The Ocean's Queen (The Cursed Queens #4)

Prologue

FINLEY

THE DRAVIAN ISLANDS

Feeling freshwater splash between your toes while wearing a ballgown was pure magic.

Finley raised her bare arms over her head and twirled around the dance floor.

As she did the water on the floor cascaded around her, turning the hem of her soaked skirt a darker and deeper blue.

She focused her energy on the fresh tattoo etched into her skin, still swollen and pink from the rite like a maiden’s blush.

The image of a mermaid with a treasure chest glowed with a bright blue light and shone across the ballroom.

Then, droplets of rain fell from the ceiling and showered over the party guests.

The magic sent a cool tingle through her veins.

It had only been a few hours since Finley received her tattoo dedicating her to Colma, the water god, after all.

A bubble of laughter erupted from Finley’s lips at both the sensation and the reaction of the people around her.

They all clapped and cheered at the indoor rainfall, and they twirled about the dance floor.

The Dravian people didn’t mind the water, for most of them practically lived in it.

The water was as much their friend as the people who danced beside them, if not more so.

The manor ballroom was even structured for situations such as these, with deep canals built into the floors so the water could flow out of the room and back outside and the building wouldn’t flood.

Finley was the hero of their party and brought it to them.

She was a siren pulling the guests into her world of music and dance and water and pleasure. They loved her.

At least for the night.

Tomorrow, they all would bask in the memory of the celebration and awe over how grand Finley’s dedication ceremony and party was.

Then they’d go back to normal, maybe in a week or two, and comment on how the family was showing off.

The decorations were gaudy. The music too loud.

Finley’s dress was inappropriate with its low neckline and the long slit up the skirt showing off her thigh.

But for now, they loved her, and Finley wanted to soak it in.

She’d find a new way to make them love her again later.

Across the room, for a brief moment, Finley caught eyes with her mother. The merchant’s wife barely contained her eye roll, and past arguments about the party echoed in Finley’s head.

Everything doesn’t need to be a big production.

Why do we need to invite almost everyone in the town? It would cause too much attention to… people…

She was always making such a scene.

The only response Finley gave Mother was a shrug and a smile before returning to her dancing. They were one of the wealthiest and most influential families on the islands. If they wanted to celebrate, they should. And do it as fabulously as possible.

They spent too much time focusing on all the reasons why people might not like them and not on why they could. Finley wanted to show off, and when she wanted something, she made sure she got it even if she had to work and pay for everything herself.

She spun in circles, making the water splash all around her in waves until she could hardly stand straight.

The question was, why was she dancing alone?

She wasn’t alone of course. Countless people were dancing, all in a large group on the dance floor.

But no one was specifically with her. This was her celebration, after all.

Where was Ai?

Finley slowed her movements only enough to scan through the crowd. It had been a while since she’d seen her best friend. On this day of all days, Finley should be celebrating with Ai.

Ah! There she was!

Off to the side, separate from the people, stood Ai. Her black hair, which had previously been swept into an elegant twist was now plastered to her head and she outstretched her arms to let the rain drops dance along her skin.

“Aiiiiiii!” Finley exclaimed and sashayed over to her.

Ai opened her eyes, and Finley grabbed her hands before any protest could be made and moved backwards toward the dance floor. “You have to dance with me! It is my dedication day, and I demand it!”

Ai pulled back so Finley wouldn’t drag her out there, but it was halfhearted, and a smile twisted on her lips. “Let me have a moment of respite. I’ve been dancing all night, and it feels as though my feet are about to fall off.”

Finley knew it probably wasn’t the dancing Ai needed a break from, but from her magic.

Ai had been dedicated to Diar a few years ago, and even with her training the magic of feeling everyone’s connections and relationships to one another wore Ai out.

But it was a special night. They’d get plenty of rest tomorrow.

Finley scoffed and waved a hand in the air to pass off Ai’s complaint. “It’s barely even midnight.”

She pulled Ai again, but before Ai could protest, a darkness fell over the ballroom and the doors exploded open with a wave of water pouring onto the floor.

