Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“You’re right, Queenie. I just...” He shook his head, some unknown emotion roiling behind the gray of his eyes. “Anyway, we better keep moving.”
He spun around and started leading us again.
I shared a curious glance with Catalina and Malisa before we started following.
A tree branch snapped off and nailed Alazna on the head, just like last time. But now it simply crumbled into splinters and was carried away by the hurricane winds.
///
The worst of the hurricane passed in a few days’ time and the earth had stopped quaking long before that. We were halfway to Yaxchilan, and I’d begun to sense some optimism building up in me.
I glanced into the air where Feroz and Bravo soared high overhead. They’d found us after the hurricane had cleared, as we climbed down the side of one of the mountains. It had only been a few days since I’d seen them, but it was like whole moon phase for my heart. The joy I felt at having them back with me was unsurpassable.
Now that the rain and wind from the past few days was gone, the weather was back to blazing hot as hell. Half the valleys were flooded, but the humidity in the air was a welcome change for us sirens despite the heat. The flooding threw Alex off a bit, though, as his mental and physical maps were now disoriented.
We eventually stumbled onto an ancient ruin site, and I hoped beyond hope it was Yaxchilan.
Alex furiously studied his map, trying to make certain of our location, while Cruz and I walked around studying the crumbling temples. He and I were the only ones who’d seen the drawings in the books, but a picture was much different from the real thing. I wasn’t sure what the hell I was looking at first. But after walking around in circles for at least an hour, I finally came to the conclusion we were not in the right place. The main reason I knew? There was no damn river nearby, not even a flooded one.
As Cruz and I made our way back in the direction of the group, something strange caught my eye. A bottle, one that appeared to be made of sea glass, with a rolled-up scroll in the middle. Beside it, was a black hat with a skull and bones on the front.
Sirens had intercepted enough ships to know exactly what that symbol meant: pirates. But there was no sea nearby. Not even a river leading to the sea. It would definitely be an odd place to find a sailor. Cocking my head, I strolled over to get a closer look.
“Liliana, wait,” Cruz warned in a lowered tone.
I glanced over my shoulder at him, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was slowly scanning our surroundings with a narrowed gaze. He was on high alert. I quickly grabbed the baton on my belt and popped it into my s-curved sword, spinning it around in both hands.
What the hell was this about? Had the human king and queen betrayed us? Sent pirates to intervene? To kill us off? I admit, it never even crossed my mind that they might deceive us, but I suppose it wouldn’t have surprised me.
After a few tense moments, I lowered my weapon to my side. Whatever pirate left this memento behind, he was no longer there.
I strode over and picked up the hat, spinning it around one of my fingers. “Why were there pirates this far inland?”
Cruz’s brows instantly furrowed together. “You know about pirates? I thought sirens stayed deep under the surface of the sea?”
I rolled my eyes but bobbed my head. “Usually we do. But we’ve been known to dispose of pirates and their ships every now and then if they sail too close to a siren settlement.”
“I wonder if that’s what happened in some of the more famous shipwrecks?”
“It’s incredibly likely,” I confirmed with a cheeky grin. “But back to the point. What were they doing here?”
Cruz shook his head and grabbed the bottle with the note. “I don’t know. But maybe we’re about to find out?”
He tipped the bottle over and the note slid out. I took a nervous breath as he unrolled it and squinted at the text. “Rendezvous at Seibal. Meet at dark. Don’t be late.”
I plucked the note from his fingers and read it myself. My lips pursed and my eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Which one of us would be secretly meeting up with pirates? And why?”
“Calm down,” he said, putting both hands into the air. “Maybe this has nothing to do with us at all? We weren’t supposed to end up at this ruin site, remember? Maybe the note was meant for a different person altogether?”
“Maybe,” I said, still stuck on the possibility of there being a traitor in our midst.
Alex was my first suspect. He was the one supposedly leading us. It would have been all too convenient for him to fake getting lost. But why would he consort with pirates? My eyes went wide. To sell the stone. It made so much sense I could puke.
