Aralyn concentrated, steadying her breath as she directed her power into the cement orb.
"Come again?" Noah asked, completely at a loss.
But whatever he was about to say died the moment the orb began to lift slowly. His gaze snapped to Aralyn. Her neck glowed brighter beneath the scarf, a faint pulse of light slipping through the fabric. And her eyes... Her eyes shimmered with silvery-blue dust, glowing from within.
It was the most beautiful and haunting thing he had ever witnessed.
He watched, utterly still, as Aralyn kept her focus on the orb. It rose higher under her command, clearing the railing fence before descending gently onto the ground outside.
Noah let out a low whistle. "Man, I wish I was like you," he said, awe bleeding into his voice. "Scarf, you're up first."
Aralyn stiffened. The glow in her eyes dimmed, her neck fading back to normal but Noah had already seen it.
"Scratch that. I'll go first," he corrected quickly.
He climbed over the fence with ease and landed safely. Straightening up, he glanced back at her. "I've a question."
"What?" Aralyn huffed, beginning her climb. Her arms trembled slightly as she pulled herself up.
Noah stood below, arms already open, watching her carefully.
"Can you fly?"
"No. As you can see, I don't have wings," she replied through gritted teeth.
Her heart climbed into her throat as she swung one leg, then the other, over the railing. She hesitated for a split second. Ground or him?
"I got you, come on," Noah urged.
Aralyn shook her head, then jumped straight into his arms anyway. He caught her with a soft grunt and set her down gently, instinctively reaching up to adjust her scarf.
"Can you float then?" he pressed.
She shook her head again, already moving toward the orb. "Help me with this."
"How come you're not using your powers to bring this thing all the way to the beach?" he asked, crouching beside her.
"Noah, please," she said, breath tight. "I just used my powers a tad bit. The longer we stay here, it'll alert anyone who can detect the fluctuations."
"What? What do you mean?" Noah frowned. "You're saying that like this town has witches lurking aside from you."
He paused when Aralyn bit her lip and looked away. "...they are?"
Aralyn didn't answer. Her breathing grew heavier by the second. Being out in the open like this after using her magic had sharpened every instinct she had. Every rustle, every whisper of wind felt like a warning.
"Hey, Scarf? Hey!" Noah stepped closer, concern creeping in. He glanced around, jaw tightening.
The town was too far.
The beach was even further, and this thing wasn't moving fast. He tipped his head back with a frustrated sigh. "Alright. New plan," he said, already pushing the orb. "We hide this first. I'll get my car."
Aralyn snapped out of it and joined him, pushing alongside him, forcing her breathing to steady. She couldn't afford to lose control now.
"What? Don't you think…" she groaned, digging her boots into the dirt, "people will wonder why you're taking a detour this far out?"
They pushed the orb deeper into the woods, until the trees thickened and the hedges grew wild enough to conceal it.
"Aw, you're worried about me," Noah teased, stretching his arms with a soft groan. "I'll be back before you know it."
He turned to her, hand outstretched. "Your phone, please."
Aralyn raised a brow.
He grinned. "So you know if something happens to me."
She stared at him.
"..Or you just want my number," she deadpanned.
"Okay, that too," he admitted easily. "But mainly for emergencies."
Aralyn sighed and handed it over after unlocking it. Noah quickly keyed in his number, then called himself. His phone buzzed in his pocket. A beat of satisfaction crossing his face before he handed hers back.
"Now I'm one call away," he said. "Don't hesitate to call me, Scarf. Anything happens, anything, you call me. Got it?"
Aralyn nodded.
Noah stepped back, then turned, jogging off toward the direction of town. "Ten minutes!" he called over his shoulder. "Don't get kidnapped or anything!"
She almost scoffed. Almost. His figure disappeared between the trees, footsteps fading until only the quiet life of the woods remained with birds chirping, leaves whispering in the wind. Aralyn crouched beside the cement orb, observing the intricate details carved into its surface.
"How can a pearl like this," she muttered, laying the small pearl on her palm as she compared the obvious difference in size, "become something so big?"
Something did not add up.
Noah was right to point out how easily Phoebe had lost it. Aralyn had lived for decades. As far as she knew, the merfolk were known for their undaunted nature and fearless hearts. So what could Phoebe possibly be hiding from?
The sudden silence of the birds snapped her attention.
Aralyn crouched lower, going completely still, one hand resting against the cement orb. Normally, when the woods fell quiet like this, it meant one thing. Something or someone was coming.
The hum beneath her skin intensified as she forced her magic down, suppressing it to nothing.
"...there's no one out here."
"Don't be stupid. You know they never lie about it."
Two voices drifted into earshot. Aralyn did not recognize them. Slowly, carefully, she shifted and tried to peek through the hedges. Damn it. She could not see anything. Not even a shadow. But she knew these were two women.
