“An enchantment,” a fae answered, stepping out from the temple’s wide double door entrance. She wore aqua colored robes with the symbols of the currents embroidered across them in gold thread. An elaborate headdress rested atop her crown of robins-egg-blue braids. It appeared to be crafted from elements from all four of the water clans—cattails for the marsh fae, waves for the ocean fae, ovals for the lake fae, and snowflakes for the ice fae.
Her cerulean eyes fixed on me as she descended the temple’s stairs with measured steps, and my skin prickled beneath the weight of her regard. “When we water fae built this place thousands of years ago beneath the ocean, we knew we could not expect our priestesses and temple attendants to spend the rest of their days breathing only ocean water. So we hired the witchlings to collaborate with the air fae and cast a special enchantment upon this place that filters the air from the surrounding ocean, and passes it safely into this space.”
“So this force field is like a massive gill,” Einar said, looking around. He pressed a hand to his neck, and his eyes widened as he realized his gills had disappeared. “What—”
“Worry not,” the priestess said, her gaze flicking to him. Her mouth pursed in disapproval at Einar’s presence, but thankfully, she kept her comments to herself. “We have gillflower on the premises to send you back with. You are not the first non-water fae to visit our temple… though you may very well be the first dragon.” Her brows arched as she turned to look at me. “Was it necessary to bring him? What good is a dragon at eight thousand fathoms deep? Except as bait for frisky mermaids, I suppose.”
I blinked at her. “How did you know about that?”
“The currents bring me news from all over the ocean,” the priestess said. “I knew right away when the mermaid queen set her sights on your dragon. You should have given him to her. It would have simplified your life.”
Einar growled low in his throat, and I ground my teeth together to keep myself from spitting out a barbed retort. “I realize you do not approve of our dragon companion,” Prentis said hastily before I could get myself into trouble, “but he is here now, and we aren’t very well going to send him away. Perhaps we can move on from this and focus on Adara’s ritual preparations?”
“Very well.” The priestess flattened her mouth. “Did you bring your offering, Lady Adara?”
“What?” I blinked, then fumbled for the pouch at my waist. “Yes, of course I did.”
I withdrew the treasure chest of candy and held it out to the priestess for her inspection. She took it gingerly, as if I’d handed her a piece of dung, and inspected it before handing it back to me.
“Very well, this will do. Follow me, all of you—except for the dragon,” she said, pointing a blue-tipped nail in Einar’s direction. “He must remain outside. A fire breather cannot enter the water temple.”
Outrage filled me, and I opened my mouth to tell her that technically,Iwas a fire breather too. But Einar caught my eye, and he gave a subtle shake of his head.It’s not worth it,he mouthed.
I sighed, and swallowed my protests.I’m sorry,I mouthed back.
He merely winked at me, then took up a post next to one of the doors, opposite where the temple guard was standing. She seemed annoyed that he was butting in on her duties, but she said nothing, and I swallowed a smile as we passed into the temple.
The priestess led us across the temple hall and to a raised platform in the middle of the room. In the center of the platform was a glowing pool, and as I drew close to it, I could hear a low, melodic hum emanating from the water. The tendrils of sound seemed to wrap around my mind, whispering of secrets just beyond my understanding, and before I realized it, I found myself kneeling at the water’s edge, hand outstretched—
“Oww!” I yelled as the priestess smacked my hand, knocking it away before I could make contact.
“Stay your hand, child!” she snapped, and I heard Cascada snickering from behind me. “It is not yet time for you to commune with the Sacred Pool. She is the heart of our people, and only those who have purified themselves with the required ten days of fasting are permitted to partake of her waters. You are here to present your offering. Nothing more.”
“My offering?” I stared up at the priestess. “You want me to throw it in the water?”
“I want you toplaceit in the water,” the priestess corrected stiffly. “Withreverence. Now repeat after me.”
The priestess recited the lines to a water prayer in the old fae tongue, and I repeated them dutifully, only partially understanding the words. I seemed to be asking the water elements to open my heart to the universe and purify my soul of all unclean deeds, so I could make room for the sleeping beast inside me to awaken. Once I finished, I slipped the offering into the water, careful not to let my fingers touch even a single drop.
Bright golden light burst from the pool, and I flung my arm over my face to shield my eyes from the sudden flare. Power sizzled across my skin, and a fresh wave of energy surged through me. My eyes popped open to see my hands glowing with the same light as the lake, and I looked down to watch it spread across my entire body.
“Is this… unusual?” I asked the priestess, who was staring at me in wide-eyed shock. I looked around to see Prentis and Cascada staring at me too, as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
“It is unexpected,” the priestess said in a clipped tone as the glow faded. “But not unheard of.” She turned to Prentis and Cascada. “I need a moment alone with Lady Adara, to instruct her on the ritual preparations for the coming days.”
“Of course.” Prentis and Cascada made themselves scarce, the latter shooting glances over her shoulder at me as they walked away. The moment the temple doors shut behind them, the priestess’s hand clamped around my forearm, and she pinned me with a stare far harder and more dangerous than her grip.
“You need to let the dragon go,” she said.
“What?”
“The dragon standing guard outside,” the priestess repeated slowly, as if I were a simpleton. “He is bound to you. You need to release him from that bond, or you will never ascend the Edirian throne.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said stubbornly, even as my heart sank. Of course I knew what she was talking about—Einar had already explained the mating bond to me, that he was tethered to me, and would remain so unless I rejected the bond and set him free. I tried to tug my arm free, but she held fast, keeping me pinned beside the pool.
“You know precisely what I’m talking about,” she said, her voice tight with controlled anger. “Your bond with the dragon is slowing you down, preventing you from reaching your full potential as a water fae. So long as your fire for him burns inside you, you will never convince the people of Lochanlee that you are one of them. Your selfishness is holding you back from achieving true greatness—and there is true greatness in you, Lady Adara, much as I’m loath to admit it.” She skimmed her gaze across my skin, which still glimmered faintly.
“If there is greatness in me, it isbecauseof my dragon heritage, not in spite of it,” I snapped. I yanked on my arm again, and this time she let it go, allowing me to get to my feet. “I won’t allow you to dictate what parts of me are acceptable to my fellow fae. They will get all of me, or none of me.”