“You ready?” Bash gives me his crooked smile that he could use to get me to do anything.
I pull on my helmet. “Ready as I’m ever going to be.”
We climb onto his bike and head into town. Rudder helped us find a merwoman who is known for her knowledge of rarer spells—and what could be rarer than a spell to bring back the legendary powers of Queen Sirena?
Bash stops in front of a tiny, run-down house. A puff of smoke shoots out one of the windows—surely not an easy feat underwater.
We put away the helmets and cross the yard with all kinds of junk strewn across it.
I turn to him. “I apologize for ever calling your room a mess.”
He chuckles, then knocks on the door once we reach it.
Banging sounds from inside, followed by a scratchy voice. “Hold on!”
Bash and I exchange a curious glance.
The door flings open, and a frazzled grey-haired merwoman stares at us. “What do you want?”
“Pearl Lancaster?” Bash asks.
“Yeah. Who’s askin’?”
I clear my throat. “I’m sorry if we’re bothering you. My name is Marra Ayers, and we just have a few questions for you.”
She adjusts her glasses. “Marra Ayers? The king’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
The merwoman squints. “And yer really King Tiberias’s daughter? Not Drake’s?”
I nod, and can’t help wondering if she’s going to demand proof.
“And you want something from me?” She leans against the doorframe.
Bash puts his arm around me. “We have just a couple quick questions.”
Pearl squints at him. “And you are?”
“Bash Marlowe.”
“Any relation to Shane and Coral?” She purses her lips.
“My aunt and uncle.”
She studies him and moves back. “Come on in. I only have a few minutes, mind you. Plenty of important business to attend to.”
Bash arches an eyebrow as we enter the shack. It’s even more crowded inside with items stacked along every wall and things spread across the floor.
Pearl stops in a cramped living room and gestures toward a couch full of laundry. I’m not sure it’s clean. Neither of us sit.
I clear my throat. “We won’t keep you. You’re familiar with lesser-known spells?”
She yawns, doesn’t cover her mouth. “Many of them, yep. What do you want to hear about?”
I consider how to ask, but Bash jumps in. “Are you familiar with any resurrection spells?”
Her eyes widen. “I ain’t bringing no one back from the grave! Out with you.”
“That’s not why we’re asking,” I say quickly. “Can you undo one?”
“Just kill the person. Should solve yer problems.”
My heart leaps into my throat. “That’s not quite the solution we’re looking for.”
“What then? Tick-tock.” Pearl taps a cracked watch.
I straighten my back and stare her down. “Someone used a resurrection spell and only managed to bring back the person’s powers. They landed on someone else unintentionally, and now that person wants them removed.”
Pearl tilts her head. “You talkin’ about that Queen Sirena thing King Tiberias mentioned when he said yer his kid?”
“Does it matter?” Bash exclaims.
She glowers at him. “That’s why I asked.”
I chew on my lower lip. “Yes. That’s the one. Can you help or not?”
She frowns. “I probably could. But yer askin’ me to go against the king.”
Bash shakes his head. “We’re asking you to help the princess.”
Pearl looks around. “Yet I ain’t seeing the king here, showing his support. I haven’t been summoned to the castle. No, just you two showin’ up on that motorcycle.”
Disappointment washes through me. “You won’t help us?”
“I’m not dumb enough to defy the king.” She crosses her arms. “Now, out with you!”
“You won’t even point us in the right direction?”
“No.” She ushers us down the tight hall. “Yer both lucky I don’t go to the king and tell him what you two are up to. I still might, should I hear you reversed his spell.”
“Won’t do much good at that point,” I mutter.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“Never mind.” I exit the cramped house and breathe in the clean water.
Bash turns back to the merwoman. “You’d really just throw out the princess without helping?”
She readjusts her glasses. “You’d better believe it if she’s trying to go against the king. Go away and never return. If I see the likes of you two again, trust that I will contact the sovereign. Better accept yer fate, princess.”
“Thanks for nothing,” Bash mutters as he puts his arm around me. “Got any other ideas?”
