as smoothly as possible for you. If you’re going to find love tonight, the atmosphere has to be absolutely perfect!”
Behind us, Bastian scoffs.
While Nelly’s look is one of determination, Ilia’s is bemusedly apologetic. The look she casts me is one that says at least she knows this has nothing to do with love or romance, but is for Visidia. I’m sure her brother, Elias, filled her in after the council meeting.
“My wife is very much a romantic,” she offers, to which Nelly grins.
“And there’s nothing wrong with that! Besides, nothing ever happens on Curmana. Having you here will be a nice change of pace for the locals.”
“But first, we should show Her Majesty where she and her guests will be staying.” Ilia keeps her shoulders squared and her body tall as she walks, as though she’s balancing something as heavy as the eel crown. Though the two couldn’t be any more different, there’s a familiarity in the way they stand side by side. A naturalness to the way Nelly’s hand slips into Ilia’s and their fingers lace.
Jealousy blossoms within me, so bitter and encompassing that I turn away, attempting to smother the emotion before Bastian notices.
What must it be like to be able to feel your emotions so freely and naturally? To trust the way you feel about someone else, without the complication of a curse in your way?
I hardly remember anymore.
“You’ll be staying at one of our spas, if that’s all right,” Ilia says, drawing my attention back from its bitter depths. “I thought it’d be the most fitting place for a queen and her attendants.”
“Attendants?” Vataea starts to protest, but Shanty nudges her swiftly.
“After you see the perks you’re about to get, V, you’re not going to care what they call you,” she whispers.
Half distracted by the chattering around me, I turn back to Ilia and nod, trying not to look as eager as I feel at the idea of not only having a few nights away from sharing a small cabin, but also being at one of the spas my cousin Yuriel and Aunt Kalea always raved about. “Will the festivities be held there, as well?”
Nelly’s lips quirk, telling me I must have asked something funny.
“Curmana prides itself on being as tranquil and relaxing as possible,” Ilia says curtly. “If you’ve been to Ikae, then you’ve seen their fast-paced lifestyle. They’re frivolous; everything is a party to them.” My tongue sharpens, ready to argue, but Ilia continues before I have the chance. “People who visit Ikae are looking specifically for a taste of that life. But people come here to relax. To feel as though every day is the length of three, and that there’s never any rush. Tourists come for a taste of our calm lifestyle—a chance to breathe. Our spas are our most sacred areas for this; we wouldn’t want to disturb that environment with a party. Our festivities will take place closer to the water, along the shoreline. Will these plans work for you, Your Majesty?” Her bright amber eyes flicker to me.
More than anything, I wish I could drink myself silly and dance in the arms of a dozen handsome men, laughing and feeling more like myself than I have in ages. But it’s as they said—we’ve only three days on Curmana. I need to maximize my time to find Ornell.
“The plan is perfect.” I smile despite the tiredness that weighs my bones. “Tonight will be wonderful. I’ll just need a few hours to prepare. I’d rather not smell like fish while meeting these people for the first time.”
“Funny.” Bastian’s teasing tone takes me by surprise. Though I figured he’d still be mad about the ginnada, he’s smiling. “I must smell like fish all the time, then. But you’ve never had an issue with it before.”
“I am a fish,” Vataea cuts in. At first her expression is flat, and we all still, wondering if we’ve offended her. But then her lips curl into a smirk. “I think people actually like it.”
It’s jarring to find myself relaxing into everyone’s laughter, and doubly so when Bastian’s sends a white-hot fluttering through my body, making my breath hitch in my chest.
Bastian catches my eye, and my heart stutters. Gods, the things this boy does to me.
“It’s okay, Amora. I’m not mad.” His eyes warm beneath dark lashes, but I tear my attention away. It’s hardly fair that he can sense what I’m feeling so easily. I have to center myself as Ilia and Nelly escort us