Page 41 of Siren's Gift

An image of Rin secured to a metal table appeared on the screen. A machine stood beside him, holding a bag of familiar blue liquid that dripped into a needle in his arm. His face was contorted in agony as steam drifted off his skin.

Oh, fuck.

He knew.

CHAPTER 20

Bree

Ifloated numbly in the center of the coral palace’s grand hall, my tail heavy with resignation. The ceremony—this sham of a wedding to a prince I despised—was mere moments from completion. The end of my life as I’d known it, the end of my freedom, was nigh. I could taste the salt of defeat on the back of my tongue, and the edges of my vision blurred.

Murmurs from the assembled courtiers pressed against me like a wall of sound I couldn’t answer. The sea witch had stolen my voice, and with it, the defiance I’d once carried like armor.

How had I let it come to this? How had I let her win?

A tremor ran through me, though I couldn’t tell if it was from rage or the cold bite of fear. Probably both. It didn’t matter. Despite my best efforts to find a way to stop this madness, I’d failed. Again.

Across the hall, a pedestal stood beside the king’s throne. It was a gaudy monument of coral and gold. The shell that held my stolen magic rested on top, glowing faintly with an inner pink light. Not just my magic—myvoice.

A barrier of golden energy surrounded and shielded the shell, flickering as if alive. It was a constant reminder of the power the king wielded over me and the freedom I had lost.

I had stared at the shell countless times during my captivity, the knowledge that it was so close and yet unreachable gnawing at my resolve. Without my magic, I felt powerless.

Hopeless.

I was still finding it hard to believe that this was it. This would be my life now. For the umpteenth time, I wondered how in the dark abyss I had gotten myself into this mess.

I blinked back tears as I pictured my mother’s face. Easier to do now that Marissa was older. They looked so much alike. Every time I saw my sister, I heard my mother’s dying plea to take care of Marissa for her.

Straightening my spine, I pulled my shoulders back and held my head high. As terrible as this life would be, I was raised a princess. I could do this. I would not break.

Besides, I had no other choice.

Prince Zephyrion sneered at me as he extended a hand, his dark yellow scales glinting faintly in the bioluminescent light. "Take it," he hissed. "Seal your fate. Or should I command you like the little prawn you are?"

I forced my fingers to uncurl; the muscles aching from the tension I’d been holding. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t even scream. All I could do was glare.

I’d trained harder than half the royal guard and could have dropped most of them without breaking a sweat—on land. But that didn’t matter here. Not when every move had to be calculated, not when the king still had my magic.

As my hand trembled toward the prince, a shadow moved in the periphery of my vision. Then another. And another.

The first impact came with no other warning.

At first, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. A pod of blue whales burst through the palace’s coral walls, their powerful tails sending chunks of vibrant pink and green spiraling in all directions. The sheer force of the water knocked several courtiers aside. Their arms and fins flailed as they darted for safety.

Screams erupted. Schools of fish surged in panic, their shimmering bodies swirling like underwater storms. Dolphins darted through the chaos, and their sharp clicks echoed across the collapsing chamber. The once-regal hall had descended into complete pandemonium.

I had no idea what was happening, why these whales had crashed into the palace. Were they sick? Had they gone mad? The world around me felt like it was spinning out of control, the sounds of crashing and splintering echoing in every direction.

My heartbeat thumped wildly as the commotion thickened, and suddenly, it occurred to me—this was my chance.

While Zephyrion whipped his head around, shouting orders to the guards, I surged forward. I shot past the throne, where the king sat bellowing in rage, his tail pinned beneath a fallen coral column, and toward the pedestal where the shell was displayed.

That barrier of golden light still surrounded it. I reached for it, my fingers brushing the edge of the barrier, and recoiled as pain shot through my arm.

"Guards! Stop her!" Ateleíotes’s voice boomed over the chaos.

I glanced back, my heart hammering in my chest. The prince was swimming this way, his teeth bared, hatred in his eyes. Five guards weren’t far behind him. Even with the falling debris creating a moving obstacle course, I had seconds at most.

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