"The Goddess Awakened"

Chapter One

One Month After Breaking the Curse

The salt-kissed breeze whipped through my hair as I stood at the bow of Kipp's ship. Our ship, I corrected myself with a small smile. Even after weeks of freedom, I still wasn't used to thinking of anything as truly mine. Not the ship, not the endless horizon stretching before us, and certainly not the life I'd chosen over duty.

The siren kingdom deep below the sea was no longer just the sirens. With the curse broken, my mother’s creatures had changed to something new. It was no longer what it once was, and that made it easier to leave it all behind. I’d never wanted that crown anyway. 

Now, I was free.

And Kipp? 

He was mine, and I was his. 

I’d finally accepted that truth, and it fulfilled me in a way my power alone never had. The piece of myself that I'd given Poseidon had felt like chipping a piece of my soul away at first, but the truth was: already, that power was returning, and with it, something else entirely arose within me. As if it had been dormant all along... waiting.

Electricity crackled under my skin with a strength I couldn’t ignore. Something foreign but there, yet so small it felt like running my feet across a rug. It was as if it begged me to use it, to develop it, to take my legacy in my own hands. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that, but I wanted to be. For my pirate and his crew, our family, I’d do anything. It didn’t matter if those actions could be labeled as good, or inherently evil. All I cared about was ensuring we all lived through it.

The things I was willing to do for the people who mattered scared me sometimes. Sirens weren’t supposed to feel emotions such as these, but I’d never been able to stifle them. Now, they often fueled the worst reactions within me when it came to this new family of salty pirates I’d found. I had to admit, most of the time, I relished living deep within those dark thoughts. The power was delicious. 

Did that make me a monster? Probably. Did I care? Not usually.

"Lost in thought again, my vicious little siren?" 

Kipp’s voice, low and warm, sent a familiar shiver down my spine as his arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I leaned back into his solid chest, relishing the heat that radiated from him. It warred against the chill in the evening air that surrounded us.

"I am just thinking about how much has changed," I replied, tilting my face until the stubble along his jaw caressed my cheek.

"Regrets?" There was a teasing lilt to his voice, but I heard the genuine question beneath it.

I turned in his arms and he settled his hold around my hips as I stared into those warm brown eyes that still held faint traces of darkness deep within. A constant reminder from his lineage to the demigod of death. His gaze would always hold everything we'd been through, all that we'd sacrificed. But the way he looked down at me, with pure love and acceptance, would forever show me what we'd gained. 

"Not a single one," I answered.

His lips curved into that dimpled smile that never failed to make my heart race. "Good, because I have something to show you."

I followed Kipp below deck. That mischievous glint behind his eyes as he glanced back at me hurrying my steps. He'd been acting strange all day, sneaking glimpses at me when he thought I wasn't looking, whispering with Patton anytime I passed by them. Whatever he was planning, it had put the entire crew in suspiciously good moods. Their dramatic sea shanties whistled lighter than usual in the wind as we worked beneath the sun today.

Kipp paused in front of the door to our cabin, that wicked glint still winking behind his gaze as he smirked back at me. Then he pushed open the door, and I gasped, my hands lifting to cover the sound as I stared into our room.

Candles. Dozens of them. Their flames danced along their wicks while the ship swayed in the gentle waves of the sea. Rose petals–Where could he have even found so many rose petals in the middle of the ocean?–lay scattered across the silken sheets of our bed and the surrounding floor. The scent of jasmine and sea salt filled the air, and in the center of it all sat a small wooden box.

"Kipp..." My voice caught in my throat as emotions I still hadn’t learned to fully navigate threatened to overwhelm me. "What is all this?"

He took my hand, leading me to the bed where we sat side by side. His thumb traced circles on my palm, a gesture that had become his habit over the past weeks. "I've been thinking about what you said. About giving up your throne, your power, everything you were raised to be."

"I told you, I don't regret—"

"I know." He lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "But I wanted you to understand what you gained. What we gained." He leaned in close, brushing my long dark hair aside to lay a soft kiss into the crook of my neck.

