This isn’t how it was supposed to happen. No matter what we said, no matter what we planned, I’d never truly believed it would end like this—with everyone dead, and me all alone dying of a broken heart.
“The sirens,” I reminded myself in between strangled gasps of pain and heartache. It was the last thread of hope I had left to cling to.
Save the sea, Liliana. This ends today.
I crawled through the entrance of the temple, as pain coursed through my body in violent waves. It radiated from seemingly everywhere, but especially from the stone. I could hardly see through my bleary eyes, but even with the visual distortion, I could tell there was nothing special at the top of this temple. No sacred pedestal. No special case or pillow that might act as a resting place for a magic stone. Nothing.
Nothing!
My chin quivered and I blinked as tears streamed down my face. My friends had died. My lover had died. I was about to die, and for what? Another failed destination? What the hell was the point in even trying?
Blood continued to leak from my side, making me light headed. I hadn’t realized the crab-spider had sliced me so deep, but I honestly didn't care anymore.
I’m coming, Cruz.
Coldness spread through my veins like ice, and my thoughts slowly drifted to the sirens back home. God, I wish I could’ve saved them.
Taking a shaky breath, I reached into my suit and removed the stone. Hatred filled me, intensifying as I stared at the evil little thing. I wanted to throw it, but I didn’t have the energy. Instead, I weakly let it slip from my grasp and laid my head down on the crumbling bricks. Blood pooled beneath me, spreading out until it found new cracks to fill between the old stone tiles.
I tried to remind myself that I wasn't scared of death, but it was much easier to believe a statement like that when you weren't bleeding out on the ground.
My body shook. I wasn't sure if it was because of the coldness coursing through me, or if it was simply part of the dying process, but I couldn't control it. I shuddered and sobbed, and watched in terror as my blood trailed farther and farther away from my body.
My vision started fading, dimming and blurring until all I could see was a glowing blue light that grew brighter by the second.
Wait, what?
I blinked, trying to focus, but the glimmering light was too bright. It stretched out slowly, becoming more and more radiant until I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut to avoid its blinding glare. I could still sense the energy in the air, though, building and humming louder and louder, warming me despite the chill in my bones.
There was a cracking sound, like glass slowly splintering, and then a rush of tingling heat along with a gust of wind that picked up my hair and twisted it, breathing life back into my body. My limbs suddenly had feeling again. My side no longer ached where the wound was seeping. In fact...I grabbed at my skinsuit. The wound was no longer there. The mental fuzziness I'd been experiencing was now gone. I blinked, recognizing my sudden clarity, and quickly spun around to take in my surroundings.
A slow-moving wave of glittering magic was spreading out across the land. Everywhere the magic touched, it left behind a restorative sparkling wake. The mutants had disappeared, but the fallen people were suddenly alive and breathing again.
I gasped and slapped my hand to my mouth, watching as Cruz sat up and took in deep, rasping gasps of air with wide eyes. Alex came to, as well, coughing and spluttering on his hands and knees.
Then the magic made it to the sea, and it halted, crackling in tiny bursts of glittering electricity. It was like the stone's magic was clashing with the dark sorcery in the ocean—and the stone was winning. Slowly, but surely, it pushed out farther into the deep, destroying the mutants and healing anything broken in its path.
Soon, Catalina's head popped up above the water. Then Alanza's. They glanced around in confusion, clearly unsure what had happened.
Joy filled my heart and overflowed, spilling into every corner of my body.
I turned around, hand still clamped to my mouth, and stared in awe at the sight before me. A hidden platform had risen up beneath the stone, raising it into the air where it levitated about six inches above a glassy mosaic pedestal—one that had an uncanny resemblance to my throne back in Seabella. Blues, greens, and purples reflected in the dying light of the setting sun.
This was it, after all. The sacred resting place.
A smile tore across my face and I squealed in delight.
We'd done it! We'd saved the sirens and the sea!
Finally, I scrambled to my feet and rushed down the temple stairs, taking them at least three at a time. When I hit the bottom, Cruz was waiting with open arms, and I crashed into them, knocking us both to the ground.
Tears filled my eyes for the hundredth time that day.
"I'm so glad you're alive," I sobbed, feeling my body shake as my weeping wrecked me to the core. “I literally watched you die.”
He smiled, tears streaming from his eyes too, and he hugged me tightly. "Well, I’m here now. And I love you, Liliana."
My lips found his and I kissed him with reckless abandon.
"I love you too, Cruz. I want to be with you more than anything. I can't stand the thought of leaving you now that we’ve somehow managed to survive this."
He shook his head. "Not a chance in hell am I letting you go. Even if that means I have to give up on Mage School and become a siren."
I gasped and lifted my head, my wide curls framing his face. "You would do that for me?"
He grinned and pulled me back down for another kiss. "It's not like King of the Sirens is a downgrade, Liliana."
I bit my lip to contain my smile and closed my eyes. "You want to be my king?"
"I want to be whatever you'll let me be."
“But the magic,” I said, shaking my head. “It’ll destroy everything we just literally died to achieve.”
“No, it won’t.”
There was a brazenness to his grin and a decidedly devilish glint in his eye.
