The officers watched until he disappeared, climbed in a patrol car parked at the corner, and drove away in the opposite direction.
“This morning is off to a weird start.” I shook my head and resumed our walk to the park. “I don’t suppose you’ve met any mermaids?”
“They exist, but no. I’ve never met one. Most are salties, and I haven’t spent much time at the beach.”
“For one to be in Lendman Park, it would have to be, what? A freshie? Since it’s a freshwater lake?”
“Yes.” He polished off his meal. “You would have heard rumors if there was one.”
“Everyone loves a good lake monster,” I agreed, gulping down the rest of my breakfast too. “I’ve always heard mermaids are vicious when someone enters their territory. There would have been an incident by now if anything larger than a bass was in the water.”
The park was empty when Rían and I arrived, and I couldn’t help the mental picture forming of Fayne rubbing her hands together with glee as her evil plan came together.
“You look like you expect Liam to rise from the water dressed in neoprene with an oxygen tank on his back.”
Until he mentioned it, I hadn’t noticed myself scanning the surface with an eye toward any movement. Honestly? I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn the mermaid in the shot glass had really been a nosy dragon in a scuba suit.
“Are you telling me that’s not a possibility?” I tore my attention from the lake. “I would be shocked if he didn’t at least fly a drone overhead or strap a camera to an RC boat and stalk us from afar.”
“He’s more likely to cut a reed and use it as a snorkel. Maybe strap a turtle shell on his head to really sell thenothing to see herevibe. He got his head stuck in a hollowed-out log one time when we were kids. He was mad I told him he couldn’t go swimming with me and my friends. He almost drowned when the wood didn’t float like he thought it would.”
“That sounds about right.” I shook out my arms. “Okay, Teach, let’s get to it.”
“Fayne would have initiated the first time to give you an idea of what to expect.” He held up his palms, facing them out. “This time, you’re in the driver’s seat.”
Warmth spread through me as I linked our fingers. More than heat from his touch, a spark ignited under my skin. This one burned brighter than when I was with Fayne. I traced the sensation down into my core where a tiny ember of magic stirred to wakefulness and gave it a careful prod. “No promises.”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
Matching my choppy breaths to his deep and easy ones was simpler than calming mine.
Inhale, exhale.
Power tingled across my skin as I gathered it then released it into Rían.
Inhale, exhale.
A sharp intake of breath snapped my eyes open as his began glowing a soft white.
“Ana…”
Energy swirled from him into me, and I swear an audiblesnicklike a rib breaking jerked in my chest.
“Did you feel that?” I lost my rhythm, my lungs spasming. “What’s happening?”
“Our magic is syncing, but the draw on me is stronger than it should be. I can’t regulate it. It’s draining me.” He attempted to let go, but power chained us together. “You need to pull back. We have to break the circuit. I can’t do it alone.”
Panic fluttered in my chest, and I tugged against him, but we were stuck. “How do we do that?”
“Slow your breathing.” He shut his eyes. “We need to get you calm before you combust.”
“Combust?!” I forced my knees to quit knocking. “No one mentioned anything about combustion.”
Big difference between summoning a cute little flame into my palm and igniting like tinder.
“It’s the natural next step, but you’re not ready to?—”
Searing heat blew my hair away from my face as fire erupted around us, leaving us standing in the eye of a hurricane of explosive potential.
