Page 73 of Stolen Magic of the Deep

She doesn't answer. Or I just didn't do it correctly.

My attention returns to Orion. He gestures with his hands while Ildrina responds through their bond, her snout shifting slightly as if she's reacting to words only they can hear. It's strange, watching a conversation happen right in front of me while being completely unaware of what's being said and not being included.

Nyra . . .

I bite the inside of my cheek. I want answers. I feel left out. I have to step up. Try and say something. But if I am to be included, I'd rather it be because they choose to—not because I force my way into the conversation.

So I wait.

While they continue, I wander around the carved-out space, tracing my eyes over the inscribed designs fixed into the walls as I occasionally watch them from a distance.

The carvings stretch across the back wall, directly opposite the open bay window where the waterfall descends endlessly. Seashells of every size dot the stone, connected by flowing ribbons of seaweed. Larger images break up the pattern. A siren in the middle holds a conch shell at her side, Snapdragonis filling the remaining spaces. Almost as if they’re calling to the siren.

The detail catches me, tugging at the back of my thoughts. Something about it feels purposive, but I press it down for now, filing it away to ask Nyxalene about later.

Boredom presses in, my patience unraveling. Desperate to be added into the discussion, I finally move beside Orion. Folding my hands behind my back, one over the other to steady them, I speak up. “When am I going to be included in this conversation?”

Orion tilts his head downward at me, a faint smile tugging at his lips, but his eyes are serious.

“We were discussing the best way to find out if the bond we share is true,” he says, voice low, just for me. “And we all agree the best way to find out is by testing if you have the same abilities I do.”

He swims closer, the water between us hardly noticeable, and I feel my chest tighten. He gives me that same look from moments ago, part mischief and pride. My pulse hammers faster. His effect on me grows harder to ignore with each passing day.

“What little bits of information was Nyra giving you?” he asks. But before I can answer, he waves a hand toward her. “Actually, let's start with marine telepathy. The easiest way to practice is with your own bonded Snapdragon, and then moving on to others in the sea, but obviously only when you are capable.”

I nod, unsure of what else to say, trying to keep my hands steady behind my back, though a shiver of anticipation runs through me. I won’t deny that practicing the magical aspects is what I look forward to the most.

When I first learned to shapeshift into my serpent form, there was this internal feeling of belonging. Then, in my room, I expanded my ability to cover myself in scales all the way down to my wrists. And because I practice every night before sleep, I can now change my scales to any color, including each individual scale. It’s captivating—I’ve become my own scientific study.

If there was an experimental study like it back home, it would be on the news. We'd have sponsors lined up for weeks. But I'm glad I've never been the kind of person who would exploit the deepest secrets the ocean has to offer.

You also need to learn how to quiet your thoughts better, human. Nyra’s voice cuts through my mind like stainless steel.

“I don’t know how!” I scream, glaring at her in frustration. God, she's infuriating.

As are you, human.

Ignoring my outburst, Orion’s voice rises above the heavy silence that follows, his hands clapping in front of him. “Alright, I think we're ready to begin.”

“Why are you making that face, Sarah?” Orion asks. “You’re finding the mental barrier in your mind and crossing it. The expressions aren't needed.”

I glare at him. He's been explaining the same information to me over and over, for what feels like forever.

“Close your eyes and place yourself in your mind. Once you find your feet on the floor of that space, locate the magical barrier line. That line will help you find your magical tether. You need to allow that tether to slip past the barrier,” he says again, his voice maddeningly steady.

“I don’t understand what any of that means!” I grunt. "Humans can’t just walk into their minds. It’s physically impossible."

The way he explains it is like asking a toddler to solve calculus. I keep trying, though, closing my eyes, remembering to keep my face relaxed. I don’t see anything except darkness. I’m so close to giving up.

You need to do more than just relax, human. Yet again, Nyra cuts in, her suggestion sounding more like an instruction.

God, I want her to shut up already.

Then make me.

I ignore her and return to my mind, doing my best to block everything else out. I walk aimlessly through the dark, arms stretched out as if something might jump out and scare me.

Then, without warning, a surge of energy swallows me whole. It races up my body and through my mind, making me feel as if I’ve been dragged back to life. I hold my breath, terrified that even breathing will let the energy escape.