Page 36 of Siren's Gift

A fresh wave of anger and shame churned through me, but I met the king’s gaze straight on. I refused to cower before him.

“So,” Ateleíotes said, his voice low and even, “you’ve returned.”

I glared at him, but without my voice, there was only so much I could convey.

As the silence stretched on, his eyes narrowed a fraction. "Witch got your tongue?"

And I was back to wanting to punch babies. Not literally, of course—just the metaphorical, boiling kind of rage that made me want to swing at something that deserved it. Like a shark. Or a dragon.

Something with teeth and a death wish.

I’d proven I could kick a dragon’s butt; taking down this soon-to-be shark snack couldn’t be any harder.

Honestly, in hand-to-hand combat without magic involved, I’d probably wipe the floor with the king’s smug face. The only problem was his guards. Well, the guards, the army, and the entire city that hated me. Minor inconveniences.

I still didn’t know why the city’s sirens had reacted the way they did, but I was sure I’d have plenty of time to figure it out. Whatever lie they had been told, they believed it.

“You should know, there were those who wanted to execute you the moment you crossed into my territory. I was not one of them.” He paused as if expecting gratitude. “I prefer obedience over waste.”

My jaw tightened.

“Your silence is convenient,” he continued. “Though it will not save you from consequence.”

I didn’t flinch or lower my gaze. He saw silence, but inside, I was already screaming rebellion.

He moved from his throne then—not quickly, but with the calm grace of a predator until he floated just before me. The king didn’t speak for a long moment. Just studied me, his gaze flicking from the rope marks on my wrists to my bare throat.

He beckoned Sidon closer, and the guard handed the king the glowing pink shell containing my magic.

My eyes narrowed. I would get my magic back. Even if it was the last thing I did, I would die with my complete self intact.

The king saw me eyeing the shell and his voice lowered, colder now. "You were promised to my son, but your insolent, selfish choices have bred instability in our kingdom. We do not tolerate instability."

He waved a hand, dismissing me and the guards. "We will dine tonight. You will be presented to my court properly. And then we will see how obedient you can be."

As Sidon led me from the room by my arm, I glanced back one more time, silently vowing to reclaim what was mine.

It turnedout I was more than just a captive. I was betrothed once again to Prince Zephyrion. He had gotten married at some point over the past ten years, but his young bride died tragically in pupbirth, losing the pup as well. He hadn’t remarried since.

I learned all this while two siren females scrubbed my entire body with sea sponges until my skin was red and my scales practically glittered. Then they slathered me with some sort of sand that made my skin tingle and shimmer.

The shimmer was pretty enough, but the weird tingling sensation was driving me crazy. Every time I scratched at it, the sirens would slap my hands away and glare at me. I could only guess what ingredients were used in the sand to cause such a reaction, and none of my guesses were pleasant. I was probably better off not knowing.

While one of them combed through the tangles in my hair in not-so-gentle tugs, the other used various colors made from crushed shells and corals to accentuate the features of my face and body. Once they were satisfied with their work, they draped a few pearl strands around my waist and neck and secured a beautiful pearl-lined shell top around my breasts.

The design was stunning and reminded me of home. As a princess, I often wore tops like these to various parties and events, but I’d hated playing dress-up back then, hated the attention it drew. I winced as a shell’s edge dug into my skin. Not much had changed since then.

Other than a tiny hole in the ceiling allowing a hint of natural light through, the room was windowless and primarily lit by bioluminescent algae. Which was a damn shame, since a window would have made my escape far easier. Sadly, Ateleíotes must have had the same thought.

At least he hadn’t thrown me in the dungeons. Although, from what I’d heard about the prince, I might end up preferring a cell. Who knew, I might end up in one before long, anyway.

In a corner of the room, a large nest made from kelp would serve as my bed until after the wedding, but there were no other furnishings or ways to occupy my time. Just me, myself, and my thoughts.

Well, and the two female servants who were with me for now, but they didn’t really count. Knowing I couldn’t speak, they didn’t bother asking me questions or speaking to me at all. If they hadn’t been grooming me, I would’ve thought I wasinvisible. Or maybe I was like a statue that they were polishing as one of their routine chores.

Nothing to see here, folks. Just a little scrub and shine.

My silence must have given them a false sense of security, though. I gleaned quite a bit from their loose lips that I stored in my memories for later. It was mostly court gossip, but one never knew what information could be useful, especially in a situation like this.

---