“You think?”

Reed smiles. “Look, he wasn’t asking you to stop the sun from rising. He was just hoping that since you were accepted among the ocean dwellers, maybe you could open the door to all of us being accepted. One day. Not like, tomorrow, or like next Tuesday or anything.”

My mouth drops open. “You knew he was going to do that last night. Make it about me helping everyone. How long have you known?”

Reed grimaces with appropriate guilt. “Since the night you and Galen had dinner with us. My parents were so excited after you left.”

“That could be because they were happy to get Galen out of their house.”

“That, too,” Reed admits. “He’s a horrible liar, by the way. They knew right away he was a Triton Royal. And if a Triton Royal is hanging out on land with a Half-Breed, something had to have changed. Emma, you changed them somehow.”

I shake my head. “You’re giving me too much credit. The Archives … They needed me, is all. It was all about the timing and circumstances, I guess.” Really, they needed Galen and Rayna’s Gift to help rescue some captured Syrena from humans—and my acceptance among them came as a package deal they couldn’t refuse. Oh, the Archives didn’t need me by any means.

But I’m not about to tell that to Reed. First of all, I feel a bit waylaid that he kept this big Emma’s-Our-Savior thing from me. His eyes look like big balloons filled tight with hope right now. And don’t I know what it feels like to cling to something as fickle as hope?

Reed crunches his napkin in his fist, then dumps it on the empty plate in front of him. “Then explain why your grandfather sent you here.”

Why does this question keep surprising me? I should really find a default answer to it. “So that I could find a place to fit in,” I blurt. “So I know I’m not alone.”

Reed makes a show of looking around. “Maybe he sent you here to find me. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes. No. Not exactly.” I swirl the orange juice in my glass until it makes a miniature whirlpool. “Not you, as a person. But I think he wanted to give me another option.”

“Option? Instead of Galen, you mean?”

Okay, this is sounding really bad. What’s worse, Galen might have thought the same thing when we arrived in Neptune. That could be one reason he was instantly on guard. “I mean an optional way of life. Instead of being an outcast in the Syrena world and a weirdo in the human world.”

Reed isn’t convinced. “I don’t think so. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure that was definitely part of sending you here. But Antonis met my dad all those years ago when he came looking for your mother. Dad told you that, right? They were friends. They’ve kept in touch, in fact. Every couple of years or so. If I had to guess, I’d say this is some small part of their bigger plan to unite all of our kind, not just the ones who shape fins. Have you checked in with your mom since a few days ago, by the way?”

I shrug. I had called, but she hadn’t answered, which probably means she’s still back in Triton territory. Hopefully, she’ll check in soon. Then again, I hope she doesn’t. Because Reder will expect me to talk to her about all this. He made that clear. And I don’t know how to pitch it to her yet.

Also, I’m going to kill Grandfather.

“You should invite her to come. And your grandfather. I know Dad would love to see him again.”

Now I’m the one brimming with hope. “It’s just that Mom’s mate, Grom, he would never agree to come.” Even Galen had said as much before he left.

“Who says he’s invited? He’s only the Triton king, right?” Reed grins. Then his face gets all serious and coddle-y. “One step at a time, okay? Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

One step at a time. Why not? That was our plan for me easing into Syrena society after I became Galen’s mate. If I become Galen’s mate … “We should go now. The sun is out.”

“Just think about it, Emma. It’s not like you have to demand a Tribunal in ten minutes. Just start thinking about ways we can connect with the ocean dwellers. How we can show them that we’re not demons or something.”

I turn my nose up. “Why should you have to show them anything? What’s wrong with what you have here? You’re all doing great without them.” I sound angrier than I’d intended, which I immediately regret, but it’s the truth. To me, Neptune gets the best of both worlds. Why fix something that isn’t broken? To me, belittling the potential of Neptune sounds more like cudgeling something pristine and priceless.

Then again, I know what it’s like to want something you can’t have. And I have to look at it from Neptune’s perspective: The oceans are something they view as their rightful inheritance. It’s not about what the oceans have that Neptune doesn’t. It’s about Neptune having a share in what is justly theirs.

The waitress sets our bill in front of Reed. I go to grab it, but his hand is over mine in turbo-point-three seconds. “I’ve never been in the ocean, Emma,” he says without removing his hand from mine. “I want to know what the saltwater feels like. I want to see all the colors of the fish outside an aquarium. I want to be BFFs with a whale named Goliath. Wherever you go, I want to be able to go, too.”

“Reed—”

“Look, I’m not saying it’s because of you. I’ve always wanted to see the ocean, see what it has to offer. But now that I know what it has to offer…” He squeezes my hand. “I want it so badly I can taste it. Look at what I’m missing out on.” His eyes burn into mine, and I can’t look away.