most certainly didnot,” Hal objected without tearing his eyes from Austin. “You said—oh, you little blighter,you said he was very plain-looking for a siren and told me not to come!”
“Plain-looking?”
“I lied, obviously. You’re beautiful,” Tristan said quickly.
“You described me asplain-looking?”
Tristan spared an irritated look for his brother and then showed Austin his throat. Austin couldn’t bring himself to even look at Tristan. Austin was many things, and many of them he wished he wasn’t, but he had never, in all his life, been plain.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry, I’m talking to him when you’re here.” Hal broke eye contact to bow, an elegant, practised movement.
Out of the corner of his eye, Austin saw a few spectators catch a glimpse of Hal before he straightened behind the curtain once more. And then Austin felt attention onhim.
“Welcome to my city of monsters. Or, if you like, Justerra.” Hal sniffed. “Actually, I would appreciate it if you’d call the city Justerra. I’ve made an official mandate, but aside from delegations, everyone calls us the city of monsters.”
It was the first time Austin had heard the name. “Just for justice, terra for land? Justice land? A tad on the nose.”
