Chapter 31

Rose

I dreamed of their dead bodies again that night.

My friends, my lovers, everyone. All the people I knew and loved lay crumpled on the ground, their eyes open and unseeing. Accusatory even in death. I'd failed them. And as I looked across the field of the murdered, Joseph stood triumphant with one last victim in his hands: me. The vacant expression on my face told me he'd taken my mind, ripped it from my head. A swift twist and snap later, and I, too, died by his hand and fell in a heap at his feet. My soul, laden with the power of the talisman, floated up and sank into Joseph's chest. He laughed and laughed and laughed…

My eyes flew open.

I couldn't breathe.

My heart pounded in my chest, trying to escape the cage of my ribs.

Bile rose up in my throat.

Launching myself out of bed, I staggered to the bathroom and violently emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet until there was nothing left. Panic and adrenaline had me shaking and sobbing as I rested my head against the cool porcelain of the bowl.

Everything in me screamed to do something about the threat, to get rid of what was hunting me. But there was no threat. There was no Joseph nearby, and even if he was, I was still no match for him. The need to do something tried to push up and take over my body, but it had to war against my panic for supremacy, and it lost.

Barely.

I don't know how long I was there, whether it was an eternity or mere seconds, but soon, Milo and Will sat at my side, holding my hair out of my face and rubbing my back. They whispered to me, Milo's body vibrating with a purr to soothe my frayed nerves, yet I couldn't stop. The images of my friends, of my own face, danced in front of my eyes, making me relive the dream over and over again. So easily, he'd been able to push aside everything that was me to ensnare my mind—and even worse, erase me from existence—before killing me and taking the talisman.

I knew the dream for what it was. My mind conjuring up my worst fear, an echo of the one he'd given me the night he nearly brought me to him. But that didn't stave off the utter devastation of it. I wanted to scrub myself raw, inside and out, and forget all of it, yet my mind wouldn't let it go.

Eventually, there were no more tears to cry, and my adrenaline was spent, leaving me with no energy to move. At some point, Milo had pulled me to straddle his lap and was rocking me side to side like a child while Will pet my hair. I'd have found it sweet, were it not for the numbness I'd sunken into.

We're not going to let anything like that happen to you, Will vowed softly, bringing my attention to him. His eyes caught mine, so gentle yet so fierce. Never. He won't be allowed to touch a single hair on your head. We just got you. We're not going to let you go now.

"But what if you can't stop him? All it would take is one firm push of his power in my mind, and he'd have everything he wanted and more," I whispered, voicing my terror.

"We'll teach you how to resist him, or we can find someone who can," said Milo. His voice made his chest vibrate against my cheek, a comfort I wasn't expecting.

"But who? There's no one on the islands who can, and I can't ask Will… I can't…" The very idea that I could even accidentally make him my puppet terrified me.

Will's eyes softened, tenderness, gratitude, and profound love beaming back at me. He lifted one of my hands and brought it to his lips to kiss.

"I have a few favors I could call in," Milo said. "There are a few merfolk that owe me favors."

"It wouldn't be safe for them," Will replied with a sigh. "My father would use his magic to bring them to him. He wouldn't let them stay on the island long enough to teach her anything."

"Alright, well, I'm sure we can think of something. This doesn't have to be a hopeless situation." Milo squeezed me a little tighter.

There was a tiny voice in the back of my head—one so quiet I didn't think even Will heard despite sharing my head with me—that knew the real solution to this problem. It whispered a truth, something I knew deep in my bones was necessary but something I loathed to admit. Something I'd been told from the very beginning: I'm going to have to leave.

This time, it wasn't only for my safety; it was also for the safety of everyone else on the islands. I couldn't get strong enough without help. Yet, leaving would mean I left everyone vulnerable. But you are more of a threat to them untrained, and you know it, I reasoned with myself. As much as I hated it, I knew it was true.

I didn't say anything to my mates. I wasn't ready to, but I tucked it in the back of my mind to mull over later. To accept. I just hope this time what I come back to isn't worse.

Mariana Town Hall was a small, squat sort of place, fit for a population of no more than six hundred. Constructed from mainly red brick, it was rectangular in shape with two stories and a basement. The front entrance boasted white faux-marble pillars that held up a small roof. Were it not for the words "town hall" emblazoned on the frieze, it could've been mistaken for an old school building.

