Chapter 60
CHAPTER 60
Rosalina
N ereida and Callistia lead us to a sandy bank beneath the docks of Summer. Here, out of sight, I press a hand to Dayton’s beautiful tail. It was surprisingly easy to make this change, almost easier than transforming Marigold, Astrid, and Eldy into birds.
Maybe it’s because of the way I connected with the sirens. Or maybe because it’s been my dream to be a mermaid since, like, forever .
Dayton’s tail shimmers away, and he stretches out his long, muscular legs. Heat rises to my cheeks as he turns away and starts to dig in the bag we brought, packed with our clothes. Nereida had given it to us, claiming the fabric was completely waterproof.
“Ah, good on you, Rosie.” Dayton laughs. “My cock has returned to me, just as it was.”
“Have you thought about how you’re going to disguise yourself here, Golden Rose?” Callistia asks, ignoring Dayton. “There are a lot of people in this place who wish you harm.”
“She’s right,” Dayton says. “I’m going to enter as myself. If my legionnaires are in that arena, then I need to show them their High Prince stands with them. No doubt Kairyn will be arrogant enough to let me try.”
“But they’ll never let me enter, knowing I can wield the bow against them,” I agree. “They’re betting on someone they can manipulate into doing their bidding. We won’t let that happen.”
“Can you do it, Rosie?” Dayton asks. I turn to him just as he’s lacing his pants. He throws on his tunic and long cloak. “Can you kill Kairyn when it comes down to it?”
“Yes. For what he did to Ezryn. For taking your realm, I could.” Though, my voice wavers. Kairyn is still Ezryn’s brother. And I’ve never killed anything, except for Perth’s monsters … and Lucas, though he was a monster in his own right.
Dayton’s seashell necklace gleams in the sunlight, and I notice he’s restrung the token of Summer on it. It won’t be obvious from afar that he has it, but I know what it symbolizes. The High Prince of Summer isn’t hiding anymore.
“All right,” Dayton says, then raises a brow. “As pretty as they are, it’s time to lose the scales.”
I flop my golden tail in the shallow water, sad to see it go.
“What if you don’t lose all your scales?” Callistia says. She hikes herself up high enough on the sand to be completely out of the water. Her tail shimmers into two legs, but it doesn’t make her fully fae.
Callistia’s pink hair still shines with an otherworldly gleam, and her ears remain webbed. Scales dust her thighs, across her arms and chest, and even along her neck and cheekbones.
“That’s brilliant,” Dayton says. “I’ve seen a few land-dwelling sirens in Hadria over the years. They’re rare, but still around.”
“Life on land.” Nereida sighs. “I can’t imagine who would choose that over the sea.”
“Dayton, you could say I rescued you when you fell overboard,” I say. “Callistia, can you help me?”
When I changed Dayton and myself earlier, I’d gone about it practically, only giving us tails and gills. But if I were to adopt the other siren features—the webbed ears and scaled upper body—no one would recognize me.
Callistia kneels beside me, and I place my hands on the sides of her face, studying the shape of her ears and the scales still glimmering on her skin. It’s different than using my thorns to recreate objects like bows and arrows. This power originates deep within my chest, a guiding bolt seeking for something deep within Callistia.
I dive inward, feeling how her essence sparkles, then lead those changes to me. Magic flutters over my skin, soft as a butterfly’s wings. I feel my legs again and kick them in the surf.
“Amazing!” Callistia smiles.
I open my eyes, and Callistia helps me to my feet. I catch my reflection in the water. I look different than I did when I had the siren’s tail earlier. My hair is completely golden. My eyes have changed color too, shining bright as coins. Scales of the same color shimmer along my legs and stomach.
“You look amazing, Rosalina,” Nereida says. “Though I was partial to the tail.”
“She looks beautiful!” Callistia chimes. “Doesn’t she look beautiful, Prince Dayton?”
It’s only then I realize he hasn’t said anything. Maybe it’s because I’m naked, or almost naked. I still have on the pearl top, but it hardly provides any coverage, and my stomach, legs, and everything in between are bare.
Dayton’s face is flushed, and the muscles in his throat bob as he swallows. “Hmm?”
