Page 44 of From the Mouths of Sirens

“How is Sune?” Saoirse asked.

“He is getting treatment for his wounds. The healers have been working on him all afternoon,” Aurelia answered, something like relief edging her voice. “He will live.”

“Thank the stars,” Saoirse muttered. Though Sune could be condescending and hard to bear, he was one of them. He could’ve easily fallen victim to the arena just like that Tellusun tribute had.

“But it will just be us from here on out,” Aurelia continued. She pulled her hair away from her face, tucking the blonde strands behind her ears. “You and I will face the remaining trials alone.”

The prospect was daunting. One less tribute on their team meant one less opportunity for Elorshin to win. The weight of victory now rested entirely on Saoirse and Aurelia’s shoulders, and if anything happened to either of them in the second trial, their chances of winning would grow even slimmer.

“We’ll be fine,” Saoirse said decidedly, despite the uneasiness in her chest. “We’ve always had each other’s backs. This is no different.” She sent Aurelia what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

Aurelia returned her gaze, her eyes filled with gratitude and fresh determination. “You’re right. How many years has it been? Nine? Ten? I still remember when your prim little face showed up in the Torqen barracks,” she laughed, her eyes dancing with memories. “You were so determined to train as one of us, and we were all amazed that such a spoiled princess would want to be a soldier.”

Saoirse batted her in the arm playfully. “I was not spoiled. I was merely headstrong and obstinate. There is a difference,” she argued with a laugh. “Surely it wasn’t the worst thing to have me, even if I was a little stubborn.”

Aurelia grew serious as she said, “I’m glad you decided to join us. You’re the only family I’ve ever known, Saoirse.”

Saoirse took Aurelia’s hand and smiled. Aurelia was just as much a part of her family as her own father was. It was Aurelia who had taken her under her wing and taught her the ropes of life all those years ago. Aurelia had comforted her when her mother died, letting her climb into bed with her and cry through the night. And it was Aurelia who would give her the strength to see the rest of the Tournament through.

“Do you miss your father?” her friend asked. “It must be hard to be here without him.” She lowered her eyebrows thoughtfully and frowned. “I still don’t understand why he had such a change of heart. The night of the tributary, he looked ready to kill every last Elder in the amphitheater. Why did he suddenly decide to let you go? What did you say to him?”

Saoirse racked her brain, trying to find something to say to that. She knew the question would inevitably come up, but she hadn’t figured out how to explain it in any rational way.

“He saw how important this opportunity was for me,” Saoirse said wistfully. “I think that deep down, he always knew I would choose this path.”

“Still,” Aurelia countered, “I’ve never known Angwin to let anyone change his mind once he has made a decision. It took him months before he finally relented and allowed you to train with the Torqen. Why was this different?”

Saoirse’s heart twisted, and the seed of guilt grew. She missed her father terribly, but she didn’t know how she could ever face him again. “I guess he saw how much this meant to me,” she finally said, the lie slipping off her tongue. “And perhaps I convinced him that I actually stood a fighting chance in the arena.”

“Why do you think the Elders wanted someone to find the dark pearl, anyway?” Aurelia went on. “Did Adda Carew ever explain why it was so valuable, or why it had never been found before?”

“No. She never told me why it was important, or why it was lost in the first place,” Saoirse sighed. “Lots of artifacts were lost during the War of the Age. Aurandel burned so many of our treasures. My guess is that the pearl was some kind of symbol tied to the Order. You know how the Elders are. They are obsessed with ancient relics and the old ways. They probably just wanted to add it back into their collection to preserve the past,” she said, mimicking Adda’s stern voice.

“Titans, I don’t miss their lessons. When the Elders came to lecture us in the afternoons, I wanted to die of boredom,” Aurelia laughed.

“Those lessons had their moments,” Saoirse admitted with a grin, thankful for the change in subject. Every minute she spent talking about her father made her miss him more. “But it was enjoyable to hear their old stories, was it not?”

“I suppose so,” Aurelia conceded, a glimmer of humor still in her eyes. “I would’ve preferred to spend those afternoons sneaking in extra training, though.”

They sat together in comfortable silence for several moments, both lost in the memories of the past. Saoirse didn’t want the moment to end. Here, reminiscing with Aurelia, the world outside the tent didn’t matter. She wanted to freeze time and stay this way forever. In this tent, she wouldn’t have to face Rook or the bargain, or think about the uprising in Terradrin. She knew all of the thoughts she kept putting off would eventually come crashing down on her, like a wave folding in on itself. But she wouldn’t let the wave collapse just yet. The countless decisions weighing on her could wait.

Saoirse twisted to face Aurelia, propping her head up on her arm. “Promise me that we will win this Tournament,” she said softly. “Promise me that we will both make it out of this alive.”

Aurelia turned to her, eyes scanning her somber expression.

“I promise.”

22

ROOK

“Where did you disappear to yesterday?” Eros demanded, fastening his sword to his hip. They marched down the corridor together, heading for the center of the arena. Veila kept pace behind them, her short steps brisk as they hurried down the staircase.

“I had matters to attend to,” Rook said dismissively, adjusting his cloak over his shoulders. “Uprisings do not calm themselves.”

Eros scowled, his eyes dark with disapproval. He knew that Rook wasn’t telling them the whole truth. Rook ignored him, striding through the labyrinth of stone hallways and descending into the underbelly of the arena in silence.

Even if he were to tell Eros and Veila the truth, he didn’t even know where to start. He couldn’t begin to explain his conversation with Saoirse. He certainly couldn’t find the words to describe how he felt about her. Hatred and admiration mingled together in a confusing haze, clouding his already-scattered mind. Worst of all, longing seeped into his blood and hummed through his heart when he thought of the Mer princess. Thoughts of Saoirse had seeped into his mind, tormenting him when he should’ve been focusing on the next trial. He was haunted by her pale blue eyes, so full of intelligence and ferocity. His lips remembered her too. He couldn’t escape the memory of their fleeting kiss, as much as he tried to run from it. He was like a schoolboy, fawning over a woman he hardly knew and didn’t dare trust for a moment.

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