Chapter 73 Danica
Danica
Cordelia and Calypso finally decided to put on their big girl panties and rule together like the badass sister duo they were always meant to be. Hallelujah, praise the sea gods! It only took them a thousand years and a metric fuck-ton of drama to get there.
Man, I'd love to stick around and see what these magical mermaids have up their sleeves for this realm.
But after chatting with the sisters, it's pretty clear that things are about to get a major facelift around here.
We're talking truth-telling, creature-uniting, realm-transforming stuff.
It's gonna be a wild ride, and I'm bummed I'll miss it!
But I'm sure this isn't the last I will see of Aquaria.
The Soul Stone's hanging out in my pocket until I can get it home and under severe lock and key. It's whispering sweet nothings, but joke's on it—I’ve mastered the art of selective hearing—thanks to Lucian.
This damn stone—talk about a demanding piece of jewelry!
This thing had Calypso playing supernatural UberEats driver, forcing her to collect souls of the recently deceased like they were takeout orders.
Untethered souls hang around like awkward party guests who don't know when to leave, and Calypso, against her will, has to vacuum them up into that creepy rock.
Not exactly the kind of job you'd want to brag about.
The Sirens were in fact Immune to the curse, just like Seraphina thought. But here's the real plot twist—these gorgeous, mythical beings have been painted as the story's villains for centuries when, in reality, they're about as evil as a basket of kittens.
Sure, they've got the whole "Siren's call" thing going on, the ability to bend minds to their will with just a few haunting notes. But the whole "luring sailors and pirates to their watery graves" shtick? Total bullshit, a complete fabrication cooked up by none other than Cordelia herself.
Not to mention it kept treasure hunters and pirates away from the Lyre—clever but bullshit.
The Sirens knew the real story: Calypso was the rightful ruler. They saw Cordelia's jealousy and bitterness for what it was— a poison that threatened to destroy her soul and the fabric of their society.
People bought it. For centuries, the Sirens have been vilified and feared, their true nature obscured by a veil of lies and propaganda.
They've been hunted and persecuted, driven into hiding by those who would rather believe a convenient lie than face the uncomfortable truth—the same for the Selkies.
The Aquanite stone is home in my crown, nestled like a cozy aquatic Airbnb. The moment I snatched that sucker from Cordelia's staff, it practically leaped into place, snuggling up to the other stones like they were long-lost besties.
The feeling was like diving into a cool, refreshing pool on a hot summer day. A wave of calm washed over me, and for a moment, I forgot all about the crazy Cordelia and her temper tantrum.
I'm unsure what to do with this new addition to my magical girl arsenal. But if Cordelia's little display of aquatic acrobatics is anything to go by, this stone is all about emotions and using water as a cosmic conduit.
I will have to be extra careful around any body of water larger than a puddle. The last thing I need is to accidentally summon a tidal wave because I got too excited about a buy-one-get-one-free sale at my favorite shoe store.
Or, turning a romantic beach getaway into a scene from "The Perfect Storm" because Rhyland forgot our anniversary. Yeah, not exactly the kind of "savior" moves I want to be known for.
"I will miss you, Gideon." I give him a big ol' bear hug, and damn, the man smells like he bathed in a tub of rum and sea salt. There's something else in there, too, but I'm not about to sniff a pirate to figure it out.
"Aye, lass. It was an absolute pleasure helping ye. Ye did what ye came to do, and ye did it." Gideon grins, his eyes twinkling with pride.
"You will be written about in history books, I'm sure of it. Gideon Sterling, Pirate sidekick to the Savior." I smile, already picturing the epic tales that will be told about our adventures.
"Aye, love. That would be great to see." Gideon's cheeks turn red, and I can't resist planting a big smooch on one of them.
I mean, come on, the man deserves some love after putting up with our ragtag crew of supernatural misfits.
I turn to Mirella, and my heart aches as I see the tears streaming down her gorgeous face. It's like watching a mermaid version of a Hallmark movie, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it's getting to me.
