Page 34 of Lured By the Siren

She looks at me like she’s about to share something, and I wait, praying to the gods that she will tell me the truth. But I know in my heart, she would never go against Yvette.

“I’m happy for you, Eve, and I’m so proud. I know she would be too.”

She walks away, leaving me feeling rung out and exhausted. I need to find Kai and Mathius, so I head towards the beach where I promised Mathius we would meet, mulling over the last twenty-four hours as I make my way to the golden shores.

15

Kai

The sun sets along the horizon, tucking itself behind the storm clouds as I walk along the beach. I spot a tall figure in the shallows with a net in hand. As I draw closer, I see it’s Mathius.

The realization of who he is still so fresh in my mind, I stand there simply staring for a long moment. How was it possible that this man was the spitting image of the lost King of Halvendor? It has been hundreds of years since he disappeared, and my logical mind keeps saying that it is just someone who looks like him, but the pointed ears and the golden eyes are too rare. Mathius is the long-lost King.

“Mathius,” I wave, gaining his attention as I join him in the shallow pocket of the sea he is fishing in.

“Kai, it’s good to see you acclimating so well to the Island.” He smiles that big toothy grin, something he seems to do often, flashing the two sharper teeth as they glint in the light of the setting sun.

I smile back awkwardly, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything you want.” He bends, digging up a clam and placing it in the net.

“How long have you been on this Island?”

I watch his smile fall, and a dark shadow crosses over his face. He straightens and stares out at the stormy horizon. “I-it’s been…well, I’m not entirely sure,” he stammers, brows drawn together.

“Do you remember anything before coming to the Island?” I question him further, recalling how I had forgotten my own brother for an entire day. If Mathius had been here for two centuries, had he forgotten his entire life?

He goes very still, eyes glazing over as he searches for the memories. “I think it’s time for dinner,” he says suddenly. All of his unease seemingly melts away, and he smiles at me, as if nothing is amiss. He turns to head back to the huts, but Evelyn calls out both our names and comes toward us.

“Mathius,” She says. “Wait, don’t leave.”

Something unreadable passes over Mathius’ face as he looks at Evelyn. He is so still, frozen by some unseen thing.

“Are you alright?” I ask, reaching out and carefully touching his arm.

He shakes his head as if coming out of a daze, “Fine.”

“Please,” I try again. “It’s important. Do you remember anything from before this place?”

Mathius sighs, running a hand through his white locks, and then looks once more at Evelyn. “I don’t know.”

The look on his face of dejection mixed with confusion makes my heart ache for him. He has been here for nearly two hundred years with no clear recollection of his past. What must that feel like?

Evelyn takes Mathius’s hand and casts a sorrowful look at me before turning to him, “It’s okay. You don’t have to remember.”

He stares at Evelyn and then suddenly brings a hand up to her cheek, “You remind me of someone.”

Evelyn frowns, darting a quick glance at me. I just watch the interaction, anxious to hear what else Mathius is going to say.

“Sometimes I have flashes of people, places that I’ve never seen before.” His voice is quiet, distant as his