But still, I forced myself to consider other suspects.
Maybe it was Cruz? Maybe Magdalena had given him this mission as extra credit at the academy? To steal the stone and leave us sirens for dead. Before this, he acted timid and unsure of his magical abilities. Now, he was proving to be extremely skilled in magic. Was it all a front? Why else would he risk his life for me or anyone else when he barely knew us?
Or, it could have been my very own Arlo or Kayo. They’d said themselves they’d traveled, not just to the surface, but to some of the human establishments. Apparently to spy on behalf of my parents, but who knows what the real point of the mission was? Perhaps they went off-mission? Maybe they’d conspired with the pirates behind my parents’ backs?
Maybe it was Alanza? I certainly wouldn’t put it past a Torre to forsake the lives of the kingdom in pursuit of riches and glory. But even as the thought crossed my mind, I doubted the truth of it. I honestly didn’t think Alanza was the culprit.
Then there was Cruz's suggestion that this had nothing to do with any of us at all.
There was an impossible number of scenarios, really. I don't know how the hell I was supposed to figure it out. All it served to do was make me sick to my stomach with confusion and worry.
Cruz shook his head. "Let's get back to the others."
"You think we should mention what we found?"
He bit his bottom lip.
Whatever he said right here, in this moment, might help me determine if I should keep him on my list of suspects or not. I started at him intently, watching his facial expressions and body language as he hesitated to answer.
"I don't know," he eventually said. "Part of me thinks no, we should keep it to ourselves. It would be safer that way, just in case one of our team members really is an inside player. But then the other part of me thinks we should tell them, and then carefully watch to see who starts acting strange or nervous. Then we'd know for sure."
For some reason, his answer set me at ease, and my suspicions dampened.
I tucked the tiny scroll into my skinsuit next to the stone and started walking. We'd covered a lot of ground across this ruin site. It'd probably take us a half hour to get back to the group.
We passed by buildings that, while old and crumbling, were still absolutely stunning in their design. I would have loved to see them in their prime, when their brick faces were smooth and pristine, not eroded and deteriorated into piles of rubble.
"So..." Cruz began as we walked.
Just by the tone of his voice, I immediately knew shit was about to get personal.
"Back at the cave..."
Chapter 14
I swallowed and concentrated on keeping my gaze out ahead of me. "Yes?"
He sighed. "You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?"
I glanced at him, fighting off an uneasy grin. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Suddenly, his warm hand slipped into mine. It sent a strange sensation skittering into my lower abdomen.
"I want to do it again," he said, apparently finding his courage now that we were touching. "Or, continue where we left off, I guess."
I hesitated, accidentally letting him get a few steps ahead of me. "You mean, right now?"
<
br /> His smile turned absolutely devilish when he spun around and faced me. "That's not exactly what I meant, no. But if you're feeling up to it, I would definitely not argue."
I laughed and started walking again. "I don't think now would be the best time, but," I took a deep breath, a little nervous to admit my feelings. "I’d like to continue where we left off, too."
"Yeah?" His smile seemed incredibly hopeful, which confused the hell out of me.
"Did you honestly think I wasn't into it? I mean, I damn near missed the fact that there was an earthquake going on.”
Shit. That was probably one of those things I should have kept to myself.
In fact, the closer we got to the team, the more I wanted to drop his hand. I was afraid they were all going to get the wrong impression. Or rather, the right impression. I don't know.
Cruz and I weren't committed to one another. And there was literally no way we ever could be—he was a mage from dry land, I was a siren from the sea. It wouldn't work beyond this world-saving expedition, no matter how much I wanted it to, no matter how kingly and perfect he might’ve been.
And since we weren't committed, I didn't want to go flaunting this half-assed relationship around. Making out in front of the others was one thing. Hell, even having sex in front of them would’ve been one thing. But this sweet side, having nothing to do with lust, was pushing it—at least, in my mind. I had a feeling it probably wouldn’t make sense to anyone else.
