One minute he was there—Mina felt a warmth encompass her body, and her heart burst with love in a final goodbye—and then he was gone.

Mina stared at the empty beach and the spot where Jared had stood. She wanted to scream her fury into the sky. She sat on the sand and looked back at the water. She waited. For what, she didn’t know.

It was almost sunset when Nan and Brody found her. Ever and Nix came up behind her too. Both of them had been bandaged, and Nix complained about whoever had made the poultice for his wound.  Mina felt relief at seeing her friends still alive, safe and sound. The omen hadn’t taken them. But she could tell by the way Nix walked and Ever limped that they hadn’t completely escape its fury.

Others gathered on the beach. It seemed that the worst of the war was over.

What was left of Teague’s and Annalora’s armies had run and were hiding in the hills. Apparently, with the destruction of the gate and without their leaders, they didn’t know where to go. They would have to hunt them down another day.

Mina watched as Charlie met his grandparents, and he immediately hugged them, not letting them go. Ternan leaned down and lifted the boy up, holding him high in the air.

It seemed that everything would probably be alright for everyone. Except her.

Chapter 33

“We did it! We won,” Ever cheered as she came and stood by Mina. She didn’t even attempt to hide her wings.

“If you call this winning,” Mina answered. She looked across the Bay at the flashing lights and mob of rescue vehicles.

And Annalora was still out there, plotting.

“Well, we didn’t die, so yeah,” Ever glanced at Mina and her face turned solemn. “What’s up?”

Taz Clara rose out of the Bay. Water trailed over her skin, dripping off in rivulets. She moved closer to the shore but didn’t step onto the land. “I’m sorry. I held onto Jared for as long as I could, but he just slipped away from me.”

“Ohhh,” Ever whispered.

Every part of Mina wanted to scream and yell at her for not trying harder, but the sea witch did not deserve her temper. Taz hadn’t plunged the knife into Teague’s chest. Mina had. All Taz did was give her more time with him. She should have tried to bind him to the Grimoire despite his argument. But he would’ve ended up hating her in the end, because he’d once again be a prisoner. She couldn’t bear to do that to him.

She felt adrift without him. It ached to admit it.

How could she ever smile again?

Until she heard it.

Thump… Thump… Thump.

And she remembered. Mina pressed her hand to her heart, and a tear slid down her cheek. He would never truly be gone, because she loved him.

Their small group on the beach started to grow in size as a meeting of the guilds and sirens coalesced on the shore.

“We have done all we can, for now.” Strong Arm’s voice rumbled deeply. “We must leave. It is no longer safe for us. Constance, your guild is welcome to join mine until yours is rebuilt.”

Constance nodded her head in agreement. “Thank you for the offer, Strong Arm. I think we will take you up on it until this boils over.”

She turned to Nan and Brody. “I think it’s best if you two head home as soon as you can. Don’t mention that you were anywhere near here. I’ll send someone up to help smooth over your parents’ memories, so you can try and slip back into your normal lives. I heard that with the school destroyed, you’ve been on a long break, so at least that bit should be easy enough.”

Just hearing the news about her school being on break filled Mina with relief. She knew the Godmothers would take care of Nan and Brody. Their parents wouldn’t even remember that Nan and Brody had disappeared. They had a chance at regaining their normal lives, and she was happy for them. As happy as she could feel with all these circumstances.

“Do we have to leave now? What will happen to Mina and Charlie?” Nan ran over to Mina and gave her best friend a hug. “I feel like I just got her back.”

“They will be taken care of,” Constance assured her.

“Will we see them again?” Nan asked.

“That will be up to them, but it might be better if you forgot all about them for the time being.”

“No!” Brody and Nan answered together.

Mina was pleasantly surprised at her friends’ determination.

“That will never happen,” Brody looked over at Mina and smiled, his eyes crinkling ever so softly. Mina tried to offer a half-smile back.

Constance sighed. “Very well, but there’s no time to waste. The sooner you leave, the better.”

Nan reluctantly pulled away from Mina’s side, and Brody came over to give her a hug. His embrace offered a familiar warmth and comfort. Mina sighed sadly as she struggled to keep her emotions at bay and her will from washing over him. Just because she was afraid of being alone didn’t mean Brody was hers to keep.

He gave her another squeeze before he pulled away and reached for Nan’s hand. Mina realized in that moment that maybe she was never meant to have a happily ever after.

Maybe, they didn’t even exist.

Mina watched as Brody walked hand-in-hand with Nan up the shoreline and to the sidewalk before they took off at a jog for the car. She prayed they’d have a safe journey.

“Thank you, sea witch, for your help,” Constance said.

Taz Clara remained, standing regally in the water. She smiled and brushed her hand in front of her in a mock bow. “I didn’t help to gain the favor of the Godmothers, but of someone much more important.”

Constance’s lips pinched together, and Mina picked up on the tension between the two women. “I understand. I’m sure the effort will be repaid.”

“I hope so,” Taz said as she slowly sank into the bay and disappeared.

The siren ship Serenity pulled as close as they could, and Reef and Genni brought the ship’s tender into the shore to pick them up and ferry them out. Nix, Ever, and Mina quickly sat down as the sirens swam them out to the ship. As soon as they were aboard, Ternan and Winona set sail.

Taz rose out of the water, her eyes black as night as she called forth a deep rolling fog to hide them. The sea witch raised her long green arm in a parting farewell. The sirens sailed out into the deep ocean, needing time to tend to their injured and find another way back to the Fae plane. The farther away they sailed, the less the damage seemed, until Mina could barely see San Francisco.

It all just felt like a horrible dream.

Charlie had been unwilling to leave Kino’s side since the battle. Kino had already dubbed him the Sea Prince. Winona and Ternan struggled to hold their emotions in check as they stood before their grandson. Winona’s face was washed with tears, and Mina swore she saw Ternan’s beard tremble with pride.

Charlie stared wide-eyed at the scars along his grandfather’s arms. His mouth opened but then firmly shut.

Ternan kneeled down, his eyes shining bright. “There’s no need to fear, my boy. You won’t hurt me with your gift. As the siren king, I—” His words were cut off as Charlie tossed himself into his grandfather’s arms.

Ternan held his hand out to the side, and her grandmother stepped into his arms and joined in the family reunion happening on deck. Mina met Winona’s eyes and simply nodded.