He didn’t react at all when Callistia changed, and she was even more naked than me.
“Hand me the bag,” I say.
He tosses it to me with a fumbling throw, and I quickly dress in my ratty, shipwrecked clothes.
“I don’t know how we’ll ever thank you.” I throw my arms around Nereida and then Callistia.
“No thanks needed,” Nereida says. “We’re pleased to aid you in any way we can. If there is anything the city of Aerantheis can do for you in the future, please let us know.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget this,” Dayton says, smiling.
“I will see you again, High Prince, Golden Rose.” Callistia turns to me. “One last thing. Have you decided on a name? You can’t go by Rosalina anymore.”
I place my hands on my hips. A name for a siren. I smile, thinking of one of my favorite movies from my old life. “Call me Madison.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon in Hadria. Dayton found his confidant, Claudius, who reported that a ship with a black flag did dock outside of Hadria with a crew loyal to Summer who snuck in after dark. He didn’t know if there was a girl named Wrenley among them, but he did have a small bag, given to him by the crew. Thankfully, it included Dayton’s dual swords. He’ll need to use them in the arena, as it’ll be too dangerous to let Kairyn know he has the trident.
When we returned to the apartment Dayton rented, there was no sign of Wrenley. He collected some coin, and we used it to buy some new leather armor in the market.
It was an entirely different experience than the first time I was here. Goblins and soldiers lined the streets, and the vendors looked terrified of every transaction. This was not the vibrant city I fell in love with.
Pain is still etched on Dayton’s face as we leave the bazaar.
“We’ll bring it back to how it was,” I assure him.
“I suppose you’ll be wanting another stuffed nonsense as your reward.” He manages a smirk.
I smile back. “Two, in fact.”
Ahead of us, the Sun Colosseum emerges majestically, its pillars glowing in the warm afternoon light and casting violet shadows over the streets below. As we draw nearer, the roar of the crowd sounds in the air. The games are on.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t look for Wrenley some more?” I ask. “Perhaps we could find one of the crew and—”
“There’s no time,” Dayton says, tilting his face toward the sun. “We need to get into the barracks before sunset.”
Though there are rumors of the High Princes and their curses, and the people of Autumn have accepted Farron’s wolf as a protector, it may be an entirely other thing to see one wander the streets of Hadria.
“Besides,” Dayton continues, “Wrenley knew I was planning to join the games; she’ll find me. Maybe she went back to her work in the palace to spy on Kairyn.”
“I don’t think we should tell her about your token or who I am. Not that I don’t trust her,” I quickly add. “It’s only … I was Kairyn’s captive for months. If he suspects something, he could use her to get information.”
A muscle feathers in Dayton’s jaw, and he nods his head. “We’re almost at the arena.”
As we draw closer, Dayton throws back his hood and the reaction is immediate. The crowd lining up for the games begins to murmur, and I hear his name on the wind. The name Damocles is whispered too, like a ghostly echo.
Dayton acts like he doesn’t notice, though I’m sure he does. He doesn’t even turn his head as he walks straight up to a small booth, where a soldier of Spring sits with a long piece of parchment in front of him.
Dayton slams his swords down on the marble counter. “I’m here to enter the games.”
The reaction from the crowd is palpable, and when the soldier looks up, his eyes widen in recognition. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you. I’m entering the games.”
“Y-you can’t,” the guard stammers. He quickly says something to another soldier in the booth, who runs off. “Don’t move.”
“Are the games not open to any citizen of Summer? I am a citizen of Summer.”
“N-no, you’re the High Prince,” the soldier says.
“Oh, am I now?” Dayton’s voice oozes confidence. “Then as High Prince, I command all of you Springlings and gobbos to pack up your ugly asses and get the fuck out of my realm.”
The crowd laughs, and a few fae begin to cheer. He’s already having an effect on the people, and he hasn’t even entered the arena yet.
Red blooms across the soldier’s poxy face. “Summer is under the Green Rule now. I’ll let you in the barracks, but Emperor Kairyn will hear of this!”
Dayton picks up his swords, swirling them before sheathing the blades. His smile is vicious as he says, “I’m counting on it.”