Page 14

14

Claira

W hy? Why was this happening to me? What would I do if my eyes turned into the monstrous reflection I’d seen in my grandmother’s mirror?

My voice was raw, desperate, as I asked, “Do you have any idea who could have done this to me?”

Whoever they were, maybe we could find them. Maybe they could fix it.

Lady Desmona’s crab-eye studied me, her expression impossible to read. “Couldn’t say,” she finally replied. “But I assure you it certainly wasn’t my doing.” She shook her head, giving a disapproving click of her tongue. “Terribly done. I’ve never seen anyone attempt spells quite like these.”

Fantastic .

“My lady,” the sea wizard said smoothly, “I’m sure you can guess the reason behind why she was spelled.”

“Of course, of course!” she answered with a wave of a hand. “Magic sings in her blood. She possesses sea witch blood, through and through.”

A gasp tore its way up my throat. It was stupid, really. I already knew what I was. But now that someone new had said it, it felt more real than ever.

A sea witch. How could she speak of what I was so casually, as if it wasn’t my death sentence?

“Whoever cast these spells on you, girl, they were aiming to hide your true nature.” Using the gnarled end of a tentacle, she slapped at the side of my tail. “A noble attempt, I must say, but why alter your form? Why not let you live as a cecaelia, hm?” She paused, lost in thought, her crab-eye leaning forward to steal more peeks at my tail. “It’s a pity you ended up with something so useless.”

My insides clenched, the word useless hitting like another slap. “Maybe they didn’t want me to spend my life trapped down in that damned abyss,” I murmured, my tone edged with bitterness.

Maybe a bit too bitter because the sea wizard visibly tensed, his tentacles curling.

“Or perhaps they sought to strip you of your heritage and your power. Deprive you of who you were meant to be,” he retorted, trying to mask his physical reaction by fanning out his limbs. “Who’s to say?”

Yeah, well, if who I was meant to be was a cecaelian princess, then maybe I was grateful for the intervention. Even if this useless tail had meant the merfolk had ultimately rejected me, too.

That was fine because land had always been my sanctuary. It was a place where I didn’t have to worry about tails and magic, where I was never useless and never a disappointment to anyone who mattered. In fact, I?—

“I need to get to land,” I whispered the revelation. It was painfully obvious, a perfect and impossible solution for what I needed to do if the spell on my eyes broke.

On land, the sea wizard had easily passed for a human, hadn’t he?

I pictured him then, with his dark eyes and black suit. As long as he held back his magic, his eyes hadn’t turned white. If it were the same for sea witches, then keeping my eyes from turning white would be beyond easy for me. I didn’t even know how to use magic.

But how would I get there? That was the problem. The way things were now, Queen Sagari had me trapped, and I knew better than to think the sea wizard would help me escape. But there had to be someone or something. A way that I was overlooking.

Did Aracos have to follow the queen’s orders? Maybe he could?—

“Land, you say?” There was a deep, contemplative hum to Lady Desmona’s sudden question.

… Had I said it out loud?

Yes. Yes, I had. Like an idiot , I’d openly announced my plan.

An expression passed over the sea wizard’s features as soon as our eyes met, a sharp and fleeting crack in his demeanor that he quickly smoothed back into an unblemished mask.

My heart raced with the question of what emotion it had been. Disappointment? Hurt?

Maybe he knew that if I tried to escape, the queen would expect him to react. Maybe he knew he’d have to be the one to stop me. Maybe he didn’t want me to lea?—

“So, you wish to keep hiding what you are, do you?” Lady Desmona scoffed as though the idea was absurd. “Do you know what they call a sea witch on land?”

I wasn’t in the mood for riddles, but Lady Desmona had the eager look of someone with something important to share.

I swallowed. Hard. “Human, I suppose?”

She shook her head, and I glimpsed the dull, squared nubs of her teeth as her lips curled with the words, “A witch.”

A… witch?