I smirked at his words as his warm lips tugged along my pulse, my body curling into his hold. This was the Kipp I’d fallen for. My power hungry, greedy pirate. I loved him so completely. He was my home, and I was just as greedy for him. 

I moaned as his lips cascaded upwards, trailing warmth along my jaw line as he hungered for me. Then he released me, leaning away and taking his warmth with him. My fingers reached for the fabric of his tunic, wanting to cling to him forever. I never wanted to let him go, not after everything it had taken for us to get here to this moment, sitting in our cabin surrounded by love and petals.

Kipp reached for the box, opening it to reveal water encased in a clear type of shiny see-through material with a cork at the top. 

My heart skipped a beat, maybe two, because from first glance, it was clear this wasn’t just any water. It glowed with an ethereal purple light, swirling within the small crystal with silver sparkles. It reminded me of my scales.

He passed it to me, and I took it with hands that trembled.

"Your mother left this with Proteus," Kipp explained, watching my face carefully as I turned the gift over in my hands. "She knew you would need it one day. It's water from the deepest part of the ocean, blessed by her own hand at your birth." He paused, his expression growing more serious. "She knew the truth, Talia. That you weren't Poseidon's daughter, but Zeus's. That the lightning in your blood was dangerous in the sea, and that Poseidon would never stop targeting you if he ever discovered the truth of your heritage."

My breath caught. "So she bound my powers?"

"Proteus said it was to protect you," he replied. "Your mother bound the lightning and hid your true heritage beneath layers of magic. But she also preserved something for you: your true form and your connection to the ocean through her bloodline. He said she knew you would need it one day. This water holds that gift." 

My fingers brushed against the cork as I stared at the mesmerizing water shimmering within the crystal bottle. "What does it do?"

His smile widened, full of love and wonder. "You’ll have to ask Proteus more when we visit next, but from my understanding, it will unlock your true potential. You are the daughter of the siren queen and the god of gods, Zeus. I don’t know what will happen, but,” Kipp said, pausing only long enough to nod down at the potion within my hands, “drink it and you might learn more.”

I tugged the cork free with a soft pop and raised the small bottle to my lips. The icy liquid slid down my throat smooth as a jellyfish. For a moment, nothing happened. Then…

Power surged through me. This was different from the time I’d eaten the heart of the man who’d loved me first. It wasn’t an overwhelming force that had forged me into a weapon. This was gentler, more intimate. I could feel the ocean calling to me, not as a goddess to command, but as a daughter returning home.

There was something else too. A connection thrummed beneath my skin, warm and alive and… electric. Not only did I recognize the ability to shift between my forms flowing through me like a wrathful current, but the bindings my mother had placed to conceal my father’s power loosened. My mother’s siren legacy, born of her love and preserved all these years, awakened within my blood at the same moment Zeus’s power claimed its place within me. 

"Kipp?" I turned to him, my eyes wide as I let the empty crystal fall to the floor. It clinked and clattered until it rolled to a stop a few feet away. I pressed my fingers against my chest as my brows pinched. "Is that... Can I…? Is that your heartbeat?"

He nodded, his own expression filled with wonder. "The bond between us has always been there, but this…” He trailed off, his eyes widening as he stared at me. “I can feel it too. It strengthened the bond. You can feel what I feel… and I can feel you.  Your emotions, your physical sensations..." His voice dropped lower, taking on a husky quality that pooled heat deep within my belly. "...everything. Is it the same for you?"

I nodded while a blush creeped along my neck and cheeks.

“I wonder if I can…” A mischievous glint bloomed behind his eyes, causing my blush to deepen.

He ran his hand slowly down his chest, and I gasped as the sensation echoed through me. It wasn’t quite as strong as if it were my own hand trailing his skin, but it was present enough to send sparks zipping within my chest.

"That's not all," he continued, his eyes darkening with desire. "You still have your mother's gifts. And..."

