Beau, who’d quashed his own answer with a strangled sound, cast me a panicked look. I returned it full measure. If we couldn’t lie, if we’d been forced into a kingdom of literal truth—

If he didn’t kill us, I certainly would.

Either way, we’d all be dead by night’s end.

Beau tried to speak again, keeping his eyes trained carefully on the melusine’s face. His throat bobbed against the tip of her spear. “Of course you do not look like a frog, mademoiselle, and I am grievously sorry for the implication. Indeed, you are quite—” The lie stuck in his throat, and his mouth gaped open and closed, like the fish who’d gathered to watch our inevitable demise. “Quite—”

“Lovely,” Célie finished, her voice earnest and firm. “You are lovely.”

The melusines regarded Célie with open curiosity, and the silver-haired female slowly lowered her spear. Beau swallowed visibly as she inclined her head. The others followed suit, some bowing deeply, others curtsying. The one called Aurélien even extended his hand to her, pressing an emerald earring into her palm. “You are welcome here, Célie Tremblay.” The silver-haired melusine’s lip curled as she glanced back at Beau. “More so than your companions.”

Célie curtsied again, smaller this time. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mademoiselle . . . ?”

“I am Elvire, the Oracle’s Hand.” The melusine smiled in approval at Célie’s impeccable manners, and another of her companions looped a strand of pretty white pearls around Célie’s neck. They looked ridiculous against her tattered gown, but Célie didn’t seem to mind.

“Thank you.” She lifted a hand in surprise, stroking them gently, before pushing the single emerald stud through her pierced earlobe. She looked like a magpie. “I shall treasure each one.”

Beau stared at her incredulously.

“They suit you.” Elvire nodded before gesturing toward her companions. “We are here to escort you into the Oracle City. This is Aurélien”—she pointed to the bejeweled but otherwise naked merman—“Olympienne”—another mermaid, this one the palest lavender with diamonds adorning her teeth—“Leopoldine”—a third with thin golden chains sparkling along her charcoal torso—“Lasimonne and Sabatay.” She finished with two onyx mermen. One boasted rubies in his nipples, while the other’s eyes glowed milky white. Seaweed wound through his braided hair. “We are simply enchanted to meet you. If you would be so kind as to walk beside me, Mademoiselle Célie, I would much appreciate your company.”

When Célie nodded, Elvire extended an arm, and the two joined elbows, as prim and polite as any two aristocrats strolling through the park in Cesarine. Sabatay gestured for Angelica and Coco to fall in behind them while Leopoldine and Lasimonne flanked Reid on either side. Aurélien stepped in behind without a backward glance. Only his barnacle-crusted trident even glanced in our direction, waving us forward.