Siren - Hazel Grace Page 0,52

I know I’ll never get another chance.

Except my boots are frozen to the ground because I’ll never see her again. I won’t be coming back to see her without the threat of her sisters and father. Without possibly getting past the veil again.

“Hurry,” she urges. “You don’t have much time, Viking.”

My hand comes up to her cheek again, and she flinches this time. “I’ve already lost count of the times you’ve saved me.”

“Just don’t come back here again,” she counters then peers up at me. “You won’t get lucky a second time.”

I’ll miss you, it’s at the tip of my lips, but I hold them back. There’s no point in expressing my emotions, they wouldn’t change anything. Besides, I’ve always had a hard time conveying what I wanted.

And that is to have Davina pressed up into these rocks so she could experience how she made me feel being near her.

“Viking,” she stresses. “Please.”

My thumb brushes her cheek. “You take care of yourself, Blood.” She nods, fixating on my chest.

With all my strength, I move, swiping up the small satchel she brought and brushing against her body to exit the cave. I don’t look back, letting my boots sink into the sand as I see a small boat crashing softly along the shoreline from the waves. It looks ancient, the boards cracked and fractured, but it’s the only way off the island, I’m sure.

Throwing the bag into the small dinghy, I push it deeper into the ocean, stepping inside to row in the direction of my ship. I can feel Davina’s gaze on me, the silent goodbye that both of us want to voice, but our pride keeps us from doing so.

I’ll never see her again.

Never will I experience such beauty and strength. Going back home to face Edda is something that my brain isn’t looking forward to, and I hate myself for it. We weren’t betrothed to be married yet, but Isolde was right, my father has been pressing it. Stating that I need to protect our bloodline and produce many heirs to secure our lands and legacy.

And he isn’t wrong.

With power comes sacrifice, doing things we don’t want to do and making decisions that will never flee our minds.

Mine will always be the red Siren on the island.

The way that I can’t touch her or bring her back with me. How I’ll never know how it’d be to lay next to her or hear her say my real name.

Why does that matter?

I’m a prisoner of hers that she mercifully let free, something that I can’t say that I have much of. If the tables were turned, I’d never let her go, regardless of what she said or the truths she spilled. Time would work against me, her beauty and allurement would sink into my soul, and it would seal her fate all on its own.

The small boat fights against the waves, rocking fiercely up and down. Reaching behind me, I grab the gold cuff, making sure it’s still with me. I fear that it’ll go overboard with each jolt of the unforgiving sea.

After what seems like forever, I see my ship sitting patiently for my arrival. It’s eerie in a way that there are no loud sounds of the crew sauntering over the waves. They’re probably all too drunk and sleeping off their spirits since there is nothing else better to do than wait for me to come back.

Arriving at the side of the ship, I use the old rope to tie myself to it. Tossing the bag of things Davina packed me over my shoulder and the gold cuff still in my hand, I climb the side, careful not to slip and fall with the limited use of my hands. The closer I get, the more I hear male voices overhead.

After today, I fear that everything about me will change.

Geezus fuck, it shouldn’t. I was held against my damn will, chained to a floor, almost drowned, and had my ass practically kicked. There wasn’t anything that I should miss from that Zeus-forsaken island.

Except I did.

Glancing back, for the last time, the island is hidden by the mysterious veil that Davina and her sisters spoke about all the time. When I get into my cabin, I’m ripping up the map that holds the location of this place. She protected me, so I’m going to do the same. Even if it means never coming back on an impulse to see her and experience her green eyes peering up at me