Page 75 of Rise of the Siren Queen
“Angry? I think you’re underselling it, Princess. You trapped here for days—no answers, no explanations, and you haven’t even bothered to show up.” He scoffed, stepping closer. His words hit a nerve, and I straightened, my tail flicking in unease.
“I can’t answer your questions and not only for my kingdom’s protection, but for yours as well.”
“Protect me?” he growled, stepping even closer, his hazel eyes blazing. “From what, Iryen? From the truth? Or from you?”
I clenched my fists, trying to steady my emotions. “You wouldn’t understand what this connection between us means, nor would you want it.”
“Thentellme!” His voice echoed off the cave walls, frustration bleeding into every syllable. “Stop hiding everything behind your walls of secrets and spells!”
“Fine, you want to know so badly?” I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “This connection, Adrian, is a mate bond. Something chosen by the goddess herself to bind two souls as perfect for each other. Mates are sacred in my world and they muststay together. There. That’s what you wanted.”
The air between was heavy, with my confession lying there raw and unfiltered. He stepped back, eyes widened, the tension in his face shifting from frustration to shock and disbelief. I could see the gears turning in his mind, processing everything. His silence stretched, the cave walls echoing my outburst.
What have I done? I shouldn’t have told him.
“Is that why you ran?” When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost hoarse. “Why I sense you and even hear you in my head? Why did I have that dream?”
There was no anger in his tone this time, just quiet questions that sliced through the chaos between us. His eyes now searched mine for something more than the walls I had built around myself.
I took a breath, my tail flicking behind me in the familiar rhythm of swimming, a nervous reflex I couldn’t quite suppress. My gaze dropped to the water for a moment before I forced myself to meet his eyes again.
“Yes, the bond connects us in every way, mind, body, and soul.” I admitted quietly, a vice grip on my chest tightening with the words. “And I ran because this can’t happen. You are from land.”
He stiffened as if I had slapped him. “I know I’m an outsider, an unwanted hybrid in your perfect little kingdom,” he spat, his words bitter, each one cutting deeper than I wanted.
“It’s not because of that, Adrian,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “You have your own life, your world… and I assume you have a family,” I continued. My chest was caving in, like something heavy was pressing down on my ribs. The realization struck me like a wave crashing against the shore. “You… you are single, aren’t you?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them, and with it came the startling truth: I didn’t know him. Why should I care? He is leaving.
His laugh was like broken glass: brittle, cutting, and utterly joyless. “Now you ask me this?” He shook his head, his expression darkening. “Yes, if you must know, I am,” he said, frowning. His jaw clenched before he added through gritted teeth, “And you, princess? Are you single?”
Was he… jealous? The thought bubbled up inside me, and a giggle escaped before I could catch it. I quickly composed myself, though. “Yes, I am… at least for now.”
His face flushed red with anger, and he began pacing around the cave like a storm barely contained. His chest rose and fell in quick, uneven bursts, his breath sharp and ragged.“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he snapped, his voice growing harsher with each word.
“Nothing that concerns you,” I said coolly, despite the tumult inside me. “Now, let’s do this and send you back to your place.” The words tasted sour, but I forced them out. The sooner he was gone, the easier this would be, at least, I told myself.
He opened his mouth to say more, but I didn’t give him the chance. I began chanting in the tongue I had been studying, my voice steady despite the power I was summoning. The water in the pond swirled violently, responding to the magic coursing through me. My hands glowed with each word I spoke, and a faint azure thread appeared, connecting my right wrist to Adrian’s left. His body stiffened, his brow furrowing as he glanced around the cave, now glowing brighter with the spell’s energy.
I felt the surge of energy pulse through my veins, building with every syllable. With a last word, the spell completed, and a searing light imprinted the mark on my wrist, a delicate siren tail, shimmering with the same colors as my own. On Adrian’s wrist, a dark black trident appeared, its sharp lines radiating power.
He winced, glancing at the tattoo now visible on his skin. His gaze flickered to my wrist, where the intricate siren tail rested. Shakinghis head, he muttered, “I still can’t believe this… That I’m bound to you.”
I stayed silent, struggling to steady myself as the burden of the spell settled over me, leaving my limbs heavy. The effort was draining, but I wouldn’t let him see that weakness. I reinforced my mental barriers, ensuring he wouldn’t sense the fatigue creeping in.
“It’s done,” I muttered, my voice strained but controlled. Without waiting for a response, I dove into the water, the coolness offering a brief reprieve from the exhaustion. I reached for the clothes I had packed earlier, encased in an air bubble. As I broke through the surface again, propping on the shore, I instinctively cloaked myself in invisibility to shift into my human form.
The transition was familiar, but never easy. I gritted my teeth against the discomfort, pulling on the clothes as I tried to keep my movements steady. Once dressed, I dropped the invisibility and pulled myself out of the water.
I was wearing a long blue dress that sparkled like the very essence of twilight. The fabric enhancing all the right places, its delicate layers of sapphire and deep blue cascading down my body. It was as if the stars had stitched this creation with their own hands, leaving trails of stardust along the almost translucent material.
The deep cut at the front revealed just enough cleavage to feel daring, but the way the fabric twisted and gathered at my waist made it elegant, imposing. I felt the confidence it gave me, wrapping around my body like a second skin, making Adrian’s gaze locked onto me, and the way his eyes darkened, filled with some feral desire, it left me utterly breathless.
The air between us thickening with a desire that seemed to burn through my skin. The way he looked at me like I was something rare, something dangerous and exquisite, ignited a fire deep within me. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure I had the strengthto resist anymore.
His breath hitched slightly as he stepped closer, and all I wanted was to disappear into those golden pools that were his eyes, to give in to that magnetic force drawing us together. But I couldn’t. Not again.
I tore my gaze away, forcing myself to focus, my pulse racing. “We don’t have time for this,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. Even as the words left my lips, the ache pulsed through me, a reminder of the fine line we were walking. But I couldn’t indulge more in this, no matter how much I wanted to.
“Where are you going?” His voice came out hoarse when I headed toward the cave entrance.
