Aqua’s POV
Morning came softly.
Too softly.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains in pale gold lines, touching the floor, the dresser, the edge of the bed, and the tiara sitting where I had left it the night before.
White gold.
Aquamarine jewels.
A gift from my father, carried to me by Dipsi in the most Dipsi way possible.
No full explanation.
No gentle handing over of history.
Just a crown placed into my life like a secret she expected me to understand later.
I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at it.
I had known what my father was.
I had known I was not only Waters.
But knowing a truth and feeling it break open inside you were not the same thing.
Yesterday, when I touched Steven and light poured from my hands, I had not felt like the princess of Atlantis.
I had not felt like the girl who had washed up on the beach after a storm and fallen in love with a boy who was kind enough to be afraid of hurting me.
I had felt like something else.
Something brighter.
Older.
Terrifying.
My hands rested in my lap now, normal and quiet.
No white-gold glow.
No violet light.
No power answering me.
Still, I remembered.
My eyes lifted to the mirror across the room.
For one second, I wondered if they had really turned purple.
Steven had said they had.
Violet, maybe.
Beautiful, he had called them.
But Steven called many things beautiful when he loved them.
That did not mean they were safe.
Behind me, the bed shifted.
I turned.
Steven was awake.
He lay on his side, one hand near the necklace beneath his shirt, eyes already on me.
Fang was curled against his chest, half-hidden in the blanket like a black-and-yellow coil of suspicion.
Fang had slept there all night.
Not beside the bed.
Not on the cat tree.
On Steven.
Steven had not argued.
Neither had I.
“Morning,” Steven said, voice rough.
“Good morning.”
His gaze moved from me to the tiara.
“You were looking at it again.”
“Yes.”
“Does it feel weird?”
I looked back at the tiara.
“Yes.”
He pushed himself up slowly, careful not to disturb Fang too much.
Fang lifted his head anyway, eyes immediately alert.
Steven looked down at him.
“I moved an inch.”
Fang stared.
Steven sighed.
“Fine. Half an inch.”
Despite the heaviness in my chest, a small smile touched my mouth.
There he was.
Not healed.
Not fine.
Not untouched.
But there.
Messy.
Tired.
Trying to joke because the room hurt too much without it.
Steven glanced at me and softened.
“You’re not in a good mood.”
I almost said I was fine.
Then I heard Fredrick’s warning in my memory.
Do not mistake silence for safety.
So I told the truth.
“No. I am not.”
Steven’s face fell slightly.
“Because of me?”
“No.”
I stood and crossed to the bed, sitting beside him.
“Because of everything.”
He looked down.
“That includes me.”
“That includes what happened to you.”
His fingers moved to the necklace again.
Fang shifted, pressing his body more firmly against Steven’s chest.
“I still feel him,” Steven admitted quietly.
My stomach tightened.
“Talking?”
“Not clearly.”
His fingers curled against his shirt.
“More like… pressure. Like someone pacing behind a locked door.”
I hated that.
I hated that Salizar was still there.
I hated that Fredrick’s seal was only a lock, not an ending.
Steven swallowed.
“I don’t want to stay in this house today.”
The words surprised me because I had been thinking the same thing.
He looked around the room.
The dresser.
The bed.
The doorway.
All the places where Salizar had walked in his body.
“I know it’s our house,” he said quickly. “And I know we can’t just run from everything. I just…”
“You need a different view.”
His eyes lifted to mine.
“Yes.”
I took his hand.
“Then let us go to Atlantis.”
Steven stared at me.
“Atlantis?”
“Yes.”
“As in your home Atlantis?”
“I do not know another one.”
He blinked, then rubbed his face with his free hand.
“Right. Sorry. My brain is still catching up to being married to someone who can say that like it is normal.”
A little warmth moved through me.
“We do not have to stay long,” I said. “But my family needs to know I am married. Triton especially. They should hear it from me before it becomes rumor, or duty, or something my brother learns from someone else.”
Steven’s expression shifted.
“Meet your family.”
“Yes.”
“As your husband.”
“Yes.”
He swallowed.
“Is your brother going to kill me?”
“Triton will not kill you.”
“Does he have a weapon?”
I tilted my head.
“He has an army.”
Steven stared at me.
“That was not the comforting answer.”
“I will protect you.”
“That is comforting and slightly embarrassing.”
“You can be embarrassed and protected at the same time.”
