She rushed to follow him, the sheet trailing behind her like a wedding dress train. When she stepped onto the balcony, the wind whipped at her, bringing the crisp, salty air of the ocean.
The ocean.
Her gaze was pulled toward that glistening water and she found that she couldn’t look away.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Luke mused. “I always enjoy coming up here and staring at the water. Pity I never realized it would be the thing I’d grow to hate the most.”
What? Mina tried to drag her gaze off those waves but they actually seemed to be calling to her. So beautiful.
“I have to always watch myself.” His voice was low, but it carried over the pounding surf. “Always be careful to contain my darkness. Because if I do let my control break, I can destroy the humans out there. All of them. My power will spread like a sickness, infecting them. Wiping out humanity until only my paranormals are left. And those who are mine? They are dark. They battle inner demons every moment. They don’t…they don’t love easily.”
Her eyes closed. It was the only way she could stop staring at the water. What was happening? The waves had seemed to mesmerize her.
“You asked if I could love.”
She focused on his voice. The deepness. The roughness. Luke.
Then she felt his touch. His hands were on her shoulders, holding her tight.
“I can.”
Her eyes opened.
But…
She and Luke weren’t standing on the balcony any longer. He’d moved them—used his power—and now they were on the edge of the beach. The waves came forward, tickling her toes, and a spark of pure joy slid through her.
“I’m letting you go,” he said and his smile broke her heart. “That should show just how fucking much I can love.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “See? My brother was wrong about that. Even in the dark, a little light can shine.”
Then he—he guided her toward the waves.
But he kept her sheet. She was standing there, naked, while the waves pushed against her body. No, they weren’t pushing against her. They were almost, wrapping around her. Hugging her?
Welcoming me.
And she found herself turning away from Luke and wading deeper into the water. She didn’t want to leave him, but she felt strangely helpless in that moment. The water is calling to me.
“Your mother didn’t go to the water to die, Mina!” His shout followed her as she went out even deeper. “She went because she had no choice. Her kind never does!”
Her kind?
“The fact that she stayed six years with you is amazing. Mermaids aren’t supposed to be able to resist the ocean’s call for that long. The ocean is a mermaid’s true love. Her heart. But when she had a half-mortal daughter, your mother fought the call. She fought it for six long years, and she stayed with you.”
The water was up to Mina’s waist now and her legs…they were feeling so funny.
“But a mermaid can’t stay out of the ocean forever. If she’d kept trying, she would have died. She had to go back. Just as you…have to go.”
Her head turned. She looked over her shoulder at him. He was on the beach, his legs braced apart, his gaze focused totally on her.
“You’re not a siren, love. You’re a mermaid. When Leo healed you, he brought forth all of your dormant powers. Your human side is gone, and the ocean is calling to you.” His arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m scared.” The words slipped from her, so low but…
Luke heard her.
“You don’t need to be.” His gaze became bright, a sign of his power. “You never need to fear. Those scars on your body? Those are just there to help you transform. They actually aren’t scars at all. You’ll get gills. Your legs will become a beautiful mermaid’s tail.”
She could…she could almost see the gleam of scales on her legs, just beneath the waves.
“And when you go beneath the water…” His voice was strong, but rough. “The life you’d known before will be gone, just as it was gone for your mother. The ocean doesn’t come in second place, not to anyone. You will know only it—a mermaid’s obsession. There will be no other life. There will be no other love.”
She stretched out her hands in the water. It just felt…so good. So right. But she kept looking back at Luke.
“You won’t remember me.”
What? Of course, she would always remember him. He was unforgettable, her Lord of the Dark. And they had to go and fight Garrick. They had to get Julian back. Had to rescue Eli. They had to—
Her legs had become a tail. She flicked it in the water and a laugh of wonder escaped her.
“I will never forget you, Mina.”
The waves crashed over her, pulling her in deep, and Mina sank into a new world.
***
An hour later, Luke was in the same spot, staring at the pounding surf. Looking for the flash of a mermaid’s tail.
“She’s not going to come back.”
His dumb ass of a brother had just appeared at his side. Luke didn’t even glance his way. His focus was on the spot he’d last seen Mina.