"And?" I prompted, leaning closer. My body pressed into his as I twisted until I sat atop his lap, my hands caressing the sides of his face while I waited for him to say the words.

"Your claws. You can probably summon them again now."

Heat flooded through me at his words, at the memory of all the times I'd raked those sharpened points across his skin, and the way he'd always groaned and begged for more. I tilted my chin, staring down into his lustful gaze. "Is that so?"

"I missed them," he admitted, his voice rough with want. "Missed the way you'd mark me, claim me. Make me bleed just enough to remind me that you could destroy me if you wanted to."

“What if I don’t want to experience the cuts with you?” I teased him, snapping those very claws out as I trailed one down the middle of my breasts then licked my lips.

“Oh, you dirty little monster. I bet you would enjoy it as much as I do, but I bet we can learn to turn it off when we want to.” 

He watched as I dragged my newfound claws down my stomach, past the waistband of my breeches and toward my center. My back arched as I found the spot between my legs, my claws smooth against my flesh while my knuckles pressed into his bulge beneath me, only barred from me by a few layers of thin clothing. A moan fell from me as sensations warred within me.

“You are destroying me.” He growled, the sound nearly undoing me.

"But I don't want to destroy you," I whispered, even as I felt my nails extend farther, sharp and deadly. "I want to keep you… forever."

I pulled my claws out and shifted closer to him, breathing in the musky scent of him. My nipples pebbled against the rough fabric of my tunic, and I let my gaze drop to them before lifting them to meet his watchful stare, begging him to touch me with just one look.

"Then keep me." His hands gripped my waist as if he never wanted to let me go. "Show me I'm yours, Talia. Mark me. Claim me. Make me remember why I'd die a thousand deaths for you." He leaned in closer until his forehead kissed mine, his lips pressing into the slight arch of my nose as he spoke against my skin. “Why I’d scour the sea for you. How I’d destroy everyone and everything in my path to get to you.”

My lengthened nails traced feather-light paths down his neck, not breaking skin yet, but teasing him with what was to come. Through our bond, I sensed his anticipation, his need, and the way his cock hardened beneath me. It was powerful, and I reveled in my hold over this pirate that I’d claimed as mine.

"Gods, Talia," he breathed, his head falling back to give me better access. "You have no idea what you do to me."

"Oh, I think I do." 

In one quick swipe, my claws tore through his tunic until his chest bared itself to me. Then I pressed harder, letting the sharpened points drag down the defined lines of his chest. Fine, smooth red lines were in my wake. Not deep enough to truly wound him, but always enough to sting, to burn, and to remind him of the predator he’d fallen in love with. 

"I can feel exactly what I do to you," I reminded him, unable to hide my smirk. "And you like this…" I trailed my claws lower, down his abdomen and toward the delicious vee that tucked beneath his trousers, watching as the muscles jumped beneath every touch of mine. "You like belonging to a monster."

"My monster," he corrected, his hands fisting in my hair as a wild look flashed behind his dark irises. "Only mine."

I answered by digging my claws just a bit deeper, drawing small beads of blood that welled like crimson pearls against his tanned skin. The sharp intake of his breath, the way his hips bucked involuntarily beneath me… I felt it all doubled, tripled, through our connection.

"I need you," he growled, standing with me still wrapped around him. He yanked my shirt over my head, letting it drop into a puddle on the floor at our feet as he faced the bed. "Now."

He laid me down among the rose petals, each of them softer than the silken sheets against my spine. The candlelight flickered excitedly, as if even the glow from their flames was eager for our lovemaking. It was entirely too sweet, so very unlike us, but I loved the thoughtful gesture. It was something I never knew I’d been missing until Kipp lay me down like a queen to be worshipped.

Kipp didn’t lay down with me, not yet. He stood at the edge of the bed, staring down at me as if he needed to memorize every line and curve of my body splayed beneath him. Through our bond, his love, his devotion, his overwhelming need to show me what I meant to him consumed my every thought. 

"My turn," he said, his voice dark with promise.