I loosened my hold, but he didn't let go.
"What's wrong?" he asked me with a knowing look. "I just watched you go deep in thought for like five minutes, and now you're trying to drop my hand. What's up?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. He was too observant.
After a while, I sighed and gave up. "Fine. I don't want the rest of the team to see us holding hands."
He frowned. "But you didn't care that they saw us kissing back there?"
"That's different. Kissing, touching, and even sex... they’re kind of animalistic urges that everyone succumbs to now and then. But this?" I gestured to our clasped hands. "This is symbolic of a commitment we've never made."
He squeezed my fingers tighter. "We could change that. Even if I had to take you on a real date before we continued the sexual side of our relationship.” Then suddenly, the light in his eyes faded. “Unless..."
He went quiet, and I was left wondering what he was thinking that had killed his spirit so suddenly. He hung his head, shaking it slowly.
"What?" I asked, leaning forward to try and peer into his face.
"Unless...it's because you're a queen and I'm a nobody. Just a mage."
I blinked. "Just a mage? We'd be nowhere right now without you. And sirens wouldn't be alive without mages. Please don't presume you're not good enough for me because of what you are."
He stopped walking then and took my cheeks in his palms. He leaned in, and I closed the gap between us without even thinking about it. It was a natural instinct, but it took me by surprise.
"Why don't you want to date me, then?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.
"It doesn’t really have anything to do with you," I said, trying to explain something I wasn't even sure I knew, myself. "I like you, and would like to give this a try, but it's just... saving the world. That has to come first and foremost. I might give in to my sexual urges, but I can't give in to the personal desire of starting a relationship. We don't have that kind of free time. We shouldn't even be discussing it when we still have no idea where we are, or how to get to where we need to be. Especially if someone on our team is actually a traitor, and if pirates might be attacking us at any moment."
I took a deep breath and a tiny smile tugged at my lips.
"You know?"
He slid his hands down to mine, kissing me again. "I understand. But now that I know you want me too, I am not going to back down simply to appease everyone else. I'm going to keep moving forward with you because that's what we both want. And we deserve to be happy, especially in a world on the verge of extinction. We need to make whatever time we have left count. So I'm gonna latch onto this, and I’m not gonna let it go."
I closed my eyes, amused at the metaphorical, yet highly literal, sense of his words. "You're not letting go of my hand, are you?"
"Not a chance."
I sighed, but kept smiling, walking hand-in-hand with him back to the group.
Catalina and Malisa's gazes immediately skipped down to my occupied hand, while Alanza merely smirked. Arlo and Kayo appeared suspicious. Of course, as my royal guards, it was their job to be suspicious of anyone who got close to me. And Alex seemed annoyed.
"Way to take for fucking ever," he snapped at us.
"We had to be sure the temple wasn't here,” Cruz said.
Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm the navigator, remember? I told you this place wasn't Yaxchilan."
"Yes, you're the navigator," I agreed, sarcastically. "The navigator that got lost and ended up here instead. Forgive me for wanting to check things out myself, just in case."
He glared at me. "Are you questioning my competence and loyalty, Queenie?"
I glared, still acutely aware of Cruz's hand in my palm. "I'm not sure."
"Liliana," Catalina said, coming in between us with an unsure expression. "You allowed Alex to lead us, just as you allowed Cruz to help us magically. Don't second guess that decision now. The ranger has done a great job up until now."
I flicked my gaze over to him and caught him staring at Catalina with a lump in his throat. The bastard looked a little guilty if you asked me.
"I'll back off this once, but only because I love and trust you, Catalina. But if he betrays us, I will allow Kayo to personally run a trident through his throat, and I'll feed him to my dragons.” Then I turned to face him head-on. “Do you understand, ranger?"
