Page 13

13

Claira

I wasn’t ready to leave. Not yet. But as Gram left to run her errands, I knew this would be our best chance to slip away. After all, how would we explain to Gram why we needed to leave in Dad’s boat? What would she say when we didn’t return on the boat later in the day?

It was best for us to go out while she was gone.

Not answering questions about our upcoming journey was in everyone’s best interest, even if leaving without saying goodbye to Gram wasn’t ideal. It definitely wasn’t something human Claira would do. But for now, it seemed I was stuck trying to pretend I was a mermaid. A mostly useless mermaid, armed with night vision and a magical seashell stuffed in my backpack that I was pretty sure was a switchblade, but a mermaid, nonetheless.

And mermaids were good at leaving their loved ones behind, weren’t they?

Why, then, was this so hard for me?

My heart ached for me to stay, but at least I’d spent time with Gram over breakfast. The hug we shared before she left for her errands would have to last me until I could come back home. Which would hopefully be soon.

Dive down into the sea, pass through the magical portal, grab the Indian Ocean’s trident, and have Barren return to his kingdom as a hero. Totally easy and doable, right?

Yeah—nothing was ever that easy, not for me, but the others didn’t seem to share my worries.

Kai followed me eagerly down the pier, his hands constantly moving like he could hardly contain his anticipation for the trip. “I can’t believe we’re going by boat!”

“First time?” I asked, and he responded with a vigorous nod. “Well, I hate to admit it, but I’m kind of glad Dad agreed to take us.” I drew in a heavy breath of the salty air, tinged with the musky smell of the pier underfoot. “I’ve missed this.”

Leander brushed past Kai, wedging between us. His arms folded over his chest as he chuckled. “We were just in the ocean, beautiful.”

“This is different. It’s like home to me.” Nose scrunching, I frowned at him. “This is my ocean, my shore, my boat.”

“We’ve been together on a few boats now, haven’t we?” He gave me a smoldering look that brought me right back to our first kiss. Leander’s body, chest heaving and tail dripping with salt water, pinning me to the deck of the boat back at the warehouse.

“A few,” I said, biting back my real retort. Dad was already aboard, and he didn’t need to hear me teasing Leander about how his naked ass and sea cucumber looked the last time he was on this boat.

Hopping off the pier, I landed on Lady Ochre’s deck and gave Dad a wave. Leander jumped next, his feet hitting the deck as lightly as if he were a feather, not even a single strand of his hair moving out of place. Show off. His grin turned teasing, like maybe he knew I was currently visualizing his sea cucumber, and I rolled my eyes.

Barren didn’t bother jumping. The distance between the pier and the boat was barely more than a normal pace for him. His knee hardly lifted when he stepped over the rail and onto the boat.

Dad was busy stowing away his gear, so I turned to assist Kai onto the boat, only to be greeted by his back.

“Come on, pretty girl.” He was hunched over Laverne, his voice bright and full of enthusiasm. “You can make it. You just have to try!”

Laverne’s moon eyes rounded, going so big and glossy that I could see the whole boat in their reflection. She made a soft whimper, then another one after Kai straightened up to scratch at the back of his neck.

“I, uh… Sure thing, I guess.” He stretched out his back, then massaged the area near the bottom of his spine like it still hurt him. He leaned in like he was going to pick her up, and I almost tumbled over the railing to grab hold of his shoulder.

“Wait—what are you doing? You can’t pick her up.” I pulled him back, ignoring Laverne’s shocked gasp. “You’re still recovering.” Laverne’s helpless facade cracked as soon as Kai’s back was turned. She bared her teeth, her fury radiating without a sound.

“Laverne wouldn’t have asked for my help if she could have made the jump by herself,” Kai said, speaking so gently, with such understanding, that it made my heart hurt.

Uh-huh. Like I was going to believe that.

“Trust me,” I deadpanned, barely restraining my annoyance with Laverne. “She can flop right into this boat.” I shot a glare at her that she returned with a hot snort.

“Don’t worry about me, Claira.” Kai moved my hand off his shoulder and drew a finger up to his lips. “Laverne is afraid of heights,” he mouthed, and I looked down to watch the water ripple and foam as it filled the gap between the boat and the pier.

