A burst of energy propelled Kelia forward. She needed to get to Wendy. The Siren behind her was going to kill her if she did not.
Time seemed to slow down. In that moment, despite her enhanced speed, she was not going to make it to Wendy in time. Still she pressed on, giving it her best effort, though it did nothing to rid her of the feeling that Wendy was not going to make it.
Drew’s sister, a wind witch who had been alive as long as her brother, was going to die. And there was nothing Kelia could do about it.
Drew was dealing with two Sirens, and Daniella was fighting with one. Kelia didn’t know where Emma was; hopefully somewhere safe. Wendy was trying to keep a shield around Daniella with one hand while using the wind to choke out another, and the last Siren was lunging for Wendy, even as Kelia ran so fast that she nearly walked on water.
Suddenly, Emma threw herself in front of Wendy, subsequently knocking Wendy over into the water. She landed with a loud splash.
The Siren continued forward and struck Emma in the heart with its sharp claws. Emma let out a grunt of pain. Her dark eyes filled with water, and Daniella screamed.
Drew continued to fight; he had no other choice as the Siren he was up against had not been defeated and did not relent. Kelia faltered and nearly fell forward because of her momentum. Her mouth dropped open, and she immediately steepled her fingers over her nose in order to contain her own cry of agony.
“What’s this?” the Siren asked, her voice seductive and low. “A sacrifice from an earth witch? I never thought I would see the day.”
Her lips curved up into a small grin, and she pushed her claws deeper into Emma’s chest before she ripped out Emma’s heart. Kelia heard it beat once, twice.
Then her friend’s lifeless body fell into the water.
Daniella killed the Siren attacking her and rushed after Emma.
“So this is what a witch’s heart feels like,” the Siren continued. “I wonder if it tastes as lovely as it looks.”
Kelia lunged for the Siren as it brought the organ up to her lips. She had no other time to react when Kelia took her head in her hands and snapped her neck. Then, to ensure the Siren was truly dead, ripped her head off with her hands and threw it into the sea.
Kelia let the body fall. By doing so, the heart rolled out of her hands and fell into the sea. Kelia shouted when she saw the small splash, wondering what would happen now.
Emma was gone.
There was no getting over this one. No way to bring her back. Kelia had not been fast enough.
Wendy roared behind her. Kelia blinked and sprang up, surprised. She had completely forgotten Wendy had been there in the first place. Wendy’s eyes were red with anger, her mouth contorted into a tight snarl. The wind around them suddenly shook so hard that the boat, and even the ocean, did not know how to respond.
Without warning, Wendy lifted every single Siren surrounding the boat into the air. They screamed when they realized they were not comforted by their oceanic blanket. Instead, they had been brought to the surface, and it would only be a matter of time before Wendy extracted her revenge.
She started with one. Kelia did not know if she did not have the power to do all of them at the same time, but it did not matter. Kelia could not tear her eyes away from the sight.
Wendy brought one forward while holding the rest—seven others—in limbo, keeping them unable to break free from their imaginary binds. She kept her left hand thrusted outward to keep the Sirens in place, and with her right, she beckoned the first Siren forward until she was close.
Wendy raised her palm skyward before flicking her wrist and pushing it out at the Siren. The Siren flew back, gripping her neck. It was as though a force was tossing her around while simultaneously choking her.
Wendy released her hold on the sole Siren, tossed her right arm into the air so the Siren flew higher and higher until she was nothing more than a speck in the sky. And then, she dropped her arm in a rush so her palm slapped her thigh.
Kelia’s mouth dropped open as that same Siren fell to the surface of the ocean and landed with a bone-crunching thwack.
Kelia would never get that sound out of her head for the rest of her long life.
The other Sirens all began to screech, writhing in the air in agony though Wendy had yet to harm them.
A shudder rumbled through Kelia. She didn’t know what she thought about Wendy’s revenge. It was cruel and painful. She did not know if these Sirens would have attacked or were being compelled to. Did it matter either way? Had lines been drawn?
They needed to find Bethany before this bloodbath got any worse.
Before she could even turn to begin her search, claws ripped into her back. Kelia let out a scream and dropped to her knees. Siren talons pierce her skin. If she could just remove the Siren, she would heal quickly, but how to dislodge one from her back was not something Kelia knew how to do. The only thing she could think of was to pull herself up and run backward until she hit something.
“Your blood smells fresh,” the Siren said, its lips brushing the bottom of her ear.
Kelia suppressed a shudder.
“You’re still in your Infant stage? An infant’s innocence speaks to me in ways no one else can.” Without warning, a tongue slid down the column of Kelia’s throat. “I will enjoy tasting you, Shadow. I will eat you slowly, really savor you. Know that.”
Kelia reached over her shoulder and sunk her own nails into the Siren’s face. The creature screeched and released Kelia, reaching up to clutch her face.
A cool sensation swept over Kelia’s body like a breeze on a hot day, healing the skin on her back. In her next breath, she released her grip on the Siren’s face only to drop her hands to the Siren’s waist and get her flat on her back. One hand went to the Siren’s throat. Her left knee was lodged between the Siren’s breasts.
“I’m looking for Bethany,” Kelia said.
The Siren did nothing but spit up at her.
Kelia tightened her grip on the sea witch.
“I’ll ask again, wench,” Kelia said through gritted teeth. “Where is Bethany?”
She loosened her hold slightly, hoping the Siren would respond.
“You can say it as many times as you’d like, Shadow,” the Siren said. “I won’t answer.”
Kelia looked away and squeezed the Siren’s neck until it crumbled in her hand. She tossed the body over the edge of the boat.
Before she could even dust herself off, another leapt forward.