Pointy hats and broomsticks flashed to mind, but I was sure that wasn’t what Lady Desmona meant. She meant something much darker, like the witches I’d read about in history class, the ones who’d been tried and burned at the stake or drowned for using witchcraft. “But that’s not true, is it? It’s just something humans say when they see your magic?”

“As suspected.” The way the hermit crab in her face started bouncing its eyes back and forth between me and the sea wizard made me queasy. “He hasn’t told you the history of our kind, has he? The story of how we first came to be?”

I turned to the sea wizard, but his face was ghostly white, a blank sheet of parchment impossible to read. Typical.

He hadn’t told me much of anything, really, other than what I was, what the queen wanted from me, and his plan to keep my true nature a secret. Honestly, he owed me a list of explanations I had yet to receive.

Damn , I really needed to nag him more about how he was able to separate from his trident.

“ Well? ” Lady Desmona pressed.

“No,” he answered with a tense grind of his teeth, even though he hadn’t been the one she’d asked. “I’m afraid I haven’t.”

She tilted her head at him, a sly, knowing smirk emerging. “Hmm… I suppose you wouldn’t have wanted to, would you?”

The sea wizard’s lips twitched, catching on a scowl before he turned his gaze away from us. “I’m hazy on the details,” he said, although it sounded more like an excuse than an honest admission. “Fortunately for us, my lady, you are a much more adept storyteller than I am.”

“Ah, well, I cannot argue with you there.” With that, Lady Desmona hunkered down. Her hermit crab children scattered, moving purposefully around her to avoid her landing. When she had settled herself more comfortably in the sand, she let out a soft sigh, her voice taking on a gentler tone as she began. “The story of our kind starts with Poseidon, with whom I’m sure you’re already familiar.” She paused, raising her sparse eyebrows expectantly.

“Poseidon? Yes, I’ve heard of him,” I said with a nod, urging her to continue.

“Good, good,” she remarked, her eyebrows still raised. “And what do you think of him?”

“Uh…” That I use his name in vain a lot?

The sea wizard’s gaze swung back to me, his intense eyes waiting for my response.

“W-well, I used to think he was a lousy gift giver back when I thought I was a mermaid,” I muttered, shrugging. What did it matter what I thought of Poseidon? It wasn’t like I’d ever meet him. “Honestly, I don’t know what to think of him.”

The sea wizard nodded slowly, as though my uncomfortable non-answer had somehow aligned with his expectations.

Lady Desmona seemed to take great pleasure in my unease. She let out a loud cackle before continuing, “Poseidon, the mighty god of the sea, was known for his fierce temper and destructive rage. He was a force that none could tame, so it was quite unexpected when he fell deeply in love with a gentle woman who was born of the land and possessed a powerful magic.”

She held up a finger to punctuate her point, adding, “A witch.”

So, a magical sea god had fallen in love with a magical land witch. That seemed plausible enough, but why did the sea wizard’s body language suddenly seem so intensely averse to the idea?

“But the witch did not return his love; she even resented it. Of course, Poseidon was not a god who would accept rejection. He became obsessed with watching her from afar, determined to make her his own and to bring her into the sea, no matter the cost.”

Lady Desmona’s smile began to fall. “And it cost her dearly. Poseidon deceived her, luring her into the sea with the promise of her heart’s deepest desire. He’d planned to use his powers to turn her into one of his followers, but upon entering the water and realizing his deception, she used her own powers to transform herself in a moment of despair.”

While she spoke, I couldn’t help but gaze at my tail and the curious hermit crabs that had gathered around it. How great it would be to transform yourself with your own power, not having to rely on the magic of another.

“Dark, sprawling tentacles. A witch’s striking white eyes. Before him, Poseidon beheld a sight unlike anything he had ever seen. And instead of being repulsed by the witch’s transformation, he saw the beauty in a creature that he himself had not created and made her his queen. That is, until his successors were born, and he discovered that, occasionally, this new form carried over to their offspring. Thus, the first cecaelia emerged,” she said, but instead of pride, there was sorrow in her voice.