“Rudder didn’t name anyone else who might be able to help?”
He shakes his head. “Said we were lucky he could find Pearl.”
I snort. “Lucky. Right.”
“What do you want to do now?”
“No idea. I’d been hoping I’d leave her place without any link to Queen Sirena. Now I’m stuck forever. I’m going to have to go through with the trials and face off with my dad.”
“We’ll keep looking for a loophole. Rudder isn’t the only one who can help us. There’s an entire school of kids in the magic arts. We’ll go through them one by one if we have to. In fact, I’ll bet we’ll have more luck if we start with the fourth-years.”
I rub my temples. “I don’t want to think about any of this for the rest of the day.”
He kisses my cheek. “Do you want to head back to the academy?”
“No. I don’t want to see that place or the castle right now. Have any ideas?”
“Actually, yes.”
“Where?”
He hands me my helmet. “You’ll see.”
“Okay.”
We climb on the bike and hit the road, heading to a part of Valora I’m not familiar with, and stopping in front of a graffitied brick building with dark windows.
I pull off my helmet. “You don’t have to try to impress me.”
He laughs. “You might actually end up impressed by the time we’re done.”
For some reason, that makes my heart race. “What do you have planned?”
Bash pulls me close and presses his lips on mine. “You’ll see.” He takes my hand and opens the chipped door. Inside, bright lights shine and loud music plays. Several people greet Bash by name.
It takes me a moment to realize we’re in a tattoo parlor. I glance at him. “Why are we here?”
He squeezes my hand. “You’ll see.”
I stare at some needles on a table and hold my breath. He’d better not be expecting me to get one, unless it’s filled with magic that can remove my link to Queen Sirena. Then I’d let them tattoo every inch of my skin.
Bash speaks with a heavily pierced guy behind the counter, but I can’t hear a word they say over the song blaring through the speakers. Next thing I know, the dude is leading us through the area where people are getting inked.
My heart thunders, threatening to explode out of my chest. What is Bash doing? Does he know an artist who uses magical needles? Or is that wishful thinking?
The guy gestures to an empty seat, and Bash climbs on. Smiles at me before saying something to the artist, who then nods.
I lean closer to my boyfriend. “What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.” He kisses my cheek.
“Okay.”
“You’ll like it.” Bash sits up straighter and pulls off his shirt.
My heart pounds like a jackhammer and my pulse drums in my ears. Not only is this the first time he’s removed his shirt in front of me, but he is even more ripped than his tight shirts let on. His abs go on for days. And I just realized I’m staring and practically drooling. I glance up to meet his gaze, and he’s beaming, obviously loving the attention. My face flames.
The artist holds up an enormous needle and red ink. He waves to a plastic chair by the wall. “Have a seat.”
I do as I’m told, my heart and mind both racing wildly. Curiosity burns. Did Bash just decide to get a new design, or does this have something to do with my predicament? I kind of don’t care either way. This is a distraction I’ll happily take. If only my pulse would calm down.
He leans back and speaks with the artist. The other merman nods and gets to work. Bash winces slightly, but then seems fine. He glances over at me and winks. I try to smile, but I’m not sure my mouth got the message. When he looks away, I try to tell what the artwork is. A spell? An addition to one of his other tats? Something else entirely?
The suspense is going to kill me! I distract myself by staring at his abs again, and can’t help but wonder when he finds the time to work out. From the looks of it, he lifts weights every hour of every day, but I’ve never once seen him head to the gym. Maybe he just doesn’t sleep. That’s the only thing that makes any sense.
When I look back up to his face, he’s watching me. My face flames again. He blows me a kiss and winks. I pretend to catch it and throw him one. He grins, but then winces again and says something to the artist.
I play with a nail to distract myself from his torso and my curiosity. Finally, the artist announces he’s done.
Bash waves me over. “Ready to see it?”
“Sure.” I shrug like I’m not dying to see it.
He dramatically gestures to his chest, just over his heart. The skin is irritated, but I can tell what the design is. It’s a heart with fancy script. It reads Marra.
