Page 31 of Lured By the Siren

“I mean, living like the king from your home sounds great, right? The island has everything you could ever want. We could explore more of the mountains, go diving. I do love diving in the coral reefs here. They’re just gorgeous. You have to see them for yourself, and now you can because of the Elixir. And the plants, think about all the plants you could study here. Right?”

I stop pacing and realize I’ve been rambling for quite some time and haven’t heard a single sound from Kai. Slowly, I turn towards him, and it’s like the fog has lifted, and the true Kai is back. Looking like he’s just on the edge of a thought, I stay silent, hoping he finally shares whatever revelation is brewing in his mind.

13

Kai

The haze that clouded my mind seems to almost evaporate completely at Evie’s comment. “What did you say?”

“What if we stayed here?” she frowns, concern etched across her features.

“No, about Mathius.”

“That you can live like the King of Halvendor?”

A sudden image of a painting flashes in my mind of a young man with short white hair, pointed ears, tall and slender, a gemstone-studded crown atop his head, and those eyes glowing like molten gold. “I know why I recognize Mathius.” The wordsfeel like a whisper on my lips, the shock of it hitting me like a tidal wave. “I know who he is.”

“What? How?”

“Do you remember how I told you about where I’m from? About how Halvendor fell many years ago after the elven royal family disappeared, and no one has been able to hold the throne since? ”

She nods hesitantly, “Yes, I remember.”

“Mathius is the King who disappeared.”

Evelyn’s eyes widen, and she swallows, “How do you know this? You said that Halvendor fell over two hundred years ago, but would that mean you weren’t even alive when it happened? Mathius has been here for…” She stops, eyes glazing over with some far-off memory before snapping out of it and grabbing my hand. “We need to find him.”

My mind races as I try to understand how it’s even possible, “What is going on here? There is something not right about this island isn’t there?”

Evelyn looks away from me so I can’t see her reaction, but she whispers, “Yes, and I mean to find out what exactly it is.”

As we head back to the men’s treehouse, my mind finally catches up to my racing thoughts, and I realize what Mathius being here alive could mean. “Evie,” I grab her hand and spin her around. “Has anyone ever tried to leave the Island?”

She goes very quiet, slowing her pace, and whispers, “This is what I was trying to tell you. No one can leave the island.”

“What? But you have been talking about wanting to leave, to see the world.” I frown.

“I–I’m sorry I should have told you, but I didn’t want you to try to go and… die, trying.” She looks down at our interlocked hands. “No one has tried to leave in decades. I used to try and help them, but every single sailor died trying, and then one day none of them wanted to leave anymore.”

I swallow against the knot forming in my airway, realizing that I might be stuck here…forever. “And what of the sirens who have tried to leave?”

“No siren can. We are cursed to remain on the Island.”

I let go of her hand and shakily sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree nearby.

“Kai, I’m—”

I hold up a hand, stopping her, “I think I need a second…alone.”

Her face falls, and I can see the glimmer of tears forming in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says and leaves me alone with my thoughts.

The jungle is vast and full of plants I have never even seen before. This place truly is a different world from where I live. It's locked away in what did Evelyn call it? Agilded cage.I now understand her meaning. She is trapped, and no matter how beautiful, how wonderful a place this is to live, she can’t even choose to leave. She is stuck, caged, and now so am I.

I get up and push through the dense foliage. The air is heavy and wet as sweat beads my brow, dripping down my face with each step. Vines as thick as my forearm snake their way down from the canopy above, wrapping around trees and swinging in the light breeze sweeping up from the sea.

Unique flowers litter the forest floor, boasting vibrant purples, oranges, and pinks, the colors of the different siren’s scales. I bend, smelling their indulgent scent, marveling at their splendor. I could spend an eternity studying each and every one of these plants, learning their secrets, just like Evelyn said.

After some time wandering the path that lines the edge of the island, I’m at the secluded beach where I woke only a few days ago. Looking out over the ocean, I stare into the dark swirling clouds of the storms that landed me here. There is something unnatural about them, hinting at something dark at play on this island.

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