Chapter 27 #2
My breath caught in my throat. “Who told you?”
“The ritual showed me everything. Your parents, what happened to them on that beach in Greece.” His voice softened. “I saw it all, Nerion.”
I felt exposed, vulnerable in a way I’d never experienced before. The secret I’d carried for years, the memory I’d buried deep inside me… He knew it all.
“Then you know why we can’t be together,” I insisted, my voice breaking. “I won’t put that burden on you. I won’t make you responsible for my existence.”
“It’s not your choice to make,” Teddy replied, his jaw set with determination. “It’s mine. And I choose you.”
The Elder with the antlers stepped forward, her expression solemn. “The young witch speaks the truth, siren. The ritual revealed no enchantment from you, only the liberation of his true self from years of magical manipulation.”
“You don’t understand,” I said desperately, looking between them. “Even if it starts real, what happens when it fades? When the excitement wears off? When you get bored or angry or just... change? Because people do, Teddy. They change.”
“I’m not just anyone,” Teddy said fiercely. “And I’ve been changed and molded my entire life against my will. Now that I’m finally free to choose for myself, I’m choosing you.”
Dean Thornfield cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere more private,” he suggested, glancing around at the open grounds.
“There’s nothing to continue,” I said, panic rising in my chest. “I’m leaving. It’s for the best.”
“Running away won’t solve anything,” Teddy argued. “Believe me, I know. My parents made sure I never ran from anything they wanted me to do.”
“This is different,” I insisted.
“Is it?” Teddy challenged. “You’re making decisions based on fear, just like they did. You’re trying to control the outcome, just like they did.”
His words hit me like a physical blow. Was I really no better than his manipulative parents? Was I making choices for him under the guise of protection?
“I watched my parents die,” I said quietly, tears finally spilling over. “I stood on that beach and watched them dissolve into nothing. My mother first, then my father. Do you have any idea what that’s like? To watch someone you love literally disappear before your eyes?”
Teddy’s expression softened. He reached out, his fingers brushing away my tears. “No, I don’t. And I can’t imagine how painful that was. But you’re letting that fear control your entire life.”
“It’s not just fear,” I argued. “It’s reality. The curse is real, Teddy.”
“Then we’ll face it together,” he said simply, as if it were the most obvious solution in the world. “I’m not asking for forever right now. I’m just asking you not to disappear right now. Just… give me a chance before you call it quits.”
The Elder Council member stepped forward again. “If I may,” she said, her voice gentle but authoritative. “Siren bonds are indeed powerful and dangerous. But they are not impossible to maintain. In the Council’s records, there are accounts of sirens who lived full lives with their chosen partners.”
I looked at her skeptically. “How?”
“Through honesty. Through communication. Through conscious choice, made every day,” she replied. “Love is not merely a feeling that comes and goes like the tide. It can also be a decision, renewed with each sunrise.”
Dean Thornfield nodded. “And in light of the ritual’s findings, your expulsion from Widdershins has been revoked, Mr. Thalassos. You are welcome to remain at the academy.”
I stood frozen, overwhelmed by the sudden shift in my fate. Minutes ago, I had been resigned to exile, to a lonely existence in the cold, dark waters of the North Sea. Now, I was being offered a chance to stay, to continue my studies, to be with Teddy.
“But his parents—” I began.
“Are being investigated by the Elder Council as we speak,” the antlered Elder interrupted. “The magical manipulation of a child to this degree, even by their parents, is a serious offense in our laws. They will not interfere with either of you again.”
Teddy took another step toward me, close enough now that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. “I’m not asking for promises or forever,” he said softly. “I’m just asking for a chance. For both of us.”
I looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of doubt or hesitation. But all I saw was clarity and determination. This was Teddy, the real Teddy, free from his parents’ influences and making his own choice.
“I’m scared,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Me too,” he confessed with a small smile. “But I’m more scared of letting you go.”
He held out his hand to me, an echo of that first night in the pool when everything between us had begun. I stared at it, knowing that if I took it, I was accepting the risk, the possibility of my own destruction.
But I was also accepting the possibility of something I’d never allowed myself to hope for. A love that might actually last.
Slowly, I reached out and placed my hand in his. His fingers closed around mine, warm and secure.
“I love you, Nerion,” he said. “And you don’t have to say it back.”
“I… I love you too, Teddy,” I replied, the words purposeful and right. “I’ve loved you for a while now.” I pulled his hand to my lips, kissing it lightly. “Please… don’t hurt me…”
He pulled me close suddenly, our lips nearly touching as he stared into my eyes. “I will never hurt you, Nerion. I promise. I’ll love you with all my heart until the day I die.”
Tears flowed again as I heard the words I never thought I’d hear in my entire life. And I kissed him, because what the hell else was I supposed to do?