I followed my mates, Iris, and Declan into the building using a back entrance, taking the first set of stairs down into the basement. Will and I had decided to come invisible, to ensure we would not be seen by anyone who could pass the information along to Joseph. We passed by several different departments for each of the sectors involved with keeping the little town of Mariana running, everyone quietly doing their jobs. It was quiet, almost silent as a library, as we slipped into a small, unassuming meeting room at the far back corner. Well, unassuming unless you could see the runes glittering along the walls and door.

It was larger than I expected, the meeting room, but the off-white walls and lack of windows made for a very dreary, somewhat claustrophobic space. There was no art or photos adorning the walls, nothing that gave the room personality or distraction. Instead, there was only a white retractable screen on the far left side, a projector hanging from the ceiling between the fluorescent lights, and a long table with an assortment of mismatched chairs.

We were the first to come, which I somewhat expected. When I'd asked if it was safe to meet altogether in a public place, Declan had assured me this was the best way.

"We can't guarantee that our clan isn't being watched now that Joseph knows where you are," he'd said, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We'll go in the back entrance, and we will stagger our arrival times, just to be safe. And if something does happen, you have at least three selkies and a merman who're ready and willing to defend you."

What he hadn't said—what stuck out to me like a blinding ray of light—was that he wasn't sure how the other leaders would react. Or if they would be on our side at all. It left an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

As soon as we were in the room, Will and I placed ourselves behind the door so that when it swung open to let the others in, neither of us would be seen by accident now that we'd made ourselves visible again. Milo took his place on the other side of me, my mates like sentinels as they stood close enough for us to brush shoulders anytime we moved. As Declan and Iris took their seats, I put my back to the wall, afraid to sit down. Everyone we'd seen had that spot of red, literally everyone, and not knowing what it could do had me on edge. Especially as my own mind provided about a thousand possibilities, each worse than the last.

Milo leaned against me as we waited, just enough to push calming energy into my system. It helped me gather my thoughts on what I was going to say, how I was going to present the problem at hand, and how I was going to phrase my request… all while steeling myself for their inevitable rejections.

No amount of calming energy could stop my pulse from thundering the moment the door opened again, though.

Selena stepped in and closed the door behind her. She gave the room a quick once-over as she moved to the opposite side of the gathering, putting as much distance as possible between us.

"How did I know it was going to be you?" she said the moment she spied me across the room. She let out a long-suffering sigh. "You're more trouble than you're worth, Sutton."

I didn't deign to give her a response, not when I knew she was right. So much had happened that involved Joseph and me. And I was just as culpable, if not more so, than anyone else in this, for not getting rid of that bastard when I first returned…

Will elbowed me gently in the arm before saying telepathically, None of that. My father is the only one responsible for the awful things he's done. It started long before you even arrived.

Rather than reply, I simply looked over at him and grabbed his hand so I could lace our fingers together. He raised our clasped hands to brush a kiss there, just as he had earlier, and I fought to keep a straight face as butterflies took flight in my belly. Of course, he didn't even try to hide his smile.

A few more minutes later, a tall, handsome man came into the room, and with instinct more than true knowledge, I guessed that he was a kraken. Upon closer inspection, he even had the same dark grey eyes Tomas had. There was a seriousness in his expression that spoke to a worry he carried close to his chest. One I felt, too, as the absence of the kraken leader didn't bode well for what was to come.

"That's Calixto Marin, Tomas's eldest son," Milo said, leaning in to whisper a confirmation of my assessment.

"Oh, sorry for not introducing myself." The kraken gave me a charming half smile, his Spanish accent as thick as Tomas's. "I'm here on behalf of my father. He's out at sea dealing with a family matter, so I'm manning the helm while he's away."

"Thank you for coming," said Declan. "We really appreciate it."

Finally, after waiting another ten minutes, Aira's brother, Osuke, was the last to join us, and when I saw that he was alone, my heart sank. The only other person on our islands who could truly stamp out the threat of Joseph wasn't going to help. As much as it stung, I wasn't surprised—Mr. Shioji's behavior and words yesterday were indication enough of how he felt about this whole thing, the fucking bastard.

"My apologies," Osuke started, his voice even despite his irises flickering between human and dragon. "My father has refused to come meet with you all. I'd say I was coming on his behalf, but I'm here against his express orders, as he's forbidden any of the family to get involved."

My mates and I shared a look. I had known Mr. Shioji would take such a stance; it was the fact that Osuke was openly defying orders that shocked me.

"Thank you for coming," repeated Declan. "I imagine the choice wasn't an easy one to make."

