Page 102 of Gods of the Sea

The shaking only increased. Luc rubbed my arms as if he was trying to warm me up.

“Esmeralda?” he asked again.

“I can’t stand it, Luc,” I admitted. “I can’t stand being powerless and powerful at the same time.”

“What are you talking about?”

I swallowed, trying to put my thoughts together. “If I get my wings, I lose my father. If I reject my wings, I lose Henrik and Adrian.”

His eyes turned bitter in a moment, but his touch remained gentle. He brought his hand to my face, dusting stray strands of hair from my forehead.

“The crew is damned whether or not you have your wings,” he muttered. “You can’t change their fates.”

“But I would have the power to try.”

“No,” he said firmly. “Every human heart must decide its own fate: to be cursed or to be saved. The sirens judge their hearts, but we don’t affect the outcome. If we were to tamper with the results, we would be cursed again.”

The tension in my muscles released, as if they had given up along with my spirit. Luc held me with sympathy, even though I knew he didn’t feel the same way I did.

“I know you hate them,” I said.

“I do. And so should you. They kidnapped you—”

“I know.”

“They threatened your life, your father’s life, and used you for their own benefit.”

“Yes, I know.”

“They were planning to use you to steal the Eros and get money. And you’re still crazy enough to want and protect them? Why are you being so ridiculous?”

“Because I can see their hearts!” I yelled back. “And so can you!”

Luc huffed and turned his head away.

“You know that Henrik and Adrian were only trying to save their parents.”

“That doesn’t excuse their behavior.”

“Yes, but you can’t be a siren and pretend you don’t see the good in them. You can’t pretend to not see Henrik’s guilt or Adrian’s protectiveness—”

“And you can’t pretend thatsomegood means the same asnotevil!”

He huffed again, this time through his nose.

“I know you care for them,” he said sternly. “I get it. Fine. But your feelings are making you forget who they are. They’re both murderers, Esmeralda. They’re law-breakers, kidnappers, and traitors to the spiritual realm. They have to pay for their sins, no matter how you feel about them. Just like we paid for ours. You understand that, don’t you? You understand why your affections can’t be more important than their justice, right?”

I took a deep breath, as if I hadn’t been breathing for hours. There was silence between us, his words settling in my chest. I couldn’t speak against them. I had no argument.

I only had a request.

“Can I at least say goodbye to them?” I asked.

Luc’s face hardened, and he looked down at his feet. He swallowed then looked back up, meeting my eyes.

“It’s only because I lost you hundreds of years ago that I agree to this,” he finally said. “I don’t want to reunite after all this time only to have you hate me.”

***

---