“He allowed it to continue for a time, out of his love and obsession with his queen. But as the cecaelia grew in numbers, paranoia began to consume him. He was a god who was slowly losing control over his kingdom. When his first daughter’s powers awakened, her eyes turning white like her mother’s, he couldn’t bear the thought of creatures in his ocean possessing powers beyond his control.”

I didn’t like where this was going, and I hated that I already had a good idea of what had happened next.

“As time passed, more and more of his daughters’ magic awakened. It seemed, much like witches passed on their powers through generations, so did sea witches.”

“Just the daughters?” I asked, glancing at the sea wizard, but he only shrugged.

“That’s right. Always a daughter,” Lady Desmona confirmed, dismissing the sea wizard as if he had no part in this origin story. “If you’re wondering about the boy, he doesn’t count.”

Ouch , okay. “Noted.” I gave the boy a sympathetic look, mouthing, “ Sorry, you don’t count .”

Rather than appearing upset by this truth, he let out a small chuckle, leaning in close. “There are certain… advantages to being the only one of my kind,” he murmured back, his dark-rimmed eyes gleaming with mischief.

“As I was saying!” Lady Desmona continued, diving right back into her story. “Even though they were the spawn of his beloved, Poseidon made a chilling decision. He would no longer allow magic in his kingdom that he could not control. And so, he did the unthinkable.”

I could feel my next intake of water thickening in my lungs as Lady Desmona’s deep, sorrowful expression settled.

“The unthinkable…” I echoed her words, and she nodded solemnly.

“But instead of taking action himself, he ordered his followers to enforce his will. He passed a law and bound every creature under his control to it, declaring that all sea witches must perish. And his queen, she never forgave him for it.”

A feeling of revulsion rose within me, stronger than I could have imagined for something that had happened so long ago. “I sure hope she never forgave him,” I ground out. “What a sorry excuse for a god.”

It was no surprise that Poseidon was terrible, but showing that much cruelty to his very own children? I couldn’t believe I’d prayed to him so much, always thanking him or asking for his help. Never again .

Beside me, the sea wizard’s expression was dark, his hands drawn into fists. “Horrible doesn’t begin to cover all that he’s done,” he said, his voice cold and detached. “He deserves to suffer for eternity, or perhaps something far worse.”

“And he did indeed suffer,” Lady Desmona broke in. “Sea witches are nothing if not resilient. The witch had long known Poseidon’s weakness, so what did she do? She deceived him like he had deceived her, turning his own desires against him. She offered him the one thing he had always wanted to take from her: her ability to walk on land. Thinking that it would finally keep her from abandoning him, Poseidon eagerly accepted the gift she presented—a trident crafted from the bones of her very own legs.”

A trident made of… leg bones. Now, that was a mental image I wouldn’t soon shake.

“However, she hadn’t just forged a trident. Using her other leg, she also crafted a crown. And, within these objects, she channeled all of her power, casting a spell that would allow her to control one with the other. And once Poseidon accepted the trident, just as she had sacrificed her ability to return to land, she made sure he suffered a similar fate.”

Lady Desmona’s smile returned, clearly excited about what came next. “Once she placed her crown, she commanded the great Poseidon, the mighty god of the sea, to tear out his tailbones, five in total. Forever severing him from not only the seas but also from the magic that those bones held within them.”

As I processed those gruesome details, I couldn’t help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction. That kind of cunning and sacrifice was both terrifying and undeniably badass.

I was so lost in that thought that the sea wizard’s voice took me by surprise. “I believe you’re familiar with the five bones he left behind.”

I frowned. “Why would I be familiar with?—?”

Then it hit me. “The tridents? The ones the merfolk have?” Err—had, in some cases.

“Indeed, and it’s said that the queen’s final act of power was to craft those bones into powerful weapons, each holding a different facet of Poseidon’s magic. She then distributed them among the five kingdoms that still exist today.”

