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Chapter 52 - The Sea Goddess' Birthday Bash (Annie POV)

When we got home, Malvor was practically humming like he'd swallowed lightning.

"What has you vibrating like a hummingbird on espresso?" I asked, amused, as I peeled off my shoes.

"It's Yara's birthday!" he announced with far too much enthusiasm.

I blinked. "Yara? As in goddess of oceans, temptation, and general wet chaos?"

"The very one." He spun dramatically, then flopped onto the couch like a stage actor waiting for applause.

I tilted my head. "What does one even wear to the birthday party of the sea goddess?"

His grin was feline, smug, like he'd found a fishbowl with the lid off. "The theme is blue."

"Blue?" I repeated skeptically. "That's it? Not ocean? Not tropical getaway? Not cruise-themed with daiquiris and ridiculous sun hats?"

His grin grew. "No," he said, suspiciously short.

I narrowed my eyes. "No?"

"You'll see," he replied with ominous delight, already rising from the couch like a villain about to monologue.

He paused in the doorway, gave me a wink, and tossed over his shoulder, "Get dressed, Annie, my Little Mermaid."

I groaned loud enough to follow him down the hall. But I couldn't deny it, my stomach fluttered. Because with Malvor and his godly friends, "you'll see" was never just "you'll see." When I finally stepped out of my room, Malvor froze. My gown was sapphire blue, the exact shade of my eyes, perhaps not coincidentally. It draped off my shoulders, cinched at my sternum by a large golden pendant, then spilled long in the back while a daring slit in the front bared my legs with every confident step. My hair tumbled in long curls, fire kissed by the sea. A touch of gold shimmer lined my eyes, paired with dangling earrings that caught the light. Malvor, in a tailored navy suit, looked at me with something suspended between reverence and sheer lust. Our blues didn't match, but they harmonized, storm and seafoam.

"You," he said, approaching slowly, "are an entire constellation crash-landed into the ocean."

I arched a brow, amused. "And you look like the most dangerous wave to ever wear cufflinks."

His grin turned devilish as he offered his arm. "Come, my tidal temptress. Let us go make the ocean jealous."

With that, Yara's birthday had no idea what was about to hit it. A snap of Malvor's fingers later and the world shifted. One second, we stood at the top of his castle stairs. The next, we emerged on a crystalline arch overlooking a submerged palace of motion and light. Below us stretched the Infinite Tides Club, floating on glowing bioluminescent waves. A glass dome arched overhead, where whales, serpents, and jeweled fish glided like part of the entertainment. Magic kept everything dry, the air tinged with seafoam and starlight. The dance floor pulsed with liquid crystal, glowing cobalt and ice-blue with every beat. Mist rolled in rhythm with the bass. Blue flames floated midair, casting ripples of shimmer across silver-dripped walls. Floating VIP orbs drifted above, each a private bubble of laughter, heat, and power. In one, a demigod flirted shamelessly with two fae. In another, a goddess lounged in her own starlight, sipping glowing wine. The bar gleamed like a giant oyster shell, where bartenders with sea-glass eyes poured drinks that sparkled like spells. From a massive pearl in the center, a siren DJ sang over the music, her voice hypnotic and smooth.

They turned. They all turned. Gasps. Whispers. Stares. My sapphire dress shimmered like ocean water, the pendant catching the light, my legs slipping through the slit with every step. My curls gleamed in fiery waves beneath the glow, my skin dusted faintly in gold. For a moment, I didn't walk. I arrived. Beside me, Malvor wore a grin smug enough to melt glaciers. He leaned close, lips brushing my ear. "Anemone of my affections, you just started a seaquake."

Hand in hand, we descended into the shimmering madness. The music shifted, rippling into something grand, as a literal wave arched over the dance floor and crashed in glittering mist. The crowd parted like a tide, every eye snapping toward the guest of honor. Yara.

She emerged with arms lifted, soaking in the attention like moonlight. Her gown was aqua glam turned spectacle, low cut, dripping with pearls, seashells, and glittering sea glass. The back was nearly nonexistent, held together with strings that looked more decorative than functional. The sheer fabric clung to her like wet silk, leaving little to the imagination. Her hair cascaded in waves pinned by shell combs, her lips tinted coral, her earrings brushing her shoulders with every sway. She was radiant. Powerful. But… a bit much.

"She looks like an underdressed coral reef," Malvor muttered, not even bothering to whisper.

I smirked, keeping my composure as I studied her. Yara was stunning, yes, but her gown screamed for attention, weighed down by trinkets and glitter. Where mine whispered elegance, hers shouted desperation. Oh, did Malvor know it.

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