“Liar!” Mrs. Voss hissed, her perfectly manicured finger pointing at me accusingly. “Our son would never disappear, never act like this! We raised him better than that. He must be under some kind of enchantment!”
Teddy moved to stand between me and his parents. “That’s ridiculous. I’m not under any spell. Nerion hasn’t done anything wrong.”
The Elder Council woman circled us slowly, her white robes trailing over the damp grass. “Sirens are known for their enchantments, young witch. Their songs can bind the will of even the strongest minds.”
“He’s never sung to me,” Teddy insisted, his voice rising with frustration. “Not once!”
“You wouldn’t know if he had,” the woman replied coolly. “That’s the nature of their power. And there have been other incidents.”
My mind raced as panic began to set in. This was bad.Worsethan bad. If they convinced Teddy I’d enchanted him, everything we’d shared would be tainted in his memory. I couldn’t bear the thought of him remembering me like that.
“I swear on my life,” I said, meeting the Elder’s gaze directly, “I have never used my voice on Teddy. And you know damn well the others were an accident. The Dean can attest to that.”
“A siren’s oath means nothing,” Teddy’s father scoffed. “Dean Thornfield, I demand you take action. My son has been missing for days, in the company of this... thismonster.”
I felt Teddy tense beside me at the word “monster,” and something inside me cracked. After everything this college had gone through with the Purity Front and the complete overhaul of the board, the first conclusion whenever anything went wrong was still that themonsterwas at fault.
“I am not a monster,” I said quietly, my voice shaking with suppressed emotion. “And I would never hurt Teddy.”
“Then explain where you’ve been,” Dean Thornfield asked, his tone measured but firm.
Teddy stepped forward. “We went to Boston after the swim meet. I needed space from my parents after the way they treated me. Then we...” he hesitated, glancing at me.
“We went to Greece,” I finished for him. “Teddy teleported us there for a few hours. That’s all.”
The collective gasp from the adults was almost comical.
“You crossed international borders with unauthorized magic?” the dragonkin asked.
“It was my idea,” Teddy said quickly. “I wanted to see where Nerion grew up. I did the teleportation spell.”
“You see?” Mrs. Voss cried, gesturing wildly. “Our son would never do something so reckless! He’s always been responsible, focused on his future. This proves he’s under an enchantment!”
“Or maybe,” Teddy shot back, “I’m finally doing what I want instead of what you want!”
The sky darkened further overhead, and I felt the first drops of rain hitting my skin. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, matching the tension crackling between us all.
“Enough,” Dean Thornfield said firmly. “Let’s continue this discussion inside, away from prying eyes.”
“There’s no need,” I said. “There’s an easy way to prove Teddy isn’t under my enchantment.” I looked directly at the Elder. “And you know what it is.”
“What is all this?” Teddy’s father began. But he was quickly silenced by the Elder.
She nodded, her icy eyes flashing. “You are correct. Now ask him.”
I swallowed hard, turning to Teddy who looked suddenly nervous. “Teddy,” I said, taking his hand. “Do you love me?”
His face fell. “What does that have to do with?—”
“Just answer the question,” the Elder commanded. “Yes or no.”
I reached out, taking Teddy’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Do you love me?”
Teddy stared at me, his eyes wide with confusion. The rain was falling harder now, droplets catching in his golden hair as he stood frozen in place. I could see the wheels turning in his mind, trying to make sense of my question.
“You made me promise not to,” he said finally, his voice barely audible above the growing storm. “You specifically asked me not to fall in love with you.”
The Elder’s eyebrows rose with interest, and I felt my heart hammering against my ribs. This was not how I wanted this to go.