Page 50 of From the Mouths of Sirens

“Would you sacrifice your chance to return to your father to protect the life of your enemy?” Selussa hissed, contempt returning to her voice. ‘Would you sacrifice your own life?”

“No,” Saoirse whispered, clenching her fists at her sides so hard that her nails dug into her palms. “I would never do such a thing. I will fulfill the bargain and bring you the dagger.”

“Prove your honor, then,” Selussa spat. “Uphold your end of the bargain and you shall be rewarded. You have one more chance to kill the prince. Do not waste it.”

The orb suddenly collapsed, splattering dark liquid across the forest floor.

Saoirse stood numbly, unable to move away from the dark stain that dampened the ground. Adda left her side without another word, vanishing into the shadows once more. Saoirse looked at her palms, realizing that her nails had broken the skin. She wanted to cry, wanted to feel the sting of tears wash down her face. But her eyes remained stubbornly dry. She had brought this cursed fate to herself. There was no other to blame.

“Hel’s teeth,” a horrified voice said from behind her.

Saoirse’s heart dropped.

She slowly turned to face Aurelia as she strode out from behind a tree. Fear and disgust was plainly etched on her face. She halted before the black pool, looking at Saoirse as if she were a stranger.

“What have you done?” she breathed, her eyes so full of distrust that it broke Saoirse’s heart.

“Aurelia-” Saoirse began, trying to grab her hand. But Aurelia flinched, pulling away from her touch.

“Tell me what this is about,” Aurelia asked, avoiding her eyes. “Tell me what is going on.”

“The night of the tributary ceremony, my father forbade me from competing in the Tournament,” she confessed. There was no use hiding the truth now. “Not only that, but he revealed his true feelings about the Tournament to me,” she went on. “He admitted to me that he never wanted Elorshin to win. He believes that while the Crown is at stake, there can be no alliances between our nations. He is afraid to lose me the way he lost my mother.”

“No, that cannot be true,” Aurelia rasped. “He is our king. He would never be so callous with our lives.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” Saoirse replied sadly. “That is why I made a deal with the Sea Witch. I thought I could prove him wrong. I thought that I could save Elorshin if I won the Tournament.”

“So your father, knowing the Tournament meant certain death, forbade you from competing?”

Saoirse nodded.

“And your great plan was to use the powers of a witch to turn his eyes blind?” Aurelia muttered curses under her breath as she began to pace anxiously.

“Adda Carew convinced me it would work,” Saoirse admitted. “She told me to bargain with Selussa so I could gain entrance into the Tournament. I traded my powers for the chance to win the Crown,” she added regretfully. “So I could redeem our people and prove my father wrong.”

“You deceived your father and gave up your powers,” Aurelia stated, more of a statement than a question. “You deceived all of us?” The hurt in her eyes was more painful than the sting of any blade.

“Yes.”

“What did the Sea Witch require of you?” Aurelia asked, her voice breaking. “What did you promise her in exchange for the chance to compete in the Tournament?”

“I vowed to kill Prince Rook,” Saoirse said slowly. “He possesses a dagger that Selussa desires, a blade that can only be stolen when its bearer is killed. I promised to kill him and bring back the dagger in exchange for her help.” She hated herself with every word.

Aurelia cursed, beginning to pace. “When exactly were you going to inform me of this, Saoirse? Whatever you decide to do in the Tournament affects me, affects all of us.”

“You don’t think I know that, now?” Saoirse whispered. “I know how foolish the bargain is. I know what is at stake should I fail.”

“What is at stake?” Aurelia asked, narrowing her eyes.

“If I fail to bring the dagger to Selussa, I will never be able to step foot in the Maeral Sea again,” Saoirse replied hollowly. “Selussa will take my life instead of Rook’s.”

“Titans,” Aurelia replied. She ran a weary hand through her hair, now looking more afraid than angry. “What if the Sea Witch is lying? What if this dagger doesn’t mean anything? What if Rook figures it out and kills you first?”

“I’ve had those same thoughts. It’s true that I have no reason to trust her. I don’t know why she wants the dagger. I was so blinded by my own desire for glory that I made that reckless bargain with her.”

Aurelia’s eyes softened for a moment, and she finally took Saoirse’s hand. “No. It was more than just a selfish decision. You did this for our people. Your heart is pure,” she assured her. The two of them were silent, the gravity of Saoirse’s bargain heavy in the air.

“What now?”

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