Yeah, she could totally make that.

“Trust me, she’ll be okay.” I didn’t want to see him in pain just because Laverne liked having his attention. Determined, I reached a hand back out to Kai, beckoning him into the boat with me. “She was flying through waves three times this high this morn?—”

I felt the warmth of Barren’s body pass me as he went to grab Laverne from the pier. Laverne’s eyes bulged in surprise when he scooped her up with his massive arm without warning. Her long snout fell agape as he stepped back into the boat, rocking it slightly with his weight.

“Oh, oh!” Kai clapped his hands, ignoring my offer to help him on deck. He sprung up on his toes as Barren crouched down, gently releasing Laverne on deck. “Thanks for helping, Barren. Me next?”

Barren must not have been interested in entertaining him. As soon as Laverne was safely out of his arm, he was up again, making his way over to the nautical charts Dad had brought on board.

“I think he’s more worried about showing Dad the way to the portal.” Clearing my throat, I offered him my extended arms again. “Guess you’ll have to settle for me.”

Wow—that was corny. Like something Leander would say to me. So smooth, Claira . And yet, my cheeks flushed as if I’d asked for something far more than a hand on deck. I leaned in, propping a boot against the railing to ready myself, only to be interrupted by Leander just as Kai’s hands were about to touch mine.

“Shall I pick you up and carry you?” Leander bared his teeth at Kai in a fearsome display, just as Laverne had done to me moments before.

“Uh—” For half a second, the smile faded from Kai’s face, as if he was mulling over the offer. “Sure, I guess?” He spread his arms out to Leander, grinning bashfully.

Leander’s shoulders rolled as he sighed heavily. “Get the fuck in the boat.” He grabbed Kai’s shoulder and yanked him over the rail before I could stop him.

“Ow, ow—!” Kai landed, spinning on one foot.

“You call yourself a merman,” Leander spat out, steadying Kai back on his feet now that he was on deck. He leaned in, talking in a low voice that made it obvious he hadn’t wanted me to hear. “She thinks you’re a fucking warrior. Start acting like one.”

A heavy sigh came from where Dad and Barren were standing at the helm. “Let them flirt, Leander.” Barren’s words hit like a blow, sending a wave of embarrassment crashing into me.

“W-we weren’t—” My tongue twisted, knotting over itself as I tried to deny it.

Okay, maybe I was flirting. Or trying to, at least. Right in front of everyone. My dad, too. Ugh. What was wrong with me?

Thank goodness Gram wasn’t here. I wasn’t sure what she’d think. Especially since she seemed convinced Barren was the reason for my perpetual blush and constant stuttering over my words whenever I started talking about how we were all friends .

My eyes lingered on Barren, and my heart thumped faster. Even though he wasn’t looking at me, my heart wrenched and fluttered like it might give out any second. He didn’t care if I flirted with Kai, did he? If he did, it didn’t show. Unlike Leander, who was never shy in showing his dislike for Kai.

His arm glided over the map, a pencil in hand, likely showing Dad the best spot to drop us off.

Why did the thought of him not caring… disappoint me?

Wow, Claira . I gave my face a brisk slap. Way to be terrible. You want Barren to be jealous? Time to get over yourself.

But if I saw he was jealous, then maybe I’d know if deep down he actually?—

Kai’s sudden gasp interrupted my thoughts. “Oh, hey, man!” He shaded his eyes with a hand while gazing up at the shore. “What about the car?”

That… was a good point. I’d completely forgotten about the car. This was a problem. “It’s a rental, right?” I bit at my lip, contemplating what to do. It was sitting up on the hill, parked next to the house. “I’m pretty sure Gram will notice when we’re gone but the car’s not.”

When I glanced back at Barren, he shrugged, too absorbed in the charts to lift his head. “Someone will be by to collect it within the hour.” He flashed us his phone before sliding it back into his pocket.

“Thank goodness,” I said, relieved. At least that was one less thing to worry about.

When Dad finally looked up from the charts, he clapped a hand over Barren’s shoulder. “Looks good, second mate. Not too far away at all,” he said, laughing lightly. “We’ll be there before y’all know it.”