I lifted an eyebrow, muttering, “I thought you were supposed to be hazy on the details.”

He answered my tease with a grin.

If that’s really what the tridents were, then wow . No wonder Leander’s trident was slowly killing him. He had literally stabbed himself with the bone of a god, and it was now stuck inside him.

“Exactly right,” Lady Desmona said, abruptly thumping square in the center of the sea wizard’s pale chest. “And you see this right here?”

My gaze snapped to the smooth expanse where his pectoral muscles converged, and I found myself biting my lower lip. “Um, yes.”

With a bang of smoke, the sea wizard’s tattoo bled away as he released his trident, the weapon taking shape in his hand.

Oh. Oh . She’d meant at the mark of his trident. Of course, she had.

“So, is that…?”

“Poseidon’s trident,” he answered gruffly, still holding the dark metal aloft. His gaze lingered on it, his knuckles tightening over the weapon like he wished he possessed the power to crush it. “A gift from his beloved, a curse meant to ensnare him. Indeed, it’s the very same.”

“And why…” I paused, swallowing thickly. “Why do you have it?”

My doubts from earlier resurfaced, but I didn’t want to think about it, especially now that I’d learned of some of the things Poseidon had done.

His voice cut through the water, sharper than a blade. “It was given to me. My part of a set.” Each word dripped with icy venom. “And believe me; your grandmother has eagerly used her half since the first moment she took me into her service. Not a day goes by where she doesn’t use it.”

Then, the crown my grandmother kept with her…

A weak “Oh” was all I could manage to say.

“And there you have it—the story of our origin.” Lady Desmona fixed her crab eye on me like she hoped to gain my attention. “This is the history you carry. The blood of a sea witch flows through you, girl, not the blood of one who turns her back on her nature. Do not be foolish. You possess an advantage that most do not. Sea witches are struck down when their magic first awakens, but you already have your magic. With it, you will simply strike down those who seek to harm you first.”

Strike down those who seek to harm me? That was one heck of a pep talk. There was just one problem.

“I can’t use magic,” I confessed, biting at my lower lip. “Plus, the sea wizard said I’d be in danger if my grandmother ever finds out I’m a sea witch.”

A laugh burst from Lady Desmona’s throat, causing the hermit crab in her head to rattle. “And what will that vile woman do? Glamour you? She’s not capable of any magic worth using.”

But she could use the sea wizard. I looked at him, and it was easy to tell he was thinking the same thing.

“And what’s this about you not being able to use magic?” Lady Desmona’s tentacles came up on either side of me, drawing her closer. “Nonsense! Your blood is ripe with—” Her hand reached out, grasping my arm, and then she fell silent.

“ Oh , I see,” she finally muttered quietly to herself.

“What do you see?” I asked, caught off guard by the strength of her grip.

She turned to face the sea wizard. “Her bones are weak.”

“My bones? I’ve never even broken one,” I shot back, but she paid me no mind.

“And without good bones to channel her magic…” She sighed, her voice heavy with disappointment. “Such a shame.”

There was that feeling again. Useless. A disappointment. Right as it burrowed deep, taking root in my chest, the sea wizard lifted Lady Desmona’s hand from my arm.

“What’s truly a shame, my lady, is that you underestimate her potential,” he said, placing his hand where hers had just been. “Strength cannot be determined by a measure of bones or blood. You never let yourself be defined by the limitations placed on you, even when others did. Just as you learned to survive and adapt, so will she.”

Lady Desmona looked thoroughly taken aback by his boldness.

“What sentimental drivel,” she scoffed, turning up her nose. “Very well. There might still be a way. Perhaps a familiar could help her. But I warn you, it may be difficult.”

A certain slither puppy immediately came to mind. “Aracos?”

