Bobbing to the surface, she lifted the shell and blew into it as long and hard as she could.
thirty-four
Raina
The surface broke at last, and instead of a triangular fin, a head bobbed up. Raina had met some of the mer when she was living down there with Yvonne, and she recognized the girl as one of those she’d met. But soon, other heads emerged, mer she’d never seen before.
“You’re not the queen,” one of them accused. “What gives you the right to summon us?”
“Because we need something the queen can’t give us,” Raina said, her strong voice carrying over the water. “We need freedom from the fear of outsiders.”
“We’re never going to get that,” a merman said. “Not so long as humans walk this earth.”
“I’m not talking about humans,” Raina said, feeling a bit hypocritical, considering she was technically human. But it wasn’t as if she’d stolen Yvonne’s body against her will. They had both wanted what they didn’t have.
“What are you talking about, then?” asked a younger mermaid.
“I’m talking about the dark warlock,” Raina said. “He controls the waters at the surface the way the queen controls us.” She hoped that wasn’t some sort of treason that would get her beheaded, so she hurried on before anyone could get too outraged. “But Thalassa is our queen,” she said. “She protects and keeps us safe. What has the dark warlock ever done for us?”
The sirens looked around at each other, shrugging in acknowledgement of the truth.
“Nothing,” Raina said in answer to her own question. “He forces us to turn over magic to him, magic we work hard to collect, in return for use of our own sea. It’s already ours! It was never his to patrol like a schoolyard bully.” At the blank looks on the mer faces, Raina realized her mistake. They wouldn’t know anything about that. But she hurried on again before anyone could ask.
“Viziri is not a mer,” she said. “He’s not a sea creature or even a water witch. He’s nothing but a power-hungry warlock who hoards power the way the—a dragon hoards treasure. He should have no say over the affairs of the mer, over our movement or our collecting of magic. His only place in the sea is at the bottom.”
The young mer cheered, and some of the older ones nodded.
“How are we going to do that?” asked one man with a frown.
“We’re going to lure him here, of course,” Raina said.
She received a few odd glances at that one. “He has immunity,” one said in a way that told her she should have known that. Of course she should have. Even the mages had charms to make them immune.
“Oh, I don’t mean by singing,” Raina said. “We’re going to lure him here with a promise. But instead of delivering magic, we’re going to take his.”
thirty-five
Sagely
While Raina was out rallying the mer, Sagely slipped away from the group hanging out near the mast. She could feel a tugging on her bond with Quill—he was worried about her. She smiled at his concern and tried to send him a calm vibe. For now, she wanted a moment alone to think.
She wasn’t sure what to think of the new Raina—Yvonne, to be precise. But she shared the magic of the coven, which made her basically a member. That’s how it had happened with Sagely, anyway. She’d been gifted magic and then initiated. Yvonne’s magic was strong, as she had all of Raina’s, and since she’d retained it, she was a “gifted” witch like Sagely. But something about her didn’t feel right to Sagely. Maybe that’s how the others had felt about her when she joined.
She walked along the wooden deck, listening to the waves lapping at the sides of the ship. She was nearly at the railing before she spotted a figure leaning over, winding a coil of rope from his hand to his elbow. He moved quickly and without thought, as if he’d done it a thousand times, and his steady stance on the deck told her it was one of the pirates. When she got closer, she saw his beard and was not surprised that it was River. She would have felt strange magic on the mages, and though there were a dozen crewmembers on deck, she had somehow known it would be him.
She leaned on the railing and watched him work. He was wearing a flannel shirt with the sleeves ripped off, his muscles defined in the silvery moonlight. For a moment or two, she let herself enjoy watching him work, not saying anything. He pulled the circle of rope off his arm and dropped it onto the deck.
“You need something?” he asked, picking up some of the rigging.
“Oh, sorry,” Sagely said. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I didn’t realize you even knew I was here.”
“Hard to miss those boots stomping on the planks.”
“I wasn’t stomping.”
“You’ll get your sea legs,” he assured her.
“I wasn’t,” she protested, laughing a little.
“So what can I do for you, little lady?”
Sagely ran her thumbnail along the railing. “Nothing. I was just coming over here to think.”
“Whatcha thinking about?”
“It was brave of you to tell everyone you’re a commoner. That can’t be easy to admit in front of a bunch of people with magical abilities.”
He turned to grin at her from where he was crouched on the deck. “It was worth it. It made a beautiful woman come talk to me.”
“You know I’m engaged, right?”
With one fluid movement, he stood, turned to her, and crossed the deck. “I may not have magical abilities, but I have many other talents,” he said, placing one hand on either side of her body as she leaned against the railing. “And I may not be a warlock, but I remember exactly how witch society works.”
Sagely swallowed hard. “Is that right?”
“That’s right,” he said leaning in until only a breath separated them.
“You might not want to do that. My two fiancés have a lot of strength between them,” she warned. Her heart was beating so hard she felt lightheaded. “They’re very powerful.”
