Chapter 40 Aria
Chapter Forty: Aria
The sun is barely up when I leave Lumen and set out to meet Myla.
My heart races in anticipation of our lesson, despite knowing I’ll be met with something less than enthusiasm from her.
Her deep-seated hatred of the sirens is warranted; after all, hadn’t I also begrudged all that my kind had done?
Could I really blame her, knowing it is possible that my own mother had a hand in murdering her family?
The cutting looks and blade-like words from her hurt, but my kind had done irreparable damage to her family.
Her fury had sparked my own and inspired me to stand up for myself for the first time.
And it had felt… freeing. That spark of bravery had left its mark.
It is small progress and not nearly enough to protect Lyre and her babe when it comes time to leave, but after a lifetime of feeling like my failures were measured in magnitudes, I am hungry for even small victories.
And I’ll take them wherever I can get them.
I spend the rest of my journey replaying the defensive techniques. Between our last visit and this one, I had practiced them in the safety of my room at night, sometimes only allowing myself a few hours of sleep so that I could practice for longer.
I transform when I reach the shallow waters of our meeting spot, and my skin prickles with awareness when glowing yellow dragon’s eyes land on mine through the Spell.
A familiar fae male sits atop the blue dragon’s back, between a set of rather imposing looking spikes.
He pats the side of its neck, and I wonder if the massive animal can even feel it through those hard scales.
I plant my feet on wet sand just at the water’s edge, waiting for Myla to slide off of the dragon and make her way to the rocky cavern.
Already anticipating a scowl to mar her otherwise elegant features.
But as the dragon lowers, its eyes still pinned on me, there is only the one rider on its back.
Glancing around the beach, I don’t see Myla at all, and when I bring my attention back to the dragon, the fae male is strutting towards me, his hands raised in front of him.
“I come bearing a message for you,” he says, passing through the Spell.
I take a step back towards the safety of the ocean. “From Myla?”
He nods, lowering his arms to his sides.
“Please don’t use your magic to send me into the water.
Lan here is a baby, and he’d probably die without me.
” As if the dragon understands the fae, he lets out a low growl, opening his mouth to show off his incredibly large teeth.
I swallow, my wide eyes drawing a chuckle from the fae.
Maybe Lan can understand him through their magical bond.
I give him a nod. It’s not like he knows my magic is useless against him anyway. “As long as you stay over there, then you will be safe.”
He smiles, his face a beautiful mosaic of high cheekbones and angular eyes. Dark full lashes frame them, and his long black hair only adds to his distinct look. “Excellent. My name is Navin. I am Myla’s brother.”
“She has a brother?” I blurt, earning a playful scoff.
“Of course, she hasn’t spoken of me. Myla’s never been one for open conversation, if you hadn’t noticed.” I can’t help but snort at that. Navin’s smile widens. “Anyway, she is unable to come today.”
I grip my satchel, the soft eel grass smooth against my palm as I stare at him. “Why?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say. But she should be here next week.”
I shake my head and look down at my feet as cool air brushes against my skin.
“I can’t wait a whole week,” I lament. Not with how my mother is clearly planning something big with the Mortal Kingdom.
To delay an entire lesson—to not have the next bit of knowledge and skill needed to ensure I keep Lyre safe—one week could be the very difference between our escape and our capture.
“I might have a solution,” Navin offers, drawing my gaze. He studies me, clasping his hands behind his back. “What if I teach you for today?”
I grip the strap of my bag more tightly. “You? But the life debt—”
“It wouldn’t count towards that. Only Myla’s lessons will. But if you’re wanting the extra instruction…” He shrugs, smirking into the wind that blows his long hair behind him. “I would be happy to help.”
“Do you know how to fight?” I don’t know why I ask, one look reveals that he very clearly has experience at least training for a fight. He’s packed with lean muscle beneath the black leather he wears, the style similar to Myla’s.
I expect a sharp remark, but Navin just laughs, the sound soft and inviting. “Who do you think taught Myla?”
I grin at the image of Navin teaching someone like the aggressive fae as I think over his offer.
There is a chance he could use my proximity to do something insidious.
Yet every time I have seen Navin, he has always offered me a kind gesture.
He seems to get under Myla’s skin more often than not, and he believes me to have normal siren magic.
I doubt it would get me very far, but I also have my dagger in my satchel.
All I need is to get out of the cavern and into the water if he tries to attack.
Navin’s dragon, Lan, stretches his wings out, their near translucence brilliant even beneath a cloudy sky.
Veins of black spread like cracked porcelain all throughout his wingspan, breaking up the hues of blue.
Where the wing bends on either side, there is a single sharp talon—similar to the ones that grow from my fingers, only much larger. Gods, he is massive.
Seeing my focus, Navin says, “Lan here won’t be a problem. In fact, I’ll probably tell him to go hunt for an hour.”
That helps make my decision. “Alright, Navin. I will train with you.”
He pumps a fist in the air before turning to look at Lan, the two seeming to communicate for a brief moment before the dragon crouches low and then leaps into the sky.
He lets out a deep roar that rattles my bones before banking right with an elegant sweep of his wings, flying towards the dark and misty mountains in the distance.
Navin leads us into the cover of the cavern, reaching a hand into the bag strapped to his chest and pulling out a black tunic, which he then tosses to me.
