Siren Awakened
By Elle Middaugh
Copyright
Queen Witch © copyright 2018 Elle Middaugh
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Dedication
Here’s to friends!
My your friendships, new or old, bring you as much joy as possible!
Life is short. Surround yourself with people who make you shine a little brighter.
Chapter 1
The day I claimed the crown, I breathed my parents’ blood.
Blood.
It hung heavily in the water I swam through, on my way to slay the sea dragons terrorizing a starving siren’s village. We were all starving, even the dragons, as the ocean died around us. My stomach lurched at the thought that the dragons had fed well that particular day, devouring Mother and Father as if they were nothing more than fish.
The sushi I’d eaten that morning roiled in my guts, threatening to come back up. The coppery tang of the blood I’d inhaled clung to the back of my throat, gagging me. No, not inhaled, swallowed. Gods help me, I couldn’t tell the difference. The blood from my memory was not the same as the fish’s blood from breakfast, but it was far too similar.
It seemed like the sort of thing I should have known instinctively. This is my parents’ blood. That is the blood of a simple fish. But nothing had gone the way it should—not from the moment the siren villager had arrived in my parents’ court to report the dragons’ ravages on his village.
When I showed up that morning, late as usual, a siren man already knelt at my parents’ feet in the middle of the undersea courtyard. I knew before he even spoke that there’d been another mutant incident. He looked like the victim of a shark attack. Slashes in his aquadynamic skinsuit revealed long reddish gashes in his skin, and the seaweed tangled in his hair suggested a struggle. These confrontations were happening more and more, and worst of all, we had no idea how to stop them. Not even my parents knew.
Mother and father sat in elegant thrones carved from stone and sea glass. Depictions of seashells, seahorses, dolphins, and other aquatic flora and fauna dominated the chair’s surface, while inset jewels of emerald and aquamarine lay scattered in between.
The gemstones were nothing next to my parents. The pair wasn’t ornately dressed or anything, but a regal air surrounded them, some priceless confidence making them invaluable assets to our kingdom, worth more than a treasure trove of jewels.
It was a confidence I shared—but not in the realms of politics and leadership. I was confident because I was young and pretty and, as princess, I had a lot of things going for me. It was definitely not a confidence due to any sort of skill, talent, or ability—that was for damn sure. I’d spent every day of my twenty-three years training for the moment I would inevitably take over as queen, but I remained certain that none of it had ever really sunk in. I mean, why bother? My parents made extraordinary monarchs. They would likely rule until even my hair turned white.
I slouched against a tall stone pillar, blending in with some seaweed, as I carefully watched and listened.
As princess, and the sole heir to the throne, it was required for me to attend all court meetings. I kind of hated the expectations always put on me. Hated the pressure of becoming the next flawless monarch of the kingdom of Seabella. If there was one thing I was not, it was flawless. You know what I was instead? Curious. In fact, I had enough curiosity to kill a catfish nine times over. That’s what forced me to sit through yet another boring morning at court. Curiosity about this man’s unfortunate predicament, and a hopefulness that we—they—could do something about it.
Mother lifted her hand, palm facing upward in a display of gentleness and peace, and gave the citizen permission to speak. I straightened up, noticing the warm rays of sunlight penetrating the ocean waves high above, splashing my parents’ in a divine glow. It was as if the man worshipped at the feet of gods.
“Your Majesties,” the citizen began with a cracked voice. “I beg of you. Our village needs immediate aid. The creatures that attacked us... they weren’t like the others.”
I quirked a brow, and so did mother.
“How so?”
“They were bigger, faster,” the man said, shaking his head. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear they were dragons of the sea.”
Father’s eyes widened and he gripped the arms of his throne. “Sea dragons? Creatures such as those have been nothing more than myths since the time of the ancient Mayans.”
The man bowed again. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, I know it sounds crazy. But we have all seen how the sea creatures are mutating. Animals we used to know well are turning into things we’ve never seen before. Perhaps that’s what has happened?”
Father nodded and rubbed his chin, taking the man’s words seriously.
“Tell us what transpired,” Mother said. “Were these sea dragons provoked, or acting out of apparent madness?”
“They’ve eaten all the fish, Your Majesty. There was nothing left to feed our families or ourselves. Our options were limited: kill the dragons, or die of starvation.”
“So they were provoked,” Mother decided, nodding. Then she glanced at father. “You know what we must do.”
Father’s features hardened into solemnity. “We must protect our people. It is our royal duty.”
Mother stood and addressed the rest of the court. “Sea dragons are a beast we’ve never dealt with before, but one we will vanquish quickly. The king and I will lead the attack ourselves. Princess Liliana will be in charge until we return.”
Father nodded, then stood beside mother. “Court is dismissed.”
As the courtyard cleared, I swam over to them and crossed my arms. “Sea dragons?”
