Page 3 of Siren's Treasure

Chapter two

“Am I the daughter of Poseidon or am I not!”

Thessalaniki steadied herself on the coral ledge, her heart aching for the small starfish in her palm. It was weak, dying. The dawn light filtering through her grotto, painting shifting patterns across its delicate skin as it weakly curled its arms inward.

“Poor little one,” she whispered.

The familiar helplessness she felt over her father’s illness—watching him waste away despite being one of the Divine Sea Sovereignty—crystallized into fierce determination. Here was one small creature she might actually save. Father had warned her countless times against using siren powers on sea creatures; such influence was meant only for luring humans to their doom. But what good was that? Why waste such gifts on destruction when they could heal?

Just one more time wouldn’t hurt. “Let me try,” she murmured to her tiny friend, remembering her previous failed attempts.Each one had ended with disappointment, but something felt different today—a resonance in her chest, a tingling in her fingertips.

Gathering her courage, feeling her love for this creature erupt through her, she opened her mouth to sing. This wasn’t just experimentation anymore—this was defiance against everything her people believed was wrong. The first note came hesitantly, a shimmer of sound that hung in the water around her. The starfish in her palm trembled slightly. Encouraged, she let the second note join the first, stronger now. Her copper hair began to float upward, responding to the magic stirring within her.

The melody flowed like liquid moonlight, harmonizing with the eternal song of the sea—the whisper of currents, the distant whale song, the subtle music of wave against shore. Though she’d never attempted this particular healing spell before, the melody came as naturally as if it had always lived inside her, waiting for this moment.

Each note bloomed color across the star fish’s corroded skin like sunrise on water. Thessa’s eyes widened, but she dared not stop. Heart pounding against her ribs, she poured more emotion into her voice. The delicate chains of pearls and living seaweed that marked her royal status swirled around her iridescent tail, dancing to her song. Color returned to the starfish—first at its core, then slowly spreading outward. Hope and wonder drove her. Years of secret studies, forbidden experiments, failed attempts—all forgotten in this single, miraculous moment.

With a final, triumphant crescendo, she completed the healing melody. The starfish now wriggled in her hands with newfound vigor, its movements strong and deliberate.

Thessa’s heart leaped. “It worked!” Her trembling fingers could barely contain her joy. “It actually worked!” Her stomach clenched as the full implications dawned on her. This wasn’tjust about saving a starfish—this was proof that everything she believed about their powers could be true.

The Sea Sovereignty would not look kindly on it.

She’d have to hurry to scratch her notes against her cavern wall. Anything to add to her healing research. Every detail of this moment must be preserved—the precise sequence of notes, the rhythm, the flow, these feelings bursting through her. There were no other records to go by—no lore, no guidance. Nothing.

She’d made the biggest breakthrough of her short life! And no one would believe her… no one would want to. But the living proof wiggled happily in her palm, its restored brilliance a testament that her powers could be used for good!

“Are you ready to roam free, little friend?” She placed the starfish gently back on its ledge. No one could know what she’d done yet, especially her sisters—and Nephele? No, forget about it.

Thessa’s fingers found the familiar ridges of the shell necklace given her by her mother—Oh, mother! The beloved Amphitrite; they’d lost her to these strange ailments afflicting the merfolk. And now this plague had reached her father? Thessa would do anything to save him, even use this newfound knowledge.

It would break his heart. Could she do it?

Using her siren powers for healing was forbidden… all because of one sea creature who had worked with these magics—Scylla! The scourge of the Sylphorian Seas. This sinister merwoman had only used her gifts for darkness and misery.

And Thessa was nothing like her! She could resist the lure of the dark magics—at least, she had to try. Her family would never understand that she was born to lend a hand, no matter the cost. Her eyes swerved to the starfish. “But this stays between us, yes?”

Her new friend’s arms rippled in agreement. Thessa wasn’t too worried that word would get out. Starfish were naturally very loyal creatures.

The starfish’s arms waved in what might have been farewell, when suddenly, the current shifted—not the gentle flow of tides, but something violent and wrong. The world shook beneath her with shocking force. Before Thessa could react, a wall of terrified sea life burst through the kelp forest—schools of silversides darting like scattered moonlight.

She threw her arms over the starfish, trying to keep it from getting swept away. She was in danger of getting carried away, too. She held tighter, wrapping her arms around the coral formation in its wall of protection as the exodus threatened to sweep them both away. What could frighten the sea life into fleeing together?

Had father…? Had he succumbed to his illness?

“Thessa!” Nephele’s voice cut through the chaos, seconds before her older sister’s familiar arms wrapped around her. “We must seek shelter!”

Terror clawed at her throat, but she must know the truth. “What’s happened to father?”

“The Sea Witch!” Nephele’s voice shook. A ribbon of torn kelp twisted in the current, brushing her midnight hair with its wispy stalk. Above them, the usual gentle filter of morning sunlight had turned strange and fractured, as if the very surface of the ocean was writhing. “She’s come after all this time! Scylla offered to heal him. But of course, Father sent her away.”

Thessa’s stomach clenched. The Sea Witch was manipulative, dangerous… and was the only one powerful enough to help. This maelstrom was evidence of her magic.

The water around them churned with increased violence, sending spirals of bubbles and debris through the usually calm sea. A massive shape darkened the water. They looked up to seea manta ray, easily twice their size, tumbling end over end in the current, its usual graceful glide turned to helpless spinning.

Thessa clutched the starfish to her chest with one hand while Nephele gripped her other arm, “This way!” Thessa moved her chin to indicate the outcropping of brain coral as a school of frightened tuna barreled past, their silver sides flashing like drawn swords in the dim light.

Normally, Thessa would never take her sister to the grotto where she kept her secrets, but it was either that or get torn apart. The waters had never betrayed them like this before—this was Scylla’s power, raw and untamed, rippling through their father’s domain.

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