10. Zendaya

Chapter 10

Zendaya

I 'm about to tell Cathal I was going for a swim when an idea sparks. "I look for mollusk dwelling. I drop it here."

"A mollusk dwelling?"

"Seashell." I twist my finger in the air to mimic a spiral. "Like Fallon's."

"And you lost it in these hedges?"

"I not know where." I fleetingly eye the torn leather at his thigh, before moving my gaze to the ground beneath my sandaled feet.

I realize that I probably have one shot at tonguing his wound. Would one lick suffice to heal the extent of the damage or would it only seal the infection beneath his skin? What if I make it worse?

When I look back up, I find his stare fastened to my face. "Find shell, Crow?"

"Crow?"

"Shell. Focus." I snap my fingers in front of his face. "See it?" I point to the grainy mixture of pink sand and umber earth.

The second Cathal's gaze flicks off me, I drop into a crouch and wedge the tip of my tongue against his wound. The muscle in his thigh tautens before turning into air. When Cathal reappears at a distance from me, he growls something in Crow. I might not understand the words but his sentiment is clear—he's furious.

I stay low but tip my head high. Unlike Shabbin and Lucin blood, Cathal's tastes like licking a dirty knife dragged through rotted fruit. I'm tempted to wipe my tongue but decide to drench the taste with many swallows instead, worried spitting might vex him some more.

"You cannot go around putting your tongue on people without their consent, Daya!"

I lower until my knees hit earth, then sit back on my heels. "What is consent?"

"Consent is saying yes ."

"I ask, but you no want try."

"And for good reason!" At least, color stains his cheeks anew. "It could get you sick."

"I Serpent, not Crow."

"For all we know, obsidian is toxic to all shifters."

I frown, taking inventory of my body. "I feel same."

"I didn't feel sick at the beginning either. I still don't feel sick," he adds, but his insistence makes me wonder if he speaks the truth.

"I'll fetch something to rinse your mouth."

"Rinse?"

"In case my blood is toxic to you."

"I swallow already. I no die."

The ball in his throat sharpens. "Go back to your chambers and wait for me there." Smoke seeps from his skin, but he stays in his Two-legs' form long enough to add, "I mean it, Daya. In your room. Now."

I hate how his command makes me feel like I've done something wicked. When he morphs into his bird, I climb to my feet and tread back to my living area. My eyes sting, not with shame, but with annoyance. Now that I think of it, I shouldn't have tried to heal him. After all, if he turns to stone, then he wouldn't be able to shadow me everywhere.

I fling my terrace door shut and bolt it. Even though physically it cannot keep him out, perhaps it'll give him pause and make him leave.

Sure enough, he raps a fist against the glass. "Open up."

I cross my arms. "No."

His head rears back.

"I no want drink."

He vanishes.

I almost think he's gone, but of course, he's not.

"Take one sip, and I leave."

I cross my arms. "I say no. You still come inside. Against consent."

"It's not the same."

"You right. Not the same. I try heal you. You try drunk me."

"For Mórrígan's sake, I'm not trying to get you drunk," he grouses. "I'm trying to cleanse your stomach of any toxin."

"My stomach fine."

"It'll be finer once you take a swig of this."

"I no like this liquor."

He scoffs. "You adore this liquor."

"No," I lie.

"Then why do you drink a glass of it every night at supper?"

"Because polite."

"Oh, come the fuck on, Daya, each time you take a sip you fucking rattle."

I suck in a breath. Do I? I know I did it once, because it drew the queen's stare, but I try so hard to keep my Serpent reactions from bleeding over my Two-legged ones. "Take off pants and I take drink."

He chokes on air. "Wh-what?"

"You show wound; I drink."

"You can see it just fine through the rip."

"No. Rip too small. Take pants off."

"No," he grits out.

"Why?"

"Because…"

"Because what ?"

He drags a hand through his hair. "Fine, don't drink."

