“I know what I asked,” I replied, squeezing his hand tighter. “But I need you to answer truthfully now. Do you love me, Teddy?”
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his face in harsh white light. In that brief moment, I saw everything. The conflict, the fear, and something else that terrified me more than anything.
The truth.
“I—” he began, but his father cut him off.
“This is absurd!” Mr. Voss shouted, stepping forward. “What kind of test is this? My son doesn’t love this creature! He can’t!”
“Silence!” the Elder commanded, her voice carrying a power that made even Teddy’s father flinch. “Let him answer.”
Teddy’s eyes never left mine as he took a deep breath. “Yes,” he said at last. “I love you.”
Chapter 25
Teddy
Tears were falling down Nerion’s cheeks, mixing with the rain. He gently lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Then, with a smile that nearly broke me, he said the last thing I ever wanted to hear.
“Goodbye, Teddy.”
That’s when the world broke around me.
“Mr. Thalassos, you are expelled from Widdershins Academy,” the woman in white robes said. “You will be escorted by Dean Thornfield to your room to collect your belongings, stripped of your student identification, and forbidden from entering these grounds forever.”
“Does this mean our son is enchanted by thisbeast?” my father roared, his voice echoing over the thunder.
“My poor baby,” my mother wailed, her arms around me as she pulled me away from Nerion. “What has he done to you?”
“This is why you can’t have monsters like this at this school!” my father raged on. “This is what happens! You can't trust these creatures!”
“I… I don’t understand,” I said, still staring at Nerion. “You said you didn’t sing to me…”
“I… I lied,” he replied, his gaze never meeting mine. Then he turned away, Dean Thornfield trailing behind. “Just go, Teddy.”
I wanted to run to him, to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he explained what was going on. But I couldn’t. My mother had a death grip on my left arm and the Elder had already taken my right.
“We need to get him treated immediately,” she said, pulling me toward the teleportation circle. “We don’t know how long he’s been under this enchantment. If it’s been weeks or even months, it may have lasting effects.”
“We’ll pay whatever it takes to fix this,” my father said, already turning my situation into a business deal. “And I expect the Elder Council to do a full investigation into this school, the Dean, and the board of education. Clearly this entire place has gone to the dogs.”
“I don’t know if that’s completely necessary—” the Elder began, but my father wasn’t listening.
His hand gripped my shoulder so tightly I could feel his fingernails through my shirt as he steered me toward the teleportation circle. The rain was coming down harder now, soaking through my clothes, but I barely felt it. All I could focus on was Nerion’s retreating back, his shoulders hunched as he walked away from me.
“Teddy, darling, we’re going to fix this,” my mother said, her voice sickeningly sweet as she dabbed at my face with a handkerchief. I couldn’t tell if she was wiping away rain or tears. Maybe both. “Everything’s going to be alright now.”
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” I said, my voice hollow. “I’m not enchanted.”
The Elder Council member gave me a pitying look. “That’s exactly what someone under enchantment would say. Siren magic is particularly insidious. It makes the victim believe their feelings are genuine.”
“But they are!” I tried to pull away, but my father’s grip only tightened. “You don’t understand?—”
“Theodore,” my father said sharply. “Enough. We’re taking you to the Elder Council now. They will perform the necessary cleansing rituals, and then we can put this whole unfortunate episode behind us. You’re not coming back to this school either. You’ll continue your studies at home.”
Home? The word felt like a stone in my stomach. They wanted to drag me away from Widdershins, away from my classes, my swimming, my life. Away from any chance of figuring out what had just happened with Nerion, any chance at a semi-normal life.
“I’m not leaving,” I said, planting my feet firmly on the wet ground. “I have exams next week. The regional swim meet is in three days.”