“A familiar of your own, girl, not his!” She sighed, still half in thought. “Yes. A familiar should do nicely to help you draw out your magic, if you can manage to find one. Given these bones, I wonder if a familiar siphoning it to the surface might be all that you need. Of course, the goal would be to learn to channel it for yourself…”

“A familiar,” the sea wizard muttered, smoothing back his hair. He looked genuinely surprised he hadn’t thought of it first.

My gaze fell to my arm, where he still held me just above the wrist. It felt dangerously close to holding hands.

“I don’t know much about familiars,” I said softly.

“You’re in luck,” the sea wizard said, that smoky voice curling around the words. His fingers trailed, slipping down my wrist, coming into contact with the top of my hand. Dangerous . “I happen to be quite knowledgeable about?—”

“This has been bothering me since you arrived,” Lady Desmona called out, completely cutting him off. “You said Princess Leylani was your mother, girl?”

Well, I hadn’t said it. “That’s what they tell me,” I muttered back.

While the sea wizard had me distracted, Lady Desmona had returned to her piles and was now lifting the beautifully terrifying coral spell she’d tried to curse me with earlier.

“Hmm.” She conjured a scroll out of nothing, the color of spilled tea. While her thin hands worked to unravel it, the dark scratchings of a list of signatures came into view. “Leylani, Leylani,” she mumbled, working down the strip of parchment. The list seemed never-ending. “Ah! Here we are.”

Well? Was she going to tell us what the scroll said?

Instead, she kept mumbling. “Oh, I see . How interesting .” Without warning, she snapped the scroll back up, letting it disappear with a wispy pop of dark magic.

When she drifted back over, it was clear she wasn’t going to volunteer to share what she found so intriguing.

“Well?” I prompted, wondering what my mother had to do with any of this.

“To think my memory has gotten so poor that I’d almost forgotten the princess had bought one of my fertility spells.” Lady Desmona sighed. “As I said, it’s one of my most potent and popular spells.”

I stared at her, unsure of what to say. My mother had… intentionally tried to conceive? Like, on purpose? And she’d purchased a spell from a sea witch in order to make it happen?

It was surprising, really, considering how little she’d cared about me after she had me.

Then again, maybe she’d wanted a child but just hadn’t wanted her to be a sea witch. Perhaps that was how I ended up with Papa. Ironic, really, because he hadn’t wanted a daughter like me, either.

“Although, if my memory serves, there was something peculiar about her request. She asked me to disguise it. Transform it into something she could keep near without being noticed.” Lady Desmona scratched at the point of her chin in thought. “Bah! I can’t remember what it was.”

A vision of intricate coral arms adorned with pearls filled my mind, prompting a chill to run through me. “Was it a hairpin?”

“A hairpin?” She didn’t look convinced. “It’s possible, I suppose.”

I was almost relieved that she didn’t seem certain. “I hope not,” I said, shivering more at the thought. “I used to wear her hairpin when I was younger.”

If that hairpin had actually been a fertility spell—then, yikes.

“That wouldn’t be a problem. My spells are only effective for one conception,” she said, gesturing to her overflowing piles of supplies around us. “A little twist I added to the magic to ensure repeat business. You don’t get to be my age without growing wise to the market.”

That was slightly better. Maybe. But still unsettling.

The sea wizard raised an eyebrow at me, his gaze intent. “Well, princess, what do you think?”

I shuddered involuntarily. “I think I need to stop thinking about how my parents conceived me.”

He chuckled, and there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. “About finding a familiar, I mean. Unless you’re not interested in learning magic?”

“I do want to learn magic,” I replied, sounding somewhat breathless. “If you think there’s a way I can learn, I’d like to try.”

His grin grew broader, his arms sweeping around me, lifting me up. “Excellent. Just what I was hoping to hear.”

“Leaving already?” Lady Desmona hoisted the sack of skulls from the sand, offering it to either of us. “Don’t you dare forget to take these,” she warned.

The sea wizard gladly accepted the sack, his demeanor almost unnaturally upbeat. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving without them.”