Page 63 of Leviathan's Song
“They decided two days ago that the contract should be awarded to a Seafolk, though it was thinly veiled that what they actually meant was to amer.”
Oh.Well, that made my life easier. “Well, that’s okay. It would have been a massive undertaking for me anyway, and I understand if they want someone working on it that is more familiar with the issues.”
“That’s just the problem,” Muriel bit out. “They don’t actuallyhavesomeone.”
I felt my eyebrows pinch together and after a few beats of silence, I couldn’t help myself. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“I wish I didn’t.” Her tone was bitter, and she looked sick to her stomach. “I mean that, after two days of arguments back and forth among the other members of the council demanding that the leaders of the group who want a Seafolk provide alternative suggestions fromyou, they have none. The most they’ve come up with is a mer currently apprenticing as an artificer who has no discernible skill in golemancy butjust so happensto be the nephew of one of the council members.”
All I could do was blink. “So, do they not want a permanent golem anymore?”
“That’s the part I can’t understand.” She threw her hands up. “They do! They’ve already begun amassing materials earmarked for use in its construction.” Muriel huffed in agitation and began pacing behind her desk as she talked. “I don’t know if it’s sheer incompetence, which is adistinctpossibility, or greed. Maybe they don’t want to risk the heartstone falling outside of Seafolk hands, or maybe they just want to keep the money they would have paid you within the Seafolk community.”
“It doesn’t really matter why they want it,” Levi interjected, “if they don’t have someone available to fill the contract and don’t have another plan for defense.” His enchantment was an almost non-existent rebuff. He was displeased but trying to keep it under wraps. “This sounds like red tape that will leave The Deep without the protection it needs while they continue to squabble and make outrageous demands.”
“If it’s purely about the money, that’s an easy fix.” I turned to Muriel to address her. “I don’t want any payment for this project. It’s blood money as far as I’m concerned. Adonci personally asked me for protection, so that’s what I’ll provide.”
Muriel stopped in her tracks and shot me an incredulous look. “You just said yourself this was going to be a massive undertaking. You deserve to be compensated for your time and efforts, Ms. Hawthorne. Especially when you consider how difficult some of these people are going to be to work for.”
I shrugged. “I’m doing this purely for Adonci. I don’t need a contract.” More specifically, I didn’twanta contract.
Levi noticed the dryness in my tone and gave me a side-eye. “I don’t think this is just about the money. Money is well spent when it protects someone’s reputation, which is clearly suffering with all the protests.”
Muriel turned her tired gaze on Levi. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
“I mean that if they want to hold their position of power in the Alliance, they need to protect their reputation. If they aren’t going to pay to fix their reputation, it probably means they’re wanting to do it themselves which would make them look even better. Hence the requirement that the golemancer be a mer. ‘Look at us, we built you a golem ourselves and defended you.’ Never mind that they don’t have anyone to fulfill that role.” Levi’s enchantments gave a firm rebuff, betraying his irritation.
I felt skeptical. “Are these people really that petty?” I wondered if Levi’s bad experiences were coloring his view of them.
“Yes,” Muriel answered, her forehead resting on the palms of her hands. I hadn’t noticed her take her seat again. “I do have an idea, but I recognize it might be a lot to ask.”
Levi and I both grew quiet at the nervousness in her voice as she fingered a file in front of her.
“Would you two be willing to consider a paper marriage?”
Chapter 24
I hadn’t heardthat term before. “A paper marriage?”
“Yes… a marriage on paper,” she replied. A memory of her joking that she’d need to convince the council that I was mer surfaced in my mind. At least, I’d thought she had been joking. I glanced at Levi to find his face shocked and a little horrified, but Muriel wasn’t looking at him. She had the file open and was pulling out papers.
“I have everything you would need to file it right here, and it’s not like it would need to be permanent or anything. Mer never stay together anyway,” she added dismissively. “It would probably make the most impact if you both took his birth name, Chansoneau, since it’s more traditional, and that name itself holds some prestige in mer society.” I flinched at her suggestion about his mother’s surname, knowing he wouldn’t take it well, but I was too stunned to respond immediately. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Levi’s changing expressions, which were heading through incredulity and anger toward rage. Muriel finally glanced up at me, then followed my gaze to Levi.
“I mean, I just thought… since they’re demanding the person filling the contract be a Seafolk, and obviously marriage to a Seafolk would legally fulfill that requirement…”
“I willnot.” Levi was immediately on his feet, his magic seething with outraged energy and firm rebuff. “Absolutely not.” His finger stabbed toward the ground to underscore his words. “Are you—” He swallowed briefly, trying to rein in his temper and failing, his eyes still flashing at Muriel. “You’renotjoking. This is honestly how you’re suggesting we deal with a greedy, incompetent government entity: capitulation. Howdareyou? And how daretheyput us in this position in the first place?”
I’d never seen Levi so irate. On the surface, I agreed with him, but I could also see how, when placed between a rock and a hard place, Muriel had come up with what she probably considered a convenient loophole.
Honestly, I didn’t hate the idea. Arranged marriage to the man I was already in love with and currently bonded to for life? I mean, twist my arm if you must. Obviously, Levi didn’t agree, so it seemed like it was off the table. Which stung a bit, I admitted to myself.
Muriel’s jaw dropped, and her head snapped back a bit at his response, but before she could even reply, Levi was slamming out of the room and down the hall, moving toward the front of the building. It was the farthest he’d been from me since I’d fallen in the lake. He was truly furious.
I felt him stop in front of the building, his magic pacing back and forth with him on the sidewalk in front of her office like a caged panther might. I didn’t even consider that he would leave without me. His bond to me leashed him too tightly.
Was that how he felt about marriage? Even a “fake” one? Just another leash?
“I’msosorry,” Muriel whispered, her expression stunned. “I guess... I read that situation wrong.”
