For a heartbeat, the world holds its breath, teetering on the edge of calamity. Then, with a whispered command, I release the wave from my leash, allowing it to unfurl its fury upon Hadria.
The water surges forward like a ravenous beast, hungrily devouring everything in its path. Buildings tremble beneath the onslaught, their foundations shaken to the very core by the unyielding force of the tide. People flee in panic, and so do the monsters of the Green Flame.
Inside my body is on fire, my Blessing ablaze, magic pricking my fingertips. After being coiled for so long, it wanted to be used.
“Your plan is working.” I guide the wave with a delicate precision, channeling its might into controlled torrents that cascade through the streets like rivers of liquid silver. Where once there was chaos, now there is order, as the water follows the path that I have laid out for it with unwavering obedience.
“The power of the sea,” Rosalina whispers.
“I’d say we have about thirty minutes until the lower city floods, an hour till it makes it to the arena. By nightfall, the entire city of Hadria will be underwater.” I turn to Rosalina and grip her face. “It’s your turn, Blossom.”
CHAPTER 110
Rosalina
The wave dissipates into a sea of churning currents as I stand with Dayton on Soltide Keep. The city lies before us, transformed by the power of the ocean into a landscape of surreal beauty and devastation. Transformed by my mate.
This is what the Blessing of Summer is capable of without being hindered by the curse. I can only imagine Dayton’s power if Castletree was at full strength.
Panic rises in the city, but all I see is hope. A promise of renewal in the wake of destruction. My mate has unleashed the fury of the ocean upon Hadria. The city will not survive.
But its people will.
“I’m ready,” I say.
Dayton grips my hand, and I feel the swell of his magic flow into me.
Change is a magic I inherited from the Queen. A power she used to save her people.
A magic I will use today.
As I close my eyes and immerse myself in the ethereal realm of magic, I feel the pulse of the Summer Realm echoing through my veins like a beam of sunlight. It calls to me, a whisper on the breeze, allowing me to weave enchantment to all those born from its embrace.
With a soft exhale, I extend my consciousness across the vast expanse of Hadria, reaching out to touch the hearts of its inhabitants. As when I cast my magic out in search of the sirens, there is a distinct difference to life born of the Vale and life touchedby the Below. Even those who have sworn service to vile deeds are tainted by it.
But the citizens of Hadria each feel like a glowing star. I feel the warmth of their souls. Dayton’s heart, the heart of the Summer Prince, guides me to them.
Fae of Hadria, today you must change to survive. I, the Golden Rose, will make it so.
I unleash the full extent of my power upon the people of the Summer Realm, infusing them with the essence of the sea and the song of the sirens. Their forms shimmer and shift, bathed in the iridescent glow.
There is a bone-deep knowing within me. When water touches their skin, they will feel the ancient call of the ocean stirring within them. With a single breath, they will be transformed, their fae shells melting away to reveal the radiant beauty of the sirens that lie dormant within.
Gasping, I open my eyes. Already the water has begun to flood the lower city.
“Is it working?” Dayton calls.
Then I see it, a woman running from a skeleton. The water rushes up to cover her. In a splash of light, her legs shift into a glorious tail. The skeleton, however, is swept away by the water, bones smashed in the wake.
“It’s working!” I cry.
“And you succeeded in convincing our other friends to help?” Dayton asks.
“They are honoring my mother.”
Like thousands of gems sparkling on the surface of the sea, sirens flood in through the harbor. I asked for their aid, to guide the people of Hadria to the safety of Aerantheis. To shelter and teach them the ways of the sea until we can rebuild their home.
Dayton turns to me, hair blowing across his face. “No, Rosalina. They are honoring you, the Golden Rose. Princess of the Enchanted Vale.”
