Page 40 of Siren's Treasure

“Isn’t that strange? A mermaid stealing the heart of a pirate captain? And without the power of her siren voice? Thessa, I’d travel the ends of the world to find you, just like my ancestor did with Undine—his name was King Huldbrand, and he sacrificed everything he had for her.”

Darkness clouded her expression at the reminder, but he didn’t care. He’d declare the innocence of his people with his dying breath, and do it while capturing Thessa’s love too.

A soft sound left her lips as she lowered the weapon, breathing hard, confusion marking the rose of exhilaration blossoming on her cheeks.

“You can put the weapon under your pillow while you sleep,” he suggested. “Use it to ward off all danger—it will protect you until I can get my arms around you.” There… had he done that clumsily? Morris would be appalled, and he no longer cared. Raggon had left no doubt as to the breadth and depth of his heart now. “We’ll be at Undine’s Isles before dawn—I hope you can trust thesupposedenemy of your people then.”

She had to—if he didn’t know why Scylla had encouraged their love, he’d be torn apart with misery not knowing if he put Thessa in danger by doing what… he couldn’t stop doing.

One thing gave him hope—the light in her eyes. They still shone with wonder under the gossamer shimmer made of the air around them. “Raggon!” she cried out. “You—you bilge-rat! You are without doubt the most dirty-dealing, underhanded prince I’ve ever met.”

He doubted she knew many. His lips curved up in a smile. “Is that a good thing?”

“I don’t know… I have to think about it.” With that, she stomped her foot and stormed back to the cabin, without him ever having to teach her that human-like move.

Some things just came naturally.

He let out a groan and rushed in the opposite direction. She needed time, time he was impatient to give her, but had no choice. The crew’s revelry had taken a wilder turn in the belly of his ship. The rough mercenaries were deep in their cups now, their laughter too loud, their movements too reckless as they danced to the Sylphorian music that still echoed across the deck.

Raggon snarled as he brushed past a drunken sailor who nearly collided with him, his patience for their rowdiness wearing thin. The ship was making good speed—too much speed for such carelessness. He needed his men clear-eyed when they reached land.

In the thick of bodies, he spied his brother collapsed on a bench near the stern. The ornate singing bowls of the Sea Blessing lay forgotten at his feet, their curved metal surfaces still faintly shimmering with the glowing residue from the unearthly music.

Fear deepening in his belly, Raggon rushed for his brother, shouldering past the revelers to get to him. “Tobias!”

“Clouds call! Clouds call!” the bird squawked, its voice a raspy echo. The parrot nudged Tobias with his beak, his fluffy plumage ruffling in agitation. “The ancestors speak through me! Poor souls meet death!”

Raggon dropped to his knees in front of Tobias, his hands moving to his arms. Typhon’s Kiss had transformed beyond recognition from the choker they’d first seen. The dark iron had completely disappeared, the last of it sinking like black honey into his brother’s skin. The sea steel, however, was still external, its silvery surface clinging to his mottled, scaled flesh like ice on a thawing branch.

Could they get the collar off now? The curse was digging its black magic into his brother so fast, they’d never reach Undine’s Blade in time!

Under the parrot’s beady gaze, Raggon reached for the hateful enchantment, his hands shaking, the dimming phosphorescent light revealing every horrifying detail of his neck’s transformation.

“Don’t touch it,” Tobias warned him back, his eyes were squeezed shut with pain. How had he seen what Raggon was about to do? Raggon glanced over at the agitated bird. Could this connection between them be the reason?

How did he stop his brother from becoming one of Circe’s mindless beasts? When Raggon had broken his own manacles, he’d found the joining point between the sea steel and dark iron—that vulnerable seam where the binding circle could be broken. But on Tobias’s neck, that seam had disappeared entirely, sinking beneath the skin where the dark iron was rapidly becoming one with his flesh.

The sea steel itself was impervious to normal blades—even his sharpest dagger would glance off its enchanted surface. And though it remained visible, it sat perfectly flush against Tobias’s transforming skin, with no gap to slip a blade beneath. In places, it seemed to have partially embedded itself like a splinter that had worked its way too deep. Any attempt to pry it loose would tear away flesh with it.

“It’s calling to me,” his brother said, his lips barely moving. “The sky… I can’t fight it.”

“Mercy for poor souls! Tobias fears the open air!” Sterling screeched, flapping his wings in distress. “Don’t let the sky take my soul, brother! By the Sylphorian blood!”

“Morris!” Raggon shouted, his voice cutting through the sounds of revelry. He needed his old advisor’s wisdom more than ever. He shot to his feet, searching through the crowd of men until he found the slender form of Morris through the commotion. “Morris! My brother! I need some help!”

The Duke ran to them, his normally placid expression wide with terror when he saw what Raggon had discovered.

“Typhon’s Kiss is taking him over, isn’t it?” Raggon’s helplessness tore at him. The impossibility of what they faced made him feel like the scared boy he’d been when they’d fled Circe’s forces more than a decade ago. His breath hitched. Even if they reached Undine’s Blade in time, would it undo this evil? The merfolk weapon was said to cut through any enchantment, but how could it separate metal from flesh when they’d become one and the same? Unless… unless the blade’s power could unravel the magic itself, returning both flesh and metal to their original states.

Somehow. Somehow.

If he was wrong, if the blade just cut through everything like a hot knife through butter… Raggon couldn’t finish the terrifying thought. But watching another scale push through his brother’s skin, he knew he was running out of options.

Raggon lowered to his knees to squeeze his brother’s arm, seeing he barely reacted to his touch this time. He turned to Morris. “How will we ever reach Undine’s Blade before the curse takes him?”

Morris straightened, his dignified features set in a line that was more ferocious than when he’d defied Circe and spiritedthe Sylphorian princes away in the dead of night. “I’ll get the crew to raise every scrap of canvas. We’re going full speed to Undine Isles.” The Duke pressed his fist into the planks, his eyes narrowing on Raggon. “You’d better make sure your mermaid is ready. Does she know where the blade is? We can’t waste a second searching for buried treasure on an island when we can lose your brother at any moment.”

Raggon nodded, not knowing what he could do to get this information, but he must, for Tobias’ sake. Watching Morris half-carry, half-drag his brother away, he pushed shakily to his feet, turning to the cabin, his heart splintering with each step.

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