Heaps of Pearl Read online

Page 3


  "Someone you know?" I murmured.

  "You could say that," she said. "Excuse me." She pulled her hand away from my arm and stepped, quick-footed, across the ballroom. I pursued, not fast enough to be indecorous, but enough to keep her in sight, and hopefully, to hear whatever followed.

  As we grew closer, the red-faced man's words became clear. "—found, then I shall take this as a declaration of war against the Undersea. Do you understand that, Gilad? Produce my daughter, or prepare yourself for what follows."

  "I'm right here, Father," said Dianda, stepping up to the red-faced man and taking his arm firmly in both hands. "See?"

  He turned to her, mouth agape. "Dianda! Where have you been?"

  "The man asks an excellent question," said Simon, appearing at my side as if he had finally mastered the Tuatha art of teleportation. "Where have you been?"

  My tongue had temporarily deserted me. I gestured, mutely, to Dianda and her father. Duke Morcan of Saltmist.

  "I was having a more substantial meal with a friend," said Dianda. "You said I should be finding allies in the Midlands. Well, I found one. He gave me cake." She flashed a quick, almost regal smile in my direction. I did not return it. How could I? I couldn't move.

  "You should have told me," said Duke Morcan.

  "But I didn't, and now I'm here, so no harm's been done."

  Duke Morcan looked unconvinced. Like his daughter, he looked almost like one of the Daoine Sidhe; in his case, his ears and neck were exposed. The points of them were slightly too sheared-off, and there were lines in the flesh below his jaw that I took for closed gills. Dianda must have chosen her hairstyle in part to conceal those obvious signs of what she was, and I couldn't decide whether to be impressed by her cleverness or offended that she had deceived me.

  Then you have seen mermaids, murmured her voice in my memory.

  "Patrick? Are you listening to me?" Simon prodded me in the shoulder. "Where have you been?"

  "Meeting a mermaid," I said. "And she didn't even hit me with a chair."

  Simon squawked protests at me, demanding details, but I wasn't listening. My eyes were on Dianda as her father led her to the head of the room. I joined in the applause when she was announced as the new Duchess of Saltmist. I didn't hear a word they said after that. I was too busy listening to the echoes of her laughter, in the shipwreck she had so quickly made of my heart.

 

 

 


