Page 68 of Rise of the Siren Queen
I released him, letting the water around us still. My heart was pounding, adrenaline still surging through me. I had won, but I knew this was far from over.
“You’re getting stronger,” Kieran said, his tone unreadable. Hisdark, oceanic blue eyes locked onto mine. “You’re getting enough control to hold your own. That’s all you need for your return to land. But don’t get comfortable.”
I felt a flicker of pride, but the significance of his words quickly drowned it.Hold my own?I had barely kept up. The struggle, the pain of holding these powers inside. It felt like every fight was just scratching what I could do, yet it was always on the edge of slipping away from me.
Ronan, still nursing the gash on his arm, shot me a look that was half-amused, half-annoyed. He wasn’t used to losing, and I could tell he would not let this go.
“Don’t look so pleased with yourself,” he grumbled, flicking some water in my direction as he floated back.
“Allow me,” Elora said, stepping forward and gesturing to Ronan’s arm, the wound still oozing despite his best attempt to ignore it.
Ronan raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. “What, you worried about me now? Didn’t think you cared that much,Red.”
Elora rolled her eyes, her lips twitching in the faintest hint of a smile. “Keep dreaming, Vitalis. I just don’t want to listen to you whining about it later.”
Ronan chuckled, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes. He held out his arm with exaggerated flair, as if presenting her with a great honor. “By all means, heal me, O Merciful One.”
Elora shook her head, her hand glowing faintly red as she placed it over his wound. Warm light radiated from her touch, and the gash on Ronan’s arm knitted itself back together, the flesh mending almost instantly. He flinched ever so slightly, but masked it with a smirk.
I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t expected that. Sure, I’d seen a lot of strange powers today, but watching Elora effortlessly heal a wound that should’ve taken days to mend was something else entirely.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Iryen’s healing powers were likethat, just as effortless, just as remarkable. The thought lingered, and despite my annoyance at how these people were so protective of her, a part of me wanted to know more about her powers. Would it feel the same as what I was witnessing now with Elora? Or was there something more unique about Iryen’s abilities?
“You’d be lost without me, you know,” Elora interrupted my thoughts and continued their banter, her voice soft but tinged with amusement. “Not that you’d ever admit it.”
Ronan shrugged, flexing his arm once she was done. “Lost? I’d call it peaceful. Imagine how quiet things would be without you nagging me all the time.”
“Please. You live for the chaos.” She scoffed, stepping back as she wiped her hands on her clothes.
His grin widened. “And you love creating one. We make quite the team, don’t we?”
Elora crossed her arms, giving him a look. “Team? I tolerate you at best, Vitalis. That’s not the same thing.”
Ronan took a step closer, his tone dropping to a low, teasing drawl. “You tolerate me because deep down, you know you couldn’t handle things without me.”
Their eyes locked, tension crackling between them like an unspoken challenge. Elora’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t step back, her gaze steady and sharp.
“And you, Ronan,” she said, her voice quiet but firm, “you need me because without someone to rein you in, you’d destroy yourself.”
For a moment, something passed between them, something unspoken, heavy with years of history and unacknowledged feelings. But just as quickly as it appeared, diapered, Ronan’s cocky grin returned, and the moment slipped away.
“Maybe,” he said, his tone light but his eyes serious. “But at least I’d go out with a bang.”
Elora shook her head, unable to hide her small smile this time. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love it,” Ronan shot back, turning away before she could respond. He threw a glance at me, his smirk still intact. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow,human.”
“Get some rest,” Kieran added over his shoulder, his voice carrying an unspoken challenge. “You’ll need it because tomorrow, it’ll be me and you.”
I nodded, though part of me felt a rising sense of dread.
“Great,” I muttered, the sarcasm barely masking my unease.
Kieran’s eyes narrowed slightly, catching the edge in my voice, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned toward the deeper waters.
Elora watched them go, her expression softening for just a moment before she masked it again. She glanced at me.
“You did well today,” she said, her tone measured but not unkind. “But don’t let him get to you. Ronan enjoys pushing buttons.”
