“Then we better start driving.”
Brody adjusted the rearview mirror. “You’re sure we’re no longer safe?”
“Not on our own anymore. We need Mina.”
“Then we’ll go.” Gravel crunched under his tires as he pulled the car over. He waited for traffic to pass and then did a U-turn.
Nan gazed fondly at sleeping Charlie. “Did you hear that, bud?” she whispered. “We’re going to find your sister.”
Mina woke up to the swaying of the boat. Ever and Nix had left, and she was the only one sleeping. She carefully crawled out of the hammock and placed her feet on the floor. If she could believe her dreams, then Nan had gotten her message, and they were on their way. But how long before they made it here? It would help if she had a clue whether the dream was of the future or the past. She rubbed her temples to try to make sense of it.
Her stomach growled, and she realized it had been a while since she had eaten real food. She went above deck and saw that most of the sirens were diving off the ship into the water. Kino appeared to be hosting a contest.
Ever sat as judge, calling out scores for each of the participants. Kino went to the side rail and did a forward somersault.
“Nine!” Ever yelled.
Nix was up next. He crawled onto the railing, turned to face her, and blew her a kiss. He jumped and executed a backward tuck, his head just missing the railing.
Ever jumped up and cheered when he appeared above the water. “Ten, ten, ten!”
“Maybe I need to flirt with the judge more.” Kino laughed and flicked water at Nix.
A shadow passed over Mina.
“You’ve seen him, your brother, in your dreams,” Winona said from a few steps above her, her arm wrapped around Ternan’s waist. “I can tell. You seemed more relaxed.”
“Yes, they’re coming. I don’t know when, but they’re coming.”
Ternan answered, “Which means they may lead trouble right to us.”
“Well, what would you have me do?”
“Nothing,” Ternan said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way. We can handle trouble, but I think you need to start figuring out your gifts with your grandmother now, while I show these guppies how it’s done.” He grinned, pulled off his blue jacket, tossed the hat to the ground, and jumped up on the railing.
All of the jostling and cheering and calls stopped, everyone’s eyes on the King of the Sirens. Ternan raised his hands above his head, the scars even lighter than the siren tattoos on his tanned arms in the sunlight.
Mina let out a sound of surprise as the ship shifted on the water and rose high into the air, creating an even greater distance to the water.
Ternan rose to his tiptoes, bent his knees, and jumped into the air, doing a reverse three-and-a-half somersault with a half twist.
“Show off,” Winona chuckled and nudged Mina in the arm. “Do you want to have a try?”
Mina shook her head violently. “No, I’ve had enough of the water.”
Her grandmother frowned. “It seems you’ve been dark water bitten.”
“What?”
“It means you have a fear of deep water.”
“Well, you’re probably right. The last few times I’ve had to swim underwater have been traumatizing.”
“Maybe one day you’ll get over your fear.”
“Maybe.”
“So tell me what you’ve been experiencing or what you can do so far.”
“I’m not sure exactly what I’m able to do. Most of the things I’ve ever done have been on accident or tied to extreme heightened emotion. I caused a car accident, shifted or changed items, created the Grimoire, and took control of the mind of a giant. Charlie, who never spoke until Mom died, all of a sudden can open his mouth and cause mass destruction. My gifts seem to be a mess.”
“Well, the two of you have very different gifts—but important ones. Charlie’s gift is very rare—it’s known as the call. When angry or afraid, a siren who has this gift can open his mouth and destroy whole ships with the vibration of his vocal chords alone. We usually try not to have more than one calling siren in a group at any one time. For instance, Kino is the only siren on this ship that has the power to call. Any more than that, and if tempers flared, we’d be adrift at sea. Now, mind you, we are creatures of the sea, but we enjoy riding in a grand Fae vessel.”
“That makes sense.” Mina chuckled. Just because she had legs and could do it, didn’t mean she would walk across the United States on foot.
“You, my dear, have what’s known as the lure. It’s one of the most dangerous and volatile gifts.”
Goosebumps ran up her arms. “How so?”
“Most sirens have a smidge of the lure. They’re able to sing and control non-sirens or trick their minds, but not like you can. You actually summon the Fae magic to do your bidding, and you use its allure on others. Your gift is tied to your emotions, so if it’s not properly reined in, you’ll find yourself affecting the world around you just by your own thoughts and desires. You’re even more powerful if you’re around water or rain. The magic listens, and things happen.”
“Yes,” Mina answered. “My jealousy caused my friend to die in car accident.”
“It can push your deepest desires into being.”
Heartbroken, Mina wondered again if that’s what she had done with Brody. Had she been so infatuated with him that she pushed him into falling in love with her? Yes, she could blame Teague for the first time, because he was intent on making her follow the Story quests to a T.
But what about the other times, when Brody’d lose his memories but then be drawn to her? Was she making him obsess about her?
“I suddenly don’t feel very good.” Mina had to go find somewhere to sit, which happened to be the deck steps.
“Oh Mina, it’s okay. We’ve all done things that we regret, but it may be what has kept you alive. If Teague is so filled with hate toward you, maybe your gift is also what kept him infatuated with you. Thank the stars that you sympathize with him a little, because he seems to be reluctant to harm you.”
“But what if I’ve been doing this since the beginning? What if I made Teague fall in love with me, like I did Brody? What if I doomed myself?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I don’t think you’ve given your own charming self enough credit.” She tapped Mina’s wrists. “You were shackled and your powers bound while in the palace. If you felt any kindness or compassion toward him in those circumstances, then you can believe what you felt was real.”
A rush of relief ran through her. There were moments.
Yes. Moments when she felt a tug at her heart and could see the softening of Teague’s eyes. And she hadn’t imagined the time when he almost kissed her. So, despite her own misgivings, a real connection did exist between them. More connection than Winona realized.
“So what do I do now?’
“Well, I think you know what you’re capable of, so it’s just practicing to see if you can get it under control and make it work when you’re not angry, threatened, or scared.”
“Okay, give me something.”
“You said you’ve changed your appearance before. Change it again. Most Fae are capable of a simple glamour. Let’s see yours.”