The Deepreef’s glow flickered as Taryn’s shades surged, their shadowy fins slicing through the water. Sophie’s notebook glowed in her hands, its image of Taryn lifted by a tide urging her to act. The Moonheart’s light dimmed, and the sorceress’s laugh filled the cavern. Kael’s trident flashed beside her, and Marin’s waves pushed back the shades, but Taryn’s cursed eyes locked onto Sophie.

“You can’t save me,” Taryn snarled, his voice layered with the sorceress’s. “Thalindra will drown.”

Sophie’s heart ached. Taryn wasn’t gone—she’d seen his plea in the vault. Her mark pulsed, and Lumi’s chime rang: “Your stories, Sophie. Weave his heart back.”

She dodged a shade’s claw, Kael pulling her behind a coral pillar. His hand lingered on her waist, steadying her. “You sure about this, storyteller?” he asked, his breath warm against her ear. “He’s dangerous.”

“I have to try,” Sophie said, her voice firm. Kael’s closeness gave her courage, his touch a reminder of why she fought—for Thalindra, for him.

Marin shouted, her wave faltering. “Sophie, the Moonheart! Amplify its light!”

Sophie nodded, opening her notebook. The tide-lifting image glowed, and she traced her mark, weaving a silver wave. It surged toward Taryn, wrapping him in light. His staff dropped, and his eyes flickered, the green fading. “Sophie…” he whispered, reaching out.

But the sorceress’s voice roared: “Fool!” A dark wave crashed, shattering Sophie’s tide. Taryn screamed, collapsing, and the Moonheart’s light pulsed erratically. Shades swarmed, and Kael pulled Sophie into a crevice, his arms wrapping around her. His heart pounded against her back, and she felt his breath on her neck, grounding her.

“We’re not done yet,” he murmured, his lips brushing her ear. The intimacy sparked heat in her, despite the chaos. She turned in his arms, their faces inches apart, and stole a quick, fierce kiss. “For luck,” she whispered, her cheeks burning.

Kael grinned. “I like your kind of luck.”

They emerged, and Sophie wove another tide, stronger now, fueled by her bond with Kael. It hit Taryn, and his eyes cleared fully. He gasped, free of the curse. But the Moonheart cracked, and the sorceress appeared—a cloaked figure of shadow and starlight, her face hidden. “You’ve delayed me, Tidecaller,” she hissed. “But the curse is mine.”

She vanished, and the Deepreef shook, coral collapsing. Taryn, weak but alive, pointed to a tunnel. “Go! She’s after the Tidecrown!” Sophie’s notebook glowed, showing a crown of moonlight. What was the Tidecrown, and why did the sorceress want it?

Cliffhanger: What is the Tidecrown, and can Sophie stop the sorceress before the Deepreef collapses?

Chapter 8: Shadows of the Deepreef

Join the Discussion