Finally, I presented the beast Queen Jessamine’s Conch. The Revmandra went incredibly still. A pirate’s bounty. It was a treasure no Revmandra could deny. The beast snatched the conch and ran a claw along the diamond surface, nail clicking against the stone. Gently, it dipped its head down to reveal a clear spot at the base of its horns. It was as if the beast had been waiting for a prize worthy enough to occupy the most protected part of its body. Tiny, bubble-like droplets of tacky secretion formed along its skin, and it held out the treasure to me. I didn’t hesitate, and I swam closer to place the conch against its hide. I channeled power into the Charmer’s emblem on my hand. Rosewood light blossomed around us, and the Revmandra willingly accepted my charm. With our connection solidified, my beast gently nudged me to the surface, mindful of my injured leg, and I gulped down air.
Noc, Calem, and Oz stood at the edge of the island. Shadows festered and lashed out around Noc’s hands. His entire body was rigid, muscles ticking in his jaw. Oz had a firm grip on his shoulder to keep him from moving, but there was no mistaking the concern racing through his stare, either. Calem, too, had sidled closer, as if waiting to latch on to Noc in case he’d decided to come into the waters after me. Mercury had flooded his normally muted-red irises, and there was an air of frantic energy about him. But somehow, he’d maintained his human form. Somehow, we’d all managed to do exactly what was needed to tame the Revmandra.
Relief washed over my assassins like a wave the moment they locked eyes with me. Oz’s arms went slack as he released Noc from his grip, and he immediately went to our bags to start extracting healing ointments and bandages. Calem closed his eyes and forced out several slow breaths. When he opened them again, the mercury hue had receded. Noc rushed to the shore and helped me out of the ocean, offering me his arm so I could lean against him and keep weight off my leg.
“That was…brutal,” he said, voice low and full of emotion.
I cracked a tired smile. “Worse than when I tamed Onyx?”
He paused as if in thought. Then shook his head. “No. That was worse because I wasn’t expecting it.”
An old pang of guilt threaded through my stomach. When I’d tamed my Myad on our first, fateful journey together, I hadn’t told any of them what it would take to charm the legendary beast. I’d tricked them and immobilized them. Rendered them useless while a ferocious creature nearly killed me. Maybe it had been then when Noc realized how much I meant to him—when he thought he’d lose me forever.
We’d both denied our feelings longer than we cared to admit. But not now. Not anymore. Gripping his arm tight, I gave him a reassuring squeeze. “I’m fine. Let’s get this wound dressed so we can get the hell out of here.”
Noc eased me to the ground while Oz measured and ripped bandages to care for my injury. The beast waited in the shallow waters with a contented look in its amber eyes. It was the largest Revmandra to appear—and the most decorated, covered in precious stones, gold aurics, and pearls of every shade. The beast was worth more than its weight in bits. Not that anyone would ever be able to remove its possessions and live to sell them.
Calem peered at my Revmandra. “Do we just hop on its back?”
“Not quite.” Wincing, I shimmied out of my trousers with Noc’s help and extended my leg to Oz. He didn’t miss a beat, quickly wiping off the gash and applying a healing balm before wrapping it tightly several times. The pressure alleviated some of the lancing pain, and I sighed. Taking the offered pair of fresh breeches from Noc, I slipped them on, then swapped my soaked blouse for a dry pale-pink one.
“Then where?”
I pointed to the scoop-shaped antlers protruding from the water like high-backed thrones. “There. The Revmandra can produce an air bubble that will attach to its rack so we can safely travel underwater and avoid detection.” Rising to my feet, I hobbled toward my beast with Noc by my side. “I’ll show you.”
As I moved to the edge of the water, my beast slithered forward, his belly etching a groove into the sandy bottom. I crouched before him and placed my hand against his massive snout. Gold bits scratched against my palm. But between the glittering, protective barrier, glimpses of slippery skin were still visible. And so were the tiny bubbles full of oxygen just waiting to be expanded.
“Hey, there.” My mind whirred as I tried to think of a name suitable for such a magnificent creature. He was majestic. Powerful. Clearly, he’d ruled over these waters and amassed a great deal of treasure. “I’m going to call you Magnus. Can you produce a bubble for us? We’d like to leave this cavern.”
One by one, tiny bubbles lifted off his body and rushed toward each other, forming one massive sphere that rose out of the water and hung just above his head. Satisfied with its size, Magnus then trapped it with his antlers. The bubble shifted, expanding to encompass the horns and lock in air. He rested his snout on the shore and let out a wet huff.
Stepping lightly, I walked across the flat of his skull and pressed my palm against the bubble. Instead of it popping, a peculiar slurping met my ears and my hand passed right through the barrier up to my elbow. Turning my head, I offered my assassins a grin.
“Let’s go.”
I passed through the dome, a tad sticky thanks to the residue of Magnus’s adhesive keeping the bubble intact, but otherwise dry. Maneuvering to the first antler, I hoisted myself up and relaxed, then beckoned to Noc, Calem, and Oz with a playful wave.
Noc followed immediately, taking the same steps I did and clambering up into the antler beside me. Draping one arm around my shoulders, he pulled me against his chest and placed a kiss on the crown of my head. Oz quickly grabbed our things and then tiptoed across Magnus’s head to the center antler.
I held back a laugh. “You’re fine, Oz. Trust me, he can carry our weight and then some.”
“Just being nice is all,” he said with a smile. Shoving the bag up first, he climbed onto the horn and settled in. Calem was right on his heels, and he strolled over to the third and final antler. With all of us securely in place, Magnus let out another huff.
“Take us south,” I said to my beast. “We’re heading to Rhyne.”
Magnus plunged beneath the surface and took off in the direction of the underwater current we’d rode in on. It had mysteriously switched directions, as if the gods had altered the water’s path for the ascending king and queen to exit the same way we’d arrived. We didn’t need it, though. Magnus swam parallel to the swirling channel into the depths beneath the mountain. The lichen died off, and so did the pale-blue glow they provided. We were thrust into darkness with nothing more than a bubble to protect us. But Magnus was unfazed, and within a few minutes, we escaped the belly of the island to waters doused in sun. Light filtered through the blue-green ocean, a handful of boat-shaped shadows marring the sandy floor beneath us.
Noc’s grip on me tightened. “We’ve got company.”
My gaze snapped upward. “Harlow?”
“I don’t think so.” His eyes narrowed as he studied the small fleet of rowboats heading toward our vessel. I spied Selenis immediately, still safely hidden within the shadow of Kings Isle. Her head was angled toward the approaching ships, and aside from the constant flutter of her finned tail, she barely moved.
Extending my hand, I opened the beast realm door. “Good work, Selenis. Come home.” Her gaze riveted to me and she smiled before releasing the rope and disappearing into the realm. I let my hand fall to my side, thankful she hadn’t been spotted.
“Our rowboat will act as a good diversion,” Noc said, jerking his chin toward the few ships anchored a short distance away. From the underside, it was impossible to tell who they belonged to. But the location of these hidden burial sites wasn’t public knowledge, which meant we were more than likely lurking beneath Varek’s forces.
I signaled to Oz and Calem, pointing to Magnus’s rack. “Hang on tight.” Gripping the edge of his antler, I urged my beast forward. “Get us out of here as fast as you can.”
