Chapter 27
Nerion
Istared at the sketch of Teddy in my sketchbook.
It was from one of those many nights we’d spent together.
At dawn, the light had been playing across his features in a way that was too beautiful to ignore.
I’d sketched him quickly in charcoal, capturing the gentle curves and harsh edges of his face in the light.
He looked so peaceful, so happy, and so… perfect.
And now I’d never see him again.
Tears slipped down my cheeks silently, heralding in the grief that was already threatening to consume me.
But this was for the best, right? If Teddy thought I was a monster, then he wouldn’t come looking for me.
If he thought I’d enchanted him against his will, then he wouldn’t mourn the loss of our arrangement.
Because that’s all it was… an arrangement.
But I’d carry this with me for the rest of my life.
This thing between us that was almost something special.
Because, let’s face it, it was the closest I was ever going to get to the real thing.
There would never be another man like Teddy and I would never come this close to giving my heart away again.
I’d make sure of it.
Wiping away the tears, I closed the sketchbook and pushed it into my backpack.
All I’d taken were a few charcoals, an eraser, a photo of me and my parents, and the sketchbook.
As I looked around the room, I realized there was nothing else important to me there.
Not my books, my school work, or even my clothes.
Where I was going, I wouldn’t need them.
“I’m ready,” I said at last, shouldering the bag.
“Are you sure you don’t want to pack more of your things?” Dean Thornfield asked, his brows knit together. “What about your work in the art building?”
“Keep it. Donate it. Burn it. I don’t care.” I stood there for a moment, letting the feeling of hopelessness was through me. “Nothing matters anymore,” I mumbled, avoiding the Dean’s concerned gaze.
Dean Thornfield sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging with what looked like genuine regret. “Mr. Thalassos—Nerion—I want you to know that I fought against this decision. The Elder Council overruled me completely.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I repeated, staring at the floor. What was the point in fighting? I’d lost Teddy. I’d lost my place at this school. Soon, I’d lose everything else too.
“Your paintings are quite remarkable,” Dean Thornfield said quietly. “I’d hate to see that talent wasted.”
I shrugged, the weight of my decision pressing down on me harder than my near-empty backpack. “What’s the point? They’re just... paintings.”
The Dean sighed, his normally stern face softening with genuine concern. “Where will you go, Nerion? Do you have family you can stay with?”
“You know I don’t,” I replied flatly. “Just… let me leave a note for Linden. If I don’t, he’ll worry.”
The Dean nodded, letting me stop at the desk for a moment and hastily scribble a note to Linden.
Got expelled for enchanting Teddy. I didn’t. But you can’t ever tell him that. It’s better this way.
Thank for being my friend.
-Nerion
“There,” I said, folding the note and leaving it on Linden’s desk. “Let’s go.”
We walked in silence through the empty corridors of the dormitory.
Most students were out, enjoying the last night of their weekend before classes started.
And honestly, it was probably for the best. The last thing I wanted was to face curious stares or whispered questions.
I couldn’t bear to run into any of my classmates, especially Linden, who would demand explanations I didn’t have the strength to go through right now.
When we reached the main entrance, Dean Thornfield paused, his hand on the door. “This isn’t right,” he said, almost to himself. “The Elder Council is making a mistake.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I told him. “Rules are rules, right? Monsters who enchant students don’t get second chances.”
“You didn’t enchant him,” Dean Thornfield stated with surprising certainty.
I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. “How would you know?”
“Because I’ve been teaching at this academy for thirty years, Mr. Thalassos. I know enchantment when I see it. And what I saw between you and Mr. Voss was something else entirely.”
His words cut deeper than any knife could have.
I swallowed hard, fighting back a fresh wave of tears.
“It doesn’t matter now. I think we both know that.
Teddy’s parents will never allow him back now.
” I turned to him, trying not to break. “And you know what’ll happen to me if he ever…
even for a second… stops loving me. Don’t ask me to do that. ”
The Dean, knowing there was no arguing, led me out of the wrought-iron gates.
We stepped through the wards into the cold that warned of a winter not long off.
Looking back, I could see how beautiful campus was this time of year, trees blazing with red and gold leaves.
