Page 49

As if Nylah could feel the slow cool drain of joy as it slipped from Kyree’s body, the ray came and danced between her and the other two mermaids.

“Oh Nylah.” Kyree smiled, though she knew it didn’t have the same warmth that had washed over her earlier. She flicked away the tears that welled at the corner of her eyes while Nylah obscured her from Hudson and Honour’s view. Nylah drew closer still and gently brushed the broken stone at Kyree’s neck with their fin.

“I know.” Kyree held the stone up in her hand, feeling the spark of it thrum at her touch. ”We have to see if it works or not.”

“It might still be able to work?” Hudson’s voice had taken on an interested tone while Honour pulled back a little farther from them both.

“It’ll work.” Honour’s voice was gentle and filled with emotions Kyree wanted to know.

“How do you know?” Hudson narrowed her eyes at Honour.

“I felt it spark when I touched it earlier,” Honour spoke as though she revealed some dark secret.

“Youfelt it?” Hudson’s emphasis on the word made Kyree’s breath catch a little in her throat.

What had happened while she spoke to Milan about the stones? She had known Honour didn’t trust her, but there wassomething more. Something Honour continued to hold close to her chest. Honour hadn’t let Kyree nearly as close to her thoughts as to her body.

Kyree understood that connections could be different for others. She knew the body and the mind weren’t always given at the same time. But she still hoped this could be the beginning of true connection, for all of them.

“Feeling a spark doesn’t mean the soul is still contained.” Kyree focused on the stone in hand. “It could simply mean it broke recently and there’s still lingering energy.”

“If you can feel it, does that mean you’re a witch as well?” Hudson turned to Honour, eyes wide and mouth twitching as though unsure whether to smirk, smile, or remain solely shocked.

“No,” Honour snapped immediately. “I’m not a witch. There are many mers in the upper soundings who can feel the energy of life.”

“There are many in the lower soundings as well.”

“Yeah.” Hudson had decided on a smirk. “Witches.”

“I’m not a witch,” Honour growled, her tone low and threatening.

“What’s your issue with witches?” Hudson goaded. “You took Milan’s potion easily enough, so what’s the deal?”

Honour narrowed her eyes at Hudson, while she kept her mouth closed, her nostrils flaring as she contained anger or frustration. Perhaps both.

“All right. I want to try and reach Soulara again.” Kyree knew life with these two would be intense, but this bickering wasn’t getting them anywhere.

“Through Nylah?” Honour easily came back into the new topic.

“Yes.” Kyree nodded and held out her hand. Nylah swam eagerly onto the top of Kyree’s palm, nuzzling into the soft flesh.

“Will you require our strength again?” Hudson asked.

“Do you have enough for me to take even more?” Kyree lowered her lashes, the intentions clear as she looked from Hudson to Honour. They both smiled, and the three moved into a circle, hand in hand as Kyree called upon Nylah to reach out to their soul.

“Oh.” The word escaped Kyree before she could let it. It had been much easier to reach out this time.

“What is it?” Honour asked, her voice edged in worry.

“It’s good. I can see them.”

Silence settled over them as Kyree continued to focus. The image in front of her rippled in a way that seemed altogether wrong and unnerving.

“They’re somewhere strange.” Kyree sank into the image, trying to find details surrounding Soulara and Autumn. But nothing was quite clear enough for her to understand what it was. That, and it was hard to figure out what the strange items were.

“Strange?” Hudson squeezed Kyree’s hand as she asked. “Strange how?”

“The world around them…the water doesn’t look right.” Kyree wasn’t even sure she’d be able to describe it if she wanted to.