Page 21

21

Claira

I tapped the end of my pen against my lip, pondering over the first line I’d translated from the letter the sea wizard had given me. “Where whispers dance with darkness... darkness... blah .”

It had been a productive morning, but the meaning of the last glyph still eluded me. The sea wizard had been right—his letter had piqued my curiosity.

But curious enough to beg for his help? Ha. He wished.

No, there would be no begging from me. I planned on translating this all on my own.

Rubbing the morning fatigue from my eyes, I skimmed down to the bottom line, focusing on the section that had been the easiest to decipher. “What do you… something ... when you call, and call, and call?” It seemed to be a question. A riddle, obviously. But what it was asking, I still wasn’t sure.

Still, it was progress. Not that I had a lot of time to myself to work through it. And with someone else’s thoughts now sharing space in my head, my free time felt even more scarce. Even sleeping last night had been difficult. Cyre’s mind rarely slowed down. Apparently, sharks only slept in short bursts.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath of salt water, trying to tune out Cyre’s stream of thoughts.

It was a constant buzz, like the hum of the television after school when Gram used to watch her soap operas—her ‘stories,’ as she called them—while I concentrated on my schoolwork. Distracting, yes, but also comforting. It was nice to know Cyre was still there and well, even if it made translating these glyphs more difficult.

I felt my lips crack into a smile. It was hard to believe I had a familiar of my own. Even now, I could feel him drawing on my magic.

My magic. Now, that was even harder to believe.

I never thought I had magic, but now I could feel it streaming through me as Cyre drew it out from my bones, the sensation tingling from the top of my scalp to the frilled end of my phony tail. Sometimes, I thought I could see its dark haze rising off my arms, swept away to where Cyre hid near the mouth of the Undersea.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t need to stay there for long.

I put down my pen to rest my hand on the smooth scales below my hip, where Cyre’s tooth connected us. It was clear to me now that he’d chosen me from the very beginning, but maybe… maybe that wasn’t it. Perhaps we’d chosen each other that night that he’d dragged me down into the water.

Now that both of us possessed a piece of the other, it felt like we were two halves of one whole, sharing both thoughts and magic.

No wonder Aracos knew how to read and perform magic of his own. Maybe, with time, Cyre would learn from me as well.

The sharp sound of metal scraping stone met my ears, startling me out of my thoughts. I whirled around to see Hari’s back covering my entryway, tense and alert, the wedge of her pike pressed against the sea wizard’s neck.

My insides twisted. Holy crap!

Two tentacles saved him—barely. They curled over the blade’s edge, a mist of blood permeating the water as he pulled his neck away from the weapon with a scowl.

“Hari!” My heart raced as I dragged myself from the hard surface of my desk, panicking and gasping. “What are you doing?”

I could feel Cyre’s attention shift to my mind, alerted by my sudden distress.

“My job,” she growled back, leaning into her weapon. “This filthy puppet snuck up on me. It’s my duty to guard this chamber.”

The sea wizard’s white eyes flared. He maintained his composure, his lips tight as he forced out, “My apologies.” His gaze flicked to me as he added cordially, “Princess.”

My initial shock quickly turned to anger. “Stand down,” I demanded, unsure of how to properly command a knight. This happened every time. Why couldn’t she just let him enter without causing a scene?

Hari’s shoulders tensed as she scoffed at my command, but her grip on her pike loosened. A second later, she reluctantly lowered it from the sea wizard’s neck.

His tentacles slid from the blade’s edge as he straightened, every inch of him calm and controlled.

“Can’t you see you’ve hurt him?” I brushed past her, my tail scraping over the uneven floor of my chamber as I dragged myself right to him. I reached out to inspect his tentacles, and he didn’t resist. “She nearly severed them,” I whispered, horrified.

He hid the pain behind a thin-lipped smile. “Good morning, princess.”

“Well, it was a good morning,” I snapped, turning back to Hari. “There was no need for that. I already told you he’s welcome here.”

She didn’t look the least bit remorseful. There was nothing short of cruelty in her voice as she answered, “ Bah! He can afford to lose a couple of strings.”

Filthy puppet, she’d called him. She didn’t see him as an individual, someone who could feel and bleed. To her, he was just a mindless tool for the queen.

I was at a loss. My mouth hung open, giving ample time for my anger to build. “You’re dismissed.”

Hari’s eyebrows snapped together. Finally, a hint of remorse.

