“Still, I can figure it out. I’m sure you have things to do.”

“You are mine. I’m not leaving you alone beneath the water.” His voice was solid, but there was an edge to it.

Frustration?

Anger?

I didn’t know what to label it, or what emotion was behind it.

We resumed swimming, and I gave it a few minutes before I spoke again. I’d started to see the cliffs up ahead, which was good.

It was a short while later when we finally reached them. They looked like a towering maze of rocks that jutted up from the seafloor for what had to have been much more than a mile, and they were all wrapped with coral in vibrant colors. Puffy, colorful plants grew thickly over nearly every inch of the cliffs, consuming the rocks and only leaving space for the coral.

A massive shark swam by, and a scream tore through my lips.

I jerked sideways, slamming into the side of one of the puff-and-coral-covered cliffs. Coral cut my upper arm, and my eyes burned.

Triton’s arms were around me a moment later. He had my back pinned to a soft clump of puffballs just as quickly. The cliff we were against towered over us, but neither of us gave a shit.

Our eyes locked, the worry in his gaze so hot it made me warm. My hair floated around us, but neither of us noticed it.

A shiver rolled down my spine, carrying emotions with it.

Strong emotions. Emotions I couldn’t even dream about controlling.

Those emotions seemed to ignite the buzzing place within me where my magic was located.

A feeling filled the water around us—one that echoed Triton’s power, but felt slightly different. Instinctively, I knew it was mine.

Triton gave a low, dark rumble. “Do you feel your magic around us?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how to stop it.”

“I’ll teach you that in a moment. First, you need to try to take control of it. What does it feel like?”

“Electricity. Like yours, but different.”

“Yes, that’s the form of energy it most resembles. Though it feels electric, you can use it to control the water. For now, just try to spread it out around us.”

“Doesn’t it affect you?”

“Oh, yes.” His eyes flashed. “You may as well have your fist around my cock.”

My face heated, and the magic grew a little stronger.

Triton’s hand landed on my face, and he tilted my chin back so I was focused on his eyes. “Look at me, and nothing else. While you do, push the magic outward as far as you can. It will be difficult at first, but—fuck.” His curse was a shallow breath out as I did what he instructed, pushing the magic harder.

His gaze grew darker.

Hotter.

“Good, Aria. Just like that.”