"Come on, let's just go back. I don't want to miss the festival," said one voice, cheery and impatient.
"Paige, stick a cork in it, will you? Just give it a few minutes, then we leave. Unless you want her to bite your head off," said the other, her tone lower, edged with irritation.
Aralyn absorbed every word. Deep down, she knew. These were second-degree witches. The kind trained to use reflections, to track magic through mirrors. She stayed frozen until their voices faded completely.
Only then did she allow herself to breathe.
The question returned, heavier this time. Why could she not locate them before? It should have been easy. She should have felt their presence the moment she arrived in Dewhurst. The thought of leaving crept back in.
After finishing this quest with Noah, all she had to do was attend the festival for a short while, return home, pack what little she needed, and leave.
It should be easy.
It had to be.
And yet, something deep within her twisted with unease. Too many things did not make sense.
Who was dangerous enough to make Phoebe hide? What was really behind the Dewhurst treaty with the illegal loggers? And the children. The twins. The way they had slowly, quietly found their place in her heart without her noticing.
Something in this town had changed, and Aralyn could not shake the feeling that she should have known it much sooner.
A rumbling noise approaching made her tilt her head. She stayed still until the sound, a car she assumed, came to a stop nearby.
"Scarf? Where you at?"
The low whisper of Noah's voice made her exhale as she stood, peeking out from the edge of the hedge. Noah jogged toward her.
"You're okay?" he asked, concern knitting his brows.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Alright, let's roll this out."
They carefully rolled the cement orb toward his Jeep Wrangler. He opened the door, and both of them tried to lift it. It was heavier than they expected.
"Oh man, I thought we could do this," Noah huffed. "Do you think, y'know..." He gestured vaguely at the orb.
"Yeah, but you need to get behind the wheel," she said.
Noah looked confused for a second, but did as told anyway.
Once he was in the driver's seat, Aralyn used her magic again. Her eyes and neck glowed as she lifted the orb carefully into the back seat. She shut the door quickly and slipped into the passenger side.
"Go, go, go!"
Noah hit the pedal without hesitation.
"Where are we going? Isn't the beach that way?" she asked, pointing behind them.
Noah shook his head. "This is the back route. It'll take longer, but don't worry. No one's gonna see this baby going around," he said with a cocky smirk.
Aralyn nodded and leaned her head back. Twice. Twice she had used her magic today. She could only hope she had done enough to cover their tracks.
After a moment, Noah cleared his throat.
"So, uh, you mentioned fluctuations. What, like if you use your powers, other people- I mean witches, we need to get back to that later… they'd somehow know?" he asked.
He had a million questions, but he knew Aralyn would not give him answers easily apart from giving him yes or no.
Aralyn considered it. Noah had helped her this far. The least she could do was to give him some answers.
"Yeah," she said softly. "If I used it to lift this all the way to the beach, they would come find me."
"Huh. Cool and creepy," he said. "How would they find you? Like a GPS or something?"
"Mm. With that," she replied, nodding toward the rearview mirror.
Noah snapped his fingers. "So that's why you have your no-mirror policy!"
There was a spark of excitement in his eyes that made Aralyn quirk a small smile. It was nice. Almost too easy, how quickly he could find wonder in something that had always been a burden to her.
"Back to my question," he said. "Scarf, how sure are you we have other witches in Dewhurst?"
Aralyn fell silent. Talking about mirrors was one thing. Talking about this with Noah was another. Was it safe for him to know? Would it really be the time to tell him that his dad was one of them?
Noah caught the way her hands fidgeted in her lap. He had learned enough about her to recognize it. Either she was uncomfortable, or she was holding something back.
"I may not be the best friend you have in this town yet, Scarf," he said carefully, "but ever since I found out you're the strongest witch of all time… even knowing you don't need me to protect you, I still want to. You know?" He exhaled softly, bracing himself. "But I need to know if my town is in danger, because I don't want any of those witches hurting you."
Aralyn's cheeks flushed. Even the tips of her ears turned red. Noah caught a glimpse and his heart flipped. Real smooth, Casanova.
"I… I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "There were two women near where I was hiding. I couldn't see them, but one called the other Paige. She said they never lie about it. I think they were talking about the mirrors they used to track me."
Noah's shoulders eased in quiet relief. At least she told him something.
"But they didn't find you, right?"
Aralyn shook her head.
"Wait… if you used your powers back there and they can track you, how come they didn't find you?"
She took a moment before answering. "My whole life, I've trained myself to suppress my magic so deeply that no other witches can locate me. But once I use it, they can pick up the trail."
Noah tilted his head. "Is that why your garden looks so beautiful and healthy?"
"...Yes."
"But you used magic for that. Wouldn't that attract them?"
"Any magic tied to nature isn't traceable," she said. Then she hesitated before adding, "and since I'm the supreme one, my nature magic is completely off the radar."
