part0026

When Kelia and Bethany emerged from the small cabin, the scent of Siren’s blood was enough to make her head spin. Her eyes took in the sparkles on the crimson-blue water, and she had to hold onto the side of the boat, afraid she would stumble off of it and allow herself to drown in the blood.

“I—” Kelia said. She did not know why she was speaking when it was hard for her to even think, but Kelia realized this must look bad. In fact, she was concerned it would hurt the truce she had just made with Bethany. “I am sorry for your loss.”

Bethany looked at Kelia, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed before she turned away.

“We have both taken from one another,” she said. “Standing on this boat proves that. I am sorry for the loss of your witch. She made a sacrifice for you that is humbling, even to me.”

Kelia nodded. She still had not let the thought of Emma’s death sink in. She forced herself to push past it.

Bethany walked to the deck of the ship where four Sirens held Drew just above water, his life in the balance. He could not move because the amount of Sirens holding onto him seemed to overpower his strength, which amazed Kelia—Drew was the strongest Sea Shadow alive.

Her heart squeezed painfully, and she turned to Bethany in hopes the Siren would say something. She needed Bethany to control her Sirens because if Kelia thought any of them were going to hurt Drew, she would rip every one of them to shreds. Even if it meant dying from ingesting Siren blood, she would do it if it meant Drew would survive.

“My sisters,” Bethany said. “Do not kill Drew Knight. We have made an arrangement with this group. Not one of them shall be harmed.”

“Bethany,” a Siren said, releasing her grip on Drew and swimming forward. “That is not our orders. We are to deliver him to the Queen.”

“The Queen has waited decades to have him back,” Bethany said. “She can wait a little longer.”

“Are you blinded by your new legs, Sister?" another asked, keeping her hold of Drew Knight. “Do you not see the ocean run red with the blood of our sisters? They must pay.”

“They did,” Bethany said. “Do you not see me standing before you? An earth witch sacrificed her life. Mathilda killed her. I consumed her heart. They, too, have had their losses just as we have ours. But we must see past this. We must work together.”

“And why should we do that?” a third Siren asked. It was difficult for Kelia to make her out due to her position behind Drew.

“Because we have a common enemy,” Bethany said.

“The Queen,” Kelia said boldly, stepping forward, beside Bethany. “The Queen has condemned each and every one of us to a life we didn’t want. She has stolen those we loved, those we cared for, because of her selfish beliefs. She thinks the world is hers to do with what she will, and we give in because she is more powerful than we are. We do not choose to help her; we do so because we must if we are to survive.”

“She has given us powers you will never understand,” said the second Siren, the one with the birthmark on her face, with a snarl. “Before I was a Siren, I was a street urchin who did not know where my next meal was coming from. I had to sell my body some nights in the winter just to ensure I would not be out in the cold. Imagine that. The rain is unpredictable, and I would be kicked out of even the lowest establishment. I had to beg. I had to succumb. The Queen gave me the ability to provide for myself, to be strong. I have sisters now, a place where I belong, a purpose. Why should betray her, when she is the only person who helped me when I needed it the most? Why should I help you?”

“Stay, then,” Kelia said. “Stay and continue to be her minions, doing whatever it is she asks. Bask in her glory with no thought to your own. But, for this time, help us. Whatever you choose to do afterwards, fine. If we meet again on separate sides, I would not expect you to show me mercy. But before you make this decision, ask yourself: would the Queen go to any length to save you? Are you irreplaceable? Sure, she gave you a purpose—her purpose. Not yours. You did not get to decide your fate, she decided it for you. That is not freedom.”

“Freedom is not what I want.”

“Then what is it?” Kelia asked, taking a step toward her. “A place to belong? You have found that among your sisters. Are you more loyal to the Queen than you are to them? Tell me, if the Queen had you kill your closest sister, would that change your opinion of her?”

The Siren said nothing.

“That’s what I thought,” Kelia said. “Perhaps you are grateful for a second chance—by all means, appreciate it. But that does not mean she gets to dictate the rest of your life simply because she saved it. I’m sure you have all witnessed her do terrible things, things perhaps you don’t agree with. I’m sure you’ve heard worse.” Her eyes found the Siren with the birthmark once again. "What if I told you that you could have what you long for? That freedom on your terms is not out of reach? What say you?”

“I say nothing,” the Siren finally responded. “I say you have shown me nothing but pretty words. How am I to even trust them?” She shook her head, her hair flying everywhere. “No, I think not.” She turned her attention back to her sisters, holding onto Drew. “I think he should be killed.”

“But the Queen—”

“The Queen is lovestruck, and we can free her from her heartbreak,” the Siren insisted.

“Mydera, I do not think you are thinking clearly,” the third Siren said, her voice hesitant. “The Queen wants him. That was her instruction to us. Find him or find word of him.”

“She wants him, but he is not worthy of her,” Mydera pressed. She moved toward Drew’s body, the water moving out of her way as she did so, like even the water did not want to endure her wrath.

Kelia wanted nothing more than to leap into the water and rip the Siren to shreds for even considering killing Drew, but she held herself back for now. She did not want to do anything that would threaten their alliance. It was already too fragile as it was.

“He took her love for granted,” Mydera continued. “In fact, the reason we were condemned to this life was because of him. Think of it, sisters: if Drew Knight had remained by her side and been the partner she deserved, would the Queen need sea witches? Would she pluck vulnerable girls from their homes and condemn them to a life at sea? Answer me, sisters!”

