“Liliana, please, don’t.” Harlow shook her head, most likely fearing the responsibility, and maybe also fearing my inevitable demise. But there was literally no one else I trust with the power of ruling. Anyone else would exploit it.
“Royalty must not just sit on the throne and wear lovely crowns,” I said, continuing despite her hesitation, “but must also wield their tridents and lead their warriors into battle. It is my honor to go on this quest and try to save my people, and it would be my honor to die for them as well. If I should not return from the journey, it is your responsibility to rule indefinitely in my stead. Or—” I added before she could protest again, “—to choose another lord or lady with the characteristics of a true and just leader. Do you understand?”
Her eyes welled with tears, but she nodded anyway.
I quickly wrapped her in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Harlow. You know I would never do this if it wasn’t incredibly important.”
She sniffed and squeezed me tightly. “As terrifying as ruling sounds, this journey of yours sounds worse. I’m horrified of what will become of you.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” I said, chuckling.
She sniggered, too, and swiped at a tear that had bubbled up. “You know what I mean.”
“Yes,” I agreed, releasing her from my hold. “The surface is a toxic wasteland. No one who goes up there lives to tell the tale. But I will. And when I return, I will bring the cleansing of the sea with me. I promise you that.”
“Please be safe.”
“I will. Take care of the kingdom.”
“I will.”
I gave her one final nod before I turned around and left. The longer I stayed, the harder it would get. The last thing I needed was for the soul-crushing reality of the situation to actually hit me.
The fact of the matter was, I’d seen hardship and suffering most of my life, but I’d never experienced it firsthand. This journey was about to test me in ways I couldn’t even begin to imagine, and I had no idea how to prepare for it.
I needed to get back to the group of sirens I’d abruptly left in the courtyard, but as I swam toward the palace, a figure came into view, blocking my way. I drifted to the seashelled ground and approached on foot. The figure was cloaked, with a trident in one hand. One of the royal guards. Ordinary citizens didn’t carry weapons around.
“What is this about?” I asked them without an ounce of fear in my voice. “Remove your hood.”
The figure did as asked, revealing the blue-streaked hair and sarcastic face of Alanza Torre.
Great. Another Torre.
“What do you want, Alanza?” I asked her, not even bothering to conceal my disdain.
She planted the trident into the ground at her feet. “I want a spot on your team. Luciana told us about the stone and the potential mission. The Torres demand representation and I’m that rep.”
I contemplated stabbing her through the heart with her own trident, but that would no doubt bring about another potential war within the kingdom. Instead, I tried to figure out what they really wanted. Did they simply want a part in the glory if we succeeded? Or did they want to kill me and take all the credit for themselves?
My dragons moved closer, snarling at the very presence of her. She probably had an aroma similar to Valentina, the siren they’d literally eaten recently. I held out my arm, motioning for them to back down.
“And if I refuse?”
She grinned, yet eyed my dragons warily. “Then sweet cousin Harlow will have a revolt on her hands. Trust me when I say, none of us wants that. Just allow me to come on the journey, and all will be well.”
I wanted to growl, but I kept my features carefully contained. Neither she nor my sea dragons, needed to be aware of my frustration.
My decision was simple, though. I couldn’t risk the welfare of my people over the stupidity of a pack of Torres. No matter how much I might’ve wanted a good reason to annihilate them.
“Fine. Be at the palace at first light. If you’re so much as a minute late, we’re leaving without you.”
She bowed her head. “Understood, Your Majesty.” Then she swam away.
I muttered a long string of curse words at Alanza and the Torres as I swam to the courtyard. When I got there, most of the pompous crowd members had dispersed. Only my most loyal companions remained, and I was actually quite grateful for that.
“We leave at first light,” I told them. “Gather any necessary items: food, water, weapons, armor, maps, et cetera. I’ve already talked to Harlow, and I’m leaving her in charge while I’m gone. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
They bowed and left for their respective destinations, while I swam up to my room in one of the palace towers. I had about a zero percent chance of getting a good night’s sleep, but still, I sank into my bed with wide-open eyes.
The actual fate of our world rested in my hands, and I wasn’t even the real queen. I was just an orphaned girl trying desperately to find a cure for the mutant apocalypse, trying to protect her sea dragons, and trying to save her people from extinction.
There was nothing special about me.
I hoped beyond hope that I was enough.
Chapter 6
Dawn had yet to break as I made my way to the palace courtyard. As expected, I’d slept like absolute shit the night before. I was tired and stressed, and quite frankly, dreading the start of this mission.
Arlo and Kayo were already there, dressed to the nines in sleek body armor that emphasized their muscular forms. Catalina was going to melt into a puddle of sea foam. They stood firm, watching intently as my blue and green sea dragons perched in the sand on either side of me.
“Good morning,” I said. My voice was scratchy and lacked any joy whatsoever.
Arlo chuckled and bowed his head. “Good morning, Your Majesty.”
“You two look well rested,” I added with a little envy.
Kayo grinned. “We’re used to this sort of thing, Your Majesty. We don’t lose sleep anymore over the prospect of death.”
I sniffed out a laugh and shook my head. “I thought about calling you lucky, but...”
