“Sure,” Lyra agreed, but her expression soured. “But that seems like a stretch.”
Keira shook her head. “That isn’t the concerning part. Scáthach can defend herself. It’s almost impossible to force her to train anyone she doesn’t want to. But her powers have been bound for a thousand years.” Keira’s voice dropped to a whisper. Lyra’s eyebrows shot up. “If that was common knowledge, she would be easier to kidnap. She wouldn’t have magical defenses. Almost any magic user could use simple spells to force her to train a new warrior…”
“And then they would be unstoppable.”
“Correct.” Keira sniffled, burying her head in her hands and forcing back tears again. “She’s basically a loaded weapon. She’s been in hiding because she doesn’t know how to unbind her powers.”
Lyra said nothing. She pulled her sister towards her, letting her cry again until the tears stopped. Lyra held her sister until she yawned, the exhaustion of the day catching up with her.
“Come on,” Lyra encouraged. “Let’s go find you a bed. Everything will look better in the morning.”
“Did you hear that whole story?” Keira looked at Lyra, almost outraged. “I’m sorry for dragging all of you into this, but I don’t know what else to do.”
Lyra shook her head, a calm, steadying expression on her face. She squeezed her sister’s hand.
“You listen to me. We will figure this out,” she promised. Besides,” she winked, steering Keira below deck, “Calum is going to owe me a favor now.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Lyra tried to offer Keira one of the spare rooms on the boat, but she refused. They were safely back in Scottish waters—theBarufakrmoving at speeds only possible due to magic—and above all else, Keira wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Lyra could understand that, even if she was avoiding her own.
And a particular fae prince who was below decks.
Keira hugged her sister tightly and promised she’d find her in the next week, once she’d processed alone. While Keira and Lyra were closer than most sirens were, at the end of the day, they still needed solitude to work through anything of this magnitude. Keira kissed Lyra’s cheeks and sat on the boat’s railing, waving goodbye as she gracefully fell backward into the sea. Lyra couldn’t help but watch, keeping an eye on the waves, until she caught sight of her sister’s tail glittering water.
“There’s no time like the present.” Lyra’s hands balled into fists, and she put one foot in front of the other, making her way below deck.
TheBarufakrknew where she was going. Lyra walked down the hallway, and all the open doors to various bedrooms and storerooms closed as Lyra passed.
“Subtle.” Lyra raised an eyebrow, knowing the ship could hear her. “I didn’t know sentient boats were matchmakers.”
In response, one of the doors at the end of the hallway swung open. Theo yelped inside, startled by the sound of the heavy bedroom door flinging open without warning. Lyra forced back a smile and slipped inside the room. The door slammed shut behind her. As Lyra opened her mouth to speak, the silence was punctuated by the sound of the lock clicking shut.
“Again, subtle.” Lyra rolled her eyes. She looked at Theo and her thoughts came to a screeching halt. Theo had clearly just emerged from the shower, his hair and body still dripping wet, while he clutched a towel around his waist.
“Hi.” Theo gave Lyra an awkward little wave, as though they hadn’t already had sex and declared their love for one another under duress. It was disgustingly endearing.
“Theo,” Lyra exhaled shakily, all of her previous bravado slipping away. Her rage always did when he was around. There was an automatic calming effect to Theo’s presence. It was one of the many things that made him invaluable to her.
A million different images started flashing through Lyra’s mind. There had been a moment when she was sure she was destined for death, bound for the watery grave she always knew she’d claim. There was no Theo beside her, Keira missing. Nothing but the boundless depths, the Queen of the banshees, and Lyra. Wicked, selfish Lyra, who had once thought it prudent to trade Theo away. Lyra’s emotions came rushing to the surface, forcing her to reckon with the feelings she’d been shoving down since the day she laid eyes on Theo.
“Hey, hey.” Theo crossed the room in three large steps, closing the gap between them and pulling Lyra into his arms. “Why are you crying?”
Lyra didn’t respond, but the tenderness in his voice ripped her heart in two. He held her, moving them both towards thebed as Lyra cried. He didn’t say a single word, didn’t push her or insist she answer his questions. He merely held her tighter and stroked his hands through her hair and over her skin. Finally, when her sobs quieted down, Theo gently pried her from his chest and cupped her face in his hands.
“Talk to me,” Theo urged.
Lyra sighed, hiccuping softly. She tried to avoid Theo’s gaze, but he tilted her head to face his every time she turned away.
“I… I don’t know.” Lyra bit her lip, trying to keep everything from exploding out of her.
Theo sensed this and shook his head. “Try again.”
Lyra tried to glare at him, although she knew she was a tear-stained mess, and likely wasn’t having the same terrifying effect.
“It’s the adrenaline of it all.” Lyra admitted. “I don’t feel like I deserve you. I don’t know how I’m supposed to go back and face your brother. Theo, I really don’t?—”
“Calum is going to understand.” Theo was quick to interject, but Lyra shook her head.
