Chapter 25
Nixie appeared at my door disgustingly early the next morning.
“What time is it?” I groaned, squinting at the unforgiving white daybreak shining behind her.
“Early as Infernum. Now, get dressed. Today we start your training.” She shoved a wad of emerald silk into my hands.
“At this hour?” I questioned, eyeing the small amount of fabric.
When I asked Raylik to teach me to fight, I didn’t think it would mean waking up at this obscene hour.
“You’ll thank me later for the early start.”
I put on the billowing silk pants and matching top. It was revealing, but covered more skin than Nixie’s attire, her pink silken bottoms so short that her lean thighs were bare, along with her toned midriff.
We arrived at the armory, where Hylos and Raylik had grappled for the siren crowd. The large room was now empty, the gentle lapping of the water in the center pool, once my potential escape route, punctuating the silence with sloshing licks against the stone.
“To fight well, you must first be strong.” She walked to a shelf of various round balls made of polished black stone. Picking up the smallest of them, she handed it to me with ease. Under its weight, I huffed. It was heavy for such a small thing, only the size of a melon.
Nixie grabbed a larger one and stood before me. She raised it above her head, lifting it up toward the sky, all while keeping her balance. Then, letting out a steady breath, she lowered the weight behind her head.
“We’ll start with three repetitions of five for a warm-up,” she said, continuing to pump the stone into the air repeatedly.
I copied her movement, but after the third push my shoulders burned.
All morning we lifted or squatted in place with the weighted stones. My legs shook as sweat beaded my brow. But it felt oddly good to concentrate on the movements so I didn’t drop the damn thing on my head. It forced my mind to be present and not drift away to war, betrotheds, fathers, or duty.
“You’re naturally strong,” Nixie said through a proud smile.
Not half as strong as she, especially for someone so small.
“Are all sirens as strong as you?” I asked. Despite enjoying this strange form of torture, I was here for reconnaissance.
She let out a laugh. “Most are stronger. I’m small for a siren, likely because I am made. Natural-born sirens are the strongest of us, though. In both magic and physical strength.”
I nodded in understanding. That was a good bit of information that I tucked away. Although, from the look of them, it was hard to tell the made sirens apart from the born.
With time, heat intensified in the training room, turning it into a furnace.
The salted sea in the pool at the center of the armory steamed the space with briny, pungent curls that burned my eyes.
The reason behind Nixie’s choice of an early start was clear.
The rising temperature made the room almost unbearable.
Drenched in sweat, I glistened in the daylight cascading through the glass dome above our heads, and my clothes clung to my exhausted frame.
“I wasn’t aware princesses did such unbecoming acts such as train,” Calypstra’s unmistakable voice sibilated as she walked into the armory.
When I turned to see the awful bitch, my jaw almost dropped in shock at the giant beside her, a siren built from layers of rippling muscles that hid behind sickly pale skin.
Nixie kept a careful eye on the pair, which had me on guard immediately too.
“What do you want, Calypstra?” she said, completing another repetition of her weight.
“I was just showing Draveen where the Jawro will take place in a few days. Then we’re headed to greet our king.”
“Your king regent,” Nixie corrected, “will be glad to see you, Draveen. We missed you at the deipnon the other night.”
“I was busy,” he said in a strange, thick accent as he looked at his nails with a nasty grin.
“Ah, busy killing your mother? Or was it one of your brothers this time?” Nixie asked, forcing the male’s inky eyes to flare in anger.
Calypstra let out a nasty laugh. “It’s always fun when you come out to play, Nixie; that innocent act is so boring. You should save it for trying to trick Raylik into your bed.”
Nixie rested the polished stone on her narrow hip and cocked her head to one side. “Is that what you do? Trick males into your bed? I’ve never needed to do so, personally.”
I bit down on a smile that threatened to show just how good it was to hear someone tell Calypstra off.
Her black-lined eyes pounced on me.
“Speaking of bedding. I’ve heard you’ve found another human to mingle with. That’s good. You should really stick to your own kind.”
Draveen scowled. “There are more of them wandering about here? I thought Hylos had the sense to keep them in cages.”
“Unfortunately, there are more,” Calypstra drawled. “How is that human male? To your liking, Princess?”
“He’s imprisoned, thanks for asking. And he doesn’t exactly like your kind either. I don’t think he could stomach looking at a siren without being sick. I’d hate to see his face if he saw you lot.”