His hands were everywhere, raising gooseflesh along my stomach as he stroked the flesh of my breasts, trailing his touch lower still until he unfastened my pants with practiced ease. I lay bare beneath him, with only the candlelight painting our skin in golden light. He kissed a path down my neck, my collarbone, the swell of my breasts, and I felt each touch doubled. Once from his lips on my skin, and again from his experience of kissing me.

"This bond…" I gasped as his mouth closed around my nipple, sending pleasure shooting through us both. "It's..."

"Intense?" He grinned up at me before lavishing attention on my other breast. "Overwhelming? Perfect?"

"Yes," I managed, my fingers tangling in his hair. "All of that."

He kissed lower, his tongue tracing patterns on my stomach, my hips, my thighs. When he finally settled between my legs, his breath hot against my core, I was already trembling with anticipation.

"I want you to use those claws on me again," he said, his eyes meeting mine. "While I'm tasting you, I want to feel your pleasure and your wildness at the same time."

He didn't need to tell me twice.

As his tongue made its first deliberate taste through my folds, I let my nails extend again, dragging them down his shoulders and to his back. The dual sensations running through me was ecstasy. The pain of my claws sliding along his skin collided with pleasure within him, and the bond shared every delectable feeling with me. It was almost too much. 

 "More," he growled against my core, the vibration sending new sparks of pleasure through me. "Don't hold back. I can take it."

So I didn't hold back. My nails dug deeper, leaving marks that would scar, that would remind him for days of this moment, and he responded by devouring me with increased fervor. His tongue circled my clit before plunging inside me, fucking me with his mouth while I marked him as mine just as he’d begged of me.

The pleasure built and built, spiraling higher with each stroke of his tongue, each scrape of my claws. I could sense it all. His arousal, hard and aching, and my own release on the edge of a wave begging to crest. All of it, the pain and pleasure mixing until they were indistinguishable.

"Kipp," I gasped, my back arching off the bed. "I'm going to—"

"Come for me," he commanded, his voice rough. "Let me feel it. All of it."

I shattered beneath him when my orgasm crashed over me in waves that seemed to last forever. His own ecstasy at bringing me such pleasure added to the tides that rolled over us both. I hadn’t even touched him yet, but he fell over the edge of the cliff with me, groaning against my core as he found his own release.

I wasn't done with him though.

Before he could recover, I flipped us over until I pinned him to the bed with a strength that surprised us both. My strength had returned when I’d drank that potion, and I grinned down at him as his wide-eyed stare watched me. I was the monster he had fallen in love with once more.

"My turn to taste you," I said. 

My sharpened nails sliced down his chest, stopping just above where he strained against his, now damp, pants. I freed him slowly, deliberately, watching his face as I closed my hand around his hard length. The sensation of my hand wrapping around his length mixed with the pleasure he felt heightened my desperate need as it matched his own. Gods, it was… It was delicious. 

This bond I’d once strained against was a gift I’d now cherish always.

"Talia," he groaned, his hips bucking into my hand. "Please."

I straddled him lower until I could lean my mouth down toward his cock, letting my breath whisper over his tip. He shuddered within my hold, sending gooseflesh racing across my lower spine. With a delighted gasp, I took his length into my mouth, hollowing my cheeks as I sucked, relishing in the dual sensations overwhelming my system with pleasure. The taste of him on my tongue, and the feeling of my mouth on him nearly made me come again before I was ready to let myself go.

I set a slow rhythm, taking him deeper with each stroke while my claws traced lazy patterns on his thighs, his hips, and occasionally digging in just enough to remind him of the danger I still posed. He loved it, his revelation overfilling my heart with its warmth as it filled his own. 

"Stop," he gasped after several minutes. "I need—I need to be inside you. Please, Talia. I need to feel you around me."

I released him with a soft pop, crawling up his body to kiss him deeply. He could taste himself on my tongue, just as I'd tasted myself on his earlier, and the intimacy of it made my heart clench.

"Then take me," I whispered against his lips. "Claim me the way I claimed you."

