Fractured Trust
Kai
Isee the portal close and fly further out of reach, my heart hammering loudly in my chest.
She’s gone.
That thought sends a ripple of emotion I have rarely felt in my life through me.
Fear.
The fear of losing her, even though seeing her morph into one of them, made my blood run cold.
She is one of them.
All this time, I was falling for a sea siren, something that never ever should have happened. Every touch is a betrayal to the life I’m meant to lead, and yet, I can’t stop wanting her in my arms.
She’s a sea siren.
Fuck.
Deep down, maybe I already knew. The signs were there, but I refused to face them because I knew she was my fated, and the thought of being mated to a sea siren made my stomach churn.
I fly low, swiftly, before they can react. I sweep up my bag and sword before flying as far as I can. A few arrows come my way, but I dodge them as I fly further away, not looking back.
All my life, I have never run from anything, but today I did.
I land high up in a tree after flying for several minutes until I can’t anymore. I won’t get too far, but at least I’ll be out of their sight for now. They didn’t seem to care that I got away. Capturing her was their main goal.
I rest my head in my hands, taking a deep breath. How did it come to this? And what do I do now?
Do I let her go and pretend this never happened… or do I go after her?
I’ve fallen for a sea siren, the very species I vowed to end… and now one is bonded to me.
I sit here like a man defeated. My beliefs, my turmoil, the pain, it only adds to the ache in my body.
I’m not sure what was in those arrows, but I feel far weaker than I should.
Opening up my bag, I splash some regular antidote over the wounds, hoping it helps a little, before resting back against the tree and closing my eyes.
I need to rest for a while, but my mind doesn’t.
She’s Morcant’s daughter – she knew I was here to kill him. Does she really not care? I guess not. He really wasn’t the best father around.
Her mother’s past has remained with her, and tying that all in with Morcant, I’m not surprised. I guess this is what she meant by: the sea sirens need protecting, too.
So what do I do?
Never in my life have I felt so conflicted. Everything I have learned and been taught has now gone up in flames. I know what I should do, and then there’s what I want to do.
Two very different things, two worlds colliding.
The truth is, I would destroy the world for her. I will throw away everything for her, my logic, my revenge, because, like a madman, I have fallen in love with her, and I can no longer deny it.
Night has now fallen, and I haven’t moved. The adrenaline rush has died away, and the only thing left is the pain of her absence. The way she smiled, the way she showed sass despite knowing I was far stronger than her, the way she cared…
Maybe all sea sirens aren’t the same. Maybe she’s right and some are good, or maybe I just want her by my side, and I don’t give a fuck about her being good or bad. I just want my Little Liar here with me, where I can see her, smell her, kiss her and fuck her.
Sighing heavily, I knock my head repeatedly on the trunk behind me.
Reflecting on her final words: “You can breathe.”
In her last moment, before she was dragged away, she gave me the sea siren’s breath. I should be able to breathe underwater. I have to do this.
I will end Morcant, and I will take her as my queen and rule both sea and sky.
As for Varkhazan, the moment I tell him I’ve found a woman, he won’t tolerate it, but I refuse to let him gain control of Varindor or control me any longer.
Siralaine is a Princess of Elmeria; she’s royalty.
It’ll only make our hold as King and Queen stronger.
I stand up, zipping up my bag.
I may be angry at her, but I’m the only one who can hold her prisoner.
“When I find you, Sira – and I swear I will – I will punish you,” I murmur.
Now to find her and Elmeria.
Morcant, your days are numbered, because I am coming for you.
I launch into flight again. I’ve wasted enough time. The trees soon give way to mountains, and soon the mountains give way to rivers. Only then do I decide to take a break and rest for a while. I still feel drained, and I can’t afford to fail because I show up spent.
The river runs quietly at my feet, silver and still beneath the dying light. I crouch by the bank, map in hand, tracing the route Siralaine had marked. The Elmerian Ocean lies ahead, her kingdom, his throne, the heart of everything I’ve sworn to destroy.
And yet Siralaine has been the one to help me plan it, to show me how to find Morcant. I frown, remembering something she had said.
Her words were spoken softly as she drew the route. “When you dive, the current will fight you. Do not fight back. Let it take you to where you need to go.” She was so confident on the matter. Another sign I fucking ignored.