“Dismissed?” She cocked her pike over her shoulder, her knuckles turning white around the shaft. “My lady, you don’t mean?—”

“You heard me,” I said, my voice firmer still. “Leave this chamber. Right now. You are free to return tomorrow, but for today, you are no longer needed.”

Hari’s expression shifted, her eyes darkening as if recognizing that her pride as a knight had been challenged. “I see.” She cast one last look at the sea wizard before locking her pike on her shoulder and striding out of my chamber.

I was so upset with her that I barely registered the sea wizard’s smoky voice. “Do you think that was wise?”

I brushed off his question and focused on his injuries, gently examining his tentacles for the cuts I’d seen earlier. To my surprise, they were nowhere to be found. “I could have sworn...”

His eyes held a hint of amusement as he watched me. “It’s almost like magic,” he joked when I finally looked back up at him for an answer.

… Oh.

I let go of him, rolling my eyes to hide my embarrassment. Stupid, Claira . I should have known he would heal them.

Smirking at my flustered reaction, the sea wizard curled the two tentacles neatly beneath him with the others. “No harm done. But your concern for me is truly touching.”

How he could speak so lightheartedly at a time like this was beyond me. Maybe it was as simple as he was used to this sort of treatment.

I fixed my gaze on him with a frown, my neck straining as I looked up. “Someone has to be concerned for you,” I retorted. “You’re not invincible, wizard, despite what you might think.”

The sea wizard’s eyes flickered with something unreadable before a sly smile graced his lips. “Perhaps not invincible, but certainly not one to be underestimated. I would have dealt with her, given the time, but not as impressively as you just did.”

I raised an eyebrow at his comment, trying not to let myself get distracted by his charm. “What’s your deal today? You seem to be in an oddly good mood for someone who just bled all over my chamber.”

The sea wizard chuckled at my bluntness. “Well, princess, I wouldn’t want to dampen your spirits on your first day of learning to use your magic.”

“ Shhhh! ” As excited as I was to even have magic, my heart nearly leaped into my throat at his mention of it. I swung around to my entryway to make sure Hari wasn’t within earshot. Thank Poseidon— no, wait— thank goodness, instead. After finding out what a bastard Poseidon was, I was officially done thanking him. “You know what will happen if anyone finds out what I am.”

The sea wizard’s tentacles shifted across the stone floor, two of them sliding underneath me. “So little faith in me,” he murmured as they rose, supporting me with ease. “Aracos is watching the hallway, but he can’t stay here indefinitely.”

His expression suddenly turned serious, and he perched a hand on his chin. “This presents quite the predicament. I can’t very well leave you here unguarded after our lesson, can I?”

“I’ll be fine for one day.” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. It was simple—I just wouldn’t sleep until Hari returned in the morning. “I know you recommended her, but I need to trust that she’ll listen to me. She’s especially crabby today because I ate more than my usual share of the breakfast feast. I couldn’t help it. As soon as I saw all the fish, Cyre took notice, and he sent these hunger pang signals into my brain that made me so hungry I?—”

Great, now I was rambling.

Clearing my throat, I tried to rein it in. “I know Hari cares, but she needs to understand that I have boundaries. I’ve already told her to let you in, but she still tries to hurt you every time you visit.”

And if she keeps hurting you, I added, just to myself, you might not want to visit me anymore.

He stared at me intently, looking somewhat amused by my outburst. “And I am one of your boundaries?” With a slow, charming smile, he leaned in. “I’m flattered.”

I sighed, avoiding his gaze. Of course, that was what he picked up on. “I suppose you are,” I admitted grudgingly, my face growing warm. “But Hari doesn’t understand why you’re a boundary. She doesn’t know what I am, why you’re helping me—that we’re the same.”

He simply nodded, and with his silence, I could feel my cheeks heat up even more.

“Can we just get to the lesson?”

“Of course,” he replied with a chuckle. “My dear student, always so eager for a lesson.”

“Just how much blood did you lose?” I muttered a mere second before our surroundings bled away, and we teleported.

The familiar sight of the tomes and scrolls lining his chamber greeted me as we materialized. So, this was where our lessons would take place. At least we wouldn’t have to worry about being disturbed.

He positioned me next to his bed before leaning against it himself, settling down on the floor to meet me at eye level.

Cozy.

“Today’s lesson will focus on feeling out your magic,” he began, immediately sparking my interest. “How to let your intention guide how your magic manifests from within you.”