He flipped us again, and my long, dark hair splayed out around my head on the silken sheets like a dark halo. For a moment, he lifted some of it between his fingers, his eyes sparkling with adoration as he let the strands go.

I loved this man above me, and his need to dominate, to possess, as he positioned himself at my entrance. Our eyes locked, and time stopped as he pushed himself inside, both of us gasping as every feeling we each experienced hit us both. We’d claimed each other like this before, but it had never been all-consuming like this. 

We fit together like one, and we felt everything as one. 

It was almost maddening.

It was intense. 

It was perfect.

"Gods," he groaned, bottoming out inside me. "This bond... Talia, I can feel how good this is for you."

"And I can know how perfect I feel wrapped around you," I managed to reply, my legs wrapping around his waist. "Now, move. Please."

He did, setting a rhythm that had us both moaning breathless. My claws created deep crescents in his back without conscious thought on my part. I held onto him, never wanting to let him go. His pleasure built, buzzing beneath my skin while my own orgasm threatened to release. Every sensation was mind-numbingly delicious, and I knew then that I could spend an eternity fucking this pirate and never get tired of feeling this.

"I love you," he gasped, his thrusts becoming more erratic. "Gods, Talia, I love you so much."

"Show me," I demanded, my claws raking down his back hard enough to draw blood. "Show me how much you love your monster."

As soon as the words left me, he lost control, slamming into me with an intensity that left us both breathless, that had me screaming his name, that had him growling mine. When we finally came together, his release triggering mine, and mine intensifying his in an endless loop of shared ecstasy, I understood what he'd been trying to tell me…

I hadn't lost everything when I had given up my mother’s throne. I'd gained something infinitely more precious. This connection, this love, this man who would literally die for me. Of course, I would never let him. We would sacrifice the world for each other if it came down to that. 

As we lay tangled together afterward, his blood mixing with my sweat on the sheets, his hand tracing idle patterns on my hip, I fully understood what his father, Thanatos, had meant when he'd told me that love was the greatest gift of all.

"Thank you," I whispered, pressing a kiss to one of the fresh claw marks on his shoulder. "For reminding me what I have, and for giving me back a piece of myself."

"Always," he murmured, pulling me closer. 

I curled into his arms with a smile while the waves rocked the ship, lulling us both into a slumber. This love, this bond, and this life we were building together was worth more than any throne, any crown, or any amount of power.

And I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Chapter Two

The next morning

The first golden rays of sunlight that sliced through the window of our cabin woke me from my perfect slumber, and I stirred within the strong hold of my pirate while I breathed out a sigh. The thrum of our hearts beating the same rhythm, the weight of his arm across my chest, and the smell of sea salt and spice at my back… all of it. I couldn’t believe this was my life now.

I wriggled out from his hold, and he moaned out a complaint as I sat up and scooted off the bed. The cool sea breeze kissed my naked flesh as I swung open the rounded window, relishing in the scent of what had always been my home. I cast a glance back to the rugged man sprawled across our sheets and a smile stretched across my lips as I admired my new home.

"Morning," he murmured, his hand stroking through his hair as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Sleep well?"

"Mmhmm," I agreed, stretching like a feline before I picked up my discarded clothing from the floor. A rich scent halted my movements, one leg in my trousers, one hanging in the air mid-step. "Kipp, why can I smell coffee brewing three decks down?” I tilted my chin, my brow narrowing while I gave the room a sniff. “And is that... cinnamon?"

His grin was positively wicked. If he kept looking at me like that, I’d have to rake my claws down his chest all over again. 

"Proteus said that might happen. Your siren senses are sharper now. The potion your mother saved for you, the water from the deepest trenches she mixed with a sliver of her essence, it unlocked the full potential of what you inherited from both sides of your heritage," Kipp said as he swung his legs over the edge of our bed.

That buzzing beneath my skin, the electric pulse that hummed through my veins when my emotions heightened, zipped along my spine. "I wonder what else that will mean…"

"Why don't we find out?"

