I force the bite of ice cream into my suddenly dry mouth. If I couldn’t even handle sending out invitations on my own, how on earth am I going to face a roomful of kings and queens without messing up?

I swallow the melting treat without really tasting it. I just hope that between now and Sunday, I can find the words to help me do what needs to be done. Tellin and his kingdom are counting on me, and I don’t want to let them down.

Chapter 3

“I can do this.”

Staring out over the sands and surf of Seaview Beach Park, I feel like my heart is exploding in my chest. My legs shake as I step out of my flip-flops. But physical reaction aside, I actually feel pretty confident. It’s the fear of public speaking—in front of a very powerful and influential public—that has me kind of freaking out.

Quince wraps a strong arm around my shoulders, steadying me. “Of course you can,” he says, with so much certainty that my body relaxes a little.

I close my eyes, letting the gritty squish of wet sand massage the soles of my feet. Just a few more minutes and I’ll be ready.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Doe asks.

I open my eyes to look at her. She is glued so tightly to Brody’s side, I can’t see a sliver of the morning sun between them. Sure, she’s volunteering—again—but I can’t imagine she’d be too happy if I took her up on the offer.

“No,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”

“Because I can, you know,” she insists, pulling away from Brody a fraction of an inch. “Uncle Whelk lifted my exile.”

Brody tugs her back to his side.

“I know.” I give her a grateful smile. “Really, I’ll be fine.”

“Here,” Shannen says, stepping closer. “Take these.”

She holds out a stack of laminated index cards. I take them from her and quickly flip through them. They say things like “ocean warming,” “request for aid,” and “state of emergency.” One even says “Take a deep breath.”

“What are they?”

“Talking points,” she says. “I always make these for my debates, to help me get back on track if I get lost. Not that I think you’re going to get lost, but just in case.”

I pull her into a hug.

“Thank you,” I say. “Knowing I have these will help me relax, for sure.”

I slip the cards into the hidden pocket in my tank top, where they will be secure for my journey home. Shannen must have spent a lot of time working on these. Her years on the debate team are definitely paying off for me.

“Besides,” Brody says, trying to be helpful, “you’ll have Tellin at your side. If you get stuck, he can help out.”

The mention earns Brody a fuming look from Quince, and that makes me smile. I reach for his hand and weave my fingers through his. He knows I’m not interested in Tellin, not in that way, but since I only bonded with the handsome mer prince a few days ago, it’s still a new situation.

A lot has changed in those few days. Right up until the moment I was about to sign away my future as Thalassinia’s queen, I thought I had my life figured out. Then, in that instant, I knew I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t abandon my duty, couldn’t abandon my people or the people of Tellin’s dying kingdom.

So, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, I kissed Tellin, bonding with him—in name only—and securing my place in the royal succession. I became crown princess, and everything changed.

Suddenly I had more duties and responsibilities than ever before. And I had something even more important: power. Not just magical power—although I got some of that too—but the power to make a difference. And my first official act as crown princess was to call a council of kings and queens of the Western Atlantic region.

At this very moment, rulers of every mer kingdom, from the edge of the Arctic to the northern coast of South America, are descending on Thalassinia for the council.

They are descending on Thalassinia . . . to listen to me.

I press a hand over my stomach.

Quince leans close. “You’ll be brilliant,” he whispers, and I force myself to focus on his words rather than the heat of his breath. “You are strong and smart, and most important”—he presses a quick kiss against my ear—“you care.”

I nod, letting his confidence in me feed my own confidence. He’s right, I do care. When I learned that Acropora—the kingdom of my childhood best friend and Thalassinia’s neighbor to the south—was suffering great losses because of ocean warming, I realized that the environmental concerns affecting the planet as a whole were already causing major changes in the mer world. It’s part of why I bonded with Tellin, to make sure I had the power and authority to help make a difference.

It’s why I’ve called this council of kings and queens. To make the rest of the world aware of the problem and to secure help for Acropora. Together, the kingdoms of the mer world can make a difference.

That, more than anything else, calms my nerves. This has to be done, and if it takes making a presentation before some of the most powerful merfolk in the seven seas, then I have to suck it up and do it.

“Thanks,” I whisper back to Quince. I give him a gentle squeeze to let him know he helped and then pull back. “It’s probably time for me to—”

“Whoa,” Shannen says, her voice an awed whisper.

She points out over the shore, to the pair of royal guards stepping up out of the surf. They are imposing—broad shouldered and big muscled. No shark in its right mind would take them on.