from the ocean for eighteen years.
“Captain!” Roslyn shouts from above. “There’s movement on the dock.”
I spin and instantly find the beast of a man standing on the dock.
The pirate king.
He must have tried to visit Mother tonight after all.
A shout goes up. More pirates appear. A warning bell sounds: the keep’s alarm for if we’re ever under attack.
He’s waking everyone.
The entire fleet, it seems, will be following after us.
I have a head start, and my ship is faster. We are out of firing range already. There is nothing he can do except follow us by this point. And I know all of his ships aren’t stocked for sailing. It may buy us another hour—or even a day.
We need a plan, but nothing is forthcoming, and we’re safe for now. So I hurry to my mother, who is still supported by Riden’s arms over by the port side.
“Could you set me down?” my mother asks Riden.
“Are you sure? Why don’t I take you—”
“No, right here, please. Thank you.”
She has both feet on the ground, but she’s clutching the railing as though her life depends on it, trembling from head to foot. Only when I take his place by her side, does Riden leave for the infirmary to see his brother.
“You named your ship after me,” she manages to say through chattering teeth.
“Let me take you to my rooms.”
“No.”
“What do you need?” I ask. “Food? Sleep? What can I do to help?”
“Water,” she says.
“Of course. I’ll get some.”
“No, Alosa.” She looks sad for a moment. “He let me name you, you know. It was the one thing he did let me do for you. Alosa-lina. We give our children joint names. The first is a unique name—no two sirens have the same first name. The second name is a sung name. It has power. Lina means protector, and I can see you have already lived up to it.”
A shiver shakes her whole body, and she grips the railing more tightly. “My precious daughter. I want to stay here with you. I tried to be strong for you, to give you what your human nature needs, but I can’t fight it anymore. The pull is too strong. I need the water. And my sisters need me. They’ve been too long without a queen. Follow me. I’ll lead you home.”
Though she’s frail and aching, she leans over the railing and lets herself fall. I hear the splash before I fully register what is happening.
“Man overboard!” Roslyn shouts, but I barely hear it.
“No!” I rush over to the edge, peering into the water. She’s impossible to miss. Her body seems to glow under the water, taking on a shimmer like fish scales, but she’s not covered in scales. Her skin is pearly white. She looks bigger, no longer fragile, but strong and healthy. She circles in place, as though she’s … stretching, breathing in fresh air for the first time.
From under the water, her face turns upward. I can see her now piercing-blue eyes—no longer green—even from this distance. She smiles at me. Her hand opens and closes, beckoning me to follow. Then she takes off like a shot, swimming at an impossible speed through the water, away from the keep.
Away from me.
Chapter 8
“THAT’S IT?” I SCREAM the words, though I know she can’t hear me. “Ava-lee! Get back here!”
Doesn’t she know I can’t follow her? Surely she knows what happens when I’m in the water? I can’t control myself! Can she? Is she the same person who was just talking to me? She’s not human. Does she turn into a monster when she’s underwater as I do?
She left.
She’s gone.
I saved her. I put myself and others at risk for her. And now we’ve nothing to show for it.
Was it all a ruse? Her pretending that she cared? Was it all just a trick she used to get me to save her? Was the humanity an act?
A tapping at my back makes me flinch, but it is only little Roslyn.
“What happened, Captain? Who was the pretty lady? Do we throw her a rope?”
A voice that doesn’t seem to belong to me says, “She was no one. She doesn’t need our help anymore. Roslyn, go on back to your station. I need you to tell me if any ships gain on us.”
“Aye-aye.”
A numbness takes over me as I shut out all thoughts of my parents and what they’ve done. There is nothing except me and my crew. Nothing that matters except our safety and well-being. We