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Her face pales. “You don’t believe your father?”

I chew on my lower lip. “I believe he believes all this.”

“Why don’t you want this?”

“Because I didn’t ask for this. Any of it. My whole life has been a lie. You both kept the truth from me about my paternity. It’s too much, and I want to make my own decisions. Not follow in the path of some ancient chick who used to own my trident.”

My parents exchange a worried glance.

“I’m not the one who tried to resurrect her.” I turn to my dad. “Try again, and maybe this curse will be lifted from me.”

He shakes his head. “Her powers rest on you—and it’s no curse.”

“It sure isn’t a blessing.”

“Please,” Mom begs. “Accept your destiny.”

“Why don’t you take it?”

“I’d take it from you if I could. In a heartbeat.”

I plop onto the bed. “But you can’t.”

She shakes her head.

Dad comes over and places a hand on mine. “I’m truly sorry this is making you miserable. That was never my intention—I never meant for any of this to fall on you. I didn’t even know your mother was pregnant at the time.”

A thought strikes me. “Were you trying to turn her into Queen Sirena?”

They exchange a glance, and neither answers my question. Which directly answers my question.

“You wanted Mom to become Queen Sirena, but instead turned me into her—or transferred her powers onto me or whatever.”

Dad nods, his expression growing wistful. “It seemed like the only way for us to be able to get married. If she was already a queen—and the most powerful one alive, at that—my father would’ve had no recourse. He’d have been forced to go along with Emery’s wishes to marry me. Nobody can stand up against the woman who rules all of the oceans.”

“And now I have to deal with the fallout.”

“I’m sorry, but at the same time, it’s exciting. You hold the potential to rule every kingdom under the seas.”

I rub my temples. “I wish someone would’ve asked me if this was what I wanted.”

“Nobody even knew you existed. I truly am sorry. If anyone knows what it’s like to have another person’s wishes forced upon you, it’s the two of us.”

Mom nods in agreement.

He sits next to my mom but looks at me. “I do have good news that should make you feel better about this whole thing.”

I frown, doubtful. “What?”

His eyes light up with excitement. “I was able to verify your story, and—”

“Which story?” I ask.

“About Queen Sirena having to kill her father.”

My stomach lurches. “You verified it?”

“I did. One of my servants found an ancient manuscript from a library in the Indian Ocean. It’s true, she killed her father and went through the trials. The combination is what brought on her full powers.”