“And is this where you practice feeling out your magic?” I couldn’t help but tease, gesturing around us. “Here on your bedroom floor?”

His top lip hitched mid-thought. “Perhaps,” he replied cryptically, his expression turning from a serious teacher’s to something else entirely. “It seems I’m not the only one in an oddly good mood,” he muttered. “I can tell you’re ready to begin. Let’s start with a simple exercise.”

He extended his arms toward me, exposing the flat of his palms. “Your turn, princess.”

I attempted to ignore the fluttering nerves in my stomach as I mirrored his gesture. He guided my palms to flip, placing my hands gently on top of his.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed softly.

“This again,” I murmured, remembering how he’d directed me to close my eyes back in the Atlantic when we were searching for Cyre. Still, I closed them, focusing on the width of his hands beneath my palms. His touch was steady, reassuring. “Will all of these sessions require me to keep my eyes shut?”

He chuckled, a sound that seemed to resonate through our linked hands. “It’s to help you focus on your magic. Now,” he continued, his voice dropping to a calming whisper, “I want you to imagine that the magic inside you is a pool of water. Until now, your magic has been calm and still. But you can feel it, can’t you? Now that you’ve linked with your familiar, he’s drawing it out, feeding on it, and amplifying your awareness of the magic you possess.”

“Yes,” I breathed out. I had to admit, there was a difference in the way I felt my magic now. Namely, that I felt it at all. It was like a current flowing beneath my skin and my scales, icy and alert. “I think I’ve seen it, too. A dark, hazy mist rising out of me. It feels… alive.”

“You’ve already seen it?” His grip underneath my palms tightened ever so slightly. “Excellent. That’s the first step. Now, I want you to imagine you can move that mist—your magic—into a shield in front of and all around you. One that would protect you from being seen. That is your intention .”

“So, we’re really starting with invisibility,” I said, a pang of excitement growing inside me. It wasn’t a skill I ever imagined needing, but if I could perfect it and teach it to Cyre, it would mean he could visit me in the Undersea.

The sea wizard’s hands slipped out from under mine then, and I instinctively reached out to grab them back. He gently eased away again, his voice filled with reassurance. “You don’t want anyone, even me, to see you, princess. If we keep touching, I won’t know if you’ve succeeded.”

Keeping my eyes shut, I tilted my head. “And what, then, was the point of us holding hands?”

“I thought it might be more difficult for you to become aware of your magic,” he answered smoothly. “It seems I was wrong.” There was a note of pride there that made me blush.

I straightened upright, balancing on the dead weight of my tail as I felt for the magic Cyre was drawing out of me. “Do you think any of the magic gets lost on its way to him?” I asked. It was hard to imagine that he needed so much of it, but then again, maybe he did.

The mouth of the Undersea was far, far deeper than his kind was used to, but the sea wizard had assured me that my magic would make him strong enough to survive its depths. Now that we were connected, he was like a super-shark—or something. The fish living all the way down here probably didn’t know what to think of him.

“I try not to think about what happens to all the magic Aracos siphons out of me,” he said, amusement evident in his voice. “Are you ready to begin?”

“Y-yes.” Okay, Claira, now isn’t the time to get nervous. I wasn’t the same ex-never-really-a-mermaid I used to be. I had my magic now. I’d seen it.

A shield. I needed to create a shield.

I immediately thought of Barren—of his proud chest and the safety I felt whenever his arm was around me. Something like that. I mentally reached for the magic leaving my bones and willed the dark mist to rise, envisioning it moving as it formed a protective barrier around me.

“Magnificent.” I sensed the water in front of me shift as the sea wizard left the side of his bed, drawing closer. “Indeed, you catch on quickly. Now, focus on staying hidden. That is your intention . You don’t want anyone to see you. No one.”

As I concentrated on the mental image of a protective shield forming in front of me, hiding me from the Undersea, my magic must have responded because the sudden, husky dip in the sea wizard’s voice took me by surprise.

“I always knew you would be powerful.”

Powerful? I opened my eyes to the very same dark barrier of mist I’d just imagined, blurring my vision beyond it. The water hummed with energy. Magic . Through it, only faint ripples of my surroundings were visible, making the sea wizard and his chamber appear like a mirage forming around me.

Had I really done this? Was this really my magic and not his?

“Do you… see me?”

