Page 12 of The Eighth Isle

“He will be staying with me, and I will remain here on this Isle, and I will not threaten anyone at all if nobody threatens me.” Syra smiled like she wanted to convince me that she really was in love with me, then turned to her sisters, who watched me still.

“I was given back what I once had, and I’ve decided to make use of it. Explore this new world I have created—together with my Hansil.”

The sisters raised their brows.

“Ialwayssaid he reminded me of someone, didn’t I?!” Fessa suddenly said, her voice high-pitched, and she was smiling like she’d forgotten where she was. “I always said Grey reminded me of?—”

“Shut up, Fess,” Raxae spit.

“So, that’s it? We’re just…going toleavenow?” Andya asked.

“Exactly,” said Syra with a nod.

“And you’re going to stay here,” said Raxae.

“I will. Right here. I’ll make a home out of this island soon.” My insides twisted uncomfortably.

“And you won’t destroy what’s left of Ennaris,” Andya again.

“No.”

“You won’t kill anyone else.” Raxae.

“If they stay away from me.” Syra nodded. “At least until I’ve figured out what the world looks like now and what role I want to play in it. All in due time, though,” she said, laughing. “This is rather overwhelming to take in all at once.”

Again, the sisters looked at one another, speechless, and turned to me, too.

They could tell I was barely sitting there, but none of them made a single sound. All they did was smile at me.

Sneakily—like fucking snakes.

“So, go now, sisters, and spread the word. Stay out of my way, and I will stay out of yours,” Syra said. “For now.”

“Very well,” said Andya. “Nobody shall approach the Eighth Isle.”

Another giggle. “Oh, you’re free to swim around if you want. I don’t mind.”

The sisters nodded.

“Move!” Raxae said, pushing Fessa toward the doorway to the right of the room through which they’d come in.

“The Eighth Isle—it does have a nice ring to it,” Syra said as the sirens left, but she wasn’t asking them. She was in front of one of the windows, looking outside, talking to herself. “Yes, yes, I like it. I like this name very much…”

The sirens all looked at me as they went, naked and ugly and smiling. Mea even blew me a kiss before she disappeared behind the doorway.

I counted their footsteps in my head until I couldn’t hear them anymore, and the wood of the armrests of that chair groaned from how hard I was gripping them.

Syra turned to me, her dress and her hair floating around her as she raised her arms. “See? I told you I’m not mad—on the contrary. I’m just happy to be here after all this time.” She grinned. “So, what do you say, my love? Now that that’s out of the way, shall we continue with the castle?”

Fall’s face was in the center of my mind, and I clung to the memory of her with all my being.

By now I knew that I was stuck in this place for a while, and that was okay. I would keep her safe from this mad siren even if she kept me here for a hundred years.

Because eventually, I’d be free. Eventually, I’d find her again.

Wait for me, een aeva,I repeated in my mind, over and over. And when Syra ordered me to stand, I did.

Four

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