"Ooh, the supreme one, huh? I like that even more than the strongest witch of all time," he grinned.
"Please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't ever call me that. Being a witch was never something I wanted."
There she goes again, he thought.
He bit back his next question and instead pulled the car to a stop, cutting the engine.
"Let's go."
The two of them worked together this time as Aralyn didn't want to risk another use of her magic, the sand cushioning the weight of the cement orb as they lowered it out of the vehicle. They rolled it closer to the shore, step by step, until the sound of waves filled the air.
Noah turned to her.
"Call her, Scarf."
Aralyn focused on the invisible tether that stretched toward the sea.
Phoebe? You're there?
They stopped rolling right where the boulders stood, the very place they had first met Phoebe.
"Where is she?" Noah asked, scanning the vast stretch of water before them.
The sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting a molten glow across the sea. Streaks of orange, gold, and soft pink bled into the sky, reflecting over the rippling surface like shattered glass. The waves carried the light in gentle, shifting patterns, while the first hints of dusk blue crept in from above.
"Wait for it," Aralyn said, catching her breath. The wind picked up, tugging at her scarf and hair, and when she glanced up, the faint outline of the rising moon was already visible.
I'm here, Chosen.
Can you come out? We're here, and we got the pearl.
Minutes later, a familiar amethyst tail came into view, weaving between the boulders. Phoebe swam closer, her movements fluid and effortless, until she lifted herself onto the rock.
"You found it!" Her melodic, honey-toned voice was filled with pure delight.
"But this is a decorative cement orb, Phoebe. How can it be this big?" Noah asked.
Aralyn fished out the pearl and placed it gently into Phoebe's slender, slimy hand.
"Please, roll it into the water. Let her touch bring her back," Phoebe said softly.
Noah sighed and rolled the orb into the seawater. He stepped back, standing beside Aralyn. "Now what?"
Not even a second later, the cement orb began to glow. Light spilled from its surface, bright and soft at once, like starlight caught in stone. Slowly, it shrank, folding into itself until it returned to its original pearl size.
"When the pearl got dried out under the sun, it will change into this. It needs the sea to transform itself back."
Phoebe lifted her hand, guiding the current. The pearl drifted through the water and settled safely into her palm.
Both Noah and Aralyn stood frozen, too stunned to speak.
Phoebe smiled and reached into her hair, pinning the pearl into a strand of seaweed woven between the silken lengths. The moment she did, the sea seemed to exhale.
Even Noah felt it.
A strange pull tugged at him as he stared into the water. The colors deepened, richer than before, glimmering with hues he could not name.
"I don't remember the sea having this much color," he said, awe slipping into his voice.
Aralyn crouched down, dipping her hands into the water. Noah was right. She cupped some in her palm, watching it shimmer faintly before slipping through her fingers. A small smile touched her lips. Even the air felt lighter, less heavy with salt.
"The sea is finally at ease," Phoebe said warmly. "To show our gratitude, we will grant you a kiss."
Aralyn stiffened.
Noah, on the other hand, looked like he might either grin or combust from the sheer adrenaline.
"A... kiss?" Aralyn echoed.
Phoebe only nodded. "Yes."
Aralyn stepped closer, hesitant, her pulse racing. She leaned in, but just before Phoebe could meet her lips, Aralyn turned her head slightly. The kiss landed softly on her cheek instead.
Her heart pounded wildly. "I'm sorry," she murmured.
Phoebe only smiled, placing a gentle hand over hers.
"Thank you for returning the pearl to us, Chosen," she said, before pressing another soft kiss to Aralyn's cheek.
When it was Noah's turn, Aralyn could already feel his thoughts practically spilling out.
"So… how should we do this?" Noah asked, a devilish edge to his tone.
Phoebe's eyes sparkled. "However you want it to be."
Their lips brushed tentatively at first. Noah's breath caught, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he tilted his head a fraction, deepening the kiss just enough to draw her closer. Phoebe sighed into it, a soft, breathy sound that vibrated against his mouth, sending a warm shiver down his spine. Her lips parted under his, inviting, and her tongue slipped out to tangle with his. Salty from the brine, yet sweet like the hidden nectar of sea blooms.
Aralyn, standing off to the side, looked away and crossed her arms. Noah seemed to be enjoying this far too much, and she did not understand why something about it made her chest feel tight. Why I'm the one feeling prickly all of a sudden?
"Wow," he whispered, still dazed when they pulled apart.
"Thank you for helping our Chosen, dear human," Phoebe said, stealing one last kiss.
Before she swam away, she turned back to them.
"You have our thanks, both of you. Please, do not hesitate to reach out to us. That kiss is a way for you. Place your hand in the water and think of me," she said, offering them a warm, gentle smile before diving beneath the surface.