Here are the vows. And as Syrena tradition would have it, I go first. But I’ve got this. I’ve repeated it to myself a million times in front of the mirror. Behind me, I hear sniffling, and I tear up, knowing it can only be Mom.

Mom who doesn’t cry.

I clear my throat and start spouting the words. “Galen, Triton prince, I vow to cherish you as my mate for time everlasting. I vow to serve you within the boundaries of the law and the council of the Archives. I vow to be faithful to you always, and to honor you in word and deed. Galen, Triton prince, I take you for my mate.”

Galen doesn’t have to be told when it’s his turn. As soon as the last word leaves my lips, the first of his vows falls from his. “Emma, bearer of the Gift of Poseidon, I vow to cherish you as my mate for time everlasting. I vow to serve you within the boundaries of the law and the council of the Archives. I vow to be faithful to you always, and to honor you in word and deed. Emma, bearer of the Gift of Poseidon, I take you for my mate.”

Grom gives his brother a solemn nod. This is where we’re supposed to kiss each other’s cheek. “Friends, I present—”

“I’m not done,” Galen says. Then that Syrena prince gets on his knees in the wet sand. His eyes are wells leading to his soul, his very being. I think I’m going to swallow my own heart. “Emma, I will love you with every breath in my body, and beyond my own death. I swear to be your shield, your protector, your worshipper. There is nothing I will deny you. I am yours.”

I drop to my knees then, too, brought down by everything that is Galen. My dress splashes into an oncoming wave, and the saltwater licks up my hips and thighs, but I couldn’t care less. “I love you,” I tell him, but I’m not sure he can make out the words through my tears.

His mouth is on mine, covering over my sobs. All that he said in words, he puts into this kiss. I’m vaguely aware of a distant cheer surging up over the sound of the waves and of the seagulls and my heartbeat. I’m vaguely aware of Grom clearing his throat, of Mom’s hand on my shoulder, of Rayna giggling. But this kiss cannot be stopped.

And it shouldn’t be.

* * *

I straighten the corners of the sheet over the sand and settle in the middle. Galen takes the spot behind me, wrapping his arms and a light blanket around me. He pulls me to him, leaning me back against his chest. Our nakedness feels natural, like we’ve always been this way with each other. It’s odd to think that hours ago, this island was overrun with guests, congratulating us and cheering us, and bringing us fish for our first night together. To think that Mom was here, proudly clutching Grom’s arm while Rayna fretted over my soaked dress. Even now, the noise of the crowd seems to swirl around us in the wind as a ghost that reminds us of all that took place. Of all the privacy we didn’t have.

But the moment they were all gone, we took our solitude back with a vengeance.

Tonight Galen and I have loved each other fully, in a way we’ve never been able to before. I still feel breathless when I think of his touch, his tenderness, the warmth of his body. I will never be satisfied, and yet I am content, right now at this moment.

“I have a surprise for you,” Galen whispers in my ear. Tingles shimmy through me, commandeering my spine and taking my senses hostage. He runs a hand down my arm and extends it out toward the ocean, pointing to the horizon. And then I see it.

The water is glowing. Thousands and thousands of blue lights swarm just below the surface, forming a wide ring around the island. The illumination from the jellyfish is magnificent, a radiant constellation in the water, which taken together looks like a spill of florescent paint into the ocean.

“How?” I breathe.

“You’re not the only one with the Gift of Poseidon.”

“It’s like underwater fireworks.” He nuzzles his nose into my neck, planting a kiss just below my ear, which evokes an involuntary sigh from my lips.

I don’t want this night to end, but at the same time, I want tomorrow to begin.

And all the rest of the days with my Triton prince.