“ Second mate? ” Kai shifted his gaze between Barren and me, his smile jumbling. “I–I thought. I thought I was…”

Oh, yikes . Kai was thinking about the wrong kind of mate. “He doesn’t mean?—”

“I guess that makes me the first mate,” Leander cut in, smirking. Not helping the situation at all.

“Hold on, wait a second.” Dad’s brow furrowed as he pointed to himself. “I’m the captain,” —he thumped Barren on the chest— “he’s second mate, and she’s first mate.”

Of course I was first— wait.

I tracked the gesture of Dad’s hand until it reached the deck. Right to… Laverne!

My mouth dropped. “Dad!” I wrung my hands out as I fought for the words. “The sea lion? Really? ”

“Oh, oh! So, it’s like a hierarchy,” Kai piped up, suddenly looking less discouraged. “And where am I in this hierarchy?” He paused, a horrified look playing behind his eyes. “Wait, m-maybe I don’t want to know…”

“Deckhand,” Dad offered after a moment’s thought, nodding. Then he nodded to me and Leander as well. He looked way too pleased with himself. “All three of you are deckhands.”

I scoffed. Dad had never had a crew before, and he was clearly having too much fun with this. “At least make me the boatswain so I can boss this guy around.” I threw a thumb at Leander. “It might be nice telling a prince what to do for once,” I teased, and I wasn’t prepared for the way the gold in Leander’s eyes smoldered at those words.

He came up behind me, sliding his arms around me, his voice a low purr in my ear. “Any time, beautiful. Just tell me what you need.”

I leapt away from him, shoving his arms away, giving him a seething glare that said, not in front of my dad, idiot!

“Hmm…” Ignoring our display, Dad came over to the railing to untie the boat from the pier. “Boat ain’t big enough for a boatswain. Plus, a good deck boss would have already had this here rope untied and ready to go.”

He had a point.

“Okay, fine, we’re the deckhands,” I said, taking the rope from him to roll up. “But don’t blame me if anything happens to you and your first mate has to take over.” I looked to where Laverne was pacing the line of railing, her head thrown back like she was already enjoying the breeze. “You think a sea lion is going to know how to steer?”

Dad responded with a low chuckle as he turned away.

“She’s got flippers, remember!” I called out to his back, then sighed when he threw his head back to laugh as he took his place back at the helm. Dad always had a soft spot for sea mammals, so it was no surprise that he was fascinated with Laverne.

The wind picked up as we pulled away from the pier, and I set my eyes on the horizon.

“Is it going to go faster?” Kai asked, coming up beside me.

Leander gave a derisive snort, his arm encircling my waist to draw me against his hip. “Already feeling sick, are we?”

Kai looked out at the water, and his lips tilted like he was recalling something pleasant. “No, the boats in California all go really fast.” He made a vroom noise as he gestured with a broad sweep of his hand, then let out a light laugh. “To be honest, I was kind of nervous about riding in one.”

Leander’s huff told me he was back to being annoyed with Kai for letting his feelings be known. But what he was perceiving as a weakness was actually one of Kai’s strengths.

“Don’t listen to him, Kai.” I playfully elbowed Leander in the ribs. “There’s nothing wrong with being honest about how you’re feeling. Better than keeping everything to yourself until it all builds up and explodes.”

A thunderous boom of lightning rumbled, illuminating the sky, and I felt Leander’s arm drop away from me. His face was inscrutable as his chin tilted to where the bolt came from the sky.

Bullseye. I’d obviously hit a sore spot.

“Sorry, Lee, I shouldn’t have?—”

“They didn’t call for any storms today.” Dad’s brow furrowed, his hands tightening over the helm. “Looks like we should turn back…”

“That was me,” Leander said hotly, a hand covering his face. “My apologies, sir.” He was uncharacteristically red, down to his neck, like it had hurt his pride to admit he’d lost control. “It won’t happen again.”

“That was… you.” Dad’s gaze slowly panned from Leander to me, his eyes full of questions. “Are you sure about that, son?”

“Yes, sir.” He bowed deeply, and my mouth fell open. “It won’t happen again,” he repeated, his voice sounding strangely empty.