“You’re the one the Queen wants,” she said. This one had dark skin and dark eyes. “If I take you to her, I’ll be handsomely rewarded.”
“If you don’t, I’ll let you live,” Kelia said. She hunched over slightly, her entire body tense, ready to pounce if she needed to. “Tell me, what is your name?”
“What would you do with a name?” the Siren asked.
“That depends,” Kelia replied. The two circled each other. Somehow, even with a tail, the Siren managed to keep herself balanced on the deck of the boat. “Say the right name, and I shall let you live.”
The Siren laughed. “My name is none of your concern,” she said. “Now stay still so I can get you to my Queen.”
The Siren made her move, but Kelia dodged it. Her time with Drew and his blasted dodging at least rubbed off on her. The Siren screeched in frustration. At least Kelia was not the only one who felt that way.
Kelia leaped into the air the way Drew trained her, her hand reaching up to scrape the sky. When she felt herself falling, she tensed her body to ensure she would fall with both grace and direction.
It felt much longer than it actually was. Her dodge, jump, and fall could not be more than five seconds, if that, leaving the Siren with no time to react. Kelia landed on her, knocking the wind out of the witch. Kelia hopped up and placed one foot on the Siren’s throat.
“Your name,” Kelia demanded.
The Siren did nothing but spit. She highly doubted Bethany would put up such a fight, especially if Adelaide was certain the witch was open to working with others outside of her own kind. Kelia pushed down hard until the Siren’s neck crunched underneath her boot, and the Siren stopped moving altogether.
Before Kelia could move from where she was, she was propelled forward by a force she had not expected. It was another Siren, this one hissing in Kelia’s ear.
“You stupid bitch,” she said. “How dare you—”
“Not to worry,” Kelia said, jutting her foot out and trying to pick herself up. “I can play with you just as well.”
The Siren snarled, pushing her weight down on Kelia. The Siren was heavier than Kelia anticipated. She grunted, bending her knees and thrusting her back out, but the Siren locked her wrists around Kelia’s neck in order to keep herself hanging onto her.
Despite the added weight, despite the pressure on the base of her throat, Kelia managed to stand up. Now, all she had to do was grip the Siren’s arm and somehow throw her off.
Kelia reached up, but the Siren was slippery. More than that, Kelia was starting to lose the ability to breathe. If she didn’t do something soon, the Siren would snuff her out.
Kelia turned around and backed up into the side of the boat. The Siren screeched and released Kelia’s neck, giving Kelia a moment to turn.
But Kelia was not quick enough to completely distance herself from the Siren. The Siren lunged forward and sank her teeth into Kelia’s shoulder.
Kelia screamed. The Sirens had teeth like sharks, and the witch had just taken a large chunk out of Kelia’s shoulder. The Siren spat out the meat in disgust.
“Filth,” the Siren spat.
Adrenaline surged through Kelia. Her shoulder would heal. At least, she trusted Drew when he told her she would. But she needed to end this fight.
Kelia bent down low again and shot out her foot. It swept the Siren’s tail, and the Siren fell back. Her head smacked the edge of the bannister, a loud thunk
reverberating in Kelia’s ears.
While the Siren reached up to clutch the back of her head, Kelia picked herself up and, in the same moment, kicked the Siren’s head so it snapped back. Instantly, the Siren stopped moving, her head falling forward at an unnatural angle.
“I have it!” someone shouted from behind her.
Kelia’s head turned back to the bannister. She edged over to it, trying to get a better look.
“The heart.” It was a Siren. “I have the heart!”
A Siren swam over to the boat, something in her hand. Kelia could not be sure, but if she had to guess given the context, she would say that that Siren had Emma’s heart.
But why?
Why was a witch’s heart so important? Why would the Sirens want it?
Siren’s blood stained the water red all around them. There was screeching surrounding the boat. The movement of the water pushed the boats into each other. The moon seemed to reflect the red in the water, and the stars had disappeared behind the safe black blanket.
With horror, Kelia watched as the Siren hung onto the rung of the ladder and stuffed the heart in her mouth.
Kelia let out a startled cry but quickly spun around, lunging closer to the Siren, ready to strike.
Eating Emma’s heart was the last straw.
At that moment, the Siren climbed aboard the boat. But there was something very different about her. Instead of a long tail, she had two legs. Her eyes focused on Kelia, and there was a small smirk on her face. She stepped forward once and nearly fell, clearly not used to her newfound legs.
What the hell just happened?
The Siren pulled herself up and cleared her throat. She brushed herself off. She was completely naked, not ashamed by that fact whatsoever. The Siren seemed different. Cunning, yes. Vindictive? Kelia wasn’t sure.
“Are you the Shadow who’s asking for Bethany?” the Siren asked. She placed her hands on her hips, keeping her balance. She rooted her feet to the deck.
“I am,” Kelia said slowly, unsure where she was going with this and not sure where to focus her attention in the presence of a naked woman. She forced her gaze to Siren’s face, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the prolonged eye contact but afraid to look anywhere else. “Do you know where she is?”
“I do,” the Siren said, her full lips slithering across her face into a wide grin.
Kelia nearly rolled her eyes. “Then where can I find her?”
“I will inform you after I’ve decided whether or not to trust you.” The Siren waved a hand to indicate her own body. “And if you want to talk, I suggest we get out of this fighting and head somewhere quieter. A room, perhaps?”
She nodded at the small cabin.
Kelia glanced toward the others who were still fighting. This battle was all for this moment. To find Bethany. They couldn’t wait for it to end, when it might be too late. Bethany and Kelia needed to talk. Now.
“I think you’re right,” Kelia said, feeling her own lips turn up. “Let’s head inside, shall we?”