Siyala
Kai, Jahlee, and Inessa decide to grab something to eat while they wait for Lano and Taika to gather information.
As nervous as everyone seems, I might have expected a war to be present in the Mage Kingdom or some other outward indication as to why no one has answered Kai’s summons through the Mirror the past few months.
Instead, everything appears to be fine. Normal even. Lacking any sort of urgency.
Sighing, I cast my gaze down over the water, where movement beneath the surface catches my attention. I squint against the sunlight from above at what looked like a reflection off of a fish scale. My eyes drift a little farther towards the beach when I see it again—a burst of color.
Leaning more into the railing, I try to make out what I’m looking at.
A school of fish? But these are larger than any I can remember seeing, and— I gasp as I jolt backwards at the pair of deep blue eyes that surge through the lower layer of the Spell towards the surface of the water.
They’re framed by dark skin, the same shade of blue braids floating around her head as she stares up at me.
My heart pounds in my chest, my throat drying as a single word floats into my mind just as she smiles.
Siren. More color zooms past her on both sides, glimpses of pink and orange and green and yellow so fast I barely have time to mark them all.
Sirens. Stars above, there are sirens in the water.
“Sirens!” I shout as I sprint across the deck, my boots clomping against the wood. “Sirens are here!”
Magic glows in quick flares for those who can shift into their animals, while those who can’t stuff the thick cotton back in their ears, the few females on board bracing for the sirens’ song.
Bursting through the dining room doors, I find Kai, Jahlee, and Inessa seated, their eyes darting my way at the dramatic entrance.
“Sirens,” I breathe, marching towards them. “There are sirens in the water.”
Jahlee jumps up from her chair, smashing her hands over Kai’s ears as fear trickles across her face. He grumbles something, to which she responds with a dark look, before yelling for Inessa to grab him some of the cotton blend the others are using.
“This close to the shore, we shouldn’t have to worry about the sirens,” he muses, his eyes meeting mine. “You’re sure that is what you saw?”
I nod, and Inessa returns, the three of us making sure we don’t hear the siren song before Jahlee removes her hands from his ears and Kai quickly stuffs them with the cotton stoppers.
He doesn’t say anything else before sprinting towards the exit, stopping only to grab a nearby notebook and pen.
But his steps falter when he makes it to the bow of the ship and takes in the scene before him.
“What the hell,” he murmurs, hands clenching into fists.
Wave after wave of sirens rise from the water, some clad in what looks like tan-colored armor, silver weapons in hand. Others appear nude. But they all run directly towards the Spell and then cross it.
“They’re killing themselves.” It’s a question just as much as it is a statement from Jahlee, and when I glance her way, her light brown eyes are blown wide as she watches them. “I don’t understand.”
Kai dives a hand into his hair. “No. This is an invasion of some kind,” he says, looking at Jahlee.
“There is no siren song?” Despite his question being aimed at her, the three of us all tilt our heads to listen for any note of the siren magic.
But there is nothing beyond the beat of our hearts and the low roar of the ocean beneath us.
When she shakes her head in answer, he dips his own in thought.
“This isn’t about us or anyone else,” he says softly, his eyes lifting back towards the beach.
“This is an attack specific to the mages.”
The weight of Kai’s words crash over us all as more sirens rise from the sea, streaks of color that flood the nearby dock and burst through the Spell.
My attention is torn between watching the sirens continue inland as if the Spell isn’t affecting them and hearing the faint shouts of men, small bursts of mage magic zipping through the air as they attempt to defend themselves.
Water splashes around the ships that are anchored there, but though I assume the sirens must be singing, I still don’t detect a hint of their song on the wind.
“Lano and Taika,” Inessa says, her slender fingers curling around the railing. “What will happen to them?”
Jahlee takes the notepad and pen from Kai and writes their names down before showing it to him.
His brows lower, anger streaking across his gaze as he looks back out to the docks. “We have to wait until the sirens are no longer in the water,” he says, his jaw working. “Then we can go after them.”
It makes sense. What good would getting in the water now do if a siren could just flip the boat and pull us into their queendom?
Still, just standing here as people fight for their lives—our scouts somewhere in the mix—feels wrong.
