Page 38 of Siren's Treasure

“Partial to mermaids?” her voice rang at the horror. “Do you tell that to your children to get them to sleep at night?” She couldn’t stop the sarcasm dripping from her lips, especially since she was also falling for his royal charms and should know better! Suddenly, she remembered how he’d joked with his brother about being related to Undine, though he’d denied being an heir to the Sea Sovereignty because that was over a thousand years ago.

What if these truly were the legends circling among his people?

“Here’s the true tale,” she cried. “A long time ago, the first ruler of Sylphoria betrayed Undine by marrying another. Her heart was broken, but she was given a chance to live—run a bladethrough the heart of the enemy of her people, but the stupid lovesick fool couldn’t do it, so she dissolved into seafoam and died, so no… your great king was a faithless, selfish man. And ifhewas cursed for it, then he deserved it!”

His hand tightened on hers, warm and strong, despite the chill in her words. “What?” his voice was breathless. “What are you talking about?”

Chapter seventeen

Not exactly the mood he was going for.

Raggon held onto Thessa’s hand like a lifeline, afraid she’d storm away from him and take every good thing he’d found in her. The ship swayed beneath their feet, cutting through the dark waters at a relentless pace toward Undine Isles. As all around them the pulsing glow of phosphorescence danced in the wake of the ship—an ethereal echo of the Sea Blessing’s music that still hung in the velvety night sky.

He’d wanted to bide his time before telling her about Scylla, perhaps even gaining her trust to get the truth from her, but strangely, the tables had turned on him. The salt-laden breeze ruffled her glorious hair, carrying to him the scent of the open sea and something sweeter—her scent, that same sea lavender blooming over sun-warmed skin.

Before this moment, the day had been, in a word, idyllic. In her, he felt the peace and joy of his childhood, and then to have her experience the phosphorous magic of the Sea Blessing? Thememory of her face, illuminated by the otherworldly light as his people’s music transformed the very air around them, would be forever etched into his mind.

For once, he could keep his eyes open and still feel like he was home. And now to find out that this whole time she believed…this?

“Undine is the queen of our people,” his voice barely carried over the distant sounds of the crew’s celebrations, and he tried to correct that without scorching her with anything that might sound like disdain. “We were ‘cursed’ because we inherited her powers—and these things we can do? They’re nothing to what she had! These abilities fade with each generation as our human blood mixes with hers.”

She gasped. “Is that what you truly think?” The sea breeze caught the edges of her turquoise dress, making it dance around their legs. The cabin boy’s vest she wore over it—salvaged from Maddox’s wardrobe—hugged her form, the oversized belt cinched tight around her waist. He longed to take her in his arms in much the same way, but her blazing glare stopped him.

“She didn’t die.” How could he explain? He shifted, feeling the brass buttons of his coat scrape against the railing. “She became seafoam, yes—but that is a sylph… a nymph of the sea, but more—practically a goddess!”

“Those are lies—my father was there! He knows she perished.” Her fingers tightened on him.

At least, she wasn’t pushing him away yet. He tried to get her to listen. “She transformed—Undine refused to kill the man she loved, and the heavens gave her the soul of a sylph—a powerful being that defied all laws of man and sea. Where we can only shift short distances, she could create passages through any water in the world, and exist in many places at once, part mist, part of the sea itself.” He tried to explain the legends without them sounding like the bedtime stories she’d accused them ofbeing. Though these were the tales he used to beg his father to tell him every night, that didn’t make them any less real. “She could bind souls to her will and command the very weather over the seas. That’s why sucti hunt us—even our diluted powers are worth starting wars to steal a scrap of it. Circe robbed us of our kingdom and still couldn’t drain us. But King Huldbrand didn’t care about the power—he was in love with Undine. My ancestor followed her to the ends of the earth to find her… and then he took her home.”

Like he longed to do with this woman.

“You can’t possibly believe that!” she cried. “Oh! If you’re descendants of the Divine Sea Sovereignty—then go ahead and see what happens when your illustrious fingers make contact with Poseidon’s immortal weapon! Why do you need me to get Undine’s Blade for you if so?”

How could he make her understand? The ship lurched over a wave, bringing them momentarily closer to their fates. “Her blood turned us into something else—certainly not merfolk. Circe only saw in the dark waters that I’d be successful at getting the blade, not that I could touch it myself. I only have a chance of finding that blade because of you…”

And Scylla had made that happen. The knowledge dropped like a rock in his stomach. Were the witches moving their playthings like pawns in some cruel game?

“Thessa, I need you to trust me.” He’d never begged for trust before—all men followed him to the waiting jaws of death if he asked it, and all it took was one female to bring him to his knees. Behind her, the brilliant glow illuminated the curve of her face, casting shadows beneath her lashes. How could he ask this mysterious maid of the sea to give him what he had no right to ask for? “Please, Thessa, I need answers. Talk to me.”

Her chin tilted up, catching the silvery light. “I said I’d get to that blade—I owe you nothing else.”

He stiffened at the disgust dripping from her voice. The hate she had for his people ran deep, all because she believed in these disparaging stories about his ancestors. Nothing he’d done today could ever touch these lies!

And what if they weren’t lies? His stomach sank. Poseidon was an ancient being who had seen those long-ago days. All Raggon had were the legends of his people.

No! He refused to believe her version of this tale! The stories of his people had to be true! Everything depended on Undine’s happy ending… he couldn’t explain it, but the love he felt for Thessa hinged on it.

Love?As soon as the thought took form, the horror of realization settled into his stomach. What kind of an idiot had these feelings… after so short a time?

Whoever said the hearts of men were foolish things was a cruel prophet. His eyes went to hers, noticing how the shimmer in the air played with the gentle flush of her rosy cheeks. Scylla had told him to win her heart. Was she trying to poison what was building between the daughter of Poseidon and a royal Sylphorian prince because they’d be too strong a force when joined as one, or could loving Thessa hurt her in some way?

There was no way to know!

Her cheeks that were round with smiles earlier were now stiff, and she wouldn’t look at him. But Thessa’s hand? Her fingers still clutched to him, even after all her angry words.

Did she not realize what she was doing to him? Or was she like him and had to fend off a longing more unstoppable than the sea itself? And if she conquered this when he couldn’t? She could break him. He was strong against everything, exceptthis.

He ran his thumb over her tight grip, a gentle reminder that they were still connected. “You told me today that you wanted to learn how to run a man through.”

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