Mother glanced at father. “Yes. Three of them. We’ve been watching them in secret for a few weeks, but now that our people feel threatened, we have no choice but to destroy them.”
I shook my head, long brown curls swaying in front of me in the current.
“But they’re mutants? Is this evidence of the dark sorcery changing somehow?”
Mother pursed her lips. “We don’t think so. The sea dragons are most likely very rare creatures that have always existed. They probably used to reside in the darkest depths, but now that food is scarce, they’ve been forced to enter the shallows to feed.”
I nodded, momentarily getting lost in my imaginings of dragons. What did they look like? How large? Were they beautiful, or terrifying? Were they intelligent, or purely instinctual? Playful, or aggressive?
Father put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “I’m afraid I must remind you of the rules, Liliana.”
I straightened my posture and waited for the speech.
“A king is worth nothing,” Father began, “if he does not fight for his people. A queen has no honor if she hides from the distress of her citizens. Royalty must not just sit on the throne an
d wear expensive crowns but must also brandish their tridents and lead their warriors into battle. It is an honor for us to fight for the sirens, and it would be an honor to die for them, as well. If we perish, and our foe remains unvanquished, it is your responsibility to properly avenge us. If you fail, you forfeit the crown. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “I do.”
Mother added her hand to my other shoulder. “Tell me what you must do.”
I raised my head a bit higher and heaved a sigh of boredom. “If you do not return, I will find the sea dragons and slay them myself. I understand that if I fail, I forfeit the crown.”
They each kissed one of my cheeks.
“I love you, my daughter,” Father said.
“And I love you too, my beautiful water flower,” Mother added. “Make us proud.”
I smiled for the first time all day. “I’ll do my damnedest. But you two will return victorious in less than an hour, so I don’t see why it even matters.”
Mother smirked. Father winked. Everyone had absolute confidence in their abilities, especially me. All my life they charged off into battle and saved our world, and every time, they came back triumphant.
My only job during times like these was to ensure the kingdom didn’t somehow catch fire or something, and I wasn’t even very good at it. Did you know that with enough magnesium and thermite, shit can burst into flames, even underwater? Neither did I. But it took almost a year to rebuild the west wing of the palace after that particular incident. And I had to act like I did it on purpose! Better to look like an asshole, than a total dumbass.
My parents grabbed their tridents and swam away, leaving me to bite my lip in silence.
A part of my heart ached for the poor sea dragons. They weren’t mutants killing at random, thirsting for blood. They were innocent creatures like any other, simply trying to survive. I didn’t deserve to die for eating fish, so why should they? It just felt wrong.
Then again, it was also wrong that our people were dying. And ultimately, that was our main concern—even mine. I might not have wanted the responsibility of ruling a kingdom, but I still cared about the welfare of my people.
Fish had become scarce, and hunger had become commonplace. It was simply the way of the sea, now. Suffering and more suffering. Tides were changing, and not for the better. Kelp and seagrass were turning brown and dying. Coral was fading to gray and breaking off into crumbling chunks in the sand. Fish and sea animals were dying off, replaced by strange mutated versions which attacked anything standing in their way—even each other.
I expected this sort of thing to come from the shore. After all, the land had been cursed long ago. That’s why the mages had created sirens in the first place, and given us a second chance at life beneath the ocean’s surface. But I hadn’t anticipated such destruction to come rolling in from the depths of the sea.
That last part actually kind of terrified me, though I’d never admit it to anyone. It’s part of the reason I dedicated so much of my free time to finding a cure for the mutations. Though, admittedly, I hadn’t accomplished anything more than chaos and destruction around every turn.
Whatever. At least I was trying. That was more than I could say for almost everyone else.
Sighing, I swam away from the courtyard and glided down the seashelled-streets toward one of the local relief shelters. They were popping up everywhere, lately. With the plant life dying, and the sea life freaking out, that didn’t leave much peace for us sirens. Many had lost their homes and villages to famine, mutant invasions, or terror of the supernatural-unknown.
Just before I got to the shelter, my two best friends joined me. Catalina, who had fiery red hair and an even fierier disposition. And Malisa, who had purple hair and a penchant toward shyness.
“I saw Kayo swimming toward the palace,” Catalina said nonchalantly. “Have your parents called the royal guard?”
I nodded. “There’s been another attack.”
“Killer eels? Murderous sailfish? Deadly Marlin?”
“No, no, and no.” I squeezed my fist, wishing I had some sort of weapon in my palm for comfort. “Sea dragons.”
Malisa gasped, the sound almost soothing due to her gentle tone. “Creatures have morphed into monsters that big?”
I shook my head. “My parents don’t seem to think so. They think these dragons have secretly existed all along, but have recently been forced into the shallows due to a lack of food.”
Catalina scoffed. “Join the club.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, wishing there was more I could do for my people. If I could magically create food, I would. If I could cure the plague of death and disease spreading across the ocean, I would. In a heartbeat.