I finished getting dressed while he gathered his own clothing from the room. The candles had burned out hours ago, leaving behind puddles of hardened wax in copper dishes around the room. The rose petals that had decorated the sheets were decently crumpled from our love-making, and I looked forward to ruining them completely soon.

We headed above deck, and every member of the crew dipped their heads, blushed, or winked at us as we passed them. No doubt they had heard our activities last night. I snuggled deeper into the crook of Kipp’s arm as we walked. I didn't care what any of them thought. They should know that their captain was mine, and that he’d been thoroughly claimed.

"Talia!" Camilla called from the rigging. "Catch!"

Without thinking, I reached out, and the world suddenly felt alive with possibility. I could feel the ocean beneath us–just as I’d always felt it–but also the currents of air that danced above. It was more than that though. The static built in the distant clouds, crackling at my fingertips as if it begged me to release it. 

Time slowed to a crawl as my gaze hardened onto the rope Camilla had thrown. My hand hung in the air, my palm open and waiting, while a column of water lifted from the sea like a tentacle. It wrapped around the rope while tiny sparks of electricity flowed within the water in hues of purple and silver. It was harmless and beautiful, and it delivered the rope to my waiting palm, eager to do my bidding.

The entire crew aboard the top deck fell silent. The wind held its breath. And I stared at the dried rope I now held as the tentacle of water slipped beneath the sea once more.

"Well," Patton finally said, clasping a hand across Kipp’s back as he joined us. "That's new."

I looked at Kipp in wonder, then up at the sky. I could feel the clouds… I could sense the winds that moved them. "I can... I can touch the sky," I breathed, my hand hanging at my side with the rope still clutched within my hold. My gaze snapped to the clear waters rocking our ship. "And the sea still answers me."

"You're the daughter of Zeus and a primordial sea goddess," Kipp reminded me. His eyes shone with pride, and it bloomed within my chest through our bond. "Your mother bound the lightning to protect you from Poseidon's jealousy, but Proteus said she had always intended for you to claim both halves of your heritage when the time was right. The sky and the sea, storm and tide, they're both yours now."

“When did you and Proteus become such good friends?” I teased him, bumping his shoulder with mine. “You know what–” I handed the rope to Kipp. “–never mind. I’m going to see what else I can do.”

Strutting away from him and his first mate, I licked my lips as his heart fluttered delightedly against my ribs at the sight of my ass swaying with each of my steps. I could get used to our entwined lives. Crossing the ship, I didn’t stop until I reached the railing along the portside. I hoisted myself up and over the bulwark, letting my feet dangle over the edge while I perched on the edge precariously.

The salty seas crested against the hull of Kipp’s ship, misting me with its cool touch while my dark hair whipped around my face in the breeze. Rippling water glittered beneath the light of day for as far as the eye could see. I tilted my chin, settling my attention on the wisps of clouds above. They weren’t dark enough to hold much rain, and they weren’t plentiful enough to cast us in their shade, but there were enough of them for me to test what Kipp had said.

The sky and the sea, storm and tide…

All of it could be mine to control.

When I had taken a bite out of that first heart, awakening my siren powers for the first time, I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore my gifts. I’d struggled against the binding Kipp had placed upon us both, and then we’d sailed ahead with only our curses in sight. Now that we were both free, I could test the limits of my abilities, and an ember of excitement flared to life deep within my core.

I held my hand in front of my face, tracing the lines of my fingers with my eyes while an idea formed. With a slow twist of my wrist and a twirl of my pointer finger, I aimed my attention to the waters below until a tight whirlpool formed ten feet out from the ship. When I stopped the movements, the ocean returned to its gentle rocking.

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips, and I laughed. I thought I’d sacrificed part of myself to save Kipp, and I gladly would have given everything just to have his heart beat again, but this…? Knowing I still held my ties to the ocean, that I hadn’t lost my mother’s world completely, was everything.

The wind carried strands of my hair into my face, and I brushed it back behind my ear without a thought. As the breeze picked up fervor, another idea occurred to me, and again, I tipped my chin toward the sky.

