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I stopped listening to them, my eyes falling onto King Melchior as he stood from his throne.
He smiled warmly as he stood, and I couldn’t hold myself back. I ran to his arms, embracing him tight. He chuckled.
“I missed you too, daughter,” he said.
Hugo clicked his tongue. “She’s losing her sense of place again.”
“At least she’s learned how to return her father’s love now,” Vito countered.
The king cupped my face warmly and kissed my forehead, stepping back.
“You summoned me, Your Majesty?” I asked.
He nodded. “I heard you had a request for me.”
I nodded, trying to muster up my courage. “I did.”
“Ask it, then.”
I took a deep breath. “I’ve decided… I want my wings.”
Vito audibly gasped. Hugo audibly rolled his eyes.
“Our siren wishes to return home!” Vito cheered. “How wonderful!”
“This means I have to start training her all over again,” Hugo returned. “It was such a pain the first time.”
The king raised his hand at his right- and left-hand men as they chattered. They went silent. He looked at me for a long moment, before opening his mouth to speak.
“My answer,” King Melchior said, “is no.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. The warmth on his face didn’t fade, making me wonder if I had heard correctly.
“Forgive me,” I said, confused. “What did you say, Your Majesty?”
“I decline your request,” he said. “I can’t give you your wings. Not now.”
I blinked, trying to sort through my thoughts. “But I thought—”
He put his hands on my shoulders. “There is a man who needs you to return to him. As I have waited for you for decades, he has been waiting for you for months. His heart will not be at ease until you are home. I understand his anguish.”
I gripped the king’s hand, suddenly realizing that he was sending me away.
“But, I can’t leave,” I said. “I want to be with you.”
He chuckled. “You’ll return to me in due time. But I know thathisheart will not settle in the afterlife until he has seen you again. And I know that regret will plague you for the rest of your eternal life if you don’t see him.”
I suddenly thought of my earthly father’s face, tears building in my eyes.
I missed him so much. I had forgotten how much I missed him.
“You need to return to the human world quickly,” he said. “The window of time is closing.”
“Why?” I asked, looking up at him. “Is something wrong?”
He took a deep breath. “I’ll have Rhys take you back. The ship won’t be fast enough.”
“What’s—”
