Chapter A Monster
A Monster
Siralaine
The next few days have gone by excruciatingly slowly.
To be patient and to bide our time hasn’t been easy.
Kai was able to visit me once, but other than that, he kept me updated via the one-way mind-link.
At times, I wish I had marked him and hoped for a miracle, but I can’t be so selfish.
I want to be with him. The thought of anyone else being by his side or warming his bed makes me want to kill whoever tries.
It’s in my nature to be possessive, but I have to think of him, not me.
If I remain by his side, I’ll kill him.
Father visited once, and I simply acted forlorn and scared, begging him to let me out. I can stay in here for years if I have to, but I need him to believe I am afraid.
He’ll visit me again, I’m sure of it. Kai told me the engagement is today. I’m sure Father will expect Kai to show up and will want me to kill him there.
I just have to play my cards right… Worst-case scenario, I’m stuck here, and Kai will have to come for me after killing Father.
I hear someone approaching and drape myself over the rock in the corner, resting my head on my arms. An image of defeat.
“Siralaine.”
I lift my head and look at my father. He’s ready for the engagement. He’s wearing his crown and holding his trident and is decked out in more gold than he usually is.
“Father.”
“Have you made your decision? Will you kill him? My spies have told me he’s been seen around the shores.”
Well done, Kai.
“And if I don’t?” I ask.
“Then, you will rot here.”
I shudder, hoping it’s believable and take a long pause. “Very well, I’ll kill him. I don’t think he wants me, anyway. I’m from the sea, and he the sky,” I say, making sure my tone is laced with bitterness.
My father smirks. “Exactly, kill him and live.” Something about his words makes me uneasy, almost as if he knows something I don’t. We will have to be careful.
“Your sister’s engagement is today, he will most likely show up there. Get cleaned up and ready. I will make sure there’s a garment ready for you at the shore.” He’s about to turn away, but keeping up my act, I swim forward.
“The shore? Are we really going on land for Maerina’s engagement?”
“Yes. This is an excellent union, and it is time we do more. The ice fae are powerful, so making allies with them is the best thing we can do.”
Indeed, and you are really trusting them? I think it, but I don’t utter it out loud.
Instead, I nod, and Father motions one of the wave weavers to unlock the cell door. He motions for me to follow, and I obey. The image of someone who has lost their will to fight, broken and betrayed by the one they love.
“Inject her with some more poison so she can’t use her powers,” Father commands.
One of the wave weavers obeys, injecting me with the same thing they have been giving me since they brought me here, but I don’t fight it. Holding back my whimper of pain as it spreads through me.
Now, to keep this up until we reach the shore.
When we finally make it above the surface, we head to the water fae, to Lord Zeran’s castle, where the engagement is being held.
I’m surprised at this, considering he is one of the rare fae who has a good reputation.
When we arrive there, we are led into separate chambers to get dressed, although two guards are stationed outside my door.
I’m still smiling from seeing how much Maerina and Kalina struggled to shift. Their irritation when I shifted without an issue only made the situation more amusing.
Many sea sirens will simply watch from the shores, and those who have shifted and come onto land are few.
Father is taking a great risk, or he has something else planned.
Is he trying to lure Kai into being careless?
Is he hiding guards? But even then, in comparison to what the fae kind will have, it’s far less.
“This is your dress,” one of the servants says. “Her Highness, Princess Maerina, sent it.”
I look at the fabric. It’s black, and it is beautiful, but for someone who has always found dark coloured clothing unappealing, Maerina probably thinks she’s insulting me, when really, I like it.
“Thank you,” I reply simply, and begin to slip into the dress. The servant then begins to style my hair, adding some black glittering jewels to it and then begins on my makeup.
I can feel someone watching me, but I pretend not to notice, simply playing the role of a defeated woman.
Even the servants may be ordered to keep an eye on me.
After a while, my father enters, and he’s only wearing pants and boots, but when he walks over to me, I’m impressed with how smooth his steps are, considering he hasn’t been on land. Unless… that wasn’t really the truth…
He holds out a sheathed dagger with a strap, drawing my attention to it.
“When you get the chance, you know what to do,” he says quietly.
I nod, accepting it and slip it under the folds of my dress, strapping the belt to my thigh.
“Make sure the job is done, Siralaine, and you will be free forever.”
Does he really trust me? I doubt it… But I don’t trust him either.