"You prefer I die than show me legs?" I'm not certain why his reaction tilts the corners of my lips, but it does. "You shy, Dádhi Crow?"

His nostrils flare. "I told you. Don't call me that."

"Show me legs, and I stop call you Dádhi and Crow."

His eye twitches. "Actually, if I show you my legs, you will solemnly swear to never approach a waterrise again, Zendaya of Shabbe."

I frown.

"If you find our deal agreeable, then say, If I approach a waterrise, Cathal Báeinach, I will owe you ."

My retracted tusk sinks deeper into my forehead's furrows. "Why you suddenly happy?"

"Because I enjoy reaching agreements." His gaze remains steady on mine as he waits…and waits. "Fine. Don't take my deal. Fallon left me a vial of her blood that should last me until she returns."

"Blood maybe slow, but blood no heal."

"As long as it slows the infection long enough so that I am able to stand at her side the day of her nuptials?—"

"Nuptials…?"

"Her wedding." At my frown, he explains, "Even though Lore and Fallon are mates, for her to be considered a queen by the humans and the Fae of our kingdom, they will exchange vows in front of all."

"When?"

"They were waiting until"—his tongue wets his lower lip—"until the curse was broken."

"But curse no broken."

"Yes. I'm aware. But Luce needs its king, and its king needs his queen."

"When marry?"

"Soon."

"In Luce?"

"Yes." Cathal must read my overwhelming desire to witness this exchange of vows because he attaches it to his deal. He tells me that he will let me see his legs and take me to Luce for the nuptials if I swear never to approach the waterrises.

Even though I realize that his reasons for me not to go close to them is to keep me from venturing out of the Vahti, I say, "Not just show. You will consent I lick."

His throat dips twice before he rasps, "All right." He scrapes his palm across his flushed jaw. "All right." He repeats the deal with my addendum.

This time, I speak the promise he's asked of me. When the words I swear slip off my tongue, I hiss and grab the front of my dress, dragging down the pink silk, because it feels like a bee's just stung me. Although there's no bump, a dot glows on the swell of my right breast.

I touch it, then scrape it with my nail. It doesn't go away. "What this?"

When Cathal doesn't answer, I look up at him, find his eyes shut so tight that the skin around them is rucked.

"Cathal, why dot?"

He cracks his knuckles, then his neck. "It's the mark of a bargain."

"Bargain?"

"When two people with magical blood strike a deal, the deal inscribes itself into our skin. The bargainer gets a dot atop their heart; the bargainee gets a band around their bicep. If you try to approach a waterrise now, the dot will burn to remind you of the promise you made me."

My hands drift to my sides. "You fool me?"

"No." His lids lift. "I assumed Fallon had explained how bargains worked to you." He jams a hand through his hair, then says some more things that I don't quite grasp since his words are running together, but I sense he's genuinely apologetic, so I sigh and tug on my dress's cord, settling it back on my shoulder to hide the glowing reminder that the world still has many secrets from me.

"Daya, do not strike bargains with anyone, except for me, all right?"

"I learn lesson. No say I swear again."

"I'm sorry. I?—"

"It fine. You promise to take me to nuptials, so I see world soon." I smile. When he doesn't smile back, mine collapses. "You say swear, so you?—"

"Yes, Príona. I will carry you outside these walls. Those are the terms of our agreement." He seems as thrilled to uphold his end of the bargain as Fallon was to have Kanti tag along with them to Luce. "I appreciate you trying to help, but everyone said serpent healing is useless."

"They not know since no serpent lick. Besides, I special Serpent."

His face softens a little. "You are."

"Pants, Cathal."

"Not tonight, Príona."

"But you say?—"

"I said I'd let you. I didn't say when."

I bite down so hard the ivory in my mouth clicks. "Why wait?"

"Because you need to rest before tomorrow." Under his breath, he adds, "And so do I."

"Why?"

"Because tomorrow, you swim with the serpents."