"Aww, Mirella, don't cry," I say, trying to keep my own waterworks in check. "I promise this isn't the last time you'll see my fabulous self. We're like besties now, and besties don't just disappear on each other."
But even as I say it, I can feel the familiar ache in my chest—her emotions swimming through me due to the Faerite stone.
I'm beginning to have a love-hate relationship with this damn thing.
This whole making friends and then leaving them behind thing? It sucks ass. I mean, first Axilya, Faderyn, Meadow, and now Mirella and Gideon? The universe is determined to make me the savior of the realms and the queen of goodbyes.
Mirella pulls me into a hug, and damn, the girl smells like the perfect beach day—ocean, sea salt, and a freshness that makes me want to bottle it up and sell it as a perfume.
"Thank you for helping me, Dani," she sniffs, wiping her nose adorably. "You will never be forgotten."
And that's it. The floodgates open, and I'm crying with her, our tears mingling like the sea and the rain.
I want to blame it on the Faerite stone, with its annoying ability to turn me into an emotional sponge, but let's be honest—I've grown fond of Mirella.
She's like the cool mermaid sister I never had, and the thought of saying goodbye is hitting me harder than I expected.
"I couldn't have done it without you; don't forget that," I choke out.
With her knowledge and her unwavering support, I don't know if we would have made it this far. She's been the unsung hero of this whole underwater adventure, and I'll be damned if I let her forget it.
I pull back, "Say goodbye to Nixie for me?"
Mirella nods her head, "Of course."
As much as it hurts, I know this isn't the end.
We're connected now, bound by the threads of friendship and the shared experience of saving an entire realm.
And if there's one thing I've learned on this crazy journey, it's that the bonds we forge along the way are more substantial than any curse or evil mastermind.
So yeah, saying goodbye sucks major ass. But you know what? It's not really goodbye. It's more like "See you later, alligator," or in this case, "Catch you on the flip side, mermaid."
Izabelle decides to sashay her skanky ass over, draping herself over Gideon like a cheap, pirate-themed curtain. "Aye, the land-lubber finally leavin'?" she sneers.
I turn to face her, my eyes narrowing as I remember all the crap she put me through. The backstabbing, the scheming, the whole "let's throw Dani to the sharks" thing? Yeah, not cool, sister.
"That's right, Izabelle," my voice as sweet as poisoned honey. "I almost forgot my parting gift."
She detaches herself from Gideon and saunters towards me, a smirk on her face that I'd love nothing more than to wipe off with a well-placed fist. "Oh? And what's that?" she snarks, like a cat about to get a face full of karma.
Without a second thought, I rear back and let my fist fly, connecting with Izabelle's face in a symphony of cartilage and regret.
There's a satisfying crunch as she goes down, hitting the deck with all the grace of a drunken elephant.
Blood gushes from her nose, probably ruining her "I'm a conniving pirate whore" aesthetic.
"That's for being a grade-A, certified bitch," shaking out my hand. "Hope you enjoy your new look. I hear broken noses are all the rage this season."
Behind me, Lucian's cackling like a hyena that just discovered laughing gas. He strolls to Izabelle's crumpled form, grinning like an idiot.
"Holy ship, JIZZabelle!" he exclaims. "That looks like it hurts more than that one time when I tried to high-five a jellyfish. Here, let me help. How many fingers am I holding up?"
He waves his hand in front of her face, alternating between flipping her off and making other crude gestures.
Izabelle's pride is more bruised than her face, and she swats at his hand like an angry cat. Lucian dances back, still chuckling. "Whoa there, tiger! I was just trying to help. Maybe we should get you an ice pack... and a personality transplant while we're at it."
Rhyland's got a smirk that could cut glass, and Erik? He's giving me a look of pride that warms my heart.
It feels good. Damn good. Because sometimes, just sometimes, a bitch needs to get punched in the face. It's like the universe restoring balance, one broken nose at a time.
Here we are, another realm saved, another stone acquired, and another step closer to fulfilling this "savior" gig.
It's been one hell of a ride so far, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.