“She’s the victor of the first trial. Give her the best treatment you have!”

“All the contestants are given the utmost care. Please, calm yourself or you will be removed.”

“Fine, just tell me what you are doing to her.”

“She has several wounds, but only this one is deep. Her fins were shredded by the net. Those will regrow in time, but we can speed it along with a spell.”

“Good. Do that. What about the gash in her flank?”

“That will need stitches. We already cleaned it out. We will use spelled thread so that it heals quickly.”

“She’s to be treated to a banquet tonight. Will she be able to attend?”

“I hope so, but it will be close. My work will go faster if you stop asking me questions.”

I smiled dreamily at the colorful curse words that spilled from Dane’s lips. I cracked an eye, giving him an arch look. Starla was holding my hand while Dane paced back and forth at the foot of my bed.

“She’s awake!”

“That’s not a good thing, necessarily.”

Dane stared at me, his scowl intensified.

“It’s not?”

The Medic shook his head.

“That will make stitching her a bit more complicated. I can drug her, but then she will miss the banquet.”

“No.”

They both turned to look at me. My voice was raw but they had heard me. I jutted my chin out.

“I can take the pain.”

Dane opened his mouth to argue with me but I ignored him. Starla squeezed my hand. I stared at the Mer holding a needle with glowing thread.

“Go ahead.”

“You’re sure?”

I nodded once and Dane cursed again. Something about Poseidon’s rear end, with some human curse words thrown in for good measure. He really did have a foul mouth. I gritted my teeth and looked away as the Medic leaned over my tail and pressed the needle into my skin.

I let out a tiny whimper as I felt the needle go through my skin, then out through the other side. It hurt. It did more than just hurt.

It felt wrong.

The Medic pierced my skin again. And again. And again. Until I thought I would go mad. I was about to give in, beg for drugs, when I felt the big, strong hand close over mine.

I looked up to see Dane, his face grim but somehow reassuring. He nodded at me and I squeezed his hand. I looked at Starla, and she smiled at me, doing her best to pretend she wasn’t crying, though the tiny bubbles of tears around her face were impossible to hide.

For some reason, that made me laugh.

Then I felt the needle pierce my flesh and I cursed instead.

“Mother of Poseidon’s bastard!”

Dane was laughing as I cursed a blue streak for the next ten minutes. It wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things. And the pain started to ease the moment the Medic tied off the thread.

I barely felt any pain at all, truth be told. Instead, all the magical salves they had worked into my battered flesh started to tingle.

And itch.

I sat up, eager to get out of there and find something to eat. Instead, I was pushed back down onto my back.

“Hold still. You need a once-over.”

I glared at the Medic and another healer who came to float beside him. This was an elegant woman with dark red hair and turquoise eyes, incredibly beautiful, the kind you couldn’t tell the age of. She wasn’t young, but she wasn’t old either.

She smiled at me.

“I’m Annaruth. I will prepare you for the banquet.”

“Prepare me?”

“Bath you, dress you—”

“Burp me?”

She shook her head, not the least offended at my disgruntled outburst.

“If you like. But first . . .”

She waved a hand over me and I felt it. Magic flowed over my flesh like a warm current on a cold day. I sighed as each part of me absorbed it. I felt wonderful.

I knew wealthy women used magic to refine their beauty. It couldn’t make you lovely if you were not, but it did quite a bit to enhance a lucky Mer’s looks and general wellbeing.

I suddenly felt as if I’d slept well, not just the night before but every night for a year. As if I’d never gone hungry or worked until my hands bled. It was as if I was a different version of myself, one that hadn’t lost both parents young and faced a harsh life on her own.

As if I’d been coddled and loved, from the day of my birth until now.

“Now you may sit up.”

“Whoa.”

Starla was staring at me, her eyes wide with awe.

“What?”

“You were already pretty, but now . . .”

I shook my head at her.

“Don’t be silly.”

And then I saw the look on Dane’s face. He looked shocked. He looked . . . furious?

He swam from the tent without a word.

“What was that about?”

Starla smiled.

“You look too good, Tri. It’s almost not fair to him.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m the same person.” I turned to the beautiful Mer who was waiting patiently. “What did you do to me?”

“I revealed the beauty that lay beneath.”

“What do you mean?”

“Life can tarnish us. I simply removed that tarnish. You shine all on your own. There’s no artifice.”

“You mean . . . this won’t go away? I’ve seen beauty spells—”

“This wasn’t a glamor or a beauty spell.” Her dazzling periwinkle eyes sparkled at me. “Now, come. I have to dress you for tonight.”

I swallowed and followed Annaruth from the tent.