“Lee, wait.” I reached for him, but he drew away to the other side of the boat where Laverne had her head stuck between an opening in the rail.

Kai’s hand landed around my shoulders, steering me away. “I don’t think it’s you, Claira. He’s going through a lot,” he said in a soothing whisper, his grip light yet reassuring.

“No, it is me,” I said, my voice shaky. “He was being too hard on you, and I—I goaded him.”

Kai’s smile turned warm. “I don’t mind him taking his frustrations out on me.” He shrugged like he was used to being a scapegoat. As the youngest of all his brothers, maybe he was.

“Just because you don’t mind, it doesn’t make it right.” My molars clenched. How would things work between the three of us if they didn’t start getting along?

“He’s about to leave his kingdom as a deserter,” he whispered, sadness filling his voice. “Abandoning something he cares about more than himself.”

I… hadn’t considered that. What Leander was going through, what he must be feeling, yet Kai had.

I swallowed dryly, my mind racing. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t speak. As we sailed across the water, the wind blew through my hair, yet my mind stayed locked on that thought.

I might not have heard Dad say, “Not too long now. We’re getting close,” if Kai hadn’t stretched his arms out right next to me.

“Time to get changed.” Barren drew away from the helm. The next thing I knew, he was unbuckling the strap over his chest.

I stared at him, captivated by the movement of the brace falling away from his shoulder, until his hand went to his top button and his words finally registered.

Dropping my bag from my shoulders, I unzipped it in search of my bathing suit. “Get changed, right,” I mumbled, and then my body went rigid when I realized the most horrifying thought.

These guys were about to get naked. Right here, right now. Right on my boat.

Right in front of my dad.

“Crap, crap, crap.” My hands worked quickly underneath my shirt to exchange my bra for a bikini top. Hearing the guys shuffling around me made my heart work harder than Lady Ochre’s engine.

Whose plan had this been? Who had invited my dad along to witness this madness?

Forget about the threat of cecaelia, we could have swum. We should have swum. Anything was better than Dad witnessing three grown-ass mermen stripping down to put their hands all over his daughter.

Sure, it was because of their betta fish curse, but I hadn’t explained to Dad how my curse breaking worked. That detail hadn’t seemed like something he needed to know. But now…

“Shit, shit, shit.” I threw my wrap around me and tied it up, spinning it so the opening was at my hip. “W-wait, guys. Guys, ” I called out, fumbling over each word as I threw my shirt down and wiggled my pants off from underneath the wrap.

When I looked up, a blindingly golden ass told me Leander had already dropped his pants.

“Oh, heck no. ” I abandoned my bag to charge at him, my face already feeling the heat. Why was he always the first to get naked? It was like clothing melted off his perfect form with only a word or a simple snap of his fingers.

As I seized Leander by the shoulders, my gaze immediately shifted to my dad. His focus was still on the horizon—thank Poseidon—but for how long?

Laverne sure had noticed, though. Her snout plunged open, her tongue unraveling so far out of her mouth I was sure it would hit the deck.

“Uh, Claira?” I turned back to see Leander’s eyebrows curving, astonishment replacing the dreary expression he’d been wearing for the last hour. “What are you doing?”

“Get moving, Lee.” I grunted, urging him backward with an insistent press to his shoulders. Unfortunately, his muscles were rock solid, and I had to wonder if pushing an actual golden statue across the deck would have been easier.

“Why?” He barely took half a step backward, pointing to the starboard side of the boat. “The ocean’s that way.”

“ Why? ” I threw back sharply. “Why are you always so eager to take off your pants?”

Leander surprised me with a laugh, and the sound gradually deepened as he allowed my strength to move him across the deck. “See, you keep complaining about that.” His lips curved, going smoother than the suggestive lilt of his voice. Then he planted a foot abruptly behind him, cutting off our momentum so I would fall into his chest.

As his arm hooked around me, he leaned in, his voice a dark whisper in the wind. “But I notice you’re always the first to look.”

“Now is not the time, Lee,” I grit out, putting my elbow into it to get him moving again. There might have been some truth to that, but I sure wasn’t going to admit it. Not when my dad was across the boat from us.

