The stables were dark and quiet as I swam through them. It was early in the morning, too early for more than the faintest glimmer of light to reach down from the surface. I was up well before the Palace servants.
Not that I’d actually rested more than a little.
I hadn’t been able to sleep much since the Trials.
None of my friends were awake to distract me from the memories of what had happened or the challenges I was soon to face. The truth was, I felt like I was still in the Trials. Still fighting for my life. Still fighting for the lives of my friends.
Still terrified that someone might hurt them.
Even after surviving, we were all nervous about starting the Academy.
Our formal training had not started yet. Most of the other candidates were settling into the Palace or visiting their families. So I went to visit the only one who would never, ever turn me away.
Especially with the heavy bag of oysters in my hand.
My old net bag was gone, lost in the shuffle of the Trials and my subsequent change in position. I was still not used to being treated with the respect afforded to a Spark candidate. It had been a whirl of events culminating in my things being moved for me to the Royal Palace. Not that I had much. My worn uniform and the gifts had made the journey.
Somehow, Annaruth had noticed my trusty old bag was missing and magicked me up a new one. It looked nearly the same but it was a vast improvement. This one was stronger and deceptively large, expanding and contracting to fit to the load it carried, whatever it may be.
I had a sneaking suspicion it was strong enough to hold a Mer. Or even Beazil.
An upgrade, for sure. Everything in my life was upgraded. The clothes I wore. My room. And the food.
Especially the food.
Still, I missed some things about my old life. Things had been simpler, for one. And I’d had my friends, Lila and Beazil.
But I’d been hungry, I reminded myself. Unloved, unwanted, and often mistreated. I’d felt stagnated, like swamp water, bored by the day to day of cleaning and being belittled by my stepmother and my half-sister.
I’d wanted more.
And by Triton, I’d gotten it.
Now I was the latest darling of the Royal family and the nobility that surrounded them, trotted out in fancy clothes for dinners and events. I’d barely seen my friends in all that time. Starla was keeping busy with the other Messengers-in-training. Although the Academy had not formally started yet, many of the chosen Mer were already hard at work practicing.
But not me.
I spent most of my time trying to evade the Queen.
And her handsome son.
I sighed and swam into the farthest part of the stables. The entire stretch of stalls was reserved exclusively for Beazil. I noticed they had moved most of the other familiars and travel companions away. It was pretty funny, how nervous my familiar made other Mers.
The shark might be large with ferocious teeth, but he was pretty much a flounder when it came to temperament. Or a human’s lap cat, something I’d seen paintings of. Lazy, indulgent, and spoiled.
That’s my Beaz, I thought fondly.
He was snoring softly when I approached. Beazil was not a normal great white. He was the right size and shape, but he had somehow found a way to stay in one place. Ordinary sharks had to be constantly on the move. But not Beaz. He liked to move as little as possible. I thought it was because he was a familiar.
Either way, he was one special shark.
I scratched his chin and waved the net bag near his mouth, knowing he would sense that food was near. His eyes shifted toward me and he smiled. It was subtle, but it was definitely there.
“I’m lonely, Beazil. I miss you. I wish you could sleep in the castle with me.”
His real eye seemed to stare right into me. The magical crystal eye glowed with a soft, warm light. The memory of what had happened to him flashed in front of my eyes. I couldn’t escape the memory. It haunted me, awake and asleep.
I’d nearly lost him in the Trials. I wouldn’t risk his life again.
“I am going to spoil you rotten. And I’ll visit as much as I can.”
He seemed to nod, even though I knew he didn’t really communicate the same way as a Mer. I was opening and feeding him oysters one by one when I heard movement behind me.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
I turned to see Prince Pollux, also known as my former friend Dane, swim into Beazil’s stall.