His mouth twitched.
For a moment, the room felt less like something we were surviving and more like something we could breathe inside.
Then Steven looked down at Fang.
“Would Fang even be allowed to come?”
Fang’s head snapped up.
I smiled faintly.
“I think Fang has already decided he is coming to Fredrick’s.”
Steven looked at Fang.
“Right. Dumb question.”
Fang settled back against him, as if satisfied.
“But Atlantis is different,” I said.
Fang’s yellow eyes slid to me.
I held his gaze.
“I do not think bringing a Salvatore familiar into Atlantean territory without warning is wise. You would draw attention before Steven even had time to breathe.”
Fang’s tongue flicked once.
Steven looked between us.
“He does not like that.”
“I know.”
“He says attention can be useful.”
“That sounds like Fang.”
Fang lifted his head a little higher.
I softened my voice.
“Someone needs to hold down the fort.”
Fang paused.
Steven blinked, then looked down at him.
“Oh, he liked that.”
“I thought he might.”
Fang settled with slow dignity against Steven’s chest.
“He says the fort needs guarding,” Steven said.
“Then it is settled.”
“Apparently, the house is a fort now.”
“With Fang in it, yes.”
Steven looked down at him.
“I hope you know this makes you sound easier to flatter than you pretend.”
Fang’s tail tapped once against the blanket.
Steven gave me a tired look.
“He says I should not talk about flattery while I am wearing a hoodie to sneak him into Fredrick’s house.”
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Despite everything, I laughed.
The sound came out small.
But it came out.
Steven looked at me like he wanted to keep it.
Then his smile faded.
“But before we go,” I said, “Fredrick told us to tell him if we planned to leave Worthington. We should go to him first. Make sure the seal will hold while we are gone.”
Steven’s hand tightened around mine.
“That is probably smart.”
“I think he may have something extra for us too. Just in case.”
His mouth twisted.
“Just in case is my least favorite phrase now.”
“I know.”
He drew in a slow breath.
“Fredrick first. Then Atlantis.”
I squeezed his hand.
“Together.”
His fingers tightened around mine.
“Together.”
---
Steven wore a hoodie.
He said it was because the morning air was cool.
It was not.
The morning was already warm, the kind of Georgia warmth that promised the day would turn heavy and damp before noon.
But Fang had wrapped himself around Steven’s neck and shoulders like a living scarf, black-and-yellow scales half-visible above the collar.
The hood helped hide him from anyone who did not need to notice a serpent staring at them like he had personally been appointed judge of their soul.
Fang’s head rested near Steven’s jaw, eyes open.
Always open.
Steven kept one hand lightly near him as we walked toward Worthington Manor.
Not holding him in place.
Just touching.
Reminding himself Fang was there.
I pretended not to notice how often he did it.
Worthington Manor rose ahead of us, elegant and imposing against the morning light.
Vines climbed part of the stone wall, green and deliberate, as if even the plants here obeyed some old Worth command.
The windows glinted.
The front steps looked too clean.
The whole manor had the air of a place that knew exactly who belonged inside and who had to prove it.
Steven looked up at it.
“I will never get used to this house.”
“Neither will I.”
He glanced at me.
“You grew up in a palace.”
“Underwater. Different rules.”
“Still a palace.”
“This one feels like it judges your posture.”
Steven looked relieved.
“Thank you. I thought that was just me.”
Fang flicked his tongue against the air.
At the front door, Steven paused.
I looked at him.
“Are you all right?”
“No.”
He gave me a tiny, nervous smile.
“But I am here.”
This time, the words sounded different.
Not like Salizar’s wrong answer.
Like Steven choosing truth even though it shook.
I leaned up and kissed his cheek.
“I know.”
His eyes softened.
Then the door opened before we knocked.
Henry stood there, perfectly dressed, expression as calm as if young married couples with snakes around their necks appeared at the door every morning.
“Miss Aqua. Sir Steven.”
Steven muttered, “Good morning.”
Fang lifted his head slightly.
Henry’s gaze flicked once to him.
Only once.
“Lord Fredrick is in his office,” Henry said. “He instructed me to bring you in if you arrived.”
I blinked.
“He knew we were coming?”
Henry stepped aside.
“Lord Fredrick often knows when he is likely to be bothered.”
Steven looked at me.
“Is that an insult?”
“I think that was a Worthington Manor greeting.”
Henry did not react.
