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Dima coiled around herself, her dark eyes sharp and focused. Aria stole a glance at Caspian, who had stopped speaking. His eyes pulsed with power. Power she felt resonate inside her bones.

It fed her the spark she needed.

The sky over the ocean cleared.

A thick bolt of white struck down, cutting through the water, and striking the shark swimming closest to Caspian.

Dima shrieked, spun, and launched herself to Aria’s side. She raised one hand, baring her claws, and threw a lethal glance at Caspian. “I warned you!”

Aria’s eyes widened.

Dima’s hand dropped.

The tips of her claws pierced Aria’s skin. She threw her head back and screamed in silence, the burn spreading everywhere along her body.

A fierce current slammed into them, throwing Dima back. Aria rocked in the kelp bindings, shuddering from the pain. She glanced at her chest where beads of blood ribboned around five superficial punctures.

Another powerful current rushed them, missing Aria and crashing into Dima. This time, the water caught her, trapping her within its sphere.

Aria watched in awe as another bolt of lightning struck down, stabbing through the water.

And piercing through the sphere, through Dima.

The demon shrieked, her deadly scream muffled by the watery prison. Smoke rose from her skin and between her scales. The bolt sizzled, persisting until the demon’s skin charred to black and her body disintegrated into a pile of ash.

The sphere reabsorbed into the sea, and the ashes dissolved in the water.

The lightning winked out.

The kelp holding Aria prisoner shriveled and disappeared within the rocks.

“Caspian!”

Aria rushed to Caspian, who remained perched on the ledge. He followed her with his gaze, but didn’t move. She sat in his lap, curling her tail around his waist, smoothing the swirling hair that floated around his head. She caressed his face, worry seizing her.

“Caspian, what do I do? How do I help?”

He puckered his lips.

She didn’t hesitate to kiss him, and kiss him hard. She threw her arms around his neck, begging silently for him to return to her. For him to wrap his arms around her waist, pull her close…

She leaned back and looked down at his arms, embracing her and holding her tight. When she lifted her gaze to his face, he wore a wicked smile and offered her a wink.

“You worried for me, princess?”

She smacked his arm. His eyes went wide before she laughed. She couldn’t help but share in the laughter as the tension and fear finally began to leave her body.

“You weren’t stuck, were you?”

He shook his head. “The spell ceased the moment she did.” He traced a finger over her chest and the healing punctures in her skin between the scales covering her breasts. “I think it’s best if we never find out how powerful I might become if my emotions get involved. I think I was on the brink of destroying the entire ocean to save you.”

“As long as you’re with me, I don’t mind living a life on two legs. In fact”—she pressed her forehead to his—“I think I prefer two legs when it comes to certain activities. “

“Ahh, I have to agree. Far more pleasurable than what we might have in this form.”

Aria pressed another kiss to his mouth and leaned back. “We need to find my family. I have to make sure they’re okay. And then we need to give Stacia a proper burial.”

Caspian nodded. “Let’s end this, once and for all.”