“When Catalina and Alanza dropped us off, Alex and I made a decision. Before it was too late, I used the old magic to turn us into sirens.”
“What?” The word came out as nothing more than a whisper. “Oh my god, are you serious?”
He nodded, and I kissed him a thousand times more.
“Wait, Alex too?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my god, Catalina is gonna flip!”
Suddenly Bravo circled the air above us, screeching with what I presumed to be excitement.
He had lived! Or maybe the magic had restored him, but either way, my brave boy was back!
I followed his form across the dusky clouds and was stunned to find Feroz soaring towards us, too—with Malisa, Arlo, and Kayo on his back. He'd clearly grown since the last time I'd seen him. Apparently, a hearty diet was all it took for him to thrive. But then... I glanced back at Bravo. He'd grown too. It couldn't have happened overnight. Or maybe it had? Maybe when the magic of the Legacy Stone touched them, it empowered them?
Smiling wide, I climbed off Cruz and helped him up.
Everyone was alive, and everything was well. I had somehow, miraculously, succeeded. I had saved my people, and quite literally, the entire world.
I’d finally become the queen I was always destined to be.
Epilogue
6 months later
A huge crowd had gathered in the academy auditorium.
Almost every seat had been filled, but I sat in a special row, right up front, designated for the most important of guests. Catalina and Alex sat on my right, her hand resting protectively on the small bump beneath her belly. Alanza and Malisa stood off to the side on my left, flirting with a few of the academy professors, while Arlo and Kayo waited in the shadows, silently guarding me from afar.
Magdalena—Cruz’s mother and the head mage of the Academy—stood at a podium on the stage before us, calling out name after name of graduating students. With a fluttering heart, I wai
ted until she eventually landed on: Cruz de Leon.
He took the stage in his shimmering silk robes with a mile-wide smile on his beautiful face.
“Congratulations,” she said, shaking his hand before pulling him in for a motherly hug. “You have made me prouder than I’ve ever been. I love you, my son.”
“I love you too, Mother.”
Cruz winked at me before taking his place to stand beside his fellow graduates.
Magdalena continued calling out names, and when she was finally finished, she addressed the crowd.
“Everyone, please join me in congratulating this year’s graduating class!”
Cheers went up all around, but no one cheered louder than me.
“And a very special congratulations,” she added, shouting over the deafening applause, “to the King of the Sirens, my son Cruz!”
Cruz met my admiring gaze and his brown eyes absolutely sparkled. I was so glad I’d talked him into finishing. It was clear how much it truly meant to him.
He jumped from the stage, strode over to me, and wrapped me up in his strong arms.
“Thank you,” he said, lowering his forehead down to mine. “For everything.”
I leaned up and kissed him. “I would do anything for you. I love you.”
He bit his lip and pulled away, but kept one arm wrapped around my waist. “Ready to go home now, Queen Liliana, Tamer of Dragons?”
I grinned and rolled my eyes, thinking of the title he’d chosen for himself.
“Why yes, King Cruz, Magical Tamer of the Rebel Queen. I am.”
Acknowledgements
To my family (especially my husband, Brent): thank you for loving and supporting me, especially through the hard times. Thanks for the pep talks, and even the tough love. You guys are incredible!
To my friends in the author community: thank you for challenging me, encouraging me, keeping me on track, and being there for me whenever I need you (especially for sprints lol). You guys rock!
To the incredible readers who’ve taken a chance on my books: THANK YOU!! I had a #1 new release this January, and it was because of amazing people like YOU! I can’t thank you enough.
To Margo Bond Collins, the lovely editor of this book: you’re amazing!! Your suggestions took this story from “good” to “great!” You taught me things I’ll be able to use in my writing forever, and for that, I’m SO grateful.
To Rebecca Frank, the super talented designer of this book’s cover: I *heart* you! Your designs are so amazing! Every cover you did in the Cursed Seas Collection is simply fabulous. Thank you for all the hard work you put into your art.
And finally, to my wonderful formatter: Rene! I don’t know how many times you’ve scheduled me in on short notice, but it does NOT go unappreciated! You’re awesome!
ALSO BY ELLE MIDDAUGH
Enchanted Royals Series
Book One: A Crown of Blood and Ashes
Book Two: A Sword of Scales and Song (coming soon)
The Queen Witch Trials Series
Book One: Queen Witch
Book Two: Alpha Witch (coming soon)
The Essential Elements Trilogy
Book One: Elemental Secrets
Book Two: Elemental Lies
Book Three: Elemental Betrayal (coming soon)
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ABOUT ELLE MIDDAUGH
Elle Middaugh is a USA Today bestselling author living in the Pennsylvania Allegheny Mountains with her wonderful husband and three beautiful children. She spends most of her time raising kids, writing stories, playing video games, reading, and attempting to keep a clean house.
She’s a proud Navy wife, a frazzle-brained mother, a fan of health and fitness, a lover of hot tea and iced tea, and a believer in happily ever afters.
Sassy. Seductive. Spellbinding.
www.ellemiddaugh.com
Siren Awakened (The Cursed Seas Collection) Page 21
