Seventeen-year-old Naya lives on a crumbling islet in the archipelago of Aeridor, a world drowning in fear and the rising tide. Her grandmother's tales of the monstrous Sea Witch, Moira, haunt Naya’s dreams. But a hidden conch shell, pulsating with ethereal light, whispers a different story—Moira’s story.
Suddenly, Naya is plunged into Moira’s vibrant memories: a healer deeply connected to the sea, her love for Finnigan, the fisherman, and the venomous jealousy of Liam, a power-hungry council member. Witness the idyllic Aeridor of the past, before Liam's lies twisted Moira’s healing touch into accusations of dark magic, before a terrified council condemned her to the sea, her form warped into the monstrous siren of legend.
The conch awakens within Naya echoes of Moira’s power, a seductive force drawing the attention of Kaia Ballard, a ruthless warlord obsessed with controlling Aeridor’s vital sea lanes. Ancient sea spirits, awakened by the resurgence of the siren's magic, add to the escalating tension, their motives as murky as the depths they inhabit.
Guided by cryptic maps and the conch’s whispered memories, Naya joins forces with Rebecca Sullivan, a grizzled historian haunted by past regrets. Together, they uncover the council's lies, revealing a conspiracy that spans generations. But as Moira’s power grows within Naya, so does the risk of becoming the very monster she seeks to redeem.
Caught between a power-hungry warlord, ancient sea spirits, and the ghosts of the past, Naya must navigate a treacherous path to expose the truth. The rising tide, a physical manifestation of her people’s guilt, becomes a constant reminder of the stakes. Can Naya clear Moira’s name and heal a fractured world, or will she succumb to the siren’s curse and become the last dance of the Sea Witch?