"Even if my father is choosing to stick his head in the sand regarding this matter, that doesn't mean the rest of our clan are. But it does pose problems for us all that he's not here," Osuke added, finally taking his seat.

"What matter are we talking about, exactly?" Selena demanded. "If it's Joseph, we already know he's being a nuisance, and the kelpies won't be joining you on whatever suicide mission you have proposed. We made our stance clear after he initially invaded, when you came to Alexander uninvited."

"The problem has evolved, Selena," said Iris, her tone colder than I'd ever heard from her.

"Then what is this mysterious new problem, then?" Calixto asked, all hints of his prior smile gone.

Declan looked back at me, giving me the floor to speak. Pushing away from the wall, I stepped forward to look at the three across from us. It was now or never.

"As you may or may not know, my last Mark is Joseph Kelley—and yes, I know I should be a mindless killing machine, but since you know what he's done with the merfolk, you can see why I was allowed to have my mind back." I gave each of them a hard look. A shaming look. Leaders or not, they were aware of the enslavement of the merfolk… and had done nothing. "So, as you can imagine, I am intimately aware of everything regarding Joseph and his aura."

"If you're here to ask for help taking him out, the answer, once again, is no," Selena said abrasively. "There's no way I'm risking people for yours."

My magic twisted inside me, rising to the surface as I pinned her with a glare. "Perhaps if you would listen rather than make wild speculations about what it is you think I want, you'd learn what I truly wish to tell you and how it intimately affects you and yours."

Her eyes widened, surprise flitting across her features for a brief moment. She shut her mouth.

"Anyway, yesterday while at lunch at Oki, Ava, Aira, Aeden, and I spotted an anomaly in the auras of the people around us," I said, glancing at the three across the room from me. "Just by their heads was a small stain of maroon red. The stain is in our auras as well. We sent others out to see if it was just those in the restaurant. It was not."

The three Otherkind across the room looked at each other, searching for the blight I referred to. It didn't take long, their expressions turning from apprehension to narrow-eyed anger. I sat back and waited for them to process the reality of the situation.

"Why should an identical spot in our auras concern us?" asked Calixto when he turned back toward us. The question wasn't combative but, rather, probing.

"Because it's Joseph's aura. His influence," I replied. "We don't know what its purpose is or what it does, but based on his previous behavior, we can reasonably assume he means to use it to control us or the situation in his favor. And with his current mental state, there's no telling how or when it will be used against us."

"And why doesn't Shioji over here have one?" asked Selena, pointing at the sea dragon.

"Because my father has removed it from everyone in our family." Osuke looked ready to burst from his skin right then and there, he was so angry. Dragonine features ghosted over his face, an echo of his other form. "He refuses to teach any of us how to do it for fear we'll try to help Rose, and he expressly forbade us to get involved."

"Then what are we supposed to do? Have any of you figured out how to remove it or counteract it?" Calixto asked, leaning forward to put his forearms on the table.

"No," Declan answered for me. "Joseph's mind powers are not something we are familiar with. It's not a power the selkies have or can combat."

Will straightened and came to stand by my side again. "Not even I know how he's doing this, and since all the other merfolk are under his control, there's no one else on the Isles that I can ask."

"How can you even be sure he's going to do anything with this?" Selena asked.

"My father always had big plans for the islands," said Will. "He wants to make them a sanctuary for our kind, and by ‘our kind,' I mean merfolk. There's no doubt in my mind that what happened to Nora will happen to the rest of the Golden Isles." The truth of his words chilled me down to my soul.

The three of them sat with this for a moment, the silence heavy and uncomfortable. I couldn't blame them for needing a moment. Hell, I was still coming to terms with what had happened in Nora. The idea of having to live with the looming threat of the same was no doubt overwhelming.

Though, I had to admit, I was more than a little perturbed that they hadn't considered this threat after Nora fell. Was it hubris? Was it an overinflated sense of ego? I wanted to scream at them, ask them how they thought they would be safe from a creature who'd taken down my island by himself. The merfolk weren't weaklings. Yet he'd brought them down in a single night. Divided as we were, how did they think they would fare against a man like that? Against a man who'd likely been planning their downfall for months now?

"Do you know how we could potentially thwart Joseph," Calixto asked, breaking the silence, "aside from removing his influence, that is? What can we actually do?"

I thought about this for a moment, cursing myself for not doing more research about the other islands and their individual communities. So, I put my pride away and admitted my weakness.