“Father…” I begin, staring down at the dagger.
“What is it?” he asks, impatience laced in his voice.
“If I do this, will you allow me to go to Earth, to live there forever?” I ask.
He observes me with his icy eyes, devoid of any emotion, when he nods. “That might just be best for us all. I am tired of having to see you when you look so much like your mother.” The resentment in his voice causes an ache in my chest, but I shouldn’t care. He is a monster.
“Thank you,” I say simply. “I won’t fail you then.”
He nods. “Good.” He turns and leaves me alone once more.
Kai, where are you?
I haven’t heard from him again, and it’s worrying me, but I have to follow the plan, and until Kai gives me a signal, I’d better play the part Father wants me to play.
I join the rest in the grand ballroom, wondering again why it’s here.
It’s odd… The ice fae didn’t even call us to their home for the engagement.
I look across at their high lord, Maerina’s betrothed, Lord Vaan, and instantly don’t like him.
There’s a cruel expression that’s seemingly permanently cemented on his face.
Maerina doesn’t look as happy as she did when she gloated to me about this marriage.
“Who is she?” I hear someone whispering, looking at me.
“The cursed sea siren princess,” someone else murmurs.
How much of the curse do these people know about?
I ignore them when a man approaches me. He’s tall, with dark blond hair, and eyes that are a startling blue, vibrant but not as vibrant as Kai’s golden ones, which look like they’re glowing. He isn’t fae, but he is beautiful. There is a sense of familiarity to him.
“Hello there, Princess. What a surprise that you made it today, too.”
His eyes roam over me, not in a perverted way but as if he’s studying me deeply. I force a smile. “Of course, today is my sister’s engagement. It marks a great day. A day that the sea sirens stepped onto shore after centuries.”
He laughs. “Do you really believe that all of the sea sirens stuck to the oceans?”
“Didn’t they?” I ask politely, although that laugh grates on my nerves.
“Not the nobles; I am a sea siren, and I live in the Holerian Sea. I come to land often enough.”
I stare up at him, and my gaze flicks to Father. How is that possible?
“Morcant has spies everywhere, and who better to trust than your own kind?” The man smirks.
“And you are?” I ask, trying to mask my annoyance.
“Lord Gideon.” His grin only becomes wider. He knows he’s annoying me.
“I’m sorry, but I have not heard of you,” I respond, trying to move away when he cuts my path.
“But I’ve heard of you, Siralaine Stormborn.”
“An honour.”
“Yes, yes, it is. After all, your mother was my sister.” My eyes widen as I look up at him. His grin grows. “I finally have your attention.”
“Then where were you when she needed you?” I whisper.
His smile fades, replaced by a frown, and for the first time since we met, he’s not finding this amusing. “She ran away. I never knew what happened to her until the whispers of your curse returned to me, and I put it together. Rest assured, I will not forgive those who hurt her.”
I nod. “Yeah, you shouldn’t.” I feel angrier than ever.
“Well, it was an honour to meet you.” He clasps my hand, kissing it, but at the same time, he’s slipping something into my palm before he turns and walks away.
What was that about?
He’s left me feeling confused… I keep the paper in my hand as I take a goblet of wine from a passing waiter. I smile as I sip my wine and walk deeper into the crowds until I can discreetly unfold the paper and read what it says.
Do not kill your fated. The moment you do, you will seal your own fate, too. Watch your back! The ice fae are going to overthrow Morcant today, and I’m not sure which side we should be on because he is worse than your father.
I scrunch up the note and slip it into my mouth, chewing the paper, feeling uncertainty and worry wash over me. I knew there was something up with the ice fae.
And I never knew I had an uncle, a sea siren who lived in another sea. My father told me my mother had no one, and he kept me isolated. If I could hate him even more, I would.
I have mushed the note into a tiny ball, and only when I’m satisfied it can’t be read, I spit it out discreetly.
I’m about to place my glass down when I hear a scream. I look up as everyone turns towards one of the doors that lead off the ballroom.
“My lord, I will go check-” Lord Zeran says as he strides towards the doors.
“I will come with you. That was my daughter,” my father says, his eyes blazing.
“Maerina,” I hear Kalina whisper to my stepmother.
Scanning the crowds, I realise neither Maerina nor Lord Vaan are here. I hear another whimper, and I quickly make my way through the crowds.