We followed him through the hall.
Every step inside the manor made Steven’s shoulders tighten a little more.
I could feel it through his hand, through the bond between us, through the way Fang shifted closer around his neck.
Henry stopped outside Fredrick’s office and knocked twice.
A pause.
Then Fredrick’s voice came from within.
“Enter.”
Henry opened the door.
Fredrick’s office looked the way it always did.
Organized.
Polished.
Measured.
Books lined the shelves in deep green and brown leather.
Maps rested in neat stacks.
A globe stood near the window, marked with faint glowing lines.
On the desk, several instruments lay arranged with surgical precision beside a small leather case.
Fredrick sat behind the desk, one gloved hand resting near an open notebook.
His eyes moved over us.
First me.
Then Steven.
Then Fang.
Fang stared back.
Fredrick’s brow lifted by a fraction.
“Mr. Fang,” he said.
Steven blinked.
“Mr. Fang?”
Fredrick ignored him.
Fang’s head lifted a little higher, as if approving.
I pressed my lips together.
Fredrick looked back at Steven.
“Any trouble with the seal?”
Steven’s hand moved to the necklace beneath his hoodie.
“No. Not exactly.”
“Define not exactly.”
Steven hesitated.
“I can still feel him.”
Fredrick nodded once.
“Expected.”
Steven’s mouth tightened.
“Not comforting.”
“It was not meant to be.”
I stepped slightly closer to Steven.
“We came because we want to travel.”
Fredrick’s gaze shifted to me.
“Travel where?”
“Atlantis.”
For the first time, Fredrick paused long enough for the silence to be noticeable.
Then he leaned back slightly.
“You wish to return home.”
“Yes.”
“With Mr. Salvatore.”
“He is my husband.”
Steven’s hand tightened around mine.
Fredrick’s eyes moved briefly to our joined hands.
“I am aware.”
“My family needs to know. Triton especially. If they know I am married, maybe they will stop pursuing other arrangements for me.”
I took a breath.
“And after everything that happened here, I think we need a change of scenery.”
Fredrick studied me.
Then Steven.
Then Fang.
“Do you think that is wise?” he asked.
Steven looked down.
I answered before he could sink into guilt.
“I think staying in a house where Salizar wore Steven’s body may not be wise either.”
Fredrick’s expression did not change.
But something in his eyes sharpened.
“Fair.”
Steven let out the smallest breath.
Fredrick rose and came around the desk.
“Then before I approve travel, I will inspect the seal.”
Steven blinked.
“Approve?”
Fredrick looked at him.
“You came here for clearance, did you not?”
Steven glanced at me.
“I guess I am being cleared like luggage again.”
Despite myself, I smiled.
Fredrick held out his hand.
“The necklace.”
Steven pulled the chain from beneath his hoodie.
Fang remained wrapped around his shoulders, eyes fixed on Fredrick’s fingers.
Steven placed the pendant carefully into Fredrick’s gloved palm without removing the chain from his neck.
The seal still marked it, faint green lines curled over the metal like vines over a locked gate.
Fredrick picked up a thin silver lens from the desk and passed it over the pendant.
Green light flickered across the seal.
Steven flinched.
Fang’s mouth opened slightly.
Fredrick stopped at once.
“Pain?”
Steven swallowed.
“Not pain. It feels like someone scratched the inside of my ribs.”
Fredrick nodded.
“The seal is still interacting with the active channel. That is good.”
Steven stared at him.
“That is an awful kind of good.”
“Most useful things are.”
Fredrick uncorked a small vial and let one drop of green liquid touch the seal.
The lines brightened.
Steven hissed through his teeth.
I stepped closer.
Fredrick capped the vial immediately.
“The seal is holding,” he said.
My shoulders loosened.
Steven’s did not.
“But?” Steven asked.
Fredrick glanced at him.
Steven gave a weak smile.
“There is always one.”
“Correct.”
Fredrick released the pendant.
“The seal is holding, but it is temporary. It should prevent Salizar from taking full control through the same opening unless the containment is weakened from within.”
Steven went pale.
“I do not want to weaken it.”
“I believe you.”
Steven looked up at him, startled.
Fredrick continued, calm but firm.
“Wanting is not the only variable. Exhaustion, guilt, shame, desire for relief—those were the doors he used. If they remain unattended, they remain doors.”
Steven looked down.
“I am not okay.”
The room went quiet.
