I followed the elegant Mer out of the Med tent to a smaller structure I hadn’t noticed before. There were guards outside who bowed to her as we entered. I briefly wondered if she was a Royal before discounting it. Maybe a lesser branch of the family. I knew there were dozens of them, if not more, but only the Queen and her son, the Prince, had any real power. It didn’t make sense though.

Annaruth was way too warm and friendly to be of the ruling class.

“Please sit and undress. You need a quick bath.”

I sat on a low bench and slowly pulled my clothes off, too startled to do anything but stare. The tent was not like the others. Not inside. This was pure luxury, from the woven tapestries aligning the walls to the cushions and potted anemones that dotted the room at regular intervals.

And then there were the clothes.

Stunning, rich fabrics in every color imaginable. Thin metal bars held hangers, human-made hangers, from which hung gowns and tunics and capes that sparkled and shone like a living rainbow.

These were garments fit for a Royal themselves, not a mere Messenger. Perhaps not even a Spark dressed this well. I’d never seen anything like it.

“Come.”

I followed her behind a screen and gasped. There was an enormous shell that was filled with unsalted water. You could tell from the clear color of it. A thin layer of oil kept the water separated from the seawater that we lived and breathed in. I stepped in, wondering at the warmth of it. It must be magically warmed, since human heating methods didn’t work underwater.

“Impressed?”

I  nodded slowly as she handed me a covered goblet, complete with a straw.

“Human wine. Drink it quickly or it will fill with sea water.”

I wrapped my lips around the metal straw and pulled. My eyes widened in wonder. I’d never tasted anything like it. The goblet must have been human-made and then altered magically, specifically for drinking underwater.

It had been made for Mers.

Anything a Mer drank was always half sea water or less. It was extremely rare to drink anything that was not mixed with sea water, unless you were a Royal or a Spark on dry land, of course. It was a rare treat, to say the least.

“How . . .?”

She caught the look on my face and held a finger to her lips. She shook her head and gave me a conspiratorial look.

“Things will be revealed in time. If you win, of course.”

Her eyes twinkled at me.

“You do plan on winning, do you not?”

I nodded without hesitation. I knew she was not just asking for idle conversation. She wanted to know for a reason. So I told her.

“Yes, I do.”

She nodded and went back to what she was doing. She handed me a bar of something slippery she called ‘soap,’ as well as a textured cloth square she told me to rub all over my body. I sighed and leaned back in the water when I was done. I felt incredibly clean and calm, healthier than I had felt in my life.

Annaruth handed me a robe made of sea silk.

“Wrap yourself in this and come out when you are ready.”

I indulged in the bath for a few minutes more, then put on the robe. Annaruth was sifting through a rack of breathtakingly beautiful clothes. Every once in a while, she would pull something, hold it up to me, and cluck her tongue.

“I think we should keep it in the blue and green family so it matches your armor.” She winked at me. “After all, you are already well-known.”

“I am?”

She nodded at me.

“You are the first female to ever win the opening race. Didn’t you know that?”

I shook my head.

“I’m not really . . . knowledgeable about Merstory.”

I felt ashamed of that. I had been educated well as a child. But once my father died, that had stopped. I was smart and observant, but I hadn’t had a tutor at my beck and call daily like my stepsister had.

I felt a sourness in my belly when I thought about all the advantages she had been given. And then I pushed it aside. I didn’t need to be jealous of her. I could still learn. Her advantages didn’t really have anything to do with my lack. She couldn’t become a less heinous Mer.

After all, she had to be herself every morning when she woke up. Being mean and horrible probably cancelled out being spoiled and pretty.

I told myself so anyway.

Anyway, I had bigger fish to fry.

Annaruth held up a gown, her face beaming. I gasped at the delicate layers of the dress, cascading nearly to the floor. It was extraordinary. Elegant yet youthful, the dress moved in a way that almost looked like water itself.

“It’s . . .”

