Chapter 232
The air between us crackles with tension, thick and suffocating. My heart pounds as I stare at the man who looks so much like Wake—but not. His presence feels different. Calculated. Where Wake’s silences are layered with thought, Shoal’s are precise, deliberate, like he’s always playing an angle.
I try to speak, but my throat feels dry, like I’ve swallowed sand. “You’re…”
Shoal’s lips curl into a sharp smile, and he gives me a half-bow, a gesture so effortlessly smooth it feels rehearsed. “Shoal, little sister,” he says, his voice velvety but laced with something unreadable. “It is an honor to finally meet the woman who has tamed my brother’s heart.”
The way he says it makes my stomach turn. There’s something almost mocking in his words, but it’s impossible to pin down.
I shake off the unease and square my shoulders. “Where is Wake?”
His eyes narrow ever so slightly as a look of mild confusion crosses his face. Then, realization wipes the expression clean, and he hums in understanding. “Ah, yes. Wake is fine, as far as I have been informed. In fact, I was on my way to speak with him now.”
Cora scoffs beside me, her voice sharp with barely restrained fury. “Meanwhile, my sister, a member of the Twilight’s royal line, was lying on the chopping block.”
Shoal tilts his head, expression neutral, though there’s a glimmer of something in his abyssal eyes. “That is news. I was aware that the Princess Delphinium was in residence, but I was not informed that her life was in danger.”
I fold my arms. “Because you would have stopped it?”
Shoal doesn’t hesitate. “Of course. To spill royal blood is a tragedy and a waste.”
A convenient answer. Too convenient.
I study him carefully, noting the way his posture is relaxed, almost lazy, like he has all the time in the world, yet his eyes never stop moving—assessing, cataloging, measuring. He is more outgoing than Wake, more engaging even, but in a way that feels rehearsed. Like he knows exactly what to say to disarm me, to make me trust him.
And it hasn't escaped my notice that he already knows who we are.
Cora picks up on it too. “How do you know us?”
Shoal smiles, unbothered by the accusation in her tone. “Battle is the lifeblood of the Abyss,” he says smoothly, “but I believe that knowledge is the soul.”
Cora’s eyes narrow. “So, you study the Clans. Fair. But none of us have been directly associated with a great Clan in decades. Try again.”
Shoal lets out a quiet chuckle, tilting his head like he finds this whole conversation amusing. “I have thoroughly studied the Clans, yes. But, in truth, my interests are far older.”
His gaze flickers to me, then to Delphinium’s unconscious form. “Even if it weren’t for recent reports, I would have known who you were the moment you stepped from this elevator. Twilight physiology is unmistakable. And as far as I know, there’s only one blue-haired princess from the Twilight who has gone missing somewhat recently.”
Cora stiffens beside me, her complexion paling. Something about Shoal’s words rattles her.
He continues smoothly, nodding toward Arista. “Even this one, I can discern, hails from one of the so-called Lost Clans. Your tattoos are remarkable, by the way.”
Arista tenses, fists clenching at her sides, her body coiled like a spring.
Shoal turns back to Cora, and his smile is all teeth. “Lady Cora, I really must commend you for achieving what so many have failed to do—bringing together even just a few of the scattered tribes that make up all of Enkian kind.”
Cora stares at him, expression unreadable. Then, voice flat, she says, “I’m sure our purposes are not aligned.”
Shoal’s laughter is light, almost musical, but there’s a sharpness beneath it. “Whatever gave you that impression?”
Before she can answer, another elevator dings open, and I whip around just as Lily St. Cloud marches out.
She looks disheveled, her usually pristine composure cracked, her hair slightly askew, her breathing uneven. But the second her gaze lands on me, her face hardens into a grimace.
“I should have known,” she mutters, exasperated. “Where is Stan?”
I shrug, feigning innocence. “I would check the infirmary.”
Lily rolls her eyes. “What the hell am I even paying him for?”
“That one’s on you,” I say, my voice steady despite the tension curling in my gut. “In case you forgot, I’m not human anymore.”
Lily hesitates. It’s a flicker, barely noticeable, but her eyes flick toward Shoal, and I don’t miss the way she’s actively trying not to look at him.
Interesting.
Lily exhales sharply, regaining her composure. “So it worked.”
I nod, my grip tightening on Delphinium. “It did. Although…it doesn’t look like you’re having much trouble finding sirens these days.”
Shoal interjects before she can respond. “On the contrary,” he says smoothly, “it was we who found her.” He looks at me directly, something unreadable in his dark eyes. “Would you like to know why, Phoebe?”
Something in my stomach tightens. I feel like I’m on the verge of making a deal with the devil, and yet…
I nod.
Shoal smirks, and without looking at Lily, he says, “Shut that noise down. We’ve much to discuss.”
Lily’s expression tightens, but she doesn’t argue. She signals to someone over her comm, and a moment later, the alarms cut off, plunging the hallway into an eerie silence.
The only sound left is the thunder of my own heartbeat.
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