There was a low murmur through the group. Kelia glanced over at Bethany. Bethany had a look of determination on her face, one Kelia could not read.

“Bethany,” Kelia said in a low voice. “I will do what I must to save Drew.”

“I am aware,” Bethany said, though her violet eyes remained in front of her rather than regarding Kelia in any way.

“If you touch him, I will kill you,” Kelia warned the sirens.

“Perhaps you’d like to say something?” Kelia asked in a low voice, tilting her head in Bethany’s direction. “They might listen to someone who is also a Siren rather than me.”

Bethany cleared her throat. She still did not acknowledge Kelia in the slightest, but she did step forward and lean over the boat so she could catch the other Sirens’ attention.

“Sisters, I must agree with Kelia Starling,” Bethany said. “As you are well-aware, I lost my sister at the hands of the Queen.”

“Your sister betrayed us,” shouted one of the Sirens holding Drew, her face gnarled up with anger. She had a ring through her nose that glimmered in the moonlight. “She questioned the Queen. She protected a human!”

“My sister did what she thought was right,” Bethany said. Kelia could tell it was still a point of contention with Bethany by the edge in her tone. “Perhaps she made the wrong decision, but she used that freedom we do not have to do it. Mark me, sisters, we do not have freedom. I had to consume a witch’s heart to grow legs and walk again. You are still condemned to the sea. Is that how you want to live the rest of your life?”

Some glanced at one another; others bared their teeth. They were divided, Kelia realized. That was a good thing. If they were divided, they could be conquered.

“Bethany, I am surprised by you,” Mydera said. “Have you learned nothing from your sister’s selfish action? She put herself before the tribe.”

“My sister put herself before anyone,” Bethany agreed. “And I am asking all of you to put yourself before the Queen. If we work with Drew and his motley crew, we shall be freed.”

“We shall be killed ,” one Siren screeched.

“Replaced with another, who wants it more than we do.”

“And is that what you want?” Bethany asked. “To be so easily replaced?”

“I want to be alive,” a Siren argued.

For the moment, Kelia let herself focus on Drew. His back was as straight as a plank. She saw four Sirens, two on each side of him, holding him upward. He was drenched. Someone must have pushed him into the water, or he fell in during a fight. Either way, he did not look pleased.

Her eyes traveled to his body. She wanted to ensure he was not harmed in anyway. His tunic clung to him, and she could see his body through the thin material. She almost would have said he looked cold, but she did not think such a thing was possible. Perhaps for other Shadows, but not Drew. Drew seemed impervious to the cold.

A couple of red streaks marred his back. Perhaps they were still healing from before because the Sirens holding him were brutal as they kept him in place.

Kelia’s heart thudded slowly in her chest. It was not as quick as it fluttered when she was nervous. It slowed down like she was waiting for something to happen, like all hope was lost, there was nothing to be done, and all they could do now was to wait.

Where was Wendy? Kelia glanced around. And Daniella? Were they part of the fallen? If not, were they just as trapped as Drew was? Or were they hiding, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Kelia hoped it was the latter. Then again, she believed the moment to attack was a few seconds ago. If they were waiting, they were certainly taking their sweet time to do something.

“Unfortunately, I have a different definition of freedom than you do,” Mydera said. “Killing Drew will free the Queen, for even she is trapped. She will be angry, yes, but she will thank us.” She turned to look down at Drew and the four Sirens holding him. “Kill him.”

“No!” Kelia screamed.

Without hesitating, she jumped off the boat and landed in the water. The water slapped her in the face with its icy grip, as though to tell her what a fool she was for being so bold.

But despite the fact her entire body seized up in the cold, she swam to where the Sirens were holding Drew and went after one. It was much more difficult to do than when she had been on the boat. Keeping her head up by treading water was already something she needed to focus on. Saving Drew was second and much more difficult. Regardless, Kelia had to try—even if it meant dying.

She reached for the closest Siren and yanked her from Drew. The Siren yelped. It almost seemed as though she was surprised by Kelia’s strength in the water. In all fairness, Kelia was just as surprised. She could see two other Sirens jump in from the boat, all headed in her direction.

Kelia tried to grab onto the Siren’s throat, hoping to crush it between her hands. From the corner of her eye, she thought Drew moved, perhaps struggling against the remaining Sirens who had him.

At that moment, the Sirens in the water, along with Drew, were raised up into the air.

Kelia used the distraction to her advantage, squeezing the Siren’s throat until bones cracked. When the Siren collapsed, Kelia let her go and looked for a way to climb back in the boat. She swam toward a ladder on the side, all while keeping an eye above her, watching what Wendy was doing.

It had to be Wendy. No one else had the power to levitate beings.

Kelia could not see Wendy, but she watched as, one by one, each Siren was suffocated. When all five of them were through, Wendy slowly placed Drew back on the boat. Kelia hoisted herself up the ladder, trying to hurry and climb it. The cold had taken over her, however, and it was hard to move as quickly as she would have liked.

“Fine!” Mydera yelled from the deck of the ship. “I’ll do it myself.”

A burst of energy hit Kelia. Besides Bethany, there was no one on the ship to protect Drew. But just as Kelia stepped on the deck, Bethany grabbed Mydera’s hair and yanked her back, forcing her to fall on her back. Bethany used her foot and stepped on Mydera’s chest before bending down to rip one scale after another. That seemed to inflict so much pain, Mydera did not even attempt to get up. Instead, she writhed back and forth.