“Not with my eyes,” the sea wizard murmured. “I can still sense your presence, but that’s only because I—” He paused. “—Because of the incident with Aracos and your blood.”

“I’m invisible?” I reached out, touching the misty shield I’d managed to create. On my first try, even. “But I think I messed it up. I can hardly see anything through the magic.” I squinted, trying to make out his expression. No luck. “Everything looks foggy. Like I’m trapped behind a dark cloud.”

“Ah, yes. That’s to be expected,” he assured, his blurry silhouette edging a circle around me. “An invisibility spell does have its drawbacks. The magic may cloud your vision, but that’s a small price to pay for the advantage it offers in situations where going unseen would be beneficial.”

It would be useful, especially for sneaking Cyre into the Undersea. I hoped he was paying close attention right now.

“Cyre,” I called out with my mind, and he immediately sent a reassuring wave of emotion in return. More hunger pangs. Great, like I hadn’t already gorged myself on enough fish this morning. “I hope you’re watching this.”

“Watching. MAGIC.” Just hearing his voice brought a profound calm, soothing my soul. It was like he was always meant to be a part of me.

“Good.” Maybe he would catch on as quickly as I had.

“Princess?” The sea wizard’s smoky voice broke my concentration.

“Yes?” I replied, eager to continue our lesson.

“Do you think you’re ready to try moving?”

Moving? Right, yes. That did seem like the next logical step. “Um.” I poked at the magic shield. It felt thick and icy, and I had no idea how I could possibly move it. “Maybe. Do you have any advice for me?”

Like a shadow, he drew back to his bedside and leaned against it, only his white eyes piercing through the fog I’d created. “You keep impressing me. I’m curious to see if you can figure out how to keep the spell intact while moving on your own.”

“Gee, thanks,” I muttered. Some teacher he was, but I wasn’t about to let his lack of guidance deter me.

Holding on to the soul-soothing calmness Cyre had provided, I gave a mental push. I focused on the shield surrounding me, imagining the mist was still a part of me. Like a veil I could wear or a protective layer I could carry around.

Yeah, that might work.

There weren’t many places to go that weren’t already occupied by bookshelves. So, without ceremony, I dragged myself across the sea wizard’s chamber. My cheek was the first to smash against the magic, an icy bite that reached my molars.

“Dammit.” It’s a cloak. A veil, I reminded myself. If I can hoist nets full of fish, I can move some magical mist!

“MOVE,” Cyre chimed in.

At least I knew I had his attention.

“Thanks for the help, buddy.” I winced and pushed against the cold wall of magic again, and to my surprise, it yielded this time, stretching and warping to accommodate my movement.

Yes! Okay, that wasn’t so hard. I kept moving.

Sure, I couldn’t really see where I was going, and it required a bit more effort than I was used to, but moving while invisible wasn’t terrible. It might even be easy one day if I had my legs to work with instead of this useless tail.

I squinted at the wall of shelves, clawing my way over to them, when I heard the sea wizard’s low voice behind me.

“Impressive indeed,” he praised, and it was enough to make me pause. Despite the cold mist of magic surrounding me, a warm feeling bloomed deep in my chest. “Well done, princess. I believe you will be quite formidable.”

The sea wizard’s approval meant more to me than I cared to admit.

“I had no idea hiding could make someone formidable,” I replied, trying to mask how satisfied I was to hear his praise.

“This spell is only the beginning,” he promised, and I almost hated how much I wanted to believe him. “Now, let’s see if you can break it.”

“Break it?” How the heck was I going to do that? Although he couldn’t see me, I narrowed my eyes in his direction. “And I suppose you’re not going to offer any help this time, either?”

The sea wizard just chuckled. Of course. He was enjoying this far too much.

Fine. Fine . If he wanted to make it challenging, then I was ready to rise to the occasion. I focused on the spell, then called out to Cyre with my mind. “Any ideas?”

“brEAK.”

Yep. Helpful. But I liked his spirit.

I’d been wondering what happened to magic once a spell was broken. Would it dissipate, returning to its caster or perhaps to the universe? I really didn’t know, but I was willing to find out.

I squeezed my eyes shut and visualized the veil parting, the magic pulling apart.

This time, nothing happened. More seconds passed. Nothing.

“Wizard—”

“Calm down,” he instructed, and seriously? Did he not know how women worked? Telling me to calm down was a guaranteed way to make sure I wouldn’t.

