A Thousand Salt Kisses Later (Book 2 of Salt Kiss series)

Ohh La La

I realized the crowd was now beginning to part slowly, making way for the grand parade. I swam slowly across the hall, towards the right-hand wall, where I stationed myself.

The drum-like sound began, and I could see teeny ripples in the water, as the beats echoed through the hall. I looked on miserably. It's beginning.

"Are you okay?" came a voice next to me.

I turned slowly; it was Spirit. Suddenly I felt anger build up in me. I knew deep down inside that it was unfair and irrational, but in my shocked aggrieved state, I began to blame him for everything that had happened that evening. I mean, this man was hot and cold. One day he was dissing me, but the next day he was sending me jewelry.

"Why do you have to be so unpredictable?" I demanded.

For once, he actually looked taken aback. "I'm sorry?" he said.

"The necklace!" I exploded. "Why did you make it for me?"

"Because Tairise asked me to," he replied, raising his eyebrows and looking down at me.

"What?" I cried. "Why?"

Spirit looked confused.

"I'm not completely sure," he replied. "He came to me this morning and said you were sad about tonight and you needed something to make you feel good. I thought it slightly unlike him, but I did not question, I just did it and gave it to your maids. He told me to come and talk to you tonight as well if you were left on your own, which is why I have been doing so. He seems... very protective of you. What's your problem?"

I shook my head. He is not being protective of me.

I began to breathe heavily; Tairise had done it deliberately. He knew nobody would believe me and Jasper were together, and so he had taken matters into his own hands. Maybe he had even ensured those gay mermen were here too, to distract Jasper. He would have guessed that I would be left with nobody to talk to, and that Spirit would then obediently come to me.

"It's made from the stone Peridorm," Spirit was saying helplessly, "it represents dignity..."

I nodded mutely but inside I was falling apart. I had been played. Maybe I could have cleared things up with Llyr once and for all tonight, but now it was too late. It was too late.

My anger flicked from Spirit to Tairise. I hated him at this moment in time. He was the one who had had me fetched by Spirit; he was the reason I had gone through all this hell down here. But now, when push came to shove, he had chickened out.

Even if Eekore did attack Evergreen, wouldn't it be worth a battle to save the kingdoms from these monsters? And surely Ri and Llyr would not let Evergreen be attacked; now they were free from the spell.

But Tairise didn't want to take risks; he just wanted to play it safe. Oh, and it wasn't just Tairise I hated. It was Ri and Eekore. All these Kings. For the hundredth time, I was hit by the realization that all they cared about was politics. Not love or humanity, or mermanity or whatever! They didn't care for the happiness or their children. Just diplomacy.

Suddenly a familiar rift of string instruments twanged through the waters, and we turned. I saw to my disdain, the same maroon-tailed musicians from the engagement ceremony emerging in weird golden masks.

All the guests who still loomed above were now descending onto the floor to watch the grand entrance.

I turned from Spirit and swam some distance away, my mind racing a million miles an hour. She would present herself for the thousandth time to Llyr; they would return to The Jewel, and in the morning they would get married. There was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't get near him, and nobody wanted to help me.