The minutes pass haltingly, and finally, it looks like the last of the sirens are through the Spell.
Kai then leaps into action, signaling a few males who are still in their mortal forms to join him below deck, while Inessa, Jahlee, and I help prepare one of the larger boats.
“Why would the sirens attack?” Inessa asks in a quiet hush. “And to what end? They’ll die before they can do any real damage.”
At least, they should. But I am proof that, sometimes, the rules of magic can be bent.
It seems the sirens figured out how to do just that.
As to why they are using their newfound ability to attack the mages specifically, I can only guess.
I run my fingers over the worn leather at the end of my messy braid as I stare across the ocean towards the Mage Kingdom.
Whatever the reason for the sirens’ attack, selfishly, I hope that there will still be someone left to help me make my case for rescuing Rhea.
And if there isn’t, then I hope whoever remains won’t stand in my way.
When Kai returns, a sword is strapped to his body, same as the three males who follow him. He intercepts my path towards the boat, using his large body to block me from climbing into it.
“What are you doing?” he asks, fishing out the stopper from his ear.
I arch a brow and try to move towards the boat again only to be stopped once more. “I’m going with you.”
“No, you aren’t.”
My eyes snap to him as magic coils in my chest, my instincts pushing a growl to the base of my throat. “Of course, I am going with you! I’m the only one who can cross through the Spell!”
“It’s too dangerous,” he says, the words gentle despite the dominance in them. His irises alight with a thin band of gold, but I stand my ground, hands planting on my hips as I challenge him.
“Don’t be stupid, Your Majesty,” I snarl, my upper lip lifting. “I am going on that—”
“You will not. You will stay here until I can confirm that my men are accounted for and the beach is safe.”
My chest heaves, and pressure builds behind my eyes. This is a mistake. “Do not do this,” I whisper, biting back tears as I stare at my cousin.
His hand comes to rest on my shoulder, staying there even when I attempt to shake him off. “Siyala, I can’t do what I need to if I am worried about you.”
“I can take care of myself!”
“Can you?” he asks, and though there is a bite to his words, only concern crosses his face.
“Truly? Because in the time since you’ve been home, all you’ve shown me is that you’re willing to be reckless if it means you get what you want.
You’ll deny your magic, but you won’t let anyone in to help you.
” Jahlee comes to stand at my side, her gaze heavy on my face.
I ignore her, Kai’s words like a blow to my ribs.
“You’re a liability right now, and as your king, I can’t allow that to be a distraction.
” He leans in closer, his fingers gently squeezing.
“But as your family, I won’t allow you to get hurt.
Even if I have to save you from yourself.
” Letting me go, he turns towards his sister. “Do not leave this ship.”
Then his back is to us as he makes his way to the boat. I lunge after him, determined to get on that boat no matter what, when I’m pulled back with hands on my arms, Inessa and Jahlee’s pleading protests in my ears.
“I can’t believe you’re allowing this,” I shout at Jahlee, my head snapping in her direction. “He’ll get himself killed out there!”
“He won’t. Because if he does, I’ll figure out a way to resurrect him just so I can kill him again for scaring me like that in the first place.
But, most importantly, Kai is the strongest among us.
And he is the king.” Her eyes burn brightly as they stare into mine, coaxing my magic as if she has some of her own.
“You don’t have to like it, but you will respect his choice. ”
I grit my teeth together, the anger flooding through my veins one I haven’t felt since I learned that Kai had lied to me about Rhea being taken.
The two females continue to hold me back until the boat is out of view and heading down towards the water.
Spinning on my heel, I look at them both, furious at the way tears leak from the corners of my eyes.
“It has to be this way, Siyala. Just give him some time.”
I force my gaze away from Jahlee to search the deck for another boat, spotting one near the rear of the ship. Once Kai is far enough across the water that he can’t impede me, I’ll make my own damn way to shore.
“What if there are still sirens waiting?” Inessa asks, a slight tremble in her voice as we watch my cousin and the shifters with him row towards the docks.
“Each of them have stoppers in their ears. As long as they don’t get pulled into the water, they will be fine.” But even Jahlee doesn’t sound too sure about that.
“We could help them,” I say, earning a glare from her.
“Siyala—”