“I just want to see her again.” I scowled.
“And you will, the moment you’re able to summon your Gift and wield your dragon.” The Queen folded her arms. “Now try again,” she repeated. “Breathe slowly and focus on the power in your heart.” She tapped a hand against her chest. “Your magic is in there. It just needs to know that it’s fine to come out and play.”
Scoffing, I pushed up to my feet and sucked in a deep breath. Instead of closing my eyes, I tipped my head back to watch the rolling waves above. Sunlight filtered through the water, casting golden rays of light upon the sand. With everyroll of the surface, light danced around the empty paddock. Teasing me.
I couldn’t feel anything ‘in my heart’ other than the urge to kick off from the floor and swim back up to the nearest island.I shouldn’t be here, that little voice in my mind kept muttering,I’m not like them.
“You’re not letting your Gift out.” My aunt’s stern tone cut through the noise.
“I’m trying.”
“No you’re not,” she grumbled. “What if that faery was here right now and he had Naria with him?” My gaze dropped to my aunt’s furious expression. “Would you let him take her away again? Just like last time?”
“There was nothing I could’ve done,” I growled. “My sword wasn’t even—”
“You. Don’t. Need. A. Sword.” She jabbed her finger into my chest, hard enough to sting. “You have the Divine Gift. And I apologise that your mother was always too proud to teach you about your magic when you were a child, but that’s no excuse to let yourself be walked all over by a mere faery now that you’re a man.”
“My mother has nothing to do with this.” I spoke through gritted teeth. But for some reason, the water surrounding us felt so much colder now.
My aunt shook her head. “Forgive me, dear.” Her tone softened. “It’s just that… you have her stubbornness, you see? And it was that stubbornness that had her running off with that foul man we all warned her to stay away from.”
A knot lodged in my throat. “My father?”
“Yes. Your father.” Her gaze fell away, searchingsomewhere beyond the reeds around the paddock. “And it’s that same stubbornness that keeps her from us now, even with him dead.”
Something squeezed in my chest, but before I could reply, she cleared her throat. “Enough talk of my beastly sister. We have far more important matters to discuss now anyway.” Huffing, she gestured to the large empty paddock. “We’ll start with why this isn’t working for you.”
“I said I’m trying,” I grumbled.
“But you’re also holding yourself back.” Her yellow eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. “Like you’re scared of it.”
“I amnotscared.” My voice boomed across the paddock.
“Ashamed then?”
When I found myself unable to reply, she blinked. “You’re ashamed of us… I see.”
I wasn’t expecting the guilt that flared up inside of me. Before I could say anything to try and soften the disappointment in her face, a cheery voice had me glancing over my shoulder.
“Cousin! Mother!” An orange-haired mermaid swam over the coral fence towards us, closely followed by one of her younger sisters.
“Olesha.” A broad grin washed the sadness from my aunt’s face. “And little Leena.” She pulled the smaller girl into a hug, almost knocking the pearl tiara from her head. “Have you come to watch your cousin train?”
After fixing her crown, the young mermaid nodded while her rose-pink tail swished beneath her. “Hello, Cousin.” She smiled sweetly at me. “The other girls and I made something for you to help your dragon come out.”
My brows shot up. “You made something? For me?”
Smile widening, she nodded again, just as Olesha handed me something wrapped in green seaweed.
I took the parcel, only to find that it wasn’t a parcel at all. It was some kind of homemade creature with stones for eyes, a pointed snout, and a long seaweed tail.
“It’s a water dragon!” Leena beamed. “We wove it out of seaweed ourselves.”
“Do you like it?” Olesha spoke through her cloud of orange hair. “I made the tail.”
I glanced up at their eager faces as an odd warmth flared up in my chest. “Thank you,” I breathed, not really sure what else to say.
“Such a talented little family we are.” The Merfolk Queen clasped her hands together.