I wonder…

The electricity hummed beneath my skin, a warmth that differed from the cold embrace of the sea. If Zeus was my father, then I should be able to wield his lightning. My brow furrowed as I cast my gaze toward the clouds drifting across the blue sky. Then, in a movement almost too quick to follow, my open palm shot above my head, my balance on the bulwark barely keeping me in place as I closed my fist around nothing and yanked it down toward the sea.

Thunder cracked, and a bolt of lightning slammed into the ocean less than fifty feet from the portside of the ship. 

A delighted shriek tore from my throat. I could wield the storms, and I could control the seas. With my power returned, stronger than before, summoning winds to fill our sails would be a breeze. Tempest waves wouldn’t hinder our adventures ever again. There wouldn’t be another ship in all the oceans that could take on my pirate, or our crew. Not with me aboard.

"You're magnificent," Kipp said from behind me as his chin settled in the crook of my neck and his arms wrapped around my waist. “That was you pulling lightning from the skies, wasn’t it?”

I nodded, sighing as I let my head rest against his.

“The sea and the sky both bow to you now,” he said.

"I feel more like myself," I admitted, watching tiny lightning bolts dance between my fingers before sending them harmlessly into the clouds above. "Before, when Circe's hold broke, the power felt wild, dangerous. Like it was using me. Now I'm using it."

"That's because you're not trying to be what everyone else wants you to be anymore." He pressed a kiss to my temple. "You're not Poseidon's weapon or Zeus's secret shame. You're just Talia. Storm and sea, siren and goddess, exactly as your mother intended."

I leaned deeper into his hold, feeling the ocean rock beneath us as the wind whispered through the sails. The sea and sky were finally in harmony. 

And all of it was mine.

Chapter Three

Two weeks later

A glass bottle with an aged piece of rolled parchment tucked inside held a map with an x that sent us sailing toward our next adventure, and the crew spent the past two weeks teaching me every necessary task required to keep our ship, our home, afloat. The ropes needed to be pulled taut or adjusted, the decks needed to be scrubbed, the bilge pumped constantly, while others re-caulked leaking seams, worked in the galley, or mended clothing and sails. But my favorite task by far was the scraping of barnacles from the hull of our ship. It was something I could do while we sailed now that my tail had returned.

With a flick of my fins, I followed the ship’s movements closely while I wedged my dagger beneath the nearest cluster and twisted. The barnacles cracked free from the hull in a spray of shell fragments and drifting algae, leaving behind pale scars across the dark wood. With my free hand, I guided the jagged mass into my palm, using the force of the ocean to crack into the shell until the wet, fleshy interior revealed itself. 

Clearing the ship of these things was taxing. A sea snack was exactly what I needed as I placed the edible portion into my mouth. It tasted of salt and iron, with the sharp mineral bite of the sea still trapped inside. To me, it tasted like home. 

I worked at this for hours, using my power of sea and storm to make the task easier, until the water began to churn beneath me. A school of fish scattered in an unusual pattern, and I peered into the depths, seeing nothing but knowing something was coming. 

Pulling away from the ship, I swam deeper. Every nerve within my body stood on end, and I spun, gaining speed and heading for the surface until I broke free of the ocean, arcing above the waters until I rolled onto the deck with a thud. The sailors closest gasped before recognizing it was only me and returned back to their duties.

"Kipp!" I called while Patton hurried to my side with an oversized tunic. 

My tail vanished, leaving me naked. Whenever I slipped into my siren form, I did so without the drag of soaked clothing weighing me down. And while the crew had long since grown accustomed to my nakedness, Kipp always kept a few spare shirts nearby for my return.

I pulled the tunic over my head, the hem settling low against my thighs as I scanned the deck for the captain. When my gaze finally found him, I said, “Drop anchor. Something’s happening.”

Kipp didn’t question me. He nodded once then the order rang across the deck. The ship erupted into motion as sailors hauled lines while others rushed the bow. Canvas snapped overhead as the wind began slipping from the sails, but the ship still carried forward through the dark water long after the anchor vanished beneath the waves. 

