Chapter 41
Lirin
Iwant to tell her to go, that I don’t know that we can do this.
A few weeks ago, I had complete faith in us, but that was before Deux made us his slaves and set us against Leaf.
Every blow to him injured each of us. Each painful attack drove us closer to madness.
The time was an eternity and a blink of an eye, but the constant awareness of her absence was the most painful wound we all bled from.
Knowing we wouldn’t make it, wouldn’t keep our promise, was the regret that burned through the bond between all six of us.
We cut through the dark water, following the seabed, a shiver of predators, vengeance, a weapon seeking retribution, following her rage, because nothing and no one has ever been so angry before.
She ducks and dives, swimming with us easily. Her skin is pale but inked in runes that shimmer with the same alexandrite colours, shimmering from red, orange, through to teal and midnight purple. Her scales on her powerful tail have the same colour. She looks exactly the same and yet so different.
There is a confidence and an ageless power in her now.
Where has she been?
I flick my tail, catching up to her, opening my mouth to sing a song, just a murmured joy. The blue-green stone Brio placed on her shimmers in the light; she looks like a goddess. If she can fix my voice, why can’t she fix her eyes?
As if sensing the question, she looks at me and simply smiles.
“Because this is the price I pay for this life I am fighting for. Besides, I had to go back and find the mask because I look so pretty in it. I don’t need eyes, Lirin. Not anymore.”
It doesn’t make sense to me, but it doesn’t need to. She’s alive, and she’s here, and we are free.
How many miracles does she want to pull? I’ll gladly stay and witness a few more.
I embrace her, spinning us as we torpedo through the water, feeling her in my arms. Is this real?
All those years of questioning myself, wondering if I was wrong. Hoping I was wrong. Wasted years. But she’s forgiven us, forgiven me. One hundred years beneath the sea to end up with her. Worth it.
I don’t deserve it.
I’ll be her monster, her Siren. I don’t need to be Fae, I just need her.
Ronit stiffens, and I break apart from her, jumping into the lead, focusing on the hunt. He’s around here somewhere. The ocean feels dead with him in it.
I catch sight of movement to my left. I don’t need to signal, the bonds are wide open. Kit and Leaf peel off, disappearing into the depths.
Ronit sends his phosphorescent form streaking around in a dizzying display. The stripes ripple along his skin, pulsing in a hypnotizing blend of colours.
Canto and Reed go ahead, cutting off his exit. Brio and I look at each other. He takes her hand in his, tilts his head back, and sings a command that every creature come forth.
I hum under my breath as I pull a sharp spear with sharpened coral on the point out of the water. Then I start actively flushing out the holes in the sea rock.
I remove his hiding places, one by one. Until there’s just one left.
There’s a bigger cave just ahead of me, and I stare into it. Dark, glittering eyes stare back.
“Got you,” I say in a malevolent voice. “Time to face the music, monster.”