“Trust me,” Arlo said. “We’re paid well enough that we would never complain.”
We sirens took the protection of our kingdom very seriously. It pleased me to be reminded our guards were well taken care of.
Catalina and Malisa showed up a couple minutes later, with Alanza just a few paces behind. I glanced overhead. The sun had yet to rise over the waves high above, and the sea was still dark. I knew she wouldn’t risk being late, but still, I’d hoped Alanza would sleep in. Or trip down the stairs and accidentally stab herself to death. No such luck.
I stood up tall and stared into the faces of my team members. They each appeared far readier than I did. Especially Feroz and Bravo.
Time for me to be fierce and brave, too.
“Let’s do this.”
We swam for a few miles before an old underwater city appeared. It wasn’t a siren city, but rather a human port that flooded ages ago when the icecaps had melted. Slimy green algae covered old cars, seagrass poked through the cracked asphalt underneath, and schools of fish darted in and out of the shattered glass windows of buildings and houses.
It was like a ghost town, and I was suddenly aware of that dark aura my people had described back home. It was an unsettling sensation. One that raised the hair of my forearms and the nape of my neck. We passed through quickly but cautiously without saying a word until the shoreline came into view.
I’d never been more nervous in my life. My stomach clenched and my pace faltered, slowing to an eventual standstill. The waves rolled just overhead, beckoning us onward toward the sandy coast, but my legs didn’t want to move.
“It’ll be fine,” Alanza snapped matter-of-factly. “I stayed up researching most of the night. According to the old texts, sirens are capable of breathing the above-sea air.”
“Of course we are,” I clapped back. “If not, we ne
ver would have started this damn journey. We would have come up with a plan didn’t involve us dying before it even began.”
Alanza crossed her arms. “Then why have we stopped?”
I ignored her question and forced my feet to keep moving. My head was so close to the surface that the waves were pulling at my big brown curls. A few more steps and I’d officially be above water. My heart hammered precariously in my chest. My fingers shook, so I squeezed them into fists. I took a deep breath of seawater and held it. Then, after the next passing wave, I breached the crystal waters before me.
White sand lined the coast in both directions, and beyond that, vibrant green trees rolled along vast mountain ranges. The scattered rooftops of a city peaked through a canopy leaves.
“Tapachula?” I asked my companions, regarding the city ahead. I’d brushed up on a little history last night too.
Alanza nodded.
Arlo pointed to it. “If we’re going to find a mage, Tapachula is our best chance. There’s an academy that teaches magic there.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, despite the fact that it didn’t really matter.
“Your parents ordered Kayo and me to scout this city in the past. I think, in their hearts, they knew it would one day come to this.”
At the mention of my parents, I immediately turned my gaze toward Feroz and Bravo. They were soaring through the open air like they owned the skies. I didn’t even know sea dragons could fly.
I whistled, and they both touched down, splashing into the water.
“Stay here, and stay low,” I cautioned them. “These humans have probably never seen anything like you. They might attack if they feel threatened, and we need their help, not their wrath.” I swam closer, and gently stroked the sleek scales of their muzzles. “I want you two to stay safe and alive, okay?”
They did their little purr-growl thing and relaxed into the water before sinking out of sight.
“Is the stalling over yet?” Alanza asked in a bored tone. “Can we finally move forward?”
“Shut it, Torre,” Catalina snapped, taking the words right out of my mouth.
I reluctantly resumed the lead and kept moving.
When we entered the city, time abruptly screeched to a halt. Everyone stared, but no one stirred. Any music that had been playing died down. All cheerful chatter subsided. The temperature might’ve been in the hundreds, but our reception was cold as ice, sending a nervous chill up my spine.
We kept moving, following the path the humans had inadvertently cleared for us by fleeing the streets. Whispers glided from lip to lip ahead of us, and glaring stares trailed after us like evil shadows. We were clearly not welcome here, but I had no idea why. Had my reputation proceeded us? Did they already know of the havoc I tended to wreak in my ceaseless search for a cure? Maybe they just didn’t like our clothes? They were skintight, after all, and nothing like the strange, bright fashions these humans apparently preferred.
“I don’t like your shirt either,” I said to the nearest glaring guy on the street.
At the end of the road, a massive building loomed. Pristine sandstone bricks made up the walls, and intricately carved arches lined every door and window. It seemed like it could have been a palace, or perhaps, the magic academy Arlo had spoken of.
The door opened and a robed man walked out to the edge of the top step, but he said nothing. Just stood there and...waited.
I straightened my spine and shouted up to him, “We wish to speak to your rulers!”
The man shook his head, and calmly and matter-of-factly said, “We do not negotiate with sirens.”
“We aren’t here for negotiating,” I clarified sarcastically. “We’re here to speak to your rulers and your best mages.”
Again, the man shook his head. This time, though, he retreated back into the palace without another word, slamming the door behind him.
I spun around and shot my party a disbelieving glance. “What the hell was that?”
“My thoughts exactly,” Catalina muttered.
Malisa shrugged uncertainly, while Arlo, Kayo, and Alanza lowered their brows and widened their stances like they were preparing for battle.
