He shrugged. “You could have worked it out.”
“Louisa?” I raised my brows.
“No, Mom’s human. My dad is half-Siren. You saw him at Iona’s funeral.”
I thought back to the older man from the beach, who’d had the same brown skin as Aranare and shoulder-length hair.
“But your last name is Williamson.”
Aranare let out a raspy laugh. “The Lugh Sirens aren’t a royal bloodline like the Neptunus Mer. We are all over Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. We’re named for the Irish god of craftsmanship because we’re good with our hands.”
“Oh.” I threw myself down onto the damp grass. “What was that magic you just used on me?”
“That was my allure.” The corner of his mouth turned up as he sat down beside me.
“Finn couldn’t use his allure or hypnosis on me. How come you can?”
“The Mer are not as strong in mind magic as the Sirens. They were blessed with other skills. Your mind’s magic is strong like ours, but it obviously... needs some work.”
No shit.
“Are you ready to try wieldingyourmagic now?” Aranare’s eyes bounced between mine.
My throat constricted. I wasn’t ready, not at all. But we had less than two weeks left until I went to the underwater realm, so I had to at least try.
“Let’s start small. Try to harness the power you used on the Mer in the war room and put me into a peaceful sleep. Remember to stay calm. Access the power via your heart, but control it with your mind.” He stepped back, tilting his head as he studied me.
Rain struck my face, and the sky became pure gray as I closed my eyes and let my heart pump silvery power through my veins until it filled me. I took a deep breath.
As the power thrummed through my skin, the glow in my subconscious pulsed brighter, drawing closer. My heartbeat fluttered. It was rushing toward me, widening like a great gaping mouth.No!I tried to suppress it, to push it down, but it was too late. It was going to consume me.
The magic burst from me in a blinding rush of silver. I fell to my knees on the damp grass, tears blurring my vision as I drew ragged breaths.
Footsteps crunched. Aranare’s boots.
I breathed a sigh of relief as he held out his hand to me, but then sucked it back through my teeth. The grass beneath his feet was... black. I reached out to touch it, and it left a powdery residue on my fingers.Dust.
“It’s okay.” He gripped my hand, lifting me gently to my feet as tears streamed down my face. “It’s my fault. I thought you had made more progress. We’ll go back to basics tomorrow.”
My legs shook as I stood, and dread slithered through my veins when I dragged my gaze over the cliff face. I’d reduced the grass in a three-foot-wide circle around me to dust.
“Each time I’ve used my power, I’ve had no control over what it’s done.” I blinked hard, trying to steady myself. I held my hands up before me andsaw they were trembling. I lowered my gaze, barely breathing. “Louisa’s right. I’m not ready, and there’s no way I’ll be ready in two weeks.”
Aranare observed me, the line between his brows etching deeper. His eyes narrowed, then drifted to the gray ocean. He stared so intently that it was as if the waves were answering questions he hadn’t voiced.
At last, he turned back to me. “I will accompany you to Thálassa and train you on the journey.”
My shoulders sagged, and I let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you.”
“I’ll see you back here tomorrow.” He rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw before turning and striding across the cliff toward Bayside.
I stomped back down to the bookstore, now darkening with afternoon shades. MerandSirens walked the streets of Ruadán’s Port. Who could know what was real around here anymore?
Allure. That’s what Finn used on humans. If I hadn’t possessed the Selkies’ mind magic, which rivaled the Mer’s, I might have found myself in his arms, telling him everything he wanted to know, and then what? He would have made me forget, and I would never have seen him again. I shuddered. I needed to control my magic.
Granddad was in the kitchen when I strode in and began packing away the groceries I’d picked up.
A leaden weight of guilt pressed down on me. Louisa had promised to check in on him while I was gone, but I’d been avoiding the conversation we needed to have: telling him I was heading back to the ocean’s depths. And this time, I had no idea when I’d return.