"Jesus! Yes!" he shouted in defense, removing his hat and running his hands through his dirty-blond hair. "How the hell did it come to this? Did something happen while you two were gone? Something you’re not telling us?"
I refused to look at Cruz for fear of giving away our secret.
"No. Now tell me, have you regained your bearings? Can you lead us to the real Yaxchilan or not?"
He grabbed his gun and slung it over his shoulder. "Yes, of course.”
Alanza put a hand on her hip and stared at me. “Sure, we can head out immediately...now that you’re done fucking the mage.”
"We were not fucking," Cruz said, immediately making it seem like we were.
Alanza let out a burst of laughter and doubled over. "Sure you weren't.”
This was exactly the type of shit I wanted to avoid.
But... I may as well own it at this point. After all, I had every intention of following through on that accusation.
///
A few days later, when an ancient temple finally came into view, my spirits rose. But after looking around like last time, Cruz and I determined, yet again, that it was not Yaxchilan.
I stomped back to the group, prepared to raise a whole hurricane of hell, but Alex was not amongst them.
"Where’s the ranger?" I snapped.
Alanza rolled her eyes. "Taking a piss, supposedly."
My eyes slid over to Cruz. "Do you think this is Seibal?"
I was hoping he'd pick up on what I wasn’t actually saying in reference to the message in the bottle.
He raised his brows but didn't reply, as if to say, “Maybe. What do you think?”
"How long has the ranger been gone?" I asked, sliding my gaze back to the others.
"Long enough to take a shit, not a piss," Alanza concluded in an irritated tone.
"What way did he go?"
She pointed toward one of the temples, and Cruz and I took off, with Catalina at our heels.
"Liliana, what's going on?" Catalina asked, grabbed her sais as she fell into step beside me. "Has Alex done something? Is he in trouble? Or is he about to be sea dragon food?"
That last part sto
pped me in my tracks. Dragons. We couldn’t very well sneak up and spy on Alex with two massive dragons circling the air above us.
“Feroz! Bravo!” I hissed in a whisper. “Stay with the others. We’ll be back soon.”
They growled reluctantly, but eventually dropped to the ground and walked back to the group. I took a deep breath and shook my head, continuing the conversation where we left off.
"I'm not sure yet, Cat. But we'll find out soon I hope."
"Alex was right, wasn't he?" she pressed. "When you and Cruz disappeared the other day, you found something, didn't you?"
I nodded, digging into my skinsuit to reveal the rolled up scroll.
Catalina took it and read it aloud. "Meet at Seibal. Don't be late. What the hell is that supposed to mean? And what does it have to do with Alex?"
"It was a message in a bottle," Cruz added. "And it was sitting next to a pirate hat."
"It looked like it was intentionally placed there," I said, scanning the nearby woods for any signs of Alex or pirates. "Alex was the one leading us. And we just so happened to end up 'lost' and in exactly the right place to find that note."
Catalina frowned. "But if you and Cruz were the ones who found it, and you didn't share that info with anyone, then how would Alex have known to lead us here?"
I pursed my lips. She was right.
"He wouldn't have, I suppose." Then I glanced at Cruz. "I don't know what the hell to think."
He put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. "Me either. But once we find him, we will get some information. I promise."
I had a feeling the interrogation might have something to do with magic. I smiled. It was nice to know this powerful man had my back.
Catalina glanced between us, studying our body language.
"So tell me, mage.” She averted her gaze and scanned the surrounding trees. “What turned you into such a bleeding heart?"
He blinked and cocked his head. "Excuse me?"
She waived her sai at him absentmindedly. "You know. A do-gooder. Someone who does what's right, no matter the cost. You might’ve only joined this mission because you were forced to, but ever since then, you’ve done everything in your power to put our needs above your own. How did you get to that point in your life? You're the son of the highest ranking mage in town. You have zero reason to be kind or helpful. You could have easily done nothing, stood around and watched us die, then went back to the academy and finished school on time.”
Siren Awakened (The Cursed Seas Collection) Page 12
