Mira
Chapter thirty-five
Until the Stars Burn Out
After we secure Taika in the brig, I retreat to our quarters and start rifling through more of my father’s journals. I’ve gone through every single one, but there’s nothing—no clues, no maps, no hidden notes.
“What’s wrong?” Kai asks as I sit on the floor, surrounded by weathered pages.
“I just feel like I’m missing something,” I say, brows furrowing as I flip through another entry.
“Such as?” he asks, his tone soft but curious.
“I need to go back to Magda.” I meet his eyes. “I know that’s a big ask, but I feel like the answers I need are there—at home. On The Siren.”
He moves to sit beside me, the last of the sunlight spilling through the windows and pooling across the floorboards. “It’s not a big ask,” he says quietly. “If you ever want to go home, I’ll never get in your way.”
I feel myself blushing at his words, embarrassed that even the simplest thing he says can pull that reaction from me. “To Magda then,” I say, a smile spreading across my face. Something feels whole in my heart. After being out at sea for so long, the thought of home warms me.
He returns it, a hint of warmth in his eyes. “What are you looking for?” he asks, brow furrowing.
“I’m looking for a clue, something big that I missed. When I left The Siren, it was in such a hurry. I don’t think I went through all of my father’s things thoroughly enough. Maybe whatever he was hiding holds the answers we need.”
“I’ll tell Jay to change course. We’ll be in Magda in a couple of days.”
The Leviathan is the fastest ship on the sea. What took The Siren three days to sail from Magda to Alek will only take us two. Which is what we need, since time is running short with Kai getting worse, even if he won’t admit the pain he’s in.
He kisses my forehead, gentle and fleeting, then rises and slips out to change our course.
I stand at the side of the ship, leaning against the railing as Magda finally appears on the horizon, the colorful buildings alive with the pirates that reside there.
Relief floods through me, carried on the salt-heavy wind as I take a long, steadying breath.
Kai stands at the helm, and I can feel his gaze even before I look.
When I turn and smile, it’s to let him know that I know he’s watching.
He lets out a quiet laugh, his lips curving into that rare smile, eyes never leaving me.
We steer toward the far side of the island, the place where we left The Siren. The moment I see her, I swear I hear her groan in recognition. My chest tightens. Seeing her again makes my throat ache; the wave of emotion is almost too much to hold back.
We dock The Leviathan beside her. I don’t wait for Kai. My feet move on their own, carrying me toward The Siren. Then I spot movement on the deck. Neressa steps out, just barely into my view.
I stop walking and stare up at her. Neressa looks like she belongs on the ship, though she’s as tied to the land as I am to the sea. Since The Siren is docked on land, she’s able to be on board. She lifts a hand and waves at me to come closer, so I do.
Kai comes up behind me. “Do you want to go alone?” he asks, his voice gentle. I look up at him, my boots sinking into the wet sand.
“Yes. Come up in a little bit. I have a feeling Neressa wants to speak to me privately.”
He nods, respecting my wishes, though something in his eyes tells me he’s wary of her. And honestly, who wouldn’t be? She's terrifying.
I climb the ladder, the enchanted teak groaning under my weight. “Hello, love. I've missed you.” My hand lingers on the railing, long enough to let The Siren know I’m here. When I finally step onto the deck, tears sting my eyes. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until now.
I glance toward the helm. Neressa sits in an old wooden chair, feet propped on the wheel like she’s the captain now. I make my way toward her, each creak of wood and memory beneath my boots.
“I see you’ve made yourself at home,” I say as I walk up the last step.
“You did say I could move in.” She smiles. Her fog-colored eyes catch the dying light from the sun.
“Did you?” I glance around. Everything looks exactly the same.
“No,” she says, lips curving with amusement. “I saw you coming and decided to grace you with my presence.”
I let out a low laugh. When I reach her, she stands and wraps her arms around me. It’s longer than her usual quick embrace, tighter too.
“I’ve missed you, Mira.” She releases me and studies my face as though she’s trying to read me like a book to find out everything I've gone through. “I heard about Smith.” Her tone sharpens. The anger returns at the thought of him. What he did to me, to the crew. The words he spoke to me.
“What a fucking traitor. If I had known…” Her jaw tightens, eyes darkening to storm gray, the shade that comes right before she kills.
“He did have a painful death, trust me,” I say.
Her eyes snap up to mine. “Oh?”