“I know.  It’s perfect.”

I nodded dumbly, then floated uncomplaining while she took the robe from my shoulders. I sighed as the dress drifted over my head. It was not like getting dressed. It was like being enveloped in a cloud of magic.

In fact, I wondered for a moment if it was magic.

“You’re not a dressmaker.”

Our eyes met as the dress settled onto my body. It wasn’t a question. She knew it and acknowledged my bravado with a nod.

“When you walked into this tent, it provided what you needed. With my approval, of course.”

“You are a Royal Magician.”

“Not just any Magician, my dear,” she said with a wink.

I stared at her, trying to decide whether I should bow.

“You’re . . . the High Priestess?”

“At your service, young Katriana.”

She bowed to me, and I laughed, bowing back to her. Her eyes shone with approval. For some reason, the most powerful Mer in the Kingdom liked me.

“Yes, I do like you. How could I not? I was told you tried to go back for your friends.”

I nodded slowly.

“I had to warn them. Starla . . . she’s too small to be in the Trials. She never would have made it around the net or survived the rocks. Never mind the Octopus.”

I shivered at the memory.

“Those tests were gauged to the competitor. She would not have faced the same challenges as you. But you knew that, didn’t you?”

I stared at her. The thought had crossed my mind.

“Are you a mind reader as well?”

She gave me a saucy look.

“I have my own secrets. Now tell me about the young man. You also wished to save him?”

“Dane?”

She arched an elegant brow.

“Is that his name?”

I nodded, holding still as she arranged my hair and then laid a heavy necklace against my throat.

“And you are . . . friends? Or simply allies?”

“Friends.” I said it firmly, without hesitation.

“You’ve known him long?”

“No. Only a few days.”

“But you know his heart?”

I blinked.

“He’s a good person. I know that. I don’t know about his heart.”

“Ah, I think you see more than you allow yourself to admit.”

I looked away, not sure how to answer that.

“I don’t have magic,” I finally muttered.

“No? Not even a trace?”

I shook my head. I’d come to terms with my lack of magical ability. It hurt because my mother had been magical. Only female Mers had High Magical abilities, and they were usually passed on to female children.

“Perhaps it is simply hidden.”

I shrugged, uncomfortable with this kind of talk. I was not magic. It was as simple as saying that I had red hair or that I was a fast swimmer.

It was just . . . true.

“All right. You are ready. Should we join the others?”

“Where?”

“Right where you are floating.”

“The banquet will be in here?”

“Simply step outside and come back in.”

I just nodded my head, awed by her magic. This went well beyond heating water or magical goblets. I swam out of the tent in a daze, only to see two familiar faces waiting for me. Dane and Starla were outside, staring at me. Dane had a hooded cloak on, but I could see his eyes.

I could see that he didn’t like the way I looked. I’d thought I looked beautiful, or as beautiful as a spotty, mop-haired Mer could look. Better than ever. But he didn’t like it at all.

I realized I hadn’t seen myself yet. There hadn’t been a human-made mirror or another reflective surface in the tent. Maybe I should have insisted. But Annaruth was the High Priestess. Surely, she would not have led me astray?

I swallowed, looking away from Dane. I saw that his hands were fisted and his tail was swishing, a clear sign of annoyance.

I lifted my head proudly and turned, bumping right into another Mer. Bright blue eyes stared at me in shock. Thalia. Perfect timing.

Triton help me.

My stepsister’s mouth opened and shut like a gaping fish. I smirked, realizing she hadn’t expected to see me. And she certainly didn’t expect me to win the opening race.

“Katriana, come.”

Annaruth was signaling me from the open tent door. I gave Starla a little wave and left, not bothering to give Dane or Thalia another glance. I would not waste another thought on either of them, I decided!

Tonight was a night to celebrate and observe. And eat as much as I possibly could! My empty stomach grumbled at the thought.

I stepped inside the tent and gasped.