Once she returned to the sea, she’d never stand on this hill again with the wind in her hair. She’d never have another cup of cold, salty tea while Jonathan played his fiddle. And if she acted too soon, she might not learn why Madeleine had left the Daughters of Grace. Yes, by eating her, she’d make Madeleine a part of her forever. But it wouldn’t be like this.

Hæra set her jaw. What was the point of thinking about that? She couldn’t stay in human form forever, as Jonathan was always reminding her. This was her only way off Jorsay and away from human questions that would, eventually, be the end of her.

She didn’t have to worry about it for a month. That was how long Madeleine planned to stay. Maybe she could even be persuaded to stay longer. That should be plenty of time to work out…whatever Hæra had to work out.

“There’s my beach.”

Madeleine pointed north, in the direction of Thornhill Village. Hæra held her breath as she followed Madeleine’s gaze. Madeleine probably couldn’t make out the actual stretch of beach from here, but it had been just outside the village. As for Hæra, she could see the rocks, lapped by the slowly rising tide. Rocks where her human feet had first touched the land after she’d dragged Sister Madeleine’s limp body ashore.

Madeleine must be remembering the same thing, with no idea that she stood right next to the creature who had saved her.

“I know the one you mean,” Hæra said. “Er, Jonathan told me. Can you see it from here?”

“I can’t, but I know where it is. I can feel where it is.” Madeleine hugged herself again, as if a human body was something that could escape its owner. “Like there’s something pulling me there. Does that sound impossible?”

Not impossible, but alarming. The last thing Hæra needed was for Madeleine to be “pulled” to the beach where both their lives had changed.

It was daytime, though. A sunny day, no less. Each-uisge were least likely to approach the surface under these conditions. Maybe Hæra could go to the beach for the first time in years and feel her strength return with every step. She didn’t have to be afraid of…

Finish her, Calder said in her memory. Her mother’s teeth had torn into her hide, and Asgall taunted her as he closed in.

“It’s not exactly sane,” Hæra said brusquely. “I can’t imagine approaching that piece of land after what happened to you.”

“Good thing you’re not the one approaching it,” Madeleine snapped. “You might think it’s a bad idea, but I’m going anyway.”

“What? Alone?” Of all possibilities, Hæra had never imagined that one—Madeleine walking the beach, their beach, without her.