A royal mergirl’s eighteenth birthday is even more special. There is a huge buffet feast, which makes the one at Dosinia’s sixteenth birthday look like an after-school snack. In the far corner of the room, an eighteen-piece orchestra is playing a program of fun-yet-classical compositions. Women in gem- and pearl-encrusted gowns dance with men in sharp tuxedo jackets with gem- and pearl-encrusted cummerbunds. It’s like a fantasy world.

Everything around me is glittery and sparkly and ful of laughter and fun.

Everything except me.

If I were a bonded princess, this is the day I would go from royal to crowned. Accepting my future role as queen. When I made the decision to stay on land a few weeks ago, I knew exactly what I was getting into. I knew what I would be giving up, that I would be letting my kingdom and my ancestors down. I knew it, and I didn’t care. With so many of the things I care about most tied to land, I would make a miserable queen. And a miserable queen can hardly be a good leader.

Stil , despite al my thinking and rationalizing and accepting, I didn’t know it would be this hard, that my feelings would be this painful, when the moment came.

Instead of sparkling gowns and formal jackets, I see my future subjects. These are the people, along with the thousands beyond the palace wal s, I’l be leaving heirless.

Are my selfish wants worth what it wil cost them?

“Good evening, Princess Waterlily.”

I turn and find a trio of girls my age bowing into the water.

They look like coordinating Oceanista dol s. One has pale skin, red hair, and a mint green tail fin. One has a fake tan, bright blond hair, and an orange-gold tail fin. And one has natural y dark skin, long flowing black curls, and a glinting mahogany tail fin.

The terrible trio. Though I haven’t seen them in years, I recognize them from my early tutoring sessions in the palace.

As I said, they never seemed to like me very much.

“Hel o, Astria,” I say to the redhead, the leader; then to the other two, “Piper, Venus.”

Piper’s eyes widen. Probably surprised that I remembered their names after al these years.

“We are honored to be a part of your birthday celebration, Princess,” Astria says, al mocking respect.

I could tel her to cal me Lily, but since I’m pretty sure that’s what she wants, I don’t. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck are at attention, and I have a feeling this is going to end badly.

This is my last birthday as the royal princess of Thalassinia, and I’m not about to let three snobby clones ruin it for me.

“Of course,” I reply magnanimously, bowing my head slightly. “Now, if you’l excuse me—”

“It’s too bad,” Astria interrupts.

I freeze in my escape.

“Real y,” Venus agrees. “Too, too bad.”

“Too, too bad,” Piper parrots.

“If only… ,” Astria says.

She leaves it hanging, like a grub on a hook, waiting for me to bite. I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. Astria, Piper, and Venus have been trouble since we were guppies. They’re the reason Daddy made me spend a week scraping the algae off the palace roof when I was nine, for something that wasn’t even my fault.

Stil , knowing al that, I can’t help but ask, “If only what?” Astria gives me an appal ingly sympathetic look. “If only you had found a boy wil ing to bond with you.”

“Such a shame,” Venus commiserates.

My mouth drops open. They have no idea. I’m on the verge of setting them straight when I feel a warm arm wrap around my waist.

“Has Lily been tel ing you how she rebuffed my advances?” Tel in asks, hugging me close to his side. “I’ve been begging her to bond with me for ages, but she just won’t relent.” He smiles at me. “Loves her human too much.”

My three tormentors suck in identical gasps. Since he’s dressed in Acropora’s finest royal uniform, they know exactly who he is. And what he is.

Take that, sea witches.

They are stil slack-jawed when Tel in says, “I believe this is my dance.”

As he tugs me away, I glance back over my shoulder. The look of utter shock on their faces is the best moment of the night.

Even though I’m stil mad at him for the whole Quince-revelation thing and the whole conspiring-with-Doe thing, the saving-me-from-the-terrible-trio thing is enough to cool my anger a little.

“Thanks,” I say as he leads me into an open spot of the dance area in front of the orchestra. “Those three almost put Dosinia to shame.”

“You are quite welcome,” Tel in says, pul ing me into his arms for the dance.

Now that we’re out of range of the terrible trio, I refocus on why I’m mad at him. Social savior or not, he has a lot to answer for.

“Doe told me about your plan.”

He doesn’t miss a beat in the music. “Did she?”

“She did, and—” I’m not sure how to say exactly what I think of that, so I blurt, “I appreciate your faith in my abilities as a leader, but it was al kinds of ridiculous from the start, wasn’t it?”

“Perhaps,” he says with a gentle smile. Then, changing the subject, he says, “I must confess my motives for rescuing you from those girls were not entirely selfless.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure I already know.

“I mean,” he says, whirling me into a spin, “that I wanted the opportunity to plead my case one last time.” I wish he wouldn’t. Not now. Not when I’m already plagued by doubts and guilt and stressed out about the situation with Quince and my chances of ever going to col ege. It would be almost too easy for him to succeed.