    A Local Habitation Read onlineA Local HabitationOne Salt Sea Read onlineOne Salt SeaBeneath the Sugar Sky Read onlineBeneath the Sugar SkyVelveteen vs. The Junior Super Patriots Read onlineVelveteen vs. The Junior Super PatriotsThe Girl in the Green Silk Gown Read onlineThe Girl in the Green Silk GownMidnight Blue-Light Special Read onlineMidnight Blue-Light SpecialIn an Absent Dream Read onlineIn an Absent DreamChaos Choreography Read onlineChaos ChoreographyIndexing Read onlineIndexingDusk or Dark or Dawn or Day Read onlineDusk or Dark or Dawn or DayDown Among the Sticks and Bones Read onlineDown Among the Sticks and BonesThe Razor's Edge Read onlineThe Razor's EdgeMidway Relics and Dying Breeds Read onlineMidway Relics and Dying BreedsPocket Apocalypse Read onlinePocket ApocalypseThe Brightest Fell Read onlineThe Brightest FellDiscount Armageddon Read onlineDiscount ArmageddonSnakes and Ladders Read onlineSnakes and LaddersChimes at Midnight Read onlineChimes at MidnightBroken Paper Hearts Read onlineBroken Paper HeartsA Red-Rose Chain Read onlineA Red-Rose ChainMarried in Green Read onlineMarried in GreenSparrow Hill Road 2010 By Seanan Read onlineSparrow Hill Road 2010 By SeananCalculated Risks Read onlineCalculated RisksLaughter at the Academy Read onlineLaughter at the AcademyThe Winter Long Read onlineThe Winter LongWe Both Go Down Together Read onlineWe Both Go Down TogetherHalf-Off Ragnarok Read onlineHalf-Off RagnarokVelveteen vs. The Seasons Read onlineVelveteen vs. The SeasonsBoneyard Read onlineBoneyardA Killing Frost Read onlineA Killing FrostLate Eclipses Read onlineLate EclipsesSubmerged Read onlineSubmergedBlocked Read onlineBlockedVelveteen vs. The Multiverse Read onlineVelveteen vs. The MultiverseNight and Silence Read onlineNight and SilenceThe Unkindest Tide (October Daye) Read onlineThe Unkindest Tide (October Daye)Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children) Read onlineCome Tumbling Down (Wayward Children)Snake in the Glass Read onlineSnake in the GlassMagic for Nothing Read onlineMagic for NothingFull of Briars Read onlineFull of BriarsOh Pretty Bird Read onlineOh Pretty BirdThe First Fall Read onlineThe First FallOnce Broken Faith Read onlineOnce Broken FaithMy Last Name Read onlineMy Last NameTarget Practice Read onlineTarget PracticeWayward Children 01 - Every Heart a Doorway Read onlineWayward Children 01 - Every Heart a DoorwaySparrow Hill Road Read onlineSparrow Hill RoadMiddlegame Read onlineMiddlegameJuice Like Wounds Read onlineJuice Like WoundsThat Ain't Witchcraft Read onlineThat Ain't WitchcraftTricks for Free Read onlineTricks for FreeImaginary Numbers Read onlineImaginary NumbersThe Star of New Mexico Read onlineThe Star of New MexicoLay of the Land Read onlineLay of the LandOne Hell of a Ride Read onlineOne Hell of a RideBury Me in Satin Read onlineBury Me in SatinHeaps of Pearl Read onlineHeaps of PearlSweet Poison Wine Read onlineSweet Poison WineWhen Sorrows Come Read onlineWhen Sorrows ComeEvery Heart a Doorway Read onlineEvery Heart a DoorwayAn Artificial Night - BK 3 Read onlineAn Artificial Night - BK 3Rosemary and Rue Read onlineRosemary and RueBlack as Blood Read onlineBlack as BloodLoch and Key Read onlineLoch and KeyDiscount Armageddon: An Incryptid Novel Read onlineDiscount Armageddon: An Incryptid NovelThe Unkindest Tide Read onlineThe Unkindest TideAshes of Honor od-6 Read onlineAshes of Honor od-6A Local Habitation od-2 Read onlineA Local Habitation od-2Waking Up in Vegas Read onlineWaking Up in VegasThe Ghosts of Bourbon Street Read onlineThe Ghosts of Bourbon StreetMidnight Blue-Light Special i-2 Read onlineMidnight Blue-Light Special i-2Bless Your Mechanical Heart Read onlineBless Your Mechanical HeartChimes at Midnight od-7 Read onlineChimes at Midnight od-7The Way Home Read onlineThe Way HomeIndexing (Kindle Serial) Read onlineIndexing (Kindle Serial)Pocket Apocalypse: InCryptid, Book Four Read onlinePocket Apocalypse: InCryptid, Book FourAll Hail Our Robot Conquerors! Read onlineAll Hail Our Robot Conquerors!Were- Read onlineWere-That Ain't Witchcraft (InCryptid #8) Read onlineThat Ain't Witchcraft (InCryptid #8)Night and Silence (October Daye) Read onlineNight and Silence (October Daye)Late Eclipses od-4 Read onlineLate Eclipses od-4Ashes of Honor: An October Daye Novel Read onlineAshes of Honor: An October Daye NovelMidway Relics and Dying Breeds: A Tor.Com Original Read onlineMidway Relics and Dying Breeds: A Tor.Com OriginalIndexing: Reflections (Kindle Serials) (Indexing Series Book 2) Read onlineIndexing: Reflections (Kindle Serials) (Indexing Series Book 2)Chimes at Midnight: An October Daye Novel Read onlineChimes at Midnight: An October Daye NovelOne Salt Sea: An October Daye Novel Read onlineOne Salt Sea: An October Daye NovelRosemary and Rue od-1 Read onlineRosemary and Rue od-1Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel Read onlineRosemary and Rue: An October Daye NovelLightspeed Magazine Issue 49 Read onlineLightspeed Magazine Issue 49Alien Artifacts Read onlineAlien ArtifactsOne Salt Sea od-5 Read onlineOne Salt Sea od-5An Artificial Night od-3 Read onlineAn Artificial Night od-3Discount Armageddon i-1 Read onlineDiscount Armageddon i-1