I tilted my head to the side.
“Hate you? You mean if you’re named Spark and I’m not?”
He shook his head.
“Just try not to hate me.”
I gave him a wide smile. He was worrying over nothing. And I was so happy, it defied reason.
“I could never hate you, Dane. Even if you get Spark alone. You’re my friend.”
He opened his mouth to speak but the horn cut him off. It was time to go in. I squared my shoulders and followed the line into the arena.
We were guided into neat rows of twenty or fewer, five rows deep. The Royals sat comfortably on a platform, elevated above the stands at the edge of the arena. I saw Annaruth sitting by the Queen.
It seemed as if the High Priestess offered me a tiny smile, but I couldn’t be sure.
The ceremony began with music and dancers. Then the naming began.
The first ten Mers were assigned to the Military. I saw Juno and Jaynelle in that group. They would be excellent soldiers, though I would never trust them again. Even though we were all now on the same team.
Next came the Royal Scribes. It seemed odd that Scribes were chosen through battle, but Annaruth’s visions had played a part in that. And any of the Elite might be called upon to defend and protect the Royal family at any moment.
Royal Musicians were also chosen, as well as Advisors and Personal Guards. And then it came time for the Messengers. Starla was one of the first awarded, though she was named Messenger In Training, most likely due to her size. As Annaruth waved her hand over the small Mer, her robes dissolved to form a handsome uniform. I clapped giddily to see my friend so honored. If nothing else, I knew I would be joining her in the rank of Messenger.
Beyond that, I was afraid to hope.
The ceremony paused when they got to Rip. I held my breath as they assigned him to be the Secret Messenger, who would carry the private messages of the Royals themselves, not merely governmental missives. It was a true honor and would keep him more than busy for the rest of his tenure.
Then Marcum was called forward. We held our breath, wondering what assignment he would be given. Everyone gasped as he was named Royal Seer. His uniform was a dark blue, nearly black, and covered in a pattern of gold and silver stars.
“I thought Annaruth was the Seer!”
Dane shook his head, leaning in to whisper.
“Seer is different. It’s very rare. I’ll tell you later. It’s your turn!”
I swam forward, forcing myself to put my shoulders back and hold my head high. Annaruth’s smile was gentle as she made her announcement.
“Katriana Spark!”
I nearly toppled over, but I managed to stay strong as my robes transformed into a golden gown, swirling majestically around me. Dark blue gems adorned the neckline and the sleeves. This was my uniform? I realized I’d never seen a female Spark, not even in photos. I’d never expected anything like this. It was so glamorous!
Tears were in my eyes as I caught my friends’ eyes one by one. Dane, still waiting behind me. Starla, with the rest of the Elite. And Annaruth, who had become almost like a mother to me.
“I couldn’t be prouder, my wild one.”
I nodded and took my place with the others, forming a semicircle in front of the Queen. Only Dane was left. He swam forward, his gaze direct when he looked at the Royals on the platform.
“And finally, Prince Pollux Dane Spark, long may he reign.”
The crowd went berserk as his robes transformed into a golden tunic. The fabric and jewels were similar to what I wore, but Dane also wore the royal sash across his chest and a golden crown upon his head.
“Dane?”
His eyes were on mine. He floated there proudly, the transformation complete. He was . . . the Prince? Not who he’d had said he was, but a Royal?
No. He was the Royal.
No one stood above him but the Queen.
I felt myself want to faint, but I didn’t move. His deep blue eyes bored into me, asking me something. But what?
And then I remembered what he had said. What he had asked of me. He had asked me not to hate him.
I gave my head a little shake and forced a smile to let him know I didn’t hate him. How could I hate him? I was shocked and not just a little bit angry though. He’d lied to me!
But we were strangers when this all began. He had no reason to trust me until now.
My pesky and annoyingly wise internal voice was at it again, mature and far less reactionary than I was. I wanted to hold onto my anger! I wanted to nurse it until I decided how I felt!
I watched as guards surrounded Dane, I mean Pollux, and drew him away. Was he being arrested? What was happening?
“Did you know?”
Rip was beside me, asking me something.
“What?”
“Did you know who he was?”
I shook my head numbly. The arena had erupted into chaos, with the ceremony ending abruptly and without fanfare. The Elite were milling around as the crowd emptied from the stadium.
Starla swam to my side.
“What will they do with him?”
I took Starla’s hand and squeezed it.
“I don’t know.”
“Nothing,” Rip said. “I mean, the Queen looked mad, don’t get me wrong, but what can they do? He’s next in line for the throne.”
I exhaled, feeling relieved. I might be a little confused, but I didn’t want Dane to get in trouble. No, not Dane. His name is Pollux, and he’s the Prince. My cheeks warmed up, remembering the kiss we had shared.
I had been kissed by a Prince, and I hadn’t even known it!
“One thing is for sure—they’ll never let him set foot or fin on dry land.”
“He won’t be Spark?”
“How can he be?”
I swallowed, realizing how restrictive his life must be. No wonder his greatest fear had been chains and ropes. But somehow, he had broken free. Maybe he could in real life too.
“You guys ready for the ball?”
Starla nodded. I shook my head distractedly.
“I need to go somewhere first.”
It was odd, swimming through the open sea alone, wearing the most exalted Elite uniform in the sea. The gold felt like a second skin, and I knew it was designed to look like shimmering light. Lovely as it was, it was worrisome. I felt exposed.
The quiet gave me time to think, to settle my tumultuous emotions. I was so worried about Beazil. I knew he would be shaken up. I knew he’d been forced to do things that were out of character, and in doing so, he had saved my life.
And the thrill of my victory . . . well, I felt almost too happy, and guilty about that at the same time. My familiar had paid a high price for my victory. In truth, I would have traded it all just to keep him safe.
But life didn’t work that way. You didn’t get to pick and choose what costs you paid or what rewards you might gain. And we hadn’t had a choice in the matter. We’d both had no option but to enter.
It was the law.
I reasoned with myself the whole way, trying to assuage my guilt in what had happened to my familiar. And between arguments, I’d worried about Dane.
He was the Prince. He was my friend. That was it. I couldn’t think past that. As a Prince, he could never truly be interested in someone like me. Princes married Princesses. And I wasn’t so sure I wanted to get married anyway! Not for a long time, and only then if I found the right person.
So even as a Spark, and even if he did have feelings for me, it was utterly hopeless. Better to be smart and squash the strange fluttery feeling I got in my chest when I was around him. Wiser. More mature.
I glanced around surreptitiously, making a wide circle as I approached the cliffs. I dove down at precisely the right spot, seeking the entrance. The light was still good, but I wanted to get back before dark, if at all possible. I didn’t know how my uniform worked after dark. For all I knew, the damn dress glowed. I didn’t need to become a beacon for every predator in the sea, and especially not for any humans who might be out in a boat.
Two-leggers were the most dangerous predators of all. Mers had feared sailors since humans first took to the sea. Triton forbid one of them ever got their hands on a Mer!
I felt him before I could see him.