“Sirens.” That’s all I have to say. She nods once and walks away from me, leaning on the railing beside the helm. “Why are you back? How’s Kai?” Her voice carries a rare hint of genuine concern.
I move to stand next to her, resting my hands on the same railing. “I need to do some more digging through my father’s things. I feel like I missed something last time.”
I pause, letting the silence settle, feeling The Siren hum beneath my palms, the ship’s old magic pulsing through the wood like a heartbeat.
“As for Kai,” I continue, “he’s… well, so much more than I ever thought he could be.”
She turns to look at me, and her expression softens. “You love him?”
“More than anything.”
She smiles faintly, looking down at her nails. “Good. He’s kept you alive this long, I’m sure he’ll take care of you.” I look away, trying to break her gaze. “What is it?” she asks. She never misses anything.
“He’s dying.” The words scrape out of me, barely more than a whisper. My throat tightens. I’ve been so strong in front of him that finally saying it out loud, especially to Neressa, shatters something inside me.
“He’s dying? From what?” I can’t answer right away. The knot in my throat only tightens, stealing my voice away from me. “Take your time,” she says quietly. She’s gentle with me, so gentle it almost hurts. I fear I’m the only one she’s ever saved that emotion for, that I know of.
“His scar,” I say quietly. “He got it when he was a boy. It was cursed. It’s called—”
“The siren’s curse.” Neressa finishes for me. “That’s one of the few curses that can’t be undone,” she says, her voice lingering with empathy. I nod, fighting back tears. “How bad is it?” she asks.
“It’s spreading. The black veins are down his arm and across his chest now. He’s had a hallucination of a siren song. I think it stemmed from the scar.”
Her expression hardens. “When you make it to the fountain—”
“Yes, I’ll save him,” I say before she can finish.
She tilts her head. “You must really love him, to give him your wish.”
I let out a low laugh, shaking my head and choosing not to reveal how many wishes we really have. “Love makes you do crazy things, aye?”
“It will be okay, love,” she says softly. “You’re strong. You’ll get there.” Then her eyes sharpen, that familiar glint returning. “Now, what are we looking for?” Changing the subject before I become a complete mess.
I lead her to my father’s quarters. When I open the door, it creaks louder than I remember. “Look for anything with a lock on it,” I say, stepping inside. “Or something that looks like it wasn’t meant to be found.”
We start rifling through everything, drawers, shelves, the desk, under his mattress. Nothing. Not a single thing. The room feels as bare as the bottom of a ship’s hull.
Then my eyes catch on the closet. His clothes still hang unorganized, untouched by time. I push them aside, and there it is, a small lock hidden in the back, built into the wood of the closet, a number dial glinting faintly in the low light.
“Interesting,” Neressa murmurs from behind me, the sweet scent of cinnamon curling in the air around her. “What do you think it could be?”
Four digits. What four digits could he have possibly been attached to? I start guessing. His birthday—zero, four, twelve. No.
His favorite number, twice—five, five, five, five. Nothing. Then I try my birthday. Zero, three, twelve. It clicks open.
“Your birthday,” Neressa says quietly.
“My birthday,” I echo, my voice barely a whisper. My eyes sting, tears gathering at the edges. I unlatch the rusted lock, the metal groaning in protest. As it snaps free, a piece of paper slips out, the final entry of his journal, aged, weather-worn, and stained with what looks like blood.
Coordinates and a letter. The moment my eyes meet them, something shifts. A calm washes over me, foreign and familiar all at once. I feel them, deep in my bones, like they’re calling me home.
Neressa places a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to leave you now, love. This is for your eyes only. I’m here when you need me.” I meet her gaze and nod. There’s nothing more to say.
When she’s gone, I make my way to his old, dust-covered bed, the sheets still wrinkled from the last time he laid there. I sit down slowly, the air heavy with the ghost of him.
The coordinates point directly to the heart of Sapphire’s Ocean, the most beautiful and mysterious sea in existence.
Known for its deep blue trenches and waters so clear at dawn, they shimmer like glass.
As soon as the moon is out, the surface reflects the stars so perfectly, it feels like you could dive straight into the heavens and come back drenched in starlight.
But beneath that beauty lies silence, depth, and ancient magic.
It’s the least explored ocean for a reason.
I open the letter, his handwriting messy but readable. My father’s final message, one meant for the sea, but never sent. A message in a bottle.
Sirena,