Page 38 of Rise of the Siren Queen
My law
Iryen
Outside the council room, I waited for Kieran and Ronan, along with Elora and Sienna.
“Did-” I was about to ask Elora if she had delivered food to Adrian when the prison guards brought Ithra.
The sight of her made me sick to my stomach. Her presence was like a dark cloud, one that threatened to eclipse the light of our cause. She was the embodiment of everything I stood against, maleficent, cunning, corrupted and dangerously persuasive. My heart raced as I thought of her defiance against the seven Sirens peace decree. It was intolerable.
“Why go against the decree?” I spat, my voice sharp and echoing. “Why try to kill him? I would have erased his memory, and he would return to Nyssaion. Why do you have to be so evil, Ithra?”
Her laughter was chilling, devoid of warmth. “I’m not evil, your highness. I’m simply following my nature, our nature. We. Are. Sirens. We are supposed to be evil.” She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with a twisted delight that made my skin crawl.
“No, we aren’t!” I retorted, fists clenching at my sides. “That’s justa label those men gave us ages ago. Wechooseto be evil or good. We have a choice, and youchoseto break the law!”
Ithra’s smirk faltered for just a moment, and in that fleeting expression, I saw the flicker of uncertainty. Perhaps even she understood the consequence of her actions. “Choice?” she scoffed, the bite in her tone returning. “Choice is an illusion. Power is what truly matters. Do you think erasing memories will change anything? It’s naïve.”
“Naïve?” My voice trembled with fury. “You are the one who is blind to what we can become. The Seven Sirens believe in peace, Ithra! They believed we can coexist without bloodshed.”
She leaned in. Her face inches from mine, the scent of salt and decay lingering from her breath. “Peace is weakness, Princess. You’ll learn that soon enough.”
“Perhaps you’re right about one thing,” I said, forcing my voice to steady, though my heart raced with anger. “The seven sirens may be weak in their idealism, but I will not stand by while you destroy everything we’ve fought for. I will fight you if I must and end you if that’s what it takes.”
The thought of Ithra’s twisted vision becoming a reality froze my blood, while ice coiled din my core. I felt Sienna’s hand on my shoulder, steading me through the storm brewing inside my heart. “Let the council handle her. It isn’t worthy.” She whispered when I threatened to lung on Ithra.
“Let’s see how long your little stunt lasts,” Ithra shot back, her voice dripping with venom.
“Take her away,” I ordered to the guards, my voice low and strained, barely concealing the fury simmering on my insides.
Ithra gave me one last, smug look as the guards dragged her into the room. Her lips curled into a wicked smile, eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction, as if she knew something I didn’t.
“This isn’t over, Iryen,” she purred, her words dripping like poison. “You’ll see soon enough.”
I clenched my fists tighter, the tendons in my hands aching. It took everything in me to not lash out, to hold on to my fragile control. I couldn’t let her get to me. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.
Finally, Ronan and Kieran emerged at the far end of the hall, their presence a welcome reprieve from the oppressive atmosphere. Ronan’s steel-gray eyes scanned the room, assessing the tension that clung to the air like a shroud, while Kieran’s blue gaze held a sharp intensity, hinting at the storm brewing within him.
Each stroke toward the council chamber felt weighted with purpose as we reached the towering doors. They swung open with a muffled creak, revealing the council chamber shrouded in shadow. The members sat in a semicircle, their expressions grave, their eyes piercing.
Grandma sat at the throne, her figure draped in deep azure robes that reflected the ocean depths. Her crown, adorned with intricate patterns and diamonds, sparkled under the chamber’s muted light, reflecting the impact of our lineage.
Light green eyes swept over us, wise and piercing, commanding respect. “Ladies and Lords,” she spoke with a ruler’s power, “We gather here today because Lady Ithra, a chair of this council, attempted to break the Seven Seas Decree.” As she spoke, murmurs erupted in the room, a wave of shock and disbelief washing over the assembled members.
Thalor sat in unnerving silence, his presence a stark contrast to the tension crackling through the chamber. While others exchanged sharp words and wary glances, he remained still, too still. His gaze, cool and unreadable, flicked between the speakers, absorbing every detail without offering so much as a twitch of reaction.
His serenity wasn’t passive. It was deliberate. A coiled restraint,a current running deep beneath calm waters. The longer he said nothing, the more his silence pressed against my skin like a warning. He wasn’t merely listening. He was measuring, calculating.
Waiting.
For what, I couldn’t yet tell. But something in his stillness sent a whisper of unease curling down my spine.
My grandma held up a hand, silencing the room with an air of authority that echoed like a crashing wave.
“I understand your concerns. This is not a matter to be taken lightly. However, Princess Iryen and her advisor, Lady Sienna, caught her attempting to murder a human, directly disobeying my ruling.” Her voice commanded attention, each word deliberate and piercing. “I do not take insubordination lightly.”
The murmurs in the chamber faded into a tense stillness, all eyes now locked on Ithra.
She scoffed, a smirk dancing on her lips. “You think your decrees can bind me? I follow my nature!” Her words ignited a fresh wave of shock and indignation.