Frustrated, I let my magic rise. I felt it slither through my blood and seep out of my pores. Break, dammit! I pushed with all my might, directing all of my energy the same way Hari wielded her pike, forcing it into the shield enclosing me. brEAK .

My eyes snapped open just as my magic burst outward, colliding with the mist. The shield shuddered, fizzling and vibrating under the force of the power I’d summoned, and I reveled in the sensation, intoxicated by the raw strength coursing through me.

Yes . This was the power I’d always wanted.

Then the invisibility spell gave way, like a sheet of glass cracking under pressure. Spiderweb cracks erupted across its surface, demolishing every last speck of the magic holding it together. I didn’t feel it return to me. No, it was very much gone, as if the spell had never existed.

The chamber came back into focus as I hunched forward, panting from the effort. When I finally looked up, the sea wizard’s eyes were wide with surprise.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

“I did not mean that literally,” he said finally, his expression a mix of disbelief and something more. “I meant for you to carefully unweave the spell surrounding you. Not to shatter it into pieces.”

His gaze lingered, sweeping down the length of me and up again. Power still thrummed through my body, and I could see the same raw energy reflected in his eyes, a silent acknowledgment of what I’d just unleashed.

I straightened up, trying to calm myself before speaking. “Then you should have said that.” There was a touch of defiance in my voice. “Instead, you wanted me to figure it out. Well, I figured it out.”

And wow , it felt amazing. The rush of adrenaline combined with the raw power of my magic. Sure, I hadn’t done it the way he’d expected, but I’d done it. It was a win in my book.

“Indeed, you did,” he mused. He rose from the floor, his tentacles rolling in behind him as he approached me. “Maybe you don’t need me to break your curse, after all,” he said, a smirk slanting his lips as he extended a hand. “Perhaps you can do it all on your own.”

“Break my curse?” I shook my head, dismissing the idea before it could take root in my mind. “There’s no way I’d ever aim that much magic at my tail.” My face scrunched as I accepted his hand. “I’d blow my lower half right off of me if I tried. I hope that’s not how you’re planning to try to break it.”

He gave me a smile I couldn’t quite read. “Oh, definitely not. Unweaving spells is a delicate process. It’s something you’ll need to work on, but it will have to wait for another lesson. Aracos just reminded me I’m needed elsewhere.”

Oh, so that was why he’d taken my hand.

A frown formed on my lips. He was going to take me back to my chamber already. “I see. Well, I appreciate the lesson. I think I learned a lot.”

He nodded, one of his tentacles gently wrapping around me, teasing the back of my waist with its slender end. “Would you like to come with me?” he asked, curving an eyebrow in a way that made my heart rate pick up just a little faster.

“All right,” I found myself saying, almost without thought. There was something about the way he was looking at me, a silent hope urging me to accept.

Although my answer seemed to please him, there was a subtle heaviness in his voice as he said, “Excellent.” A sensation even more intoxicating than magic coursed through me as his tentacle grazed along my spine, sending tingles shooting down my tail.

“And where is it that you’re needed?” My voice was barely holding steady.

He swept his hair back, tidying it with a quick motion. “In my office.”

“But I—” I glanced around. “Isn’t this chamber also your office?”

“On land,” he clarified, and every part of me grew rigid.

“Land? You don’t mean… the Isle of Lahkri?”

“Yes, that island,” he casually confirmed. Barren’s island. “I believe you only had the pleasure of seeing the queen’s office last time, but I have an office there as well.”

I couldn’t believe what he was offering.

The thought of leaving the Undersea and stepping foot on land again—and not just any land, but one so close to Barren, Leander, and Kai…

“Let’s go,” I said, and the sea wizard’s pale lips broadened into a somewhat hollow smile.

“All right.” His tentacles cinched around me, drawing me in for teleportation. “It might be wise to close your eyes before we get there. It will take time for them to adjust.”

“Good thinking.” Grateful for the reminder, I closed my eyes yet again and braced myself. When we didn’t move, I peeked up at him, only to find him already looking down at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, and he seemed to snap out of a daze.

“Ah, I—” His throat bobbed. “I wanted to ask your permission to heal your headache if necessary. It’s a long way back to land.”

“You remembered,” I murmured with a smirk, oddly touched by his consideration. “Yes, thank you for asking this time.”

He gave a tender nod. “Of course.”

As soon as I closed my eyes again, I felt the familiar sensation of being teleported away.