Page 74 of Siren in the Rain

Coral shakes her head. “No, my child, your full power has not yet been activated. It requires a ritual performed here on the island for you to come into

your true full powers. The little bit of sirensong you can use is a faint shadow of your actual abilities.”

“Not everyone’s sirensong has the same capabilities,” Anemone adds. “The ceremony will make clear what your unique and precious gifts are.”

Griffin’s practically bouncing on the sofa cushion next to me. “This is so exciting!” He turns glittering eyes that could rival any anime character at me. “I can’t wait to see what awesome powers you have. I know they’re going to be amazing, just like the rest of you.”

His vote of confidence warms something deep inside me that feels strangely sticky and saccharine-sweet.

Fuck.

Not too long ago, I would have hated this. I would have wanted to crush this emotion before it could grow inside me.

But now, I want to hold on and protect it.

Am I going to turn into some lovey-dovey fool with his head in the clouds, like Griffin? Maybe. Well, probably not that bad. But I’m starting to not mind the idea so much.

Also, if my true sirensong powers can make me go full-on Super Saiyan like Goku in Dragon Ball Z, then I’m raring to find out because I have a few revenge fantasies in mind for my evil family.

Chapter

Seventeen

Shae’s List of Life Goals

10. Make my own family.

(Addendum: With Griffin and the rest of MEOW Squad if I can get over my awkwardness and muster up the courage to tell them how much I’ve come to care about them all.)

Shae

My grandmother wastes no time in getting everything set up for me to undergo the purification and healing rituals, and the next afternoon I find myself with her and Griffin at the bottom of a hill path that leads up to the temple and hot spring.

Note to self, Grandma Coral knows how to get shit done.

“You’re sure you’ll be okay on your own?” Griffin asks for the hundredth time, biting his bottom lip.

His concern is touching, so I decide to reward him by petting his head and giving one fluffy ear a good scratch, which has him closing his eyes and making blissful noises.

“I’ll be fine, Wolf Boy. Be good while I’m gone.”

He glows under my attention. My suspicions about a praise kink are pretty much confirmed at this point.

I adjust the knapsack on my back, which contains some clothes, water, and food. “I’m off. Wish me luck.”

I sure as hell need it.

“Good luck, Shae! You can do this!” Griffin shouts as I head off. All he needs are some pom-poms and he’d probably do a cheer number for me.

I wave and start making my way up the steep path.

Although all the swimming I’ve been doing recently has been increasing my overall stamina, I find the hike a lot more draining than I anticipated. My life in captivity didn’t allow for a lot of daily exercise, and I’m more out of shape than I should be. I resolve to up my swimming and daily walking regimen going forward.

Because of my current limitations, I take it slow and stop for several water breaks along the way. The afternoon is mild, and a nice breeze is blowing in off the water, but the air is cooling down as evening approaches.

The sun’s starting to set by the time I make it to where the small temple and outdoor hot spring are located at the top of the hill. I’m pleased to see the hot spring is surrounded by dense foliage; although I don’t suspect I have to worry about peeping Toms, a sense of privacy is still nice. I head to the small wooden building adjacent to the hot spring and discover it has several stalls for showering and a row of lockers for changing.

After poking around, I decide to have my dinner first, like Coral recommended, and find a comfortable spot outside the temple and overlooking the ocean. While I watch the sun set, I enjoy the sandwiches and fresh fruit that my grandmother packed for me. This will be my last meal until after the spirit healing is complete as I need to start fasting tonight for that.

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