My heart squeezed.
Fredrick watched him for a moment.
“No,” he said. “You are not.”
Steven’s jaw tightened.
“But you are present,” Fredrick added. “That matters.”
Fang lowered his head against Steven’s jaw.
Steven blinked hard.
Fredrick returned to the leather case on his desk and removed a narrow folded strip of parchment.
Green symbols crawled faintly over it.
He did not hand it to Steven.
He held it out to me.
I stared at it.
“To me?”
“Yes.”
Steven’s head lifted.
“Why Aqua?”
“If the current seal strains while you are away, you may not be in a state to reinforce it yourself.”
Fredrick glanced toward Fang.
“Mr. Fang also lacks hands.”
Fang turned his head very slowly toward him.
Fredrick met his eyes.
“No offense intended.”
Steven made a choked sound that might have been a laugh if he had not been so exhausted.
Fredrick looked back at me.
“Miss Aqua is most likely to be close enough, clear-headed enough, and motivated enough to act.”
I took the parchment.
It was warm.
“What do I do?”
Fredrick placed a blank strip of parchment over a harmless silver charm on his desk.
“Practice only,” he said. “Do not use the active seal unless necessary.”
I nodded.
“Place the seal directly over the pendant.”
He demonstrated with the blank parchment.
“It must touch the center. Then speak the incantation clearly.”
Steven looked at the parchment like it might bite him.
“There is an incantation?”
“A short one.”
“That does not make it better.”
Fredrick ignored him and looked at me.
“Repeat after me. By ward and will, by seal and name, hold the gate and bind the claim.”
I repeated carefully.
“By ward and will, by seal and name, hold the gate and bind the claim.”
The symbols on the active parchment warmed between my fingers.
Fredrick’s eyes sharpened.
“Again.”
“By ward and will, by seal and name, hold the gate and bind the claim.”
“Good.”
Steven looked at me with something raw in his eyes.
Fear.
Trust.
Shame.
All tangled together.
“Will it hurt him?” I asked.
“Yes.”
Steven closed his eyes.
My stomach tightened.
Fredrick’s voice stayed level.
“But it should not harm him. The pain comes from forcing the possession channel closed.”
I looked at Steven.
“I do not want to hurt you.”
His eyes opened.
“If you need to use it,” he said quietly, “then hurt me.”
My chest ached.
“Steven.”
“I mean it.”
His voice shook, but he held my gaze.
“If he starts pulling me under again, do not hesitate because you are afraid it will hurt. I would rather feel pain and stay me.”
I curled my fingers around the seal.
“All right.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
His shoulders eased by a fraction.
Fredrick opened another small compartment in the leather case and removed a glass vial with a cork sealed in green wax.
A thin chain was attached to the neck.
“Place the parchment inside this. It will keep the seal dry and protected from ambient water magic while in Atlantis. Do not open it unless you intend to use it.”
I slipped the folded seal into the vial and closed it.
The green wax warmed, then tightened around the cork.
I put the chain around my neck, tucking the vial beneath my dress.
“I have it.”
Steven watched the place where the vial disappeared.
“I hate that you need it.”
“I hate that you need the seal.”
His mouth tightened.
“But we have both,” I said.
He nodded once.
Fredrick closed the case.
“Travel is acceptable.”
Steven let out a breath.
“Really?”
“Yes. Atlantis may be useful. Distance from the house could help. A water-heavy environment may dampen the volatility of your Incenda. It will not repair the channel, but it may reduce strain if you rest.”
Fredrick’s gaze sharpened.
“If you rest.”
Steven’s shoulders dropped.
“There are conditions, then.”
“There are always conditions.”
“No training?” Steven guessed.
“No training.”
Steven’s head lowered.
“Yes, sir.”
“You will not attempt to advance your cultivation. You will not test your limits in an unfamiliar magical environment while carrying a temporary seal and recovering from possession.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Walking is acceptable. Resting is required. Sitting quietly without attempting to become stronger may be difficult for you, but I recommend repeated practice.”
Steven stared at him.
“Was that a joke?”
“No.”
“It felt like one.”
“Take comfort where you find it.”
I looked away before my smile became too obvious.
Steven saw it anyway.
“You are laughing.”
“I am breathing.”
“Suspiciously.”
Fang flicked his tongue, looking far too pleased.
Fredrick’s gaze shifted to me.
“Miss Aqua, ensure he rests.”