“Did Myla tell you to bring this?” I ask.
He shrugs, gesturing for us to walk towards the cavern. “No. She actually doesn’t know I’m doing this.”
“Bringing me a tunic? Or training me?”
Navin climbs up the large boulders to get the platform, turning to reach a hand down to help me up the last few feet. “Both, I guess.”
I remove my satchel and lay it against the wall before slipping the shirt on. It hits my knees but is softer than the last one Myla brought. “How did you know I would agree?”
“I didn’t,” Navin answers, tying his hair away from his face. “But I hoped.”
“Why?”
“Because if you were desperate enough to withstand a life debt with my sister, I figured you must have a reason for wanting to learn.” He folds his arms over his chest as his gaze works over the cavern. “And I want to help.”
“Thank you,” I say sincerely.
His own sincerity shines back as he dips his chin and then lifts his hands up in front of him, taking on the defensive posture Myla taught me last week. “Show me what you know so far.”
I go through the series of ducks and blocks that I know, grateful the swim here warmed my muscles up.
Navin spots the same weaknesses that Myla did, but he’s much nicer about how he corrects them.
He doesn’t outwardly ask about the scar on my foot, though I see his gaze bounce to it a handful of times.
“I was attacked by rogue sirens,” I decide to tell him, lifting my arm to block a slow punch.
Navin’s teaching style is calm, his body movements elegant as he runs through another round of punching combos for me to practice avoiding.
“Rogue sirens?” he questions, drawing my attention to his leg as he sweeps it out in an attempt to take me down. I step back to avoid it, bouncing on the balls of my feet as we begin to circle each other again.
“In my queendom, sirens who break the law are banished from Lumen and all of the surrounding cities and towns. They are forced to wander, without the home or community that my kind craves.”
“That’s a fitting punishment, I suppose,” he says, extending his right arm out and smiling encouragingly when I quickly block it.
My own cheeks lift, and I duck beneath the next arm that he swings out.
“In my kingdom, anyone found doing anything remotely against the king gets sent to the dragon fields.”
I blanch, lifting my guard too late to block his punch. Luckily, he’s moving slowly enough that it merely brushes against my cheek, marking the spot that would have gotten hit were he actually trying to take me down. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, this is all part of training.
Talking while we warm up and while you’re still learning is a great distraction, but just remember the basics.
A hit like that from an opponent who knows what they are doing will take you out.
Be vigilant. Stay focused, even when you’re trying to hold a conversation.
Let your strength start in your core and then draw the other muscles in towards it. That’s where your power originates.”
I nod, lifting my arms again as I work to engage my stomach muscles. “I imagine the dragon fields are not a place one walks out of alive.”
“No,” Navin says, his expression falling as he sweeps his leg again, a little faster this time.
I’m able to bounce back, blocking the immediate right punch he sends in my direction.
Pride blooms within me, and my next steps are lighter because of it.
“Unfortunately, our father isn’t known for his mercy. ”
I cringe at the thought of being killed by a dragon, my focus so wrapped up in what I’m doing that I don’t realize what Navin said until a few rounds later. “Wait—your father?”
He nods, bouncing on his feet while mine fall flat to the stone. He extends his arm out again but stops it halfway when he realizes I’m not holding my guard up anymore. His eyes regard mine, a confused expression wrinkling his forehead. “What?”
It takes me a few tries to get the words past my lips, and when I do, they come out hushed. “Y-your father, Myla’s father, is the king of the fae? Myla is a princess?”
“Oh, fuck,” Navin grumbles, tilting his face up to the sky. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”
Oh gods. My hand covers my mouth as my magic pools at the back of my throat, responding to my panic.
I hadn’t just bound myself to any fae but the princess of the fae.
And she hadn’t just bound herself to any siren but a siren princess.
I can’t decide if it’s terrible luck or unfortunate irony, but either way, it leaves me momentarily speechless as I stare at Navin.
If anything happens to Myla while she is with me, what will they do? Do they know the details of our deal?
“Hey, it’s okay,” Navin murmurs, walking to me and placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“Just… pretend I didn’t say anything.” My gaze shoots up to his, and he winces.
“Right, terrible advice. But Myla doesn’t wear her status like other royals do.
She would prefer that you not know about it, but since you now do, I can guarantee she would want you to act as if she is the same cranky fae she always has been. ”
“And what of your father? Does he know of the deal? What if he decides to punish me by doing something to my kind for trapping his daughter into this life debt?” My voice shakes, a mixture of worry and anger gnawing at my throat.
“He doesn’t know about your deal with her, and even if he did, he wouldn’t care enough to interfere. In fact, he’d probably hope that you failed,” he grits out, his fair cheeks flushing pink.
“What?”
Navin steps back, heaving a sigh as he turns to look out at the ocean.
Sunlight streams in from the holes in the stone surrounding us, highlighting the different medallions on his leather uniform.
They glint, bronze metal flaring. “Myla is a princess, yes, but in our kingdom, that means practically nothing. Just— Promise me that you won’t say anything to her.
That you will treat her as you have been.
” He turns to look at me, onyx eyes pleading. “Please.”
The ocean breeze brushes against my cheek, stirring my curls. I take in Navin’s stricken expression, the words he gave me, and what I know of Myla from my own experience before I nod. “Okay. I promise.”