Chapter 130

Briar’s POV

I couldn’t face Kai after our argument, couldn’t deal with his doubts and my own spiraling thoughts about Malachar’s offer. Instead, I found myself in the palace gardens, watching Finn and Luna play with a school of luminescent fish.

"Look, Mommy!" Luna called out, giggling as the fish swam through her fingers. "They’re ticklish!"

One of the larger fish—a silver creature with wise eyes—swam closer to me. To my shock, it spoke directly into my mind: ‘The princess is troubled.’

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "You can talk?"

‘All creatures of the deep can speak to those with the gift to hear,’ the fish replied. ‘Your distress ripples through the water like waves from a stone.’

"I’m fine," I lied.

‘The little ones worry,’ the fish said, swimming in a lazy circle. ‘They sense the storm building in their mother’s heart.’

As if summoned by the fish’s words, Luna swam over to me, her