“I will.”
Steven looked between us.
“I am right here.”
“Yes,” Fredrick said. “That makes the instruction more efficient.”
For one fragile moment, warmth moved through the office.
Then Fredrick’s expression grew more serious.
“One more matter.”
My hand went to the hidden vial at my chest.
Fredrick’s gaze followed the motion, then lifted to my face.
“What you did yesterday was not Currena.”
“I know.”
Steven glanced at me.
I took a slow breath.
“I know my father was not Waters. I know Dipsi and I share him. I know that means there is another inheritance in me.”
My fingers curled lightly over the vial.
“I just did not know I could touch it.”
Fredrick studied me carefully.
“Blood often waits until ordinary inheritance is insufficient.”
I thought of Steven trapped beneath Salizar.
My palms against his chest.
The white-gold light.
The strange violet glow reflected in his eyes.
“My eyes changed,” I said softly.
Steven looked at me.
“They did.”
“What color?”
“Purple,” he said. “Violet, maybe. Bright.”
His voice softened.
“Beautiful.”
My throat tightened.
“It did not feel beautiful.”
“It felt like you.”
His fingers brushed mine.
“Just a part of you I had not seen yet.”
Fredrick looked far too interested.
Steven noticed.
“I really hate when you look like that.”
Fredrick did not apologize.
“Purple ocular manifestation and white-gold output are consistent with certain Aetheris expressions. They are not Currena.”
I stared at him.
“Aetheris.”
“Yes.”
The word felt strange inside me.
Not unknown.
Just closer than it had been before.
“My father.”
“His inheritance, most likely.”
I looked down at my hands again.
Quiet.
Normal.
Not glowing.
Not dangerous-looking.
That almost made them worse.
Fredrick’s gaze remained on me.
“Do not attempt to use it again until you understand more.”
“But if Steven needs—”
“If Steven needs saving again, save him.”
The answer came immediately.
“But do not experiment with that power out of curiosity or panic. Power awakened under emotional distress rarely arrives with instructions.”
I nodded slowly.
“I was going to ask my family.”
“Wise.”
Fredrick paused.
“Ask about your father only if you are prepared for answers.”
The room stilled.
“My father is not a secret to me.”
“No,” Fredrick said. “But the full weight of what he passed to you may be.”
I did not know how to answer that.
Fredrick turned back toward Steven.
“And you, Mr. Salvatore, do not attempt to impress her family by proving you are dangerous.”
Steven blinked.
“I was not planning to.”
Fredrick’s expression said he did not believe him.
Steven sighed.
“I will not.”
“Good.”
Fredrick walked us to the door himself.
At the threshold, he paused.
“Tell Triton I send my regards.”
I blinked.
“You know my brother?”
“I know of your brother.”
“That is not the same.”
“No.”
Steven leaned slightly toward me.
“That sounds ominous.”
“It often does when I speak,” Fredrick replied.
Steven blinked again.
Fredrick continued.
“Inform him that Worthington has no desire to interfere with Atlantean affairs. Also inform him that you and Mr. Salvatore are legally and magically bound by mutual choice, and that any attempt to dismiss that bond will be unwelcome.”
Steven slowly looked at me.
“Is that a normal message?”
“No.”
Fredrick added, “And tell him congratulations.”
That softened me.
“I will.”
We stepped into the hall.
Before Henry led us away, Fredrick spoke one final time.
“Miss Aqua.”
I turned back.
“If that light returns, do not fear it simply because you do not understand it.”
“What should I do?”
“Respect it,” he said. “Fear makes power wild. Respect teaches it shape.”
I nodded.
“I will try.”
“That is usually where control begins.”
---
We returned home long enough to pack.
Not much.
A few changes of clothes.
Steven’s notebook, though I made him promise not to use it for training.
The emergency seal rested in the glass vial against my chest.
Fang refused to leave Steven’s shoulders while Steven folded shirts into a backpack.
“Fang,” Steven said, “I need to move my arm.”
Fang did not move.
Steven looked at me.
“He is being unreasonable.”
“He is worried.”
“He can be worried two inches to the left.”
Fang shifted one inch.
Steven stared.
“That was petty.”
I smiled despite myself and waterproofed the backpack with a thin layer of water magic, letting the surface shimmer before sealing it closed.
Steven watched.
“That is useful.”
“So is rest.”
He gave me a look.
I gave him one back.
He surrendered first.
