The Seelie Curse

Chapter 11

It takes Rowan a couple moments of gaping like a fish to actually muster up the strength to speak. "Do names not have power with your people?"

The ghost-girl shakes her head. Her friend does the same. The ghost-girl is the one to speak and her accent has sharpened slightly. "I knew everyone's names in my community, and she knew the same in hers. So no, names don't have power for us."

"Can other Aos Sí control you with your names?" The ghost-girl shrugs. "Then use alternate names just to be safe, or only part of your name." The ghost-girl's friend groans and the ghost-girl looks like she's smirking. Rowan frowns. "What?"

The ghost-girl's friend grumbles. "I hate being called Star."

The ghost-girl pats her on the shoulder. "I don't think you really have a choice." Star mutters under her breath, but Rowan can't make it out. The ghost-girl just pats her on the shoulder again and murmurs to her. "Remember Atka." Star sighs.

Rowan smiles at their banter. "So she's Star, what do I call you? Because right now I'm calling you ghost-girl."

The ghost-girl bursts into laughter and points at Star. "She thought I was made of snow and now ghost-girl? What is this world coming to?" She takes a breath, still shaky from her laughter. "Call me . . ."

Star cuts in. "If I'm Star, you get to be Wave."

The ghost-girl . . . Wave glares at Star and huffs. "Fine. I suppose that's fair."

Rowan laughs again. "Okay, I have a question." The two girls turn and look at her expectantly. "By your accents, you two aren't from here. So where are you from?"

Wave speaks first. "I'm from the Western Merrow Kingdom. It's located right next to the Dominican Republic."

Star grins. "She's also neglecting to mention that she's the Queen's daughter and heir."

Rowan freezes. "She's what?"

Wave wacks Star. "Was that really necessary?"

Star shrugs. "I don't know why you don't want anyone to know. It's not something to be ashamed of."

Rowan leans forward. For so long she's just been worried about the Seelie Lord and not having anyone to talk to about the Aos Sí. She doesn't have friends, but she's always wanted them. She can't not want to chat, these girls could be her friends and they know of the magical side of the world.

"Do you have a crown?"

Wave groans. Star opens her mouth but Wave covers it. Star just pulls her friend's hand down. "She does, it's gorgeous."

"Can I see?"

Andrian gets up from beside Rowan and moves over to his brothers. Rowan's eyes flicker over to them for a moment, long enough to see Andrian pull his brothers up. They're leaving to let the girls chat. Rowan looks back at Star and Wave, looking expectant. Wave sighs.

"Fine."

Wave reaches down to the bag at her side and pulls something out. It is a circlet made of twisting pale-gold metal. There is a blue bead at the one point of the band. It looks to be the same type of stone as Wave's pendant. On either side of the stone bead is a black pearl and then a red bead. Rowan squints at it. Is it coral? Wave lifts the circlet up and lowers it onto her head. As she does so, Rowan notices that there are several bracelets on her wrists. The circlet is positioned so that the blue bead is at the centre of her forehead. Rowan gapes at her in awe. Despite the paleness of the metal, it stands out against her silvery hair. Rowan smiles.

"You look lovely." Wave flushes. The colour stands out quite easily against her pale skin, spots of bright red on her cheeks. Rowan looks at Star. "Where are you from?"

"The Northern Selkie Community. It's above the arctic circle, in Canada."

Rowan tilts her head. "Are you part native?"

"Ummm yes. My mother was from one of the Inuit villages."

Star looks like she's content with her answer, but Wave answers to it. "Her father is the leader of the Selkie Community as well."

Rowan leans back. "So you're both princesses?"

Wave starts to nod, but Star shakes her head. "The leader of the selkies may be called King, but he is more like a chief than an actual king."

Wave turns to look at her friend. "Are you his heir?"

Star hesitates. "I actually have no idea."

Wave cuts in. "When I arrived, that's what it seemed like."

Rowan frowns. "How do you two know each other? You're from different parts of the world. Based on what Wave just said, I assume you two met at the Selkie Community, but what were you doing up there, Wave?"

Wave and Star share a glance before Star speaks. "It turns out that we are cousins. Wave's father and my mother were cousins."

"So Wave went up north to meet you, Star?"

Star hesitates again. "No, that isn't why. We found out we were cousins later."

"Then why go north?"

Wave shifts nervously. "let's say there was something important I had to do up there."

Rowan scowls. "Really? That's all you're going to say?"

Wave shrugs. "I don't know if I should say."

Star nudges her. When she speaks, her voice is low. She's trying to speak to Wave alone, so Rowan tries to block the words out, despite her own curiosity.

"My magic says we should tell her. I think we should too."

Wave sighs.
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I like the interactions between the three girls. They're fun to both read and write. What do you think of them? What do you think they're going to say? How's Rowan going to react? What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.