Page 142 of Fallen Stars

“Elara,” came another roar, and it was Enzo, screaming until he was hoarse. She could see the Sun, lit in gold as he scaled the side of the enemy ship he was still on, Isra and Merissa trying to pull him back, the mermaids surrounding them on the ship and below.

She tried desperately to call his name, but every ounce of her energy was focused on keeping her head above water. Though she was still battling the mermaid’s hold, the water soothed Elara as she was carried on it. Finally, Scorpius’ charm lost its grip, as though the very water he claimed to rule was rebelling against him. She glanced up, seeing a blue-haired figure furiously twisting his hands to the water. A wan smile lit her face as the current urged her, Adrian controlling it as he tried to get her to safety so that she could use her powers once more.

She could feel Scorpius’ poison drain from her inch by inch as he roared from The Starred Siren, clambering back aboard his pet, ordering his army of mermaids after her.

Elara’s eyes fluttered open, catching on the full moon above her as she kicked the mermaid attached to her in the stomach.

Again, she felt that deep pull within as her magick tried to reach out to it.

A thought dawned on her, and she nearly went under, coughing as she focused to stay afloat.

Enzo had said the sun revitalised him, heightened his magick.

She looked to the full moon, thinking of how deeply she was connected to it, how it had called to her all day as though the heavenly body was urging her to use it.

She breathed in deeply, allowing her powers to be pulled to it, in the same way the tides were, as two mermaids launched on top of her.

Replenishing silver power washed through her as she allowed the moon’s rays in, allowed herself to feel as full as her reflection above.

“You rule death,” Isra’s voice echoed as she heard a growl from Scorpius, and the water began to churn.

She heard Adrian curse from the other ship, trying to wrangle back control of the waves.

But Scorpius was wrathful, the waters now determined to suck her under with his minions.

Where was Enzo now? She looked blindly, finally seeing him clamber over the side of the enemy ship, preparing to dive as he cried her name.

“No,” she screamed. “Enzo, don’t!”

Elara was pulled back under as the current changed, now dragging her down rather than lifting her up, Scorpius’s sickly charm lacing within the water once more, four mermaids now attached to her.

As she forced herself to stay tied to the moon above her, bathing in it, she was reminded of the sirens—how the half-dead Mythas had bowed to her as she’d flooded Lake Astra with her powers. And a plan began to form. Rather than fight against the tide, she allowed the mermaids to pull her under.

As darkness filled her eyes, mouth, and ears, she envisioned a key, turning the lock of a cage of a pacing silver dragun within.

Her power felt more alive the closer to death she got, crackling in her veins and desperate for escape. Whatever Enzo had done to tempt it out had worked, and he was right. It felt as easy as breathing.

She sank deeper, the dark waters difficult to see in even as her moonlight began to spin out of her.

Between life and death is only dusk, Eli had written.

And Elara understood completely as her light cast on rotted timber spearing up through the ocean floor exactly what her powers could do.

Chapter Fifty-One

“Elara!” Enzo roared again, hisvoice high with panic as he saw his love being pulled under.

Adrian was drenched in sweat, the weight of trying to force the ocean to do his bidding against Scorpius draining him. He was close to burnout, gritting his teeth as he tried to hold on with all he had.

He could hear Scorpius’s laugh across the waves; it was the same that had haunted his dreams since the Star had exiled him and set his pet upon him.

Enzo was utterly incensed, a madman as he paced. “I need to get to her,” he growled.

Then a tentacle slammed into the ship, knocking Enzo to the deck as the others shouted in alarm. Leo was already up, palming his sword as he launched it at the tentacle. It flared with crackling lightning as it hit its target, a terrifying wail piercing the night as it retreated.

“Elara,” Enzo roared again. Another tentacle snaked across the deck and began to wrap around him. Fire rippled off him, the scent of burning rubber reaching Adrian as the Lion burned through it, thunking back to the ground.

“We can’t keep doing this,” Adrian panted. “Scorpius will outlast us easily. We need Elara.”

---