Now, as the light fades, the air begins to taste saltier as I approach the ocean. My wings ache from not resting enough, but there’s no more time to waste.
I fold the map and tuck it inside my bag.
The sky stretches for as far as the eye can see, over miles and miles of water, and for a moment I just breathe, enjoying the way the fresh air feels.
It gives me strength. The wind carries the scent of the sea, cold and sharp.
The ground is rough and hard beneath my feet.
The world stills, as if it too is waiting to learn of the outcome of the future.
“Well, keep waiting. I will be victorious,” I murmur.
When I move, it’s an instinct I was born with. I spread my wings, the air catching beneath them, lifting me in a single, powerful sweep. The ground falls away. The rocks become a splatter of dots, winding through the darkness. Ahead, the horizon glows faintly, where sea meets sky.
The wind whips past me as I fly. Clouds streak past, cold mist stinging my skin. The sea glints below, dark and endless, filled with sea sirens, no doubt. Every beat of my wings carries me closer to where I need to dive.
When I see the small tip of a distant mountain she told me to watch for, I slow down, fold my wings and descend. Spray lashes against my face, the roar of the waves deafening. I hover for a heartbeat over the edge, staring at the stormy ocean.
This is it.
Taking a deep breath, I dive.
The sea hits hard, cold enough to numb my entire body, and soon it begins to.
Fuck. Darkness swallows me whole. For a heartbeat, I fight the instinct to surface, then I feel a strange sensation, and I can breathe.
An odd wisp of warmth seems to wrap around me, keeping the sensation in my body as I swim downwards, obeying what she said and letting the water carry me.
At the back of my mind, there’s a small part of me that is screaming at me to get to the surface, but I push the thought aside as I keep going further and further down.
After what feels like ages, the currents soon stop, and I open my eyes before I begin swimming deeper.
Soon, the blackness disappears, and I begin to see lights.
First, they’re scarce, a pale blue one floating here and there, but then they become more frequent and more vibrant.
I can see ruins stretching across the seabed: ships, skeletons, and a haunting wreckage.
I swim past it all, and I can feel the water hum with power, and then I see what begins to form into a city.
I’m here. I found Morcant’s kingdom.
I move low along the rocks, keeping to the shadows. The current tugs at my bag, but I hold on to it tightly. My sword is my only weapon down here. Two guards drift ahead, their spears gleaming faintly. I press into a jagged hollow area between two large rocks.
I remain calm, hoping they don’t see me. If I’m caught now, I’ll never make it past the gates. But fate spares me for one more moment. A shoal of lanternfish bursts between us, scattering silver light, and the guards drift on, unaware.
I push forward silently, each stroke taking me closer to the entrance of the looming palace that rises before me. Carved from dark coral and obsidian, its towers glow with purple and blue light. It’s a fortress, and there’s something dark and powerful about it.
This is it. The Elmerian Ocean. The heart of his reign. The place where he never thought he would meet his end. He took her from me, and now he’ll pay.
This is a place where I don’t hold any power. I belong to the sky, not the sea, but I’ll fucking manage.
Hold on, Sira.
I’m almost there.
The closer I get, the thicker the magic around here feels. The ocean itself seems to resist me, whispering warnings in its pull. Guards roam around more frequently, but I sink lower, moving with the tide rather than against it.
I’m finally close to the castle. It towers above, threaded with runes and shimmering under the lights. When I’m finally at the entrance, I squeeze through the gates the moment I get a chance and keep to the wall.
Where would Siralaine be kept?
The prison, which is most likely below the castle. Following this assumption, I head behind the castle, looking for a way in. When I find a small entrance leading to what is most likely the servant quarters, I slip inside.
The water beyond is colder and darker. I’m in some kind of passageway. Two guards swim into view near the lower passage, and I frown. They aren’t sea sirens, but something far uglier and deadlier. Are these the wave weavers of Varindor I have heard of? I’m not about to find out.
I wait quietly until they’re close, and only when they pass me do I quietly slip past them. If I want to make it here undetected, I can’t kill everyone who crosses my path.
I go further and notice I’m going down deeper. Soon, the tunnels begin to form into cells that are carved directly into the rock. Metal bars cover them. There are no lights down here, and even the water tastes stale.