“Then surely they wouldn’t feel threatened by a lowly commoner,” he whispered, a smile playing over his lips and crinkling the corners of his eyes. He leaned even closer, until his chest brushed hers and his hair tickled her collarbones. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he let his rough fingers linger against her soft skin for a moment.
“As long as you don’t feel threatened, I’m not worried about anyone else,” he added, his knuckles brushing along her jaw, raising her chin so she was looking up into his eyes, which had gone a deep, midnight blue in the darkness surrounding them.
Sagely tried to swallow, but her throat didn’t seem to be working. The urge to pull away warred with the urge to push forward, to meet his body that was so close that his heat pressed her back against the rail like a living thing. She’d never done this without help before. She had an energetic and emotional connection with Quill because of shared magic, and a physical connection with Fox because of shared blood. What kind of connection didn’t require anything?
“Want me to stop?” River asked. He pinned her to the railing with his hips while he bent to speak into the hollow of her throat.
Sagely’s head fell back, and she found herself clutching his back, though she didn’t remember her arms slipping around him. It was as if they had done it with no prompting from her brain, as if her body knew what to do in this completely new and foreign situation. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades as his hard body pressed hers backwards, until she was bent slightly over the railing, her pistol biting into her back. She clutched at him for balance, feeling the empty space behind her, the drop to the treacherous water.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered.
He hooked his finger into the neck of her shirt and tugged it to one side, revealing her tan shoulder. His lips trailed across her skin from her shoulder to the base of her neck. “You better stop me now if you don’t want to do this,” he said, a teasing smile playing across his lips. But his eyes were serious as he said, “Because once I kiss you, you’re not going to be able to
resist.”
“I thought you weren’t a mer,” Sagely said, swaying on her feet.
He lifted her red hair off her shoulder, smiling down at her. “I may not be a siren, but I’ve been told I’m just as irresistible.”
To Sagely’s surprise, a flare of jealousy went through her when she thought of some other woman telling him that. Some other woman not being able to resist him. Some other woman being bent over the railing and kissed, her body pressed up against his.
“Lucky for me, I’m immune to the siren,” Sagely said. “So I think I’ll be all right.”
“We’ll see,” River said. He slid a hand behind her back to protect her from the hard railing as he crushed his body to hers. His head dipped down to her bare shoulder again, and goosebumps swept over her skin from head to toe. His beard tickled her skin as he moved his lips along her shoulder and up her neck. When he nipped at her earlobe, she gasped, her head swimming with a thousand conflicting thoughts and fears.
But before his lips could meet hers, someone cleared their throat behind him.
thirty-six
Raina
The voice Raina expected came at last, but it wasn’t the screech she had been waiting for. Instead, it was a booming voice that rolled through the sea around her like thunder.
“What are you doing?” it demanded.
“I’m making the sea safe for our people,” Raina answered. “Something you would have done if you were one of us.”
“One of us?” the Sea Queen’s voice answered. “You’re not a mer at all. Did you tell them that?”
“I don’t see how I’m not,” Raina said. “I have the body and the voice of a siren.”
“That will wither and die,” Queen Thalassa said, appearing before her in the water, her figure outlined by an eerie glow. “You will have to feed it to keep it alive. Can you really do such a thing? Suck the magic from your own people?”
Raina didn’t answer. The thought of sucking magic from a fellow witch was like cannibalism. But she knew Thalassa was right. Yvonne had told her as much. How long did she have?
“And where is my horn?” the queen demanded.
“I have it,” Raina said, holding it out. “I’m done with it. Don’t worry, I didn’t harm it. I only wanted to get the coven here.”
“And how do you intend to do that?” Thalassa’s sneering voice asked. “I heard your silly plans. But the coven won’t come unless the dark lord sends them. Are you going to write him a letter? Send it by messenger pigeon?”
“Actually, I don’t have to,” Raina said. “We have someone with void magic that can call to him.”
“You will regret defying me,” Queen Thalassa snarled. Her hair snaked around her like sea serpents in the water. “If you think this sea is not safe for you now, just wait until you see what it is like after you’ve defied a goddess.”
Raina’s heart quelled inside her body, but she kept her voice strong. “I’m sorry I did that without asking,” she said. “But in truth, I don’t see why you’d allow him to control your seas. He’s not a sea king, but he runs your kingdom like he is.”
Thalassa’s eyes flashed. “Now you dare question my powers?”
“No,” Raina said, backing away. “No, I definitely wouldn’t do that.”
“Get out of my sight,” Thalassa hissed, her tentacle-like hair whipping around her in the underwater currents. “You are banished from my kingdom. Not only have you stolen from me and defied me, you have risked my kingdom by singing in daylight. You have until midnight to be gone from the boundaries of my sea. The punishment for returning is removal of your tail by the teeth of sea fae.”
thirty-seven
Sagely
“Raina’s back,” said a familiar voice behind River.