I didn’t stop pushing until I’d blocked Dad’s view of Leander’s naked princely glory, using Barren’s great size as a shield. “There.”

When I stepped back, Leander folded his arms over his chest like he’d realized what I’d done. “Kai’s got his dick out, too,” he said flatly, though I could hear humor in his voice when I whipped my head back to check. “But I’m flattered that you looked for mine first.”

“Stay right here, Lee.” My voice was low with warning. And maybe some panic. “Don’t you dare move.”

He laughed again, the last trace of his earlier moodiness dissolving. “Wouldn’t dream of it, beautiful.”

Embarrassment spread through me like wildfire. The way Leander said beautiful was like a ribbon of velvet wrapping over me. But in front of my dad? Ugh.

“Kai,” I groaned out, dashing over to grab him by the wrist. At least with Kai, his shirt would be long enough to cover his?—

“What’s up?” Kai spun around to face me, and my eyes grew wide.

His shirt billowed out against his chest as the wind blew around him. Completely unbuttoned. All the way down.

Kai’s face was pink—so, so pink—and his lips were a tight line of intent. “Uh…”

Why now, of all times, had he decided to work on overcoming his modesty?

I inhaled deeply, my heart pounding, before forcing my face into a pleased expression. If I overreacted or asked him to cover up with his shirt, the damage to his self-esteem could be irreparable. He returned my smile, and although he looked relieved, his face went at least three shades pinker.

“Right, okay. Well, come over here,” I said, pulling him along with me. Unlike Leander, Kai was excited to follow me wherever I went. When I had him out of Dad’s line of sight, safe in Barren’s shadow, my head finally cleared enough I could think.

“All right,” I said, composing myself. At least Barren had the sense to keep himself presentable for my dad, only worrying about removing his shirt to secure his brace back over his bare chest. “If you guys could wait here a second while I grab my?—”

Barren moved his hand, and the buckle of his pants released with a dull click . Half a second later, his pants fell to the deck, pooling around his ankles. Laverne and I gasped in unison before I spun around, releasing a groan to the heavens.

A familiar whistle rode the wind. “This is quite a sight.” There was a tinge of hesitation in Dad’s voice, like he was trying to figure out how he should be feeling. “Not what I expected,” he said with a low, nervous chuckle, “but I’m sure merfolk ain’t modest like regular folk, eh, Claira?”

My hands flew to my face in an attempt to block out the embarrassment. “Their legs will be covered with scales as soon as we hit the water,” I answered through my hands. There was no way I could bear to look at him. Or them, either.

Would I ever be able to see any of them naked without thinking of this moment? “Sorry, Dad. I’m so, so sorry.”

“No need to apologize, kiddo.” He sounded amused. The wind quieted as the boat slowed. “You ain’t the one who made the rules. That was your Poseidon, wasn’t it?”

I dropped my hands from my face, my head tilting. “How did you know?” I’d never talked to Dad about Poseidon—or much of anything to do with merfolk, really.

He let out a hearty laugh. “You’ve only been cursing him under your breath since the moment Jeanette accidentally taught you how to curse.”

I vented a laugh as the memory came to me. Although Gram insisted we used proper manners at the house, she sure had a sailor’s way with words on the boat.

“We’re slowing down,” Kai said, and Dad nodded.

“That’s because we’re here,” Leander cut in, his eyes on the water’s rippling surface.

“You can tell from up here?” I returned to my bag, diving into the front pocket this time, and pulled out a small tie bag I’d filled earlier. “Can you feel the portal’s magic or something?”

When I looked back up, Leander’s throat bobbed in a slow swallow. “Yes.” He rubbed over the black streak spanning his arm.

“Oh, damn. That’s new, isn’t it?” I mumbled as I got back to my feet. His fingers pressed into the spot where the trident sharpened to a point as he nodded. “Hopefully, that’s a good thing.” I shrugged. “Maybe that means this plan will work after all?”

Kai scratched at his head. “Do we have a plan?”

I blinked at him before shooting Leander and Barren a curious look. “We did tell you about the plan, didn’t we?”

