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“And?” I asked, trying to keep the sneer out of my voice.
Thalos bowed to me, sweeping his arm across his stomach. “I apologize on behalf of the other water mages, Princess. It seems our species did as much damage as yours. Logic dictates forgiveness is necessary. Mage Kaga has explained everything, and of course, we will help. Our magic depends on the water of the realm. If Seraphina and Cordelia take it all, we will have nothing.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’re actually willing to help us? You, a water mage. You all hate us.”
Thalos frowned and stood up. “Yes. I am one of the few who has been advocating for change in the first place. The king and I made the decision to send Mage Kaga’s family to your kingdom to form an alliance. Fewer and fewer sailors are willing to risk taking to the sea, and we needed to make a change.” He bowed again. “Not all water mages hate the merpeople, Princess.”
“How can I trust you?” I asked. “I’ve watched countless villages be destroyed by a water mage’s hands. Countless innocent lives lost.”
Thalos gestured to Kaga. “Mage Kaga has offered to be a permanent ambassador between us and you. He will ensure both our sides keep to the terms of our new deal.”
I glanced at Kaga in surprise. I knew how much he wanted to travel the world. He gave me a small smile.
“Are we agreed? We will help you with your sea witch problem, and we both will stop attacking each other.”
I stood straight and inclined my head. “As sole heir of the merkingdom, yes, I accept your offer.”
Chapter 34
Thalos spent the rest of the day gathering water mages to help my people. While he worked, Kaga took me to one of the rooms available to mages passing through town. He put down our things and pointed to the sole bed. So sorry, we’ll have to share.
I snorted and elbowed him in the stomach. “I’m sure you’re so sorry. I bet you’d cry if I wasn’t here.”
I’d cry tears of joy.
With a laugh, I planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Now what? We just sit here and wait for all the mages to get ready? It doesn’t feel right. We should be doing something, too.”
Stop worrying, Allura. We can’t do anything right now. Patience is a virtue.
“Not when both our parents were kidnapped and the life force of my people being drained. Potentially.”
He grasped my face. Allura. We’re going into battle with two sea witches whose power is exponential, thanks to the pearl. We’re going to have fun today, so when we fight, we fight for more of the same.
His words made sense and minimized the anxiety I felt. It would also be a good distraction while we waited. I grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the tower. “Come on, I want to try some of those delicious treats we passed. You’re buying.”
We walked outside and headed straight for the market district. I couldn’t wait to taste the pastries. The food underseas was great, since we had cooks with enough magic to keep it dry. But since no one ever traveled anywhere, the food tended to be similar all the time. I loved trying new dishes, but unfortunately there weren’t that many opportunities for it at home.
Kaga was my willing helper, and we filled a basket up with all sorts of pastries, meats, and cheeses. I even snagged a few crabs for Squiggles.
I slipped my hand into Kaga’s, smiling up at him. “I’m glad I get to spend the day with you.”
He smiled back at me. Same.
I frowned, staring at the dusty ground as we walked. “Why did you do it? If you’re ambassador to us, you’re never going to be able to have time to explore the realm.”
He sighed, and I darted my eyes at him. He ran his free hand through his hair. Some things are more important.
“We’ll figure out a way for you to travel and be an ambassador. How about that?”
He winked. I’m confident that you, of all people, will find a way.
Inside our room, we sat on the floor and shared our food. Squiggles was delighted with his treats and happily pulled his food under the bed to eat in private. We swapped stories from our childhoods, getting to know each other better than we already had. I don’t know what it was about Kaga, but thinking of him caused a warm feeling in my chest that I’d never experienced with anyone before.
I couldn’t help but smile at him as we ate. What? he asked.
I shrugged. “Nothing.”
He threw a piece of meat at my face, and I jumped. I put my hands on my hips and playfully glared down at him. “How dare you?”
