She regarded me with something akin to mirth. “About two hours my lady. I will also be tending to your hair.” She waved towards the black and blue strands that floated around me.
I glanced up at the tangled mess. “Looks like this will take some time. What is your name?”
“Bay.” She responded and then looked up after finally sorting her paints with a gentle smile. “Shall we get started, Lady Solaire?”
I smiled back through gritted teeth. How hard could a little bit of primping be?
Chapter 16
“Ofcourseourqueenis keeping us safe from the dying lands.” Bay chatted, flitting around me with her little brushes, painting my scales with intense scrutiny. Something she had been doing for the pastthreehours.
I unclenched my hands from wanting to strangle her for the hundredth time and sat straighter. “Dying lands?”
She nodded sadly. “Yes, some of the most bountiful parts of The Under have been rotting from within. Several smaller cities of ours have now been lost forever to this death. It is the other reason why our city is so busy aside from the festival of course.”
“How has your queen been keeping you safe?”
Bay smiled, lost in her art, while she ran her webbed claws through my tangled hair. “She has found a way to enhance her power and grow stronger. They say she has the power to bring back Atlantis. Sadly most of us don’t even remember our great city of old, we are content with just saving The Under. Of course ourqueen sacrifices much for it. I assume that taking care of the young fry utilizes much of her time but I am told that it is the source of her power.”
Quickly, I snatched Bay’s arm and gripped it hard. Startled, she attempted to pull away from me.
“A fry? As in a faeling? That’s not possible.”
Bay’s black scales turned gray and her lip trembled. “Oh goddess! Please forget I ever said such a thing! We aren’t supposed to know about her. The queen keeps her hidden but my—my cousin is one of the guards and she told…she wasn’t supposed to know! Oh goddess, my lady…please I beg you. Do not tell my queen! I swear I have not said a word to anyone else!”
I stared into her panicked eyes, resisting the urge to snap her arm in half to squeeze every last drop of information she had.
Goddess. A child? It wasn’t possible!
Slowly, I peeled my clenched fingers from her frail arm and patted it with a reassuring smile. “Apologies Bay. Of course I understand. We will not speak of it.” I picked up her paints and held them outwards to her. “Please, let’s continue?”
Bubbles blew out from Bay in a sigh of relief and then a beaming smile full of razored teeth spread across her face as she took my apologetic offering, closing the shell. “Thank you, my lady. But there is no need for me to continue. You are finished!” Gripping my shoulders, she spun me to a reflective opal mirror set in a monstrous oyster shell. “What do you think?”
My eyes grew wide with shock at my appearance.
From the tip of my webbed feet to the top of my head, my entire black scaled body was delicately painted with various shades of green scrollwork that reminded me much of my brands in my land form. It was intricate, detailed, and meticulously placed.
Bay was an exquisite artist with her paints and I—I was her masterpiece.
My gaze traveled up to my hair which was tied halfway back into a braided knot at the base of my skull, the rest flowing freely around me in the water and thankfully away from my face. On top of my head was a sparkling silver headpiece that was draped like a delicate net over my hair weighing down the floating strands. Hanging along its delicate chains were teardrop emeralds, the exact same color as my eyes. I reached up to delicately touch the one resting between my brows, realizing they were still arched with complete shock.
“Thank you Bay.” I said softly, dropping my arm and turning slightly in the mirror to admire the rest.
“I am pleased you approve, my Lady Solaire.” She clapped her webbed hands enthusiastically. “Come! The festivities will be starting soon and I must make sure you are not late.”
I felt her water power gently caress my body and urge me out the door. The touch of it was just as warm and graceful as the fae wielding it.
“And what of your queen? Will she not meet us here?”
Bay shook her head. “My instructions were to take you to the festivities and Queen Kira will meet you there. It takes much more talent than my humble paintings to get the queen ready.”
“Bay.” My hand grazed the young fae’s shoulder and she turned mid-swim with wide eyes, much too big for her head. “Your paintings are truly the most beautiful work I have ever seen because they are humble. I am honored to be a part of it and it is only the beginning of the masterpieces you will one day achieve.”
Bay flung herself towards me, arms stretched wide to grip me in a fierce hug, before crying out. “Oh I mustn't mess up your paint!” She reared back and then gently reached her hand out to cup my face instead. “Thank you my lady, for your kind words.”
I took her hand in my own and nodded. “You are welcome, Bay.” I nodded to the open ocean. “Shall we?”
The young fae smiled wide and then spun back around, pulling me forward. Her hand never left mine as she pulled me along and I resisted the urge to free myself from the possessive touch. Instead, I took solace in the tenuous friendship budding between us.
