So Jemma did. “I think I was the first girl he ever kissed too. He had the softest lips ever.”
“Mmm, yes, I know,” Quilla murmured sagely.
The mermaid must’ve finally realized my soulmate didn’t much like hearing about my past, so she quickly added, “That was all we ever did, though. As the princess of my people, I never would’ve fallen in love with a ground-walker.”
Her explanation didn’t seem to help matters though, because Quilla cooed, “Oh. So you’re a princess, too?” She turned wide eyes to me, not happy to learn that. “The first girl you ever kissed was a princess, huh?”
“Anyway…” I cleared my throat and turned my attention to the mermaid. “Jem, I was hoping we could speak with your father?”
But Jemma’s eyes filled with sorrow. “Oh, Indy, Daddy’s passed on now. He died nearly four years ago.”
“He did?” My lips parted. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard.”
She gave a dismissive shrug. “How could you have? We don’t come to the surface a lot to consort with ground-walkers. And you haven’t had a chance to visit. You were one of the very, very few we allowed to even know about us.”
“True,” I murmured. Then I nodded respectfully. “Thank you again for your trust in me.”
Nodding back, she folded her hands at her waist, just on the top of the water. “And thank you for your friendship. But maybe I can assist you with what you sought from my father, for I’m the leader of my people now.”
My eyebrows lifted. “Queen Jemma, huh? Congratulations.”
She shrugged. “It has its pros and cons. Now come, old friend. Tell me. How can I help you?”
I glanced at Quilla, then turned back to Jemma. “I wanted to ask about the jeweler in Tyler. If you know of him or—”
“Ack!” Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Jemma spat onto the bank and flailed her hand in aggravation, muttering, “Despicable creature. I’d stay away from that lying swindler if I were you. He steals our oyster families and farms their pearls, hurting and killing many when he does. There is no need to harm the oysters, not when they would have willingly given up some of their pearls to someone worthy. Like you. We curse his very name.”
“Oh,” I said, glancing uneasily toward Quilla, for I had a bad feeling this news wouldn’t sway her or her aunt from visiting the jeweler regardless.
Jemma’s eyebrows lifted at us. “Why do you ask? Are you seeking a string of pearls for your lady? Because we would gladly provide you with some.”
“I—no.” I shook my head. “Not that she wouldn’t look lovely in them, of course. And thank you for the offer.” My gaze slid questioningly to Quilla. “But…”
“We’re seeking a couple of amulets,” she announced, speaking freely to the mermaid. Then she even pulled up the one she hid under her chemise. “Two more to match this one.”
My lips parted in shock. Not only because she’d trusted Jemma with such a confidence but because she’d said two more. That meant she’d decided I could come along. She planned to claim me.
Holy shit. My true love wanted me back.
My head went light and dizzy as Jemma leaned forward and squinted at Quilla’s necklace.
“The transference amulets?” she said in surprise. “What purpose do you have with them?” Spinning to me in confused surprise, she accused, “You are not planning to leave the Outer Realms forever, are you, Indy? But what would we do without you?”
I blinked my vision back into focus and glanced toward Quilla, murmuring, “We can’t stay. My mate’s not safe here.”
The mermaid scoffed. “Well, none of you silly ground-walkers will ever truly be safe, not with that family curse of hers still as active as it is. You should just break it, you know.”
I blinked at her. “Yeah, great advice,” I finally murmured. “Do you have any idea how to do that, though?”
She shrugged. “Why don’t you just ask its creator? The curse maker would know. For, you realize, a curse cannot be created without a way to break it.”
No, I’d never known that. But…
“That woman’s long dead,” I explained.
Jemma furrowed her brow as if confused. “Why does that matter?”
Quilla snorted out a laugh, wondering, “When was the last time you spoke to the dead?”
“I speak with my father daily,” Jemma answered logically, gazing at Quilla with an odd, confused expression, as if she thought everyone did such things. “For I still have many questions about ruling my people.”
“So you’re suggesting necromancy?” Quilla countered on an incredulous tone. “Well, sorry, Your Majesty. But that doesn’t work up here on the surface. Not in this world.”
“What’s necromancy?” I asked, lowering my voice to keep the question confidential, even though Jemma could hear me clearly.
Quilla rolled her eyes. “It’s a mythical earthly practice that involves speaking to the dead to predict the future.”
“Ah, well, there is your problem,” Jemma interrupted, smiling broadly. “Seeking the future from the dead would be worthless. How are they to know what is to come? Their thoughts stop at the moment of death. They’re unable to say anything new and present, much less futuristic.” She threw back her head and laughed over the mere idea, only to lift her finger and continue. “But you don’t wish to know the future, do you? You’re seeking answers from the past. You’re just trying to hear an echo of something they already said. And echoes are always bouncing around out there somewhere. You just need to know how to capture the one you’re seeking.”
“And how do we do that?” I asked.
“Why, it’s as simple as pressing a seashell to your ear and listening, sweet Indy. You find something the curse maker once owned and figure out how to listen to it. I recommend finding a magical interpreter to help you, though. Otherwise, it’d probably be impossible to decipher and understand what she’s saying.”
“Right…” I said slowly, kind of hoping for a little more detail than that. But when I opened my mouth to ask questions—a lot of them—Jemma lifted her face as if hearing something in the wind.
“Excuse me. I’m being summoned below and must go.” With a rueful shrug, she added, “A queen’s work is never done, I’m afraid.”
To Quilla, she nodded her head respectfully. “It was nice to meet you, mate of Indigo. If you stay anywhere near a water source, we’ll return your aunt to you when she’s finished with Torrent.”
And with that, she was gone, down into the water and out of sight.
Chapter 30
Indigo
Quilla and I rode quietly for nearly half an hour, following the stream that fed into the other end of the loch before we spoke. From atop my horse that Melaina had taken over, I glanced over, sensing a swirl of worry, contemplation, and sadness wafting off my true love.
“I’m sure Melaina will be fine. Jemma’s never given me a reason not to trust her.”