Glancing skyward, I sent my intention into the clouds, willing the breeze to work with our crew. Minutes later, the ship was stationary, and we waited.

“Off the port side bow,” Camilla shouted from the crow’s nest. “Something beneath the surface. Too big to be a fish!”

Joshua, the closest crewmember, leaned over the rail before anyone reached him. “There! It’s moving fast!”

Kipp and I arrived at his side a second later. 

“Gods, it’s coming up!” Kipp glanced sideways at me. “Do you know what that is?”

I shook my head while my fingers transformed into claws. Whatever came this way, I would be ready for it.

The ocean churned, and a sphere of water broke through, rising until it sat atop the surface. We all watched, our breath stuck in our throats, until the massive bubble popped, leaving behind a shimmering figure I recognized.

I smiled. “Proteus.”

The old god winked at me, looking every bit as young and handsome as he’d been when we’d visited Siren Island together. His gaze dropped to the threadbare tunic still clinging to my frame. “Little Minnow,” he said lightly, “have you forgotten how to conjure clothing? Have I taught you nothing?”

I shifted a shoulder. “It doesn’t trouble me enough to waste power on it.” 

Kipp’s gaze burned into my neck. I didn’t look at him. If I was being honest, I had forgotten that ability existed. There always seemed to be something else that needed my attention.

“Why have you come?” I called down to my oldest friend.

“I have news.”

"Good news or bad news?" Kipp asked, his hand finding mine.

“That depends on your perspective.” Proteus walked across the water as though it were stone, stopping beside the ship.

“The sirens thrive,” he said. “Your sacrifice held, Talia. The curse is gone.” His gaze held mine. “They no longer fear the heart ritual. They are bearing children again.”

Relief flooded through me. "That's wonderful."

"There's more." Proteus's expression grew grave. “I come with a warning, and a request.”

“I’m listening,” I replied, suddenly anxious.

“Poseidon knows you’ve regained your ties to the sea.” Proteus nodded toward Kipp, a knowing glint behind his wise eyes. “And if he can feel your manipulations…” He flicked his attention to the sky then back to me. “So, too, can Zeus. You must be careful. You’ve heard the stories of how he tests those with his blood.”

I held my free hand up, making a show of purplish electricity that snapped within my open palm while I leaned my head against Kipp’s shoulder. “Whatever comes our way, we will be ready for it.”

“I never doubted you for a moment, Little Minnow,” Proteus said, already backing away from our ship. “Your mother would be proud. She always wanted you to have the power to choose your own destiny. Be it sky or sea.” 

He lowered himself back into the ocean, and the waters calmed and the breeze quieted.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I watched my friend disappear. Kipp held me while I cried, not asking questions, but just giving me the space to let go of that world. My mother’s gift meant I could choose what life I led, but as I curled into my pirate’s hold, I knew I would never choose a world where he couldn’t follow.

“That isn’t my home anymore,” I said, turning in his arms to face him. “You are.”

“Whatever you decide–” He leaned down, kissing my forehead. “–I’m yours always.”

“Always and forever,” I agreed, nuzzling into his neck.

We stayed like that for a while, the crew busying themselves at our backs while we enjoyed the quiet. Then, with that wicked grin I loved so much, he glanced down at me. “So, what’s this about conjuring clothes?”

I laughed, twisting out of his hold. “Race you to our cabin and I’ll show you.”

I rushed across the deck, my laughter echoing on the wind as Kipp’s heavy footsteps chased me. We raced below deck like children while the crew shook their heads at our playful antics. I let Kipp catch me just outside our cabin door, and he pressed me against the wall, kissing me breathless.

“I love you,” I said, pulling away only long enough to whisper those words into his kisses.

His dark eyes glittered as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I love you, my vicious little monster.”

This was everything I needed. Loving him, being loved by him, having both of our hearts beating as one…

That was true power.

And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

THE END