I’d wanted to paint them, to capture the way the sunlight filtered through the branches.
Another dream to add to the pile of things I’d never do.
“I can arrange transportation to wherever you’d like to go,” Dean Thornfield offered as we walked toward the standing stone teleportation circle at the edge of campus. “We maintain connections with several academies across the country. Perhaps another school would—”
“I’m not going to another school,” I interrupted. “I’m done with all of this.”
The Dean’s footsteps faltered slightly. “Then where shall I send you?”
I’d been thinking about this since the moment they’d expelled me. There was only one place that made sense, one place where I could disappear completely and never be found.
“The North Sea,” I said quietly. “Off the northern coast of Scotland.”
Dean Thornfield stopped walking entirely. “The North Sea? But it’s—”
“Cold. Dark. Dangerous. I know.” I turned to face him. “It’s perfect.”
Understanding dawned in his eyes, followed quickly by alarm. “Nerion, if you’re thinking of—”
“I’m a siren, Dean Thornfield,” I reminded him with a bitter smile. “The ocean is my home. Even the cold, dark parts.”
“There are other options,” he insisted. “Other places, warmer waters—”
“I’ve made my decision.” My voice was firmer now, resolute. “The North Sea. Please.”
We reached the teleportation circle, ancient stones arranged in a perfect ring, each carved with symbols older than the academy itself. Dean Thornfield stepped into the center, his expression troubled as he gestured for me to join him.
“I’m sorry it came to this,” he said as I took my place beside him. “Truly.”
“Me too.”
He began the incantation, his hands weaving complex patterns in the air.
The stones around us began to glow with a soft blue light, responding to his magic.
I closed my eyes, picturing the wild, black waters of the North Sea, the towering cliffs, the endless horizon.
A place where I could swim away from everything, away from Widdershins, from memories of Teddy, and from the curse that would eventually claim me just as it had claimed my parents.
The magic built around us, a whirling vortex of energy that made my skin tingle. In moments, we would be transported thousands of miles away, and I would begin my new life alone, the way sirens were meant to live.
Just as the teleportation spell reached its crescendo, a voice cut through the magic like a thunderclap.
“STOP!”
My eyes flew open. Running toward the circle, his golden hair wild and his face flushed with exertion, was Teddy.
“Teddy?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the hum of the teleportation magic.
He was sprinting toward us, his face a mask of determination. Behind him, I could make out a woman in an Elder Council robe with giant antlers rising above her head. It was just the two of them.
“Dean Thornfield, cancel the spell!” Teddy shouted as he reached the edge of the circle.
The Dean hesitated, looking between us with uncertainty etched across his face.
“Please!” Teddy begged, his eyes locked on mine. “Don’t let him leave!”
The magic surrounding us wavered as Dean Thornfield’s concentration broke. The blue glow flickered and then faded entirely, the teleportation spell dissolving into nothing.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice hoarse. “You’re supposed to be with the Elder Council. They were going to cleanse you of my enchantment.”
“There was no enchantment and you know that!” Teddy practically shouted, stepping into the circle. His eyes were clear and bright, no trace of confusion or magical influence. “They did the cleansing ritual. It showed the truth.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “What truth?”
“That you never sang to me. That you never enchanted me.” He moved closer, close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes.
“But it showed something else too. My parents have been controlling me with magic my entire life. Potions, compulsion spells, everything. And being around you... your siren magic was actually breaking their enchantments, not creating new ones. You were setting me free, Nerion. Not enchanting me.”
I stared at him, trying to process his words. “That’s... that’s not possible.”
“It is,” came another voice. One of the Elder Council members approached, her white robes billowing around her. “Sirens naturally disrupt certain types of enchantment magic. It’s part of your nature as creatures of the sea. Water washes away, cleanses, and purifies.”
“No… Teddy…” I said, still staring at him. “You… You have to leave. We can’t be together. You promised not to fall in love with me, remember?”
“Yeah, well,” he replied, teeth gritted. “I’m breaking that promise.”
“You can’t,” I whispered, stepping back. “You don’t understand what that means.”
“I understand perfectly,” Teddy said, moving closer, refusing to let me create distance between us. “I know about the curse. I know what happens if I ever stop loving you.”