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I hang up Belle’s clothes we’ve brought and head for the door.
“Where are you going?” Belle is back from the bathroom, standing next to the bed.
“To my room.”
“You’re not sleeping here?”
“Do you want me to?”
She nods and I turn to Castor.
“It’s not a pod bed, but there’s room.” He climbs in on one side of Belle, and I take the other side.
Belle curls toward me. This might be the last time I sleep with her. I take her hand and place it on my chest over my heart. I wait for her to drift off before I fall asleep.
* * *
“Wake up,” Castor whispers, his hand on my shoulder.
I bolt upright. I’m never the one to sleep in. Ever. Belle’s tousled hair is splayed over the pillow in front of me. I ease away from her and follow him into the bathroom.
“Trial is in two hours. I got a message to him about Annabelle wanting to attend.”
“And?” I don’t need to ask. Not really.
Castor holds out a small piece of paper. I take it. One word is scrawled in thick black letters.No.
I hand it back to him. “Two hours?” I run my fingers through my hair.
Delicate footsteps pad into the bathroom. “Two hours until the trial?” She races to the shower. “That’s not a lot of time.” She pulls off the tunic shirt she slept in. “I need to shower. But quickly.” She points a finger at the two of us, and we hold our hands up like she’s pointing a trident. She turns the water on and steps in.
“Belle,” I say, keeping my back to the glass door. If I look at her, I’m going to lose my train of thought.
“Yeah?”
“Nico doesn’t want you there.”
“I know. I expected as much, but I don’t care.” She opens the door, her wet hand on my arm. “Look at this!”
I don’t move.
“Holter!”
I turn, and she’s got her head tilted in dismay, her hair out of the way of the mark Nico gave her. “He did this. He doesn’t get to not call me family when it’s convenient to him.” Her blue eyes glow at me. “Stand with her pod. That’s what a real mermaid does. Right?”
I let out a long sigh. “Right.”
“Then I’ve got to get a move on. I’m not going to let him play into his reputation and let that do him in. Not when he was trying to do something for his country.” She closes herself into the shower.
I nod and go off to find Castor.
He’s not far, in his chamber, dressed in one of his finest suits. “She’s still going?” Castor adjusts his golden tie pin.
I nod.
“I didn’t think she’d listen.” He cocks his head.
* * *
