Page 10 of The Eighth Isle

“Minel was born on the first day of ten, out of waves and foam and sand. She was born knowing that a siren must fall in love, and through that love she must spread her magic onto Ennaris,” Syra said. “Minel did—she fell in love with a man soon. But he did not love her back, and so she decided to keep that little detail from the rest of us. I’m sure she told herself it was to protect us from heartbreak, but it was jealousy. She couldn’t stand to see one of us fall in love and be happy.” She paused.“Sadly, I only learned thataftershe turned all of them against me when I found Hansil.”

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, shaking her head. “The sea gave birth to me in day nine of the creation of Ennaris, and I never once heard the truth from her lips. I never once heard anything other thanthe flesh of a human man gives us power, and it is our duty to give power to our people.That’s it—that’s all!”

Syra burst out laughing, and it was bitter. She was laughing and crying, and I saw her pain, felt it in the flavor her magic gained as it pressed my limbs onto me, holding me still.

I felt it, but I had no sympathy for a fucking psychopath who had lived in delusion then and was living in delusion now.

“Yes, I found the solution. And I was going to see it through. I was happy with Hansil, so happy—and my sisters couldn’t take it.” She stopped laughing abruptly. “They ate him right in front of my eyes.”

Fuck, just to imagine it…

“So, you know that I amnot him.”

She came to me slowly, touching my cheek again. “But you look just like him—how can younotbe him?”

“Yousawhim get eaten. You ate?—”

“Silence,” she said, unleashing more of her magic, and I had no choice but to clamp my mouth shut. “Tell me who she is, Hansil. The woman you love—tell me her name and I will make sure nobody ever stands in the way of our happiness again.”

Stabs all over my gut. “Nobody. I am not in love. Vampires cannot love. Your sisters made us like that.” If it took me believing in my own lies to convince her, I would.

Syra turned her head to the side slowly, analyzing me, trying to make up her mind.

“Vampires don’t fall in love,” I insisted because that was exactly what my father had told me, had told all of us. That waswhat every Evernight was taught and what every Evernight then taught his children in turn. It was the truth as every vampire had believed it—whatI’dbelieved, too, before Fall.

Before I saw her face and knew her heart. Before I understood the perfection that she is. Thegoodthat was never supposed to exist in the world.

“Then my sisters are crueler than I’ve ever given them credit for,” she said, and with a wave of her hand, she let go of me. “I’ll admit, I’m a bit rusty. Not that five hundred years is that long, to be honest, but still. That could be why my magic doesn’t work on you. Or maybe you’re just strong.Don’t move.” Her hands were on my shoulders, and she ran them down my arms, up again, then down my chest. It took everything in me to stand still and let her. “Mhmm…you have wings, too—that’s definitely a bonus.” My wings werepushedout of me from the inside all of a sudden, and the pain made me grit my teeth. “Oh, how fabulous they are!”

She walked around me and touched my wings, too, and the idea of Fall hurting in any way was the only thing keeping me in place right now. The only thing.

“You’ll come around, Hansil. I know you will. By the time I’m done exploring this new world, you will come around.” She said it like she knew it for a fact as she stepped in front of me again.

“For now, sit back and watch. Right over there, on my left.” She waved her hand toward the throne-like chairs in the middle of the room. “Because I’ve called for my sisters, and they’re finally here.” She stepped back, touching her dress. “What do you think—do I look presentable enough? After all, it’s been a long time.”

She actually waited for my answer.

“Yes,” I choked out.

“Yes, what?”

Fuck me.“Yes, you look presentable.”

“Justpresentable?”

I wanted to murder her with every fiber in my body. “You look beautiful.”

“There!Wasn’t so difficult, was it?” She laughed. “Go on, sit down now.”

Her magic pushed me to the side, and I had no choice but to go and sit in that chair without another word.

The sirens were afraid.

Since I saw them for the first time, at my fourth birthday party my father liked to throw—for himself, of course—they’d always been…unhinged. On the verge of lunacy. Completely insane, but powerful. I was always able to see the true faces they wore behind their illusion magic, but they weren’t making an effort now.

In fact, as I watched them from the chair where Syra sat me, I could have sworn they looked better, even without an illusion wrapped around them. Their skin looked more lively, their eyes open wide.

So afraid it was almost comical.

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