With a sigh, Merletta let it go. She would have to trust Eloise to help Tish work through this. If Tish was still confining herself to the water when Merletta joined them, she would try a tougher approach.
As Merletta walked back up to the manor with Heath, her dress over the top of her scaled skirt and shells, and her wet shift bundled in her arms, she was struck by his somber expression.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” Heath glanced at her. “You said she’s your oldest friend?”
Merletta nodded. “I know she didn’t exactly put her best fin forward, but you have to remember her circumstances. She’s lovely when you get to know her.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Heath said quickly. “I just…I don’t know. I could see something under the surface that was…murky.”
“Under the surface?” Merletta repeated, bewildered. “What do you mean?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Heath said. “It’s part of my magic. But maybe I’m just imagining things on this occasion.”
“Maybe,” Merletta agreed. Her thoughts were already on the task that stood between her and her unappealing duty of saying goodbye to Heath, perhaps forever, to join the others on the island.
She debated telling Heath her whole plan, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. He would try to talk her out of it—try to talk her into staying. And she didn’t know if she had the strength to withstand his entreaties. Not without a more concrete means of achieving her goals. She would end with putting it off, telling herself it was only for a little while. But more months would pass, while Tish cowered in fear in Vazula’s shallows, and the triple kingdoms suffered under the Center’s lies. Not to mention whatever dangers were being faced by her friends in the program all this time.
No, she needed to act now, while she had the nerve. She just needed an opportunity to do it without Heath realizing what she was up to.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“This is ridiculous.” Heath scowled down at the parchment in his hand, his breakfast forgotten.
“What’s wrong?” Merletta looked up from her egg—shelled, this time—her brows puckered.
“I’ve been summoned to the capital,” Heath said darkly. “It seems the king feels I’ve been neglecting my duties as liaison.”
“It’s not such an outrageous observation,” the duke pointed out mildly.
Heath frowned at his father. “We all know that role is just for show,” he said. “King Matlock doesn’t listen to a word I say. He’s restricted the power-wielders to the point of offending the dragons. What benefit is going to come from my intervention at this point, when nothing I said before made any difference?”
“That didn’t seem to prevent you from working with Prince Lachlan only a few months ago,” Heath’s father reminded him.
His eyes traveled to Merletta, and Heath felt a flicker of guilt stir. He pushed it down. His father might be right that he’d been so distracted by Merletta’s presence he’d ignored everything else. But should he really feel guilty for being happy? It hadn’t done anyone any good for him to carry the burdens of his kingdom before Merletta’s arrival. Now she was here, he no longer felt weighed down and frustrated. Even his relationship with Percival had begun to improve. His brother had warmed quickly to Merletta, and Heath seemed to be benefiting by association.
“I have no new information to offer Lachlan,” Heath said. “It really doesn’t seem worth me riding all the way to Bryford to tell him that.”
“Maybe he has information to tell you,” Heath’s mother chimed in.
“Whatever the reason,” the duke said calmly, “the outcome is the same. It’s a royal summons. You must and will respond.”
Heath fell silent, but inside rebellion raged. He didn’t want to go to the capital, not when life at Bexley Manor was so pleasant. But at the same time, he knew his father was right. He had no valid reason to disobey a summons from the king.
“I suppose a trip to Bryford won’t be so bad now the roads are clear,” he said. He looked at Merletta. “What do you think?”
“What?” Merletta looked startled. “I think I’d better stay here to see August off.”
August nodded from his place beside her. “I would appreciate it,” he said gruffly.
Of course. The guard was leaving that evening, the rest of the group along with him. It had taken some doing for Merletta to convince August to leave her, and it came as no surprise to Heath that August was more comfortable to leave Merletta in the care of Heath’s parents than off on an unexpected journey with Heath.
“I can delay my departure until after August leaves,” Heath suggested.
“No, you can’t.” There was no compromise in the duke’s voice. “A royal summons is a royal summons. You will leave this morning.”
It was with a bad grace that Heath took his leave of the family two hours later. He swallowed his irritation to say a proper goodbye to August, realizing he may not see the merman again.