Page 81 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

“Saving our asses.” She motioned to something behind me.

I turned to see dozens of freshly born siren guppies crawling toward us in their creature form. Half human, half fish, their razor-sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight, and their beady eyes were full of hunger.

I narrowed my eyes at Calypso, who smiled deviously at me. “Give me the song, Calypso, and I won’t murder every last one of these infants.”

“Here.” She ripped the sapphire from her neck and tossed it to me. “You can have the song, but I can’t guarantee you’ll make it out of here alive. My children are hungry.” She pulled the still-suckling men from her breasts and tossed them into the sea of guppies. The men’s screams reverberated through the cavern as the infants ripped them apart. Blood stained the once-pristine water.

I latched the sapphire around my neck. Its power radiated through me.

A boisterous melody echoed through the chamber, making my limbs rubbery.Focus, Aelia, block out the song.

“They are singing for you. They need to harmonize with their queen, or else their vocal cords will be useless,” the queen said, squirming beneath Ursula’s blade.

“Good,” I said. “Let’s get out of here, Ursula.”

Ursula nodded, sliding off the throne with ease.

The queen seized on the moment, “Attack, my children! Feed on the blood of your kind.” Calypso called to the ravenous infants. Their claws dragged on the edge of the balcony where the throne perched.

I backed away, my boots slipping on the wet stone.

Two guards came running up the path. Ursula slit the first one’s throat before he knew what was happening.

Chest heaving, I charged toward the other. His spear clashed with my dagger. Going into Calypso’s mind left me exhausted. Ididn’t know how much strength I had left to fight off an angry horde of sirens.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed the soldier back, feet slipping on the wet rock.

“Not so fast, Mind Breaker,” Calypso wrapped a tentacle around my ankle. “If my children get a taste of your blood, they’ll inherit your gift. I can’t let you walk out.”

Yanking my feet out from under me, my head hit the wet stone, blurring my vision. Calypso tugged me toward her hungry children.

Ursula thrust her sword through the soldier’s chest. Blood gushed from the wound. His lifeless body slumped to the ground.

“Help me, Ursula!” I reached out a desperate hand.

“Toss me the song!” she called.

“What?” I asked frantically.

Calypso wrapped another tentacle around my limbs and pulled me upright so that my eyes locked with Ursula’s. I squirmed against the restraints.

“You stole from my queen, and now you’ll pay for what you did.” She cut the gem off my neck.

“Fuck you. I’ll make you pay for this,” I spat at her. I knew Ursula would betray me; I just didn’t know she wanted me dead.

A sly smile cut across her face, sharp teeth gleamed in the eerie light revealing her for what she truly was—a monster.

“Doubtful,” she said before diving into the water below. Her legs became an iridescent fin.

“Get her!” Calypso cried. Sirens dove into the water after Ursula, leaving only me, the queen, and dozens of starving hatchlings in the cavern.

My heart beat wildly. How was I going to get out of this?Think, Aelia, think.

The queen tightened her grip on me. Her tentacles sucked tightly to my skin. I gasped for air. There had to be something I could say to make her rethink this. My ending would not be written by this sea witch.

“Don’t do this. My blood isn’t powerful enough to feed all these children. It’s not a gift. It’s a curse. They will never know silence. Never know rest.”

“Maybe so, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

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