Page 22 of Rise of the Siren Queen
A cold knot tightened in my stomach, twisting with a sickening blend of dread and disbelief.
“I have to follow him to Nyssaion?” I blurted out, my voice betraying my shock. “Seriously?”
My grandmother’s gaze hardened, and her voice was like steel. “It is not up for debate. This will be your punishment. I made this decision to protect our people. You will be our eyes and ears there while ensuring that his knowledge of Aetheria does not exist. You can return once he doesn’t show any signs of knowledge about our world.”
A part of me wanted to scream, argue, or plead for any other way. But the look in her eyes left no room for negotiation. The Queen had decided, and my duty stood before me like an unmovable mountain.
“As you wish, my queen,” I murmured, bowing my head in reluctant submission, though every fiber of my being rebelled against her ruling.
The very idea of confining Adrian for a week, of altering his memories, made my skin prickle. And worse still, something about him annoyed me, something I couldn’t shake.
He was infuriating, arrogant, and far too sure of himself for someone so vulnerable. But there was something else, too. Anundeniable magnetism I felt whenever he was near.
Focus, Iryen, the meeting isn’t over yet.I scolded myself, trying to keep my head clear.
But even as I tried to steady myself, I couldn’t ignore the fact that Adrian, human or not, had stirred a spark inside me. A spark I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
Queen Nerina dismissed the council, her gaze never leaving me as the lords and ladies rose from their seats and filed out of the chamber.
I watched as they left, the room gradually emptying of its tension-filled occupants. Thalor shot me one last glance, sneering, as always, and Ithra’s smirk lingered like an unpleasant taste in my mouth as she swam away. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, doing my best not to let their condescending attitudes get to me. But I hated this, every second. Being treated as though I was some naïve child, as if I hadn’t already faced enough danger and betrayal to earn my place. As if I wasn’t powerful enough.
When the doors finally closed behind the last council member, I exhaled, the suffocating atmosphere lifting slightly. But my relief was short-lived.
I could still feel the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest, the words of the council and my grandmother echoing in my mind.
Adrian will remain for one week… confined… change his memories… the human world.
Nyssaion, as we called, wasn’t a strange place for me. It was the reason I met my parents’ murderer and where I fell in love with him.
The enormity of what they asked of me threatened to suffocate my thoughts.
Adrian.
That man was going to upend everything in ways I hadn’t expected. I couldn’t help but feel like I was being swept into a tide I had no control over.
Sienna stepped forward, her expression void of emotion, but her eyes softening slightly. “Are you alright, my Princess?” she asked, her voice low.
“I’m fine,” I replied, though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince her or myself.
“And you know to only use my title in front of those vultures,” I said with a faint smile, trying to ease the tension that had wrapped itself around my chest. “Between us, it’s just Iryen.”
Sienna’s eyes softened, and for a moment, the seriousness of everything lifted ever so slightly. “Yes, I know,” she replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Her smile, though brief, grounded me in that moment. Sienna had always been there, reliable, and right now, I needed that more than ever.
I glanced over at Elora, who stood quietly by my side. Her loyalty was equally unwavering, though she was less likely to show it through a gentle smile. Elora was all fierce resolve, a protective force who could sense my unease even when I tried to hide it.
But no matter how much I trusted them both, a part of me couldn’t shake the responsibility on my shoulders. I wasn’t just dealing with a council that questioned me at every move, but tasked with scrutinizing Adrian’s mind.
Adrian. The name sent a strange ripple through my mind. The memory of his shock and disbelief when he saw me, really saw me, was still fresh. His words, rough and laced with confusion, echoed in my head.
What the fuck are you?
That momentary sting of rejection, of seeing him pull away, gnawed at the edges of my heart, ripping from my chest cavity. And now I had to follow him, to keep him safe, from the council’s reach and from himself.
I turned back to Elora and Sienna, both of them waiting for my next move. This wasn’t just about protecting our world. This was about keeping a man alive who probably wanted nothing more than to forget I even existed.
“I hope you’re both ready,” I whispered. “Because this will not be easy.”