Everything seems to spin around me. He put my name on his chest in permanent ink? I look at him, my mouth gaping.
Bash sits up and runs his thumb along my lower lip. “You’ve stolen my heart, and it will always belong to you. You’re the only one who’s managed to get close, and I don’t ever want you to forget what you mean to me. In fact, I want the world to know.”
I struggle to find words, but don’t need to, because he leans closer and kisses me with a passion matching what I’m feeling but can’t express verbally.
Before I know it, we’re heading out the door.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
He turns to me. “You don’t like it?”
“I love it! I just can’t believe you tattooed my name on your chest.”
Bash laces his fingers around mine. “Like I said, you have my heart always. I’m yours as long as I live, because I can’t imagine my life without you. I think I got into so much trouble before I met you because I knew something was missing, and I was rebelling against that. Now I’m complete.”
I open my mouth to speak, but he presses his lips on mine. “Don’t say anything. I just want to enjoy being with you.”
He takes us back to the academy, and my heart sinks at the thought of having to study and face people. Part of me wants to suggest Bash and I run off together. Permanently. He cups my chin. “Are you okay?”
“Just not too excited about being back. Having to study or face anyone.”
He brushes his lips across mine. “Then we’ll avoid everyone.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.”
“Another surprise?”
“Don’t you trust me yet?”
The corners of my mouth twitch. “Of course I do.”
“Good.” He leads me around the building until we end up at the garden.
Just the sight of it relaxes me. I squeeze his hand. “You and this garden.”
“I love bringing you here—my favorite place with my favorite mermaid.”
I press myself against him and give him a kiss.
He winces slightly.
I back up. “Did I push on your tattoo?”
“It’s fine.” He adjusts his shirt. “Come on.”
We follow the path to the bench we always seem to end up at. I collapse onto it, then he sits and puts his arm around me. More bushes have flowered since the last time we sat here, and the sight is even more soothing than before. We sit in silence for a few minutes before I turn to him. “Can I see it again?”
He kisses my fingertips. “Of course. It’s for you.”
My heart races as I wait for him.
Bash tilts his head. “You going to look?”
“I can’t see through the shirt.”
“Go for it.” He cocks a brow.
I don’t know why I’m so nervous. But I ignore my shaking hands and pull up on the bottom of his shirt until it comes all the way off. My stomach tingles and I manage to focus my attention on the new tattoo. I run my fingertip around it, careful not to bother the irritated skin. Then I look up at him and swallow. “I love it, but I hope you don’t end up regretting it.”
“Why would I? Should I be worried about something?”
“No. I only ever want to be with you, but—”
“But nothing.” He pulls me close and kisses me.
I lose myself in the moment and run my palms down his perfect arms.
Voices sound down the path. Bash pulls away and puts his shirt back on. Earwyn and her dogfish pass us, but instead of shooting me a glare she stops and gives me a sympathetic glance. “I hope your stomach is better.”
Cove and Vanya nod and voice their agreement.
“Uh, thanks.” I hardly know how to handle them acting nice.
Earwyn glances over at Bash and wrinkles her nose.
“What?” he asks.
The corners of her mouth curve up, then she glances back and forth between us. “Your shirt’s on inside-out.”
The three of them giggle and make their way down the path without another word.
I turn to Bash. “Think she’s genuine?”
He pulls off his shirt, flips it the right way, and pulls it back on. “Yeah, my shirt was definitely inside-out.”
“No, I meant about them being glad I’m feeling better.”
“Oh, that. It wouldn’t surprise me. Everyone was pretty freaked out when you collapsed like you did.”
“Must have, if even those three felt bad for me.”
His shell phone rings. “It’s your dad.”
I groan. “Does he have a radar for when we kiss?”
“According to the text, he wants to discuss the trials. What are you going to tell him?”
“That I’ll go through with them.”
He gives me a double-take. “Are you serious? You don’t want to try and find another loophole? Or someone else who can undo the spell?”
I shake my head. “I have an idea how to go through the trials and avoid the dad curse.”