The rainfall ceased and the water that was already below their feet swirled and seemed to turn itself to focus on the new arrival.

A tall and slender woman walked into the ballroom.

Her blonde hair was swept into an elegant twist, and a tattoo of waves sprawled across her chest.

Finley’s jaw tightened and out of the corner of her eye saw Ai take a half a step forward as though to protect her from the intruder. Still, Finley’s heart sank. This was exactly why her parents didn’t want such a grand party. It was people like this whose attention they didn’t want.

The woman’s ocean blue eyes, all too similar to Finley’s, scanned over the crowd until they landed on Finley, and a thin cruel smile crept over her face. “What a lovely dedication party,” the newcomer cooed. Her voice was strong but melodic, like a wave along the shore.

A sound that made Finley’s magic surge. It felt like an ocean storm brewed within her body and tiny droplets of water seeped from her skin.

She’d been told that her magic would respond to her emotions and even make them more intense, and it would take a while to get used to it and be controlled.

A few short hours wasn’t enough time to get used to how overwhelming it was, especially when similar magic called to it.

Finley wanted to recoil at the sensation.

“And one you’re not welcome to, Mariah.”

Father’s booming voice over the crowd took Finley by surprise and she and Ai looked up at him with wide eyes. He gestured toward the waters, but they ignored his calling and only continued to swirl around the woman.

Mariah clicked her tongue. “Now, cousin, is that any way to treat family? I’d thought my invitation had gotten lost, with our preparations for King Brennan’s visit, but apparently, I was mistaken.”

Ai and Finley exchanged wary glances.

“She’s not worth it, Father,” Finley muttered. “She knows she’s not welcome here and hasn’t been for years.”

Mariah raised a single brow. “Even though the potential for my daughter Amelia to become engaged to the king of Cresin would be beneficial to both our families? Do you have any idea what it looks like that our own family would not invite us to this … grand… soiree?” She arched her arm and extended it out to the ballroom, although the look on her face looked like she thought this party was far beneath her.

“I’m sure you’ve received our messages about this turn of events for us? ”

Finley’s lip curled. They’d been getting messages from the sorceress for weeks now, begging for Mother and Father to endorse Mariah and her snob of a daughter Amelia.

But they were the whole reason why the Dravian people avoided Finley’s family.

It was why even though they were wealthy and important to the community Finley still felt like a social pariah and heard whispers as she walked past in town.

It was why they had to work so hard to make Father’s business as successful as it was.

Why Mother and Father wanted Finley to calm down and subdue herself.

No one wanted to deal with people related to sorceresses, no matter how distant the relation.

Mariah raised her arms in the air, and a glowing sphere of water formed between her palms. “You’ve disrespected our family for the last time.”

Finley tensed and clenched her hands into fists.

Drops of water formed down her arms and dripped to the floor, her anger bubbling forth with the new magic too fresh to be controlled.

But it was fine. Finley could never be controlled and never wanted to be.

That was why she and water got a long so well.

Ai moved her arm toward her friend, ready to grab her wrist if needed. “Finley, please…”

But it was too late. Not even Ai could calm Finley down and she stormed forward. Mariah should have known that she couldn’t barge into Finley’s party without her making a scene.

“We’ve disrespected you?” she demanded. Water droplets fell from her hands like drops of rain and splashed across the floor in vast puddles. “You’ve done nothing but try to overpower and manipulate us for years! Now, you dare to come to my dedication celebration uninvited?”

“Finley, don’t,” her mother hissed from the side, but Finley ignored her. For too long Mother and Father had wanted to avoid and ignore Mariah. But it had to stop.

Mariah turned toward Finley, almost as though she was on a rotating floor and sneered. “Perhaps punishing the parents isn’t enough, then. Perhaps the one I truly should aim for, is the daughter.”

All at once, Mother, Father, and Ai all moved to block Finley. But it was too late.

Mariah muttered words in a language Finley didn’t recognize, and the sphere of water she held turned from a light blue to so dark it appeared black.

Then, she spoke their common language. “A girl once full of life will fall asleep. Slow at first, but more with each year, until finally she will fall into an eternal sleep of living death.”