"At the moment, the best thing we can do is arm ourselves with any knowledge we can find about this sort of magic, because like I said, we don't know what his aura in others' can do. We already know he's powerful with mind magic, so we could reasonably speculate it can and will mess with our heads. Especially since he's augmented his well of power with the merfolk he's attached to himself. Hell, it might even be a way to ease into our minds to take them over easier, and I sincerely doubt any of us want that."

Will nodded. "We also can't take him out until we know how to dislodge his hold on the merfolk. Unlike the rest of you, I can't stomach the idea of harming innocent children just to take out one man," he added, not bothering to hide the venom in his tone.

"Knowledge is all great and good," Selena said, "but how do we protect our islands? If he's going to invade like you seem to think he is, then what can we do ?" She glared at me. It was obvious she didn't believe a word of what I was saying.

"We obviously don't know how best to protect your people and your islands. Our needs are all unique in that regard, but a strategy, some attempt at defense, is necessary here. And, of course, we need to keep all this information away from him." I clasped my shaking hands behind me, hiding them from view. "Other than that, we fortify ourselves against him. We protect against his lackeys trying to come to our islands, and we share knowledge of how to protect each other. He knows we're stronger together, which is why he's been hellbent from the beginning to keep us apart."

Will reached over to put a steadying hand on my arm.

I knew what this meant, what he was signaling, and I steeled myself for the rejection I knew was to come.

"Another way we can help fortify the other islands from Joseph and his men—because he will be coming after you, make no mistake—is to let me have access to the Hearts of the islands," I started to suggest, but before I could explain my reasoning, Selena cut me off.

"Absolutely not. The Suttons did nothing to protect the islands from him before, and since Violet is in hiding, I know she's not going to do anything now. The kelpies neither want nor need Sutton influence on our island," she said, louder than necessary.

"What could they have done as humans against a three-hundred-year-old merman, Selena?" Osuke retorted, shooting her a withering look. "Let's be frank here, they were all but powerless."

"Joseph also nearly killed my aunt for what little retaliation she was able to deal against him," I added, narrowing my eyes at Selena. "Just as he did with me when I confronted him."

"You're the one with the vendetta against him. Why haven't you dealt with him?" she shot back, crossing her arms.

It took everything in me not to shout at her. "As I have said to you, ad nauseam , he has attached the souls of… who knows how many merfolk to him. Any damage dealt to him is damage done to them, and unlike the rest of you, I actually fucking care about their suffering."

She shrugged. "The merfolk are not my problem."

Milo reached forward just as I was about to reach the limit of my control, his hand slipping under my shirt to touch bare skin. The wave of calm he pushed into me was a cool balm against the blistering heat of my anger at the injustice of it all. At her cavalier attitude. At the very fact that none of the other three looked willing to help. I took one breath, then another, clutching at the peace flooding my system.

That's when I saw it. The blight of Joseph's influence in her aura. It twisted and flexed, swelling to twice its original size. I mentally reached for Will, to show him what I was seeing, and I heard him swear softly.

It has to be making her more combative, he replied. She was never like this before.

I nodded and readjusted my plan of attack.

"The merfolk may not be your concern, but when Joseph comes after your island, after your people, they will be," I said finally. "All I want to do is help. I don't want to see you and yours fall to him as Nora did."

Selena said nothing, the bright spot working hard in her aura, and fixed me with a stubborn glare as her jaw clenched and unclenched. I turned to Calixto and Osuke, hoping against hope they would allow this.

"Unfortunately, Rose, since my father is not here to make such a big decision, I cannot allow you to come to the Heart," said Calixto gently. "Not when we've already sealed it away. I am truly sorry."

Osuke, when I turned to him, looked just as apologetic. "And you know my father won't allow you to, either. He will hear nothing from me or anyone else on the matter."

I nodded. There was no hint of guile on any of their faces, and that left my heart constricting painfully. What little hope I had to try to protect the islands from Joseph died with a whisper, a finality that had me wanting to shrink back, to wish I'd never even come.

As much as I feared what was to become of us, I mourned. The fractured parts of what had once been a strong, tight-knit community, one I'd longed to be part of, were now nothing but a distant dream. And even if Joseph was removed, I wasn't sure we could ever get that back again, not as it was.

"If there's nothing else you have to discuss, then I'm out of here," said Selena, standing without waiting for an answer. She stormed out, seemingly pissed off, though I wasn't sure why.

And just like that, any chance of unity disappeared with a swish of dark brown hair.