Chapter 16 #3
I grinned and turned my attention back to the sea.
The seaflies were old friends of mine. Now that I was with them, I realized just how much I’d been missing the sea.
My mother was the Angel of the Sea. I spent most of my life on the shore or beneath the surface.
No wonder Little Mermaid was my favorite. That made me chuckle.
As I stopped and soaked in the moment, I had to sigh.
Mother’s creatures had come to welcome me home.
Little crab feet crawled across mine. Fish of all sizes fluttered about.
Through the glow of the seaflies, I spotted stingrays, horseshoe crabs, eels, and jellyfish.
Circling around us, I spotted the dorsal fins of dolphins, sharks, and a few whales.
Then my mother emerged from one of the waves. Her eyes were glassy as she approached me. “Heavens, it is such a relief to feel you home again.”
I let out a happy sigh. “I’ve been craving this these years.”
“I know. I brought you as often as possible.” She stepped in front of me and smiled down at Henley. “May I help?”
“Please do.”
Mother slid her hands beneath Henley and the water glowed brighter as the seaflies panicked to get to her. She looked up to me. “Whenever you’re ready, Celina.”
I took a deep breath, then pulled the tide toward me, feeling the ripple of the currents melting into one. Then I turned my gaze to the moon and whispered to her, “I call upon divine moon’s power, to charge a soul this pressing hour. Waning, waxing, phase of full, seek the need for healing’s pull.”
The moon sparkled and sank lower in the sky like I’d reached up and yanked it down with my bare hands. The golden crescent filled out into a complete full moon that shimmered with blueish-white light. I glanced down to Henley. Her skin was effervescent like abalone shells or pearls.
Bright white spotlight shot from the moon straight into Henley’s chest.
She gasped as her back arched. Her eyes flew wide open. I was right. They were the same gorgeous color as her brother’s. Mother and I lowered our hands to let the tide sweep over her. She dipped beneath the surface for a short moment before breaking through the surface all on her own.
Her eyes went wide as she glanced around. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. She wiped salt water from her eyes and mouth, then she spotted me. “Frankie!”
“Hello, Henley. Welcome back.”
She tackled me in a hug, wrapping her arms around me super tight. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I tried to stop Asmodeus from coming through—”
“I’m totes fine.” I hugged her for another moment, then pulled back. “You’ve missed quite a lot, I fear, but in the end, you were waiting on me to wake you.”
She scowled. “Why you?”
“Because I am the Angel of Tides.”
Her jaw dropped. “Celina.”
I grinned and nodded. “And as problematic as Asmodeus is, his arrival did help wake me up. It’s all good. We’re here now.”
“Maybe don’t host any more demons, though—”
Henley gasped and spun around. “KELTIE!”
The shock on my mother’s face when Henley tackled her in a hug was priceless. “Welcome back, moonchild.”
I glanced over my shoulder to the shore, then did a double take. Henley’s friends were lined up at the shore, their feet in the water like they wanted to rush to her but couldn’t. They were as adorably pathetic as puppies on leashes. I grinned. “Henley, I think you’re about to be attacked.”
She flinched away from my mother, but her eyes lit up as bright as the moon above her when she spotted her Coven-mates. She threw her hands up and squealed. “I’M ALIVE!”
They cheered and clapped and bolted into the water. I stood beside my mother with a smile burning my cheeks as I watched them shower her with aggressive affection.
“I have a good feeling about this Coven,” Valathame said from suddenly beside my mother. She sparkled as bright as the stars in the sky.
I frowned. “Are you patting yourself on the back right now?”
She gave me a mischievous grin. “My darling niece, I have no idea what you’re inferring.”
Mother rolled her eyes.
Aunt Val held her hand up and a little piece of parchment paper was sticking between her two fingers. “This is for Henley, but this moment is not for me. Give this to her, Celina?”
“Of course.” I reached out and took the paper. “So, what now?”
“We prepare for war. The final war.” Aunt Val wrapped her arm around Mother’s shoulders. “For now, they need you to stick around a little longer. Your role as Frankie is not quite complete.”
I nodded. “The potions. The barrier on that damned tome.”
“Come, Sister, let us do our part so they may do theirs.” Aunt Val winked at me, then vanished.
“I’ll be back. Stay alive.” Mother hugged me tight. She, too, gave me a wink when she pulled back, then vanished into the sea around me.
I looked down at the parchment in my hands and smirked. This was undoubtedly a gift from Heaven, so I wasn’t going to waste time in giving it to her. By the time I stepped onto the shore, Royce was absolutely sobbing against Henley’s chest as she held him tight.
“I’m all right, Little Brother,” she said softly while running her fingers through her hair. She looked up when I approached. “Tell him, Celina.”
Riah was gone, which was fitting for him. They’d chosen the right person to carry the gift he did. I cleared my throat and nodded. “Henley is perfectly healthy now. She would have woken immediately had I known who I was.”
Everyone else chuckled.
“The tide and the moon go hand in hand, after all.” I smiled and held up the parchment. “This is for you, Henley. Aunt Val asked me to give it to you.”
“Aunt Val—” She gasped. “Valathame?”
I nodded.
She reached out with shaking fingers and took the parchment from me. With careful motions, she unfolded it, then her eyes widened. “It’s a note.”
“Read it,” Thiago said and tapped on Royce’s shoulder. “Royce says read it.”
Henley nodded and licked her lips. Then she read the words out loud, “Dearest Henley, Heaven did not miss the brave sacrifice you made willingly and without hesitation when someone else should have had to bear that burden. Because of this, Lilith’s plans have been stalled.
So as a thank you . . . We give to you one IOU.
Meaning . . . if you were to die unexpectedly .
. . no you didn’t. Love always, Valathame.
P.S. The Angel of the Moon is awaiting you. ”
We all just stared at the note, understanding what the words meant.
Silvery sparkling light glistened around Henley’s throat. When it faded, there was a glowing silver band marked on her skin with little moonstones dangling from it. This was a physical representation of the favor. It was on her skin the same way her Coven Mark was.
Royce snapped his fingers and pointed to the mark on her neck.
I smiled and shrugged. “So if that magic necklace vanishes one day, you’ll know you just died and came back.”
They all groaned and shoved me playfully.
“Too soon, Cousin. Too soon,” Tenn grumbled. “Damn.”