Kai’s cheeks flushed, and he shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I-I thought we were just going for a ride until Barren told us to get changed like we were going for a swim.”

“Sorry, Kai.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. It was Leander and Barren’s plan, sure, but I’d assumed they’d discussed it in front of Kai, too. “The plan is to take the portal to the Indian Ocean.”

“Whoa, nice!” I could see Kai’s excitement start to bubble as he scanned over every corner of the boat. “What’s a portal? Oh! Are we all getting weapons this time?”

Wait—he didn’t know about the portals?

Barren’s expression turned grim. “No weapons.”

At the mention of no weapons, Kai froze in place. “Going with no weapons? That’s our plan?”

“Having no plan is still a plan,” Leander cut in, radiating an air of confidence I wasn’t sure any of us believed.

Kai scratched at his scalp. “No, that’s… not how planning works.”

There was something menacing in the way Leander’s shoulders tensed at Kai’s skepticism, so I stepped between them. “Well, I don’t have weapons,” I said, untying the string of the bag I’d taken from my backpack, “but I brought these.” Sticking my hand inside, I pulled out a handful of jewelry.

Barren gave the haul an appraising look before saying, “Pearls.”

“Exactly.” I couldn’t help but smile, feeling proud of my foresight. Then absolutely terrible, remembering that the pearls I was holding all belonged to Gram. I hated that I hadn’t had enough time to ask her. Instead, I wrote a note promising that when I came back, I would buy her pearls of all sizes and hues, a set for every occasion.

“Sorry, Gram,” I mumbled, pulling a heavy bracelet made of multiple lines of pearls from the bunch to fasten around Kai’s wrist. Gram would surely think I’d gotten mixed up with a gang of delinquents when she found out her granddaughter was now a thief.

“Whoa, thanks.” Kai shook his wrist and watched as the pearls clanked against one another.

I moved to Barren next, pulling out a double tiered necklace for him. But when I stretched up to his neck, I stalled over the long expanse of his collarbone.

Barren’s neck was so wide, there was no way these were going to fit.

Something brushed against my arm, and I looked down to see his hand outstretched. A frown tugged at my lips as I reluctantly placed the pearls into his palm. “Here. Hopefully, we won’t need them.” I’d chosen the necklace for Barren because I wanted to make it easier for him to light them. Maybe if I tied some fishing line to the clasp…

“Feels familiar.” The gravelly rumble of Barren’s voice caught me off guard. His chin tilted thoughtfully as he turned down to the pearls resting in his palm. Then, dark curls cascading over his brow, he lifted his eyes to look at me. “Doesn’t it?”

My breath caught. Familiar? Like when he’d had me hold the pearls last time? But there was something there in his eyes—deep and expectant—while he waited for my response that had me doubting if I truly knew what he meant.

“Uh, guys?” Kai’s voice came from behind us. “Leander jumped.”

I was still trying to figure out what Barren’s dark eyes were telling me when Kai’s words hit. “Leander what? ”

“He jumped,” Laverne echoed in my head. When I turned, she was hanging halfway over the rail, looking down at the ocean below. “Should I go after him?”

“Why would he do that?” I pulled away from Barren and brushed past Kai to get to the spot Laverne was surveying. Fear flooded me when the only thing I could see was the water’s churning surface. “Did—” My voice cracked. What the heck was Leander thinking? “Did he turn into a fish?”

Laverne must have lied about her fear of heights, because she slipped down the side of the boat nose first, plunging into the water.

“I—I need to get down there.” My voice was a shrill, almost inaudible sound. “Kai? Barren?”

They were already moving, and as the two mermen closed around me, I looked back, right at Dad in a panic. “Sorry, Da—” I couldn’t even get the words out before arms closed around me, and down we went, right over the guardrail.

We hit the cold water in unison, the chill of it seeping into my skin for merely a second before my transformation took over.

Pop.

My body jerked between the two of them as they reformed around me. I braced myself, wrapping around the nearest body I could reach, praying that the other could keep his hold on me. When the dead weight of my tail settled in place, I found myself sandwiched between the two of them, my head guarded, cradled by something set against either side of it for protection.