I wasn’t playing nice anymore with Calypstra.
She’d exposed me for whatever reason and put me in danger.
Maybe even the captain and his crew. Fuck her.
But then, Calypstra’s lip twitched downward for a heartbeat.
Did I actually hit a nerve? Just as quickly, it was gone, buttoned back up behind her evil, joyless smile.
“Nixie, are you practicing for the Jawro competition? Draveen and I were just discussing who we would challenge this year.” Calypstra looked at me with a smirk, exposing her sharp canine teeth. “He was saying a human would be a fine opponent, someone he could tear apart limb from limb.”
Apparently she wasn’t holding back anymore either, because that sounded like a threat.
“I’m surprised you aren’t challenging Hylos for the third year in a row to take his throne,” Nixie said to Draveen, who crossed his ridiculously strong arms over his lethally toned, muscly chest. “And you know I train daily, Calypstra. Or is that your formal challenge for me? Because I’d gladly kick your ass.
Someone needs to silence that foul mouth of yours. ”
Calypstra faked a frown. “Oh Nixie, are you really still mad at me for the other night when I outed your little princess friend? I was just trying to help.”
“More like wondering why you’d go against direct orders and endanger an ally of Hylos.”
“My king’s guest needed a little push in the right direction, to own up to her identity, instead of us all dancing around the facts.”
“I’m right here,” I said.
“That you are, Princess. For now.”
Yeah, that one was absolutely a threat.
“Ah wait, sorry, should I just call you Elowyn? You don’t have any titles, after all. Isn’t that right? Which makes sense. What king would send his real daughter on a cargo ship out to sea?”
My cheeks burned like the anger growing in my chest.
Calypstra leaned in. “But I wouldn’t let the other Circle leaders find out you’re really a nobody on land. Then they’ll have no use for you.”
Autumn 5339 AT
If wrath was a man, his name would be Aegir, Siren King of the Three Seas. He roared and cursed each Guardian above when I told him of my marriage, which will take place in one month’s time. The ocean churned with him in anguish and the sky was in torrents, as was he.
Aegir offered, again, for me to become siren. To leave the world ashore behind. To truly be his queen. He knew my answer long before he asked, but he will never stop asking. I know that and love him for it.
That was a fortnight ago, but the wounded look in his gray eyes tells me he will never heal from this. Nor shall I. Our hearts will remain forever chained together, no matter what marriage vows to the Guardians I make.
This evening he gave me a gift. He calls it an Opening and explained that the enchantment behind it creates a direct doorway between our two worlds.
That way there is no need for him to swim each night to meet me and wait.
With this, I can walk directly through and be in Naiadon.
It is like a doorway. It looks like a painting, a beautiful portrait of my likeness, its mirror the image of the sea.
I’d practically run to the library, slowed only by Nixie at my side, trying not to let on how eager I was to tell Arlo about what I’d read in the journal over breakfast in my bedchamber.
Morvyn let out a dramatic sigh of relief when I rushed up the stairs. “Finally! I’m so bored. He won’t even banter with me.” Morvyn rose to his colorless, finned feet.
Arlo continued to work on the instrument and didn’t even bother to look at me as I entered.
Which was fine by me. Preferred, actually.
Because he had someone waiting for him. So, if he could just keep working on that damned thing while I talked, then maybe we could actually get out of here without me getting distracted by this dumb, handsome lug.
“See? Boring! He won’t even pine after you, even when you’re wearing that absolutely risqué dress.”
I glared at Morvyn while trying to hide my legs, exposed by the high slit in my skirt. I was running out of modest dress, but what was the point of dressing modestly if everyone else was mostly naked anyway?
“Ah, now you’re fun! So easy to torment and actually entertaining to repartee with. But, unfortunately, Hylos insists I kiss up to my dreadful aunt and cousin, so you’re on your own today.”
Perfect.
“I’ll be back in the hour, but if you need anything, there will be two guards at the bottom of the library stairs.”
“To spy on us,” Arlo said from the virginal.
“For Elowyn’s safety, Tiny Toes. Just in case you show your true colors.” Morvyn rolled his pale eyes to me. “If you need anything, the guards will assist you.” Swiftly, he kissed me on the cheek. “There, that’ll help get him going,” Morvyn whispered.
I turned and Arlo was staring, arms crossed.
“They’re kissing you now?” he asked.