“We can’t do this on our own, Luce. I know that. You’ll die if we try it. And I don’t ever want to live without you.” His voice was grim and settled. This wasn’t some sudden impulse, Luce realized, but an idea he’d been mulling over for weeks. But there was only one entity she could think of who might be able to do what Dorian wanted.

“But . . . you said you didn’t want to ask Proteus for any favors. Even if we could find him.” And what if Proteus agreed? Luce thought. Would she really give up the sea, the wild free sky, and her own astounding voice for the tedium of a normal human life? Even a life with Dorian?

Maybe. Maybe she would. Since he was warm and kind and brave enough to accept her, forgive her, even after Emily . . . Luce owed him something for that. She owed him so much . . .

And he was right, anyway. It was the only way they’d ever be able to sleep beside each other; the only way that nagging heat could ever flare high enough to quiet again. Maybe. If she was really positive he’d still love her . . .

Dorian twisted to look into her face. “I wasn’t thinking of asking Proteus.”

“Then who?”

Dorian’s eyes fixed on hers. They were full of secretive glimmers, passing shades. For the first time it occurred to Luce that there was something he wasn’t telling her. He hesitated for a few more moments, his hands sliding through her jagged hair. “Ben Ellison.”

“WHAT?” Luce screamed. Ben Ellison the FBI agent, Ben Ellison the enemy, always out to break Dorian’s will. Luce felt the sudden panicked certainty that Dorian must have betrayed her and she began thrashing violently, wrenching her body out of his arms. She splashed back a few yards and slumped with her tail coiled tight, ready to whip away into the distance. Dorian was leaning toward her with his legs folded under him, his hands spread on the stones.

“He’s not a bad guy, Luce! I swear to God if we just talked to him . . . he’d do whatever he could to help us. I know he would. And he’s really smart, and he has to know, like, scientists and people who could figure this out. He just doesn’t understand what it’s like for you, but if you told him—

“Told him about the mermaids?” Luce’s voice was so bitter she thought she might choke on it.