My eyes opened to a prickling sensation, like the light penetrating the surrounding water was forcing my night vision back. Only, my night vision didn’t seem to want to be held back. It pulsed and flitted around my irises, blurring my vision.

As soon as I opened my mouth, water flooded in, filling my lungs. “Does anyone see Leander?”

Instead of answering with words, the body behind me tensed up. I nearly choked on my tongue when the tail behind me slithered against mine, twining around it.

That was… certainly bizarre.

Then the tail grasped me and tugged, prying me away from the body in front. “W-wait!” What the heck was happening? I blinked rapidly, wishing away the mystical blurriness from my sight as I tightly hugged the figure in front of me. Then my vision honed, and I realized what I was holding on to.

Kai’s shark tail.

And those things that had protected my head? Yeah, I realized what those were, too.

“Your… your…” I tried, but I couldn’t say the words aloud.

Like a fool, I’d nestled my head between his claspers, thinking they were some sweet gesture meant to protect me from the rush of magic that came from our transformations.

Kai stared at me, absolutely lost for words, as if his brain had melted away.

Wishing I’d somehow evaporate into the current as well, I turned down to confirm that the thing wrapping around my useless half was Barren’s crimson tail. His strength supported me, and I scrambled to grab one of Kai’s arms as Barren separated us. As soon as I was off of Kai’s shark half, Barren pulled me back against his chest, his arm encircling me in the same way his tail did. Possessive, absolute.

With the stone titan wrapped around me, I felt more protected than ever before.

Uh, what? Why was I even thinking that?

Whatever thrall thing this was, we did not have time for it. My eyes frantically searched the ocean around us.

“Claspers!” I shouted at the two of them to remind them why we were here.

Wait—that wasn’t right.

“L-Leander!” I choked out, correcting myself. “Do you see him?”

Laverne came into view right on cue, rounding out of a spiral. “Caught him,” she said, and she spat a golden fish out of her mouth.

“Thank Poseidon!” I silently retracted all the unkind remarks I’d said to myself about Laverne over the last day.

Fish-Leander tumbled through the water while Laverne let out a hiss of disapproval.

“I mean, thank you, Laverne.” I offered a smile I hoped she found genuine enough to please her. “Not Poseidon. Definitely not.”

Kai still looked dazed when I hooked his arm around my waist so I could reach for Leander. “Brace yourself,” I said, then went for the betta.

Pop.

When the water settled, a disheveled Leander floated in front of us, and Laverne was clapping at the spectacle.

I couldn’t help it—now that I knew he was safe, my relief immediately slid to annoyance. “What were you thinking, Lee?” When he didn’t open his mouth, I shook my head and answered for him. “You thought you were going to show off, huh? Thought that the trident’s magic was enough to break your curse?”

Honestly, I’d thought the trident would be enough to break the curse, too. I’d been counting on it, actually, but that was before he took it into his body. Now that the trident was a part of him, breaking the curse would involve him using the trident’s magic, and that was the last thing I wanted.

Leander’s lips thinned into a grimace. He mumbled something, but even if it was an apology, I didn’t want to hear it.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my dad, Lee,” I said, exasperated. Kai tapped my shoulder, pointing to where the boat was still very much above us, and my face soured. So not helpful, Kai.

Leander drew a hand up to his head, but instead of running it through his hair like usual, his face pinched as he massaged his thumb between his eyes. “I fell in,” he mumbled, looking abashed.

What?

“You fell in?” Barren asked before I could. His tail slowly released its grip on me, as if he was reluctantly ready to share me with the other two.

“Kai said you jumped.” I turned to Kai, who immediately averted his gaze.

“It was awkward for a jump, but I thought he might just be terrible at it.” Kai cringed. “Sorry, man.”

Dread filled me—did this have something to do with the trident, or had he merely slipped overboard?

Leander’s expression hardened. “I’m fine.”

A half-hearted I’m fine wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “Lee, seriously, what happened?”

“I’m fine,” he repeated, shrugging the question right off. He drifted closer, and his arm coiled around mine like he might try to take more of me from Barren. Only his eyes were sunken, weary, and he didn’t try to steal more of me away at all.

Leander was fine? I didn’t believe it. No, not one bit.