“Fine.”
I packed even less than Steven did.
The tiara rested carefully inside my side bag, wrapped in soft cloth.
I would wear it when we crossed into Atlantis, but not for the walk to the lake.
I did not need every person in Worthington staring at me before I had to face my brother.
Steven noticed how little I placed beside it.
“You are packing very light.”
“It is my room.”
He blinked.
“Right. Your room. In Atlantis.”
“Yes.”
“So you have clothes there.”
“I should.”
He stared at his backpack.
“I overthought this.”
“You are meeting my family.”
“That is still my defense.”
I smiled faintly.
“It is a fair one.”
His gaze dropped to the backpack, then to Fang.
“We need to talk about the fort.”
Fang lifted his head.
Steven took a careful breath.
“Aqua was right. Atlantis is underwater, political, and filled with people who might not love seeing a Salvatore familiar arrive without warning.”
Fang’s eyes narrowed.
Steven listened to whatever passed through the bond, then grimaced.
“No, I do not think biting a diplomat would improve my first impression.”
I covered my mouth.
Fang stared at him.
Steven’s expression softened.
“I know,” he said quietly. “I do not like leaving you either.”
Fang’s body loosened by a fraction.
“But someone needs to guard the house. And if anything happens here, Fredrick and Henry know where you are. You are not being left out.”
Steven touched Fang’s head with two fingers.
“You are holding down the fort.”
Fang went still.
Then, very slowly, he unwound from Steven’s shoulders and slid down to the arm of the sofa.
He lifted his head with grave importance.
Steven exhaled.
“That worked better than expected.”
Fang blinked once.
Yes.
I crouched in front of him.
“We will come back.”
Fang looked at me.
His yellow eyes were sharp.
Accusing.
Afraid, maybe, though Fang would probably bite me for thinking it.
“I will bring him back,” I promised.
Fang held my gaze.
Then he blinked once.
Yes.
Steven swallowed.
“Be good.”
Fang stared.
Steven nodded.
“Be terrifying, then. That is probably more realistic.”
Fang settled onto the sofa like a king taking his throne.
---
We left the house in the afternoon.
The walk to the lake felt different this time.
Not like the lake walk with Salizar.
Not like suspicion.
This time, Steven’s shoulder looked strangely bare without Fang’s weight around his neck.
His hand shook slightly in mine.
His steps were slower.
His eyes kept moving over the trees, the path, the water ahead.
He was afraid.
He was not hiding it well.
That alone made him feel more like himself than anything had all week.
When the lake came into view, sunlight scattered across the surface.
The dock waited empty.
The trees leaned over the water like quiet witnesses.
Steven stopped near the shore.
“So this is how we get there?”
“Yes.”
“Through the lake.”
“Yes.”
“To Atlantis.”
“Yes.”
He took a long breath.
“Okay. Totally normal.”
I squeezed his hand.
“You do not have to pretend this is normal.”
“Good, because I was failing.”
I stepped closer to the water and knelt, letting my fingers touch the surface.
The lake answered me.
Not like the ocean did.
Not as deep.
Not as ancient.
But it recognized me enough.
A ripple moved outward from my hand.
Then another.
The water darkened at the center, folding inward, forming a circular shimmer beneath the surface.
Light moved through it in blue and silver threads.
Steven stared.
“That is the portal?”
“Yes.”
“It looks like a very pretty way to drown.”
“You will not drown.”
“That is my favorite thing you have said today.”
I stood and turned to him.
“I will hold you the whole way.”
His eyes softened.
Then fear returned.
“What if something happens down there?”
My fingers touched the vial beneath my dress.
“We have the emergency seal. We have me. And we know what to do if the seal begins to fail.”
His eyes held mine.
“And you have yourself,” I added.
He swallowed.
“I barely feel like that is true.”
“Then I will believe it for you until you can.”
His face broke a little.
Not completely.
Just enough.
He took my hand.
Together, we stepped closer to the lake.
The water lapped against the shore, bright and waiting.
Steven’s backpack shimmered with my waterproofing spell.
The portal pulsed brighter beneath the surface.
I looked at Steven one last time before the water took us.
“Ready?”
“No.”
I smiled softly.
“Me neither.”
He let out a shaky laugh.
The lake opened beneath us.
Steven’s hand tightened around mine.
“Partners?” he whispered.
“Partners,” I said.
Then we stepped into the blue.