But I couldn’t.
I pointed to a sushi bar on our left. “Let’s bring the refugees some breakfast.”
Malisa smiled warmly. “You’re a good princess, Liliana. I hope you always stay so kind.”
“I hope I always stay a princess,” I said in all sincerity. I had no doubt it was easier to remain kind and semi-helpful without the annoying responsibility of having to lead. There was only so much you could get done when you were stuck dealing with everyone else’s problems all day.
Catalina ignored my last statement and nudged my arm. “I know you’re a royal and all, but can you actually afford to keep bringing the refugees things like food, blankets, clothing, and so on?”
Finances had certainly gotten tight over these last few months. With the scarcity of resources, the expense of goods had gone up astronomically. But our civilization was on the brink of extinction. If the darkness kept spreading—or the plague, or the evil sorcery, or whatever you wanted to call it—there wouldn’t be any sirens left to buy or sell anything, and money would, therefore, become inconsequential.
“Don’t worry, Catalina, the kingdom isn’t that far gone.”
She chuckled. “Thank god. I’d hate for the Torres to have yet another reason for wanting to take over the throne.”
I clenched my teeth. The lords and ladies of the Torre family had been after the crown for as long as I could remember, and beyond. They lingered in the shadows like sea snakes, waiting for us Acostas to slip up, to die in some horrifying way, so they could have their chance.
Lawfully, that’s how it worked. If the king and queen were killed, the heir or heiress had first rights to avenge them and claim the crown. But if they failed, another family line would have their chance to stake a claim. Luckily, my badass parents had less than a point one percent chance of dying, so I didn’t really have to worry about the whole avenging part.
I took a steadying breath. “As long as I’m alive, a Torre will never sit on the throne.”
Catalina chuckled. “Obviously. They literally wouldn’t have a chance until you’re dead.”
Malisa shot her a glare. “Can we not talk about the death of our best friend and princess?”
“She won’t die,” Catalina insisted. “Kayo would never allow it.”
I pushed through the doors of the sushi shop and gave Catalina a flat glance over my shoulder. “You realize Kayo is one of my parents’ guards, right? Not mine.”
“He’s a royal guard,” she said dreamily. “Last time I checked, you were royalty. He would keep you safe.”
I shook my head. “It’s true that he’s freaking gorgeous. And it’s cute that you look up to him like that. But you’re fierce, Catalina. I’d trust you with my life before I’d trust any of the guards.”
She smiled ear to ear. “Thank you.”
I peeked over my other shoulder. “You too, Malisa.”
She grinned. “I’m not a beast with a pair of sais like Catalina, but I suppose I do alright with a trident if I’m provoked.”
“Please,” I said, as we approached the counter. “I taught you two everything I learned about sparring since we were kids. You’ve been practicing for years, and you’re both extremely capable.”
The man behind the shiny co
unter bowed deeply. “Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Morning,” I said with a smile.
I liked to try and set the citizens at ease whenever I could. And, considering my attempts to find a cure usually yielded decidedly unsettling results, they probably appreciated the small reassurance.
“We’ll take three platters of whatever you have available.”
He smiled in return, no doubt pleased to drum up enough business to stay afloat for another month or so. “Feeding the shelter residents again, Princess?”
I nodded, sliding an emerald ring off one of my fingers. “This should cover it.”
His eyes widened and he bowed low. “Thank you, Highness. Truly. I’ll be right out with your platters.”
He returned a few minutes later with three oblong silver dishes full of tuna rolls, sashimi, clams and oysters, sardines, and caviar. My friends and I each grabbed a platter and swam straight to the shelter.
Instantly, swarms of hungry children collected at our feet, followed by weakened mothers cradling wailing infants, and limping fathers with various injuries and illnesses. Whole families who’d been pushed from their homes were now merely trying to survive.
I swallowed hard, watching with a tightness in my chest as the food from all three platters quickly vanished. They needed so much. I had so little to give them. I should’ve done more.
I needed to find the cure.
I slowly swam through the front door, feeling disheartened rather than encouraged.
Gliding across the street, I pushed past the bustling shops and buildings of town, and into the dead lands—an abandoned wasteland that used to be the southernmost part of the kingdom. Everything out there was a varying shade of gray, dead and crumbling. Bones littered the seafloor, some of which belonged to aquatic animals—but others belonged to sirens.
A familiar ache settled deep in the pit of my stomach. A hopeless sensation of loss and defeat. Staring into the vast emptiness of the sea, I racked my brain for a solution to this problem. There had to be something I was overlooking. I’d literally pondered this about a hundred times a day, and had brought in every plant, creature, and object I could find to the research department for testing. But there had to be more I could do, something else I could try. Thus far, nothing had affected the mutants. The only way to stop them was to kill them, but the waves kept crashing, and new mutants sprang in existence every day.
Siren Awakened (The Cursed Seas Collection) Page 1
