Nereida and Callistia lead us to a sandy bank beneath the docks of Summer. Here, out of sight, I press a hand to Dayton’s beautiful tail. It was surprisingly easy to make this change, almost easier than transforming Marigold, Astrid, and Eldy into birds.
Maybe it’s because of the way I connected with the sirens. Or maybe because it’s been my dream to be a mermaid since, like,forever.
Dayton’s tail shimmers away, and he stretches out his long, muscular legs. Heat rises to my cheeks as he turns away and starts to dig in the bag we brought, packed with our clothes. Nereida had given it to us, claiming the fabric was completely waterproof.
“Ah, good on you, Rosie.” Dayton laughs. “My cock has returned to me, just as it was.”
“Have you thought about how you’re going to disguise yourself here, Golden Rose?” Callistia asks, ignoring Dayton. “There are a lot of people in this place who wish you harm.”
“She’s right,” Dayton says. “I’m going to enter as myself. If my legionnaires are in that arena, then I need to show them their High Prince stands with them. No doubt Kairyn will be arrogant enough to let me try.”
“But they’ll never let me enter, knowing I can wield the bow against them,” I agree. “They’re betting on someone they can manipulate into doing their bidding. We won’t let that happen.”
“Can you do it, Rosie?” Dayton asks. I turn to him just as he’s lacing his pants. He throws on his tunic and long cloak. “Can you kill Kairyn when it comes down to it?”
“Yes. For what he did to Ezryn. For taking your realm, I could.” Though, my voice wavers. Kairyn is still Ezryn’s brother. And I’ve never killed anything, except for Perth’s monsters … and Lucas, though he was a monster in his own right.
Dayton’s seashell necklace gleams in the sunlight, and I notice he’s restrung the token of Summer on it. It won’t be obvious from afar that he has it, but I know what it symbolizes. The High Prince of Summer isn’t hiding anymore.
“All right,” Dayton says, then raises a brow. “As pretty as they are, it’s time to lose the scales.”
I flop my golden tail in the shallow water, sad to see it go.
“What if you don’t loseallyour scales?” Callistia says. She hikes herself up high enough on the sand to be completely out of the water. Her tail shimmers into two legs, but it doesn’t make her fully fae.
Callistia’s pink hair still shines with an otherworldly gleam, and her ears remain webbed. Scales dust her thighs, across her arms and chest, and even along her neck and cheekbones.
“That’s brilliant,” Dayton says. “I’ve seen a few land-dwelling sirens in Hadria over the years. They’re rare, but still around.”
“Life on land.” Nereida sighs. “I can’t imagine who would choose that over the sea.”
“Dayton, you could say I rescued you when you fell overboard,” I say. “Callistia, can you help me?”
When I changed Dayton and myself earlier, I’d gone about it practically, only giving us tails and gills. But if I were to adopt the other siren features—the webbed ears and scaled upper body—no one would recognize me.
Callistia kneels beside me, and I place my hands on the sides of her face, studying the shape of her ears and the scales still glimmering on her skin. It’s different than using my thorns to recreate objects like bows and arrows. This power originates deep within my chest, a guiding bolt seeking for something deep within Callistia.
I dive inward, feeling how her essence sparkles, then lead those changes to me. Magic flutters over my skin, soft as a butterfly’s wings. I feel my legs again and kick them in the surf.
“Amazing!” Callistia smiles.
I open my eyes, and Callistia helps me to my feet. I catch my reflection in the water. I look different than I did when I had thesiren’s tail earlier. My hair is completely golden. My eyes have changed color too, shining bright as coins. Scales of the same color shimmer along my legs and stomach.
“You look amazing, Rosalina,” Nereida says. “Though I was partial to the tail.”
“She looks beautiful!” Callistia chimes. “Doesn’t she look beautiful, Prince Dayton?”
It’s only then I realize he hasn’t said anything. Maybe it’s because I’m naked, or almost naked. I still have on the pearl top, but it hardly provides any coverage, and my stomach, legs, and everything in between are bare.
Dayton’s face is flushed, and the muscles in his throat bob as he swallows. “Hmm?”
He didn’t react at all when Callistia changed, and she was even more naked than me.
“Hand me the bag,” I say.
He tosses it to me with a fumbling throw, and I quickly dress in my ratty, shipwrecked clothes.
“I don’t know how we’ll ever thank you.” I throw my arms around Nereida and then Callistia.