Sagely startled and pushed him away, glad the darkness hid her flushed cheeks. With a chuckle, River retreated to his pile of rope. Sagely saw a shadow of hurt cross Quill’s face, but she tore her eyes away from his. “Great,” she said, studying the dark sea that stretched to the horizon. “Any good news?”
“Yes,” Quill said. “They’re going to call the coven in, and we’re going to get them back. And then we’re going home.” He put his arms around her and drew her close. “I’m looking forward to that part. I think it’s time to start planning our future. Together.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” she said, holding his face between her hands. “But our future is the future of our whole family. You, me, and the rest of my collective. And I’m not done building that.”
She thought he’d argue. He’d admitted to being the jealous type, and she felt selfish and greedy for wanting more than she already had. But she felt something with River, something that clutched at her heart when she thought of that scared little boy being kidnapped and wiped of all his magic, and the man who had volunteered to sacrifice himself to save future generations from Viziri’s evil.
“You don’t have to apologize,” Quill said. “If anything, I should apologize for taking so long to admit that Fox is good for you. When we were out on that boat and I told him you needed help, he didn’t question me or my motives. He did what had to be done to get us back. I should never have doubted him.”
“I doubted him, too, so I think you’re excused on that one,” Sagely said with a smile. “But River’s not one of you, and I have no business touching him until he is. Besides, I’ve got enough to deal with right now. I don’t need any distractions.”
“Then let’s go meet the others on deck and make a plan.”
Quill took her hand and gave it a squeeze, the comfort of his magic and familiarity soothing her as they walked back to the other deck to meet the others. After some talk, they laid out their plan.
Using their abundance of magic, Quill and Shaneesha would call to the coven, trying to reestablish their magical bond with the coven members, though their magic was dark. It was still the magic of the same coven.
Meanwhile, the sirens would all sing for them at once, up and down the coast, luring them north until they reached Raina.
Once they arrived, the wind coven would keep them there and try to turn their magic back to light.
If they tried to attack, as Eli had, the mages would place spells of invisibility and protection over them.
“And what about me?” Sagely asked. “What am I supposed to do? Sit here and look pretty?”
“Damn straight,” Fox growled, his hand slipping around hers. “And I’m going to stand guard to make sure that’s as dangerous as it gets for you.”
“Nice try,” she said. “I’m fine with having help, but this was my doing, and my quest to get them back. You can’t cut me out of it.”
“We’re not trying to,” Quill said, stroking her hair back. “We just want to make sure you’re safe.”
“While everyone else is in danger because of something I did? No. Not gonna happen.”
“You didn’t do anything,” he said. “We initiated you into the coven, and they drank the potion that contained your magic. They were warned of the dangers. No one could have predicted this.”
“Raina could have,” Sagely muttered, glancing over to where the mermaid sat on the bottom of the overturned boat the pirates had taken to shore. Guthrie sat beside her, gazing at her in wonder. Sagely wouldn’t have imagined him capable of such a look if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. She was glad Raina had someone, especially after she’d been so brokenhearted about Quill. And Gale would be happy to see her brother fall in love.
Still, she kind of wished Raina would put on one of those seashell bras.
“No,” Raina said, shaking her head. Her thick dark hair swirled with unearthly weightlessness, as if she were still underwater. “I may not have welcomed you with open arms, but Quill is right. We were given a choice. We didn’t drink the brew. They didn’t have to, either.”
“I’m going to help you get them back,” Sagely said. “I can’t just sit by while you’re in danger. You’ve always had my back, Raina, e
ven if you were kind of a bitch most of the time. When it came down to a fight, you were always loyal to your coven, including me. I’m no different. Our personalities may not match, and we may never be soul sisters, but you’re my coven sister. I won’t sit by and let anyone fight my battles.”
“You won’t be doing nothing,” Quill said. “You’ll be under an invisibility spell, so when they attack, if they throw their void magic like Eli did, you can absorb it before it hits anyone else.”
“And I’ll be right beside you the whole time,” Fox said, his fingers still around hers, as strong as steel. “If it gets to be too much, you can pass it to me, like you did before.”
“We’re trying to keep you safe because you’re our best weapon,” Quill said. “Not because we think you can’t protect yourself.”
“I’m mostly trying to keep you safe because you’re going to save us all from that monster,” River said. “That, and you’re hot.”
Quill cast him an annoyed glare, but River’s smile never faltered.
thirty-eight
Raina
While the others went to shore to alert the Coastline Coven of their plans and ask for help, Guthrie stayed behind with the pirates to work on freeing the ship, which was hung up on some rocks beneath the surface. As morning drew near, the sky to the east began to lighten. Raina didn’t dare wet her tail, though it began to feel dry from being out of the water so long. Still, she imagined Queen Thalassa down there, waiting to chop it off the moment it slipped below the surface.
After a while, Guthrie came and sat next to her, his owl cradled in his arms. Together, they watched the sun rise. “You did something very brave,” Guthrie said, frowning towards shore, where the others were just returning. “Protecting them even though you’re not part of their coven anymore.”
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