Page 109 of Bind Me

My grandfather had given me something similar, a trinket he’d said was precious and unique, something to keep safe. I brought it back from Tartarus with me, never thinking much of it until now.

The realization hits me like a thunderbolt.

“Chowder, this might be it!” I exclaim, gathering the book and Chowder as I race back upstairs, my heart pounding with a newfound sense of hope.

I dash into the living room, pulling open the glass cabinet where I had placed the charm for safekeeping. My hands shake as I retrieve it—a deep violet and golden pendant, its spiral pattern wrought in white gold, the stones shimmering like captured stars.

Flipping through the book again, I find a section in handwritten notes.

Sirens can be reversed to mermaids, but only within twenty-four hours of being turned and only by one with true blood.

What the fuck does that mean? I skim the rest of the page, my heart racing as I find another scribbled note.

The pendant, when covered in blood, can reveal any siren you seek. Whisper her name into the pendant…

My breath catches in my throat as the significance of this discovery sinks in.

“Chowder, I think we might be able to find Sasha. Once I do, I’ll need to bring her back to heal her… somehow. But first, let’s find her.”

Chowder nods, his eyes filled with a mix of hope and determination. “We find her, we save her.”

I grab a small knife from a nearby drawer, my hand trembling slightly as I make a shallow cut across my palm. The blood wells up, dark and crimson, and I press the pendant against it, feeling the cold metal warm under my touch.

“Sasha,” I whisper, my voice a soft plea carried on the air and picture her in my mind to make it clear who my intended is.

The pendant glows faintly, its stones pulsing with a life of their own as the magic within it stirs. For a moment, nothing happens, and fear scratches at my throat, then the glow intensifies, casting shifting patterns across the room.

The pendant’s magic reaches out, weaving through the air, and in my mind’s eye, I see her. Sasha curled up on the deck of a ship in her siren form… her tail flapping, her face emotionless, her eyes wild. I don’t see my Sasha in there, only someone controlled and cursed. My heart clenches at the sight of her.

“She’s out there, Chowder, on a ship. I’m going to find her with this pendant,” I murmur. I have to reach her and figure out a way to bring her back before it’s too late.

Chowder jumps onto my shoulder, his small form a comforting weight. “We go now?” he asks, his voice filled with determination.

“Sorry, buddy, you’re staying home for this one,” I reply, my resolve hardening into something unbreakable. I set him back down on the couch. “I have to focus on her, no distractions. You stay here, and I’ll bring her home.”

He stares at me with those huge eyes that tear me apart.

“Stop staring at me like that. Trust me, you’re safer here. I got this.” I quickly scratch his head, and with the pendant clutched tightly in my hand, I stride toward the door.

“You bring her back,” Chowder pleads.

Heading outside, I lock the door behind me. I waste no time and am at the wharf, which is a complete mess because of me. I should feel guilty, but I’m drowning in the ache for Sasha and have no space in my emotions for anything else. After I save my little mermaid, I swear to pay for all the damages.

The afternoon sky is already dimming. The pendant glows softly in my hand with a faint line of golden magic pointing out to the ocean.

I strip down and prepare to dive into the icy water, and I feel the familiar pull of the kraken, the power coursing through me as I shift, my body expanding, limbs lengthening, until I am one with the depths. The ocean sings to me, and I know that here, in this element, I am at my strongest.

With the pendant wrapped in one of my tentacles, I follow its path, moving fast through the sea, knowing Sasha needs me. And her time is running out.

As I swim, the water darkens, the depths deeper, and I sense the pull of the pendant growing stronger, its magic a constant pulse in my grasp.

Hours pass in a blur of motion and water, the relentless push forward the only thing that matters. I surface occasionally, checking my bearings, the cool night air a welcome reprieve from the pressure below.

Finally, I spot a ship on the horizon, bobbing on the water. The Siren’s Vengeance is written on its side beneath the moon’s gaze. I grin, gliding forward. I approach cautiously, the water concealing me from view as I circle the ship from beneath the surface.

I drift silently, but I fear that in my kraken form, I’ll be easily spotted. If I’m going to save Sasha, I need the element of surprise. I won’t take down the boat until I know she’s off it and safe. I let the shift take me, limbs retracting, tentacles pulling back as I become human again. The water feels different against my skin now—cooler, more personal.

Gliding in the water, I peer up occasionally, just enough to break the surface and assess what I’m dealing with. It’s an older vessel, its hull weathered and worn. It won’t take much to destroy it, but not before I get my girl.

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