Surely the humans wouldn’t dare try to attack.
Someone threw a rock at us. It fell short, tumbling to a stop at least ten feet before my toes.
I narrowed my eyes, scanning the crowd for the defiant human in question, but I couldn’t tell who’d thrown it.
Another rock soared through the air and dropped at our feet.
“We don’t associate with cowards!” Someone yelled.
“Just swim back to the sea and hide like you always do!” Another added.
“Coward?” I asked, spinning around. I was astounded. “Do you realize you’re speaking to the queen of the sirens?”
“The biggest coward of them all, then!” a human woman shouted in return, and the crowd cheered.
Stones began falling from the sky like rain. Emboldened citizens retook the streets, forming a human wall that actively pushed us backward toward the mouth of the city. When we started actually getting hit by the earthly projectiles, it didn’t take long for us to retreat to the beach and reassess our plan.
“What the hell is wrong with these humans?” I shouted at Arlo and Kayo. None of it was their fault, of course, but since they’d scouted this area before, I figured they’d at least have an idea.
Arlo kneeled at my feet. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I did not know this would happen.”
Kayo kneeled too. “I’m afraid the humans might still be resentful of us for choosing to live under the sea, majesty.”
My brows mashed together and I stabbed a finger toward the water. “Because we wanted a better life for ourselves and our families? Because we were offered an opportunity and we were brave enough and grateful enough to take it?”
Kayo nodded his sympathies to my arguments. “Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous.”
“It doesn’t sound ridiculous, it is ridiculous!” I shouted, accidentally drawing the attention of my dragons. They rose from the water and waded over to my side, protectively glaring at my guards. Feroz reared his head back and screeched up at the sky, letting loose a burst of flames I did not see coming.
Apparently, they can also breathe fire. Good to know.
That instantly cooled my fiery temperament down. There was no need for the brothers to get burnt to a crisp, or eaten as Valentina had. They’d done absolutely nothing wrong.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly, lightening the mood. “I just don’t understand. All humans were offered the chance to turn siren. The fact that these humans chose to grit their teeth and bear it is more stupidity on their part than cowardice on ours.”
Arlo smiled. “I completely agree, Your Majesty. But clearly, they do not. If we cannot speak to their leader or their head mage, then we’ll need a new plan for finding the Legacy Stone.”
I took a deep breath and pursed my lips. There was no way we trekked up to the dry land just to be turned away without the decency of a conversation. As queen, I couldn’t tolerate such disrespect. Hell, even if I hadn’t been crowned queen, I wouldn’t tolerate that shit.
I turned my gaze toward Catalina and Malisa. “What do you think?”
Catalina scoffed. “I think we should march back in there and kick their ill-mannered asses.”
“I agree,” Alanza pipped in, reaching for the sword at her belt.
“No one asked you,” Catalina said, rolling her eyes.
I stared at Malisa, ignoring the other two’s bickering, and waited for her opinion.
She sighed. “I don’t know, Liliana. I mean, there has to be some way to circumnavigate this issue. We just have to find it.”
“Yeah,” Alanza said with a sneer. “It’s called sea dragons, and they’re sitting right there!”
I put my hands on my hips and turned toward her. “What do you propose I do? Burn the whole city of Tapachula to the ground?”
Alanza shr
ugged. “It would be effective, wouldn’t it? And a hell of a lot faster than scrambling to create a plan B.”
“You are such a villain, you know that?” Catalina said, grabbing a sai from her belt and pointing it at Alanza. “We can’t just murder innocent people—least of all an entire city of them—to find a rock!”
“A rock with the power to save the lives of every man, woman, and child in our kingdom,” Kayo added quietly. “Not to mention the plants and animals as well.”
That shut her up. Probably not because of the actual words, but rather the fact that Kayo had spoken them. With Catalina sufficiently quieted, Alanza’s plan started to sound more feasible.
I paced around the sand, trying to decide what to do. “What if we try to reason with the humans again, but we bring Feroz and Bravo with us? Just as intimidation. A fear factor that might scare them into cooperation.”
Arlo nodded. “I think it’s worth a try.”
Malisa touched my arm. “What if the humans attack and hurt the dragons? Or worse.”
My smile fell, and I glanced at my pets. Was gambling their lives a risk I was willing to take?
Alanza crossed her arms. “I have a better question. If the humans do attack, will the dragons be allowed to retaliate? If so, and they end up inevitably scorching the city, can we just go ahead and say it was my plan all along?”
I growled and put my hand into the air to silence her. If she didn’t shut up soon, it’d be my trident going into the air, and she’d be silenced for good.
“All right,” I said, still pacing. “We reenter the city with Feroz and Bravo at our side. If the human rulers refuse to meet with us again, then we start scorching the beach. As the dragons move closer to the city, burning a ring of fire all around it, I’ll keep reasoning with them. Malisa and Alanza will stay with me. The rest of you will find a way into the palace, then open the doors for us to enter. The dragons will never burn a single soul.” I glanced at my pets, acknowledging the intelligence in their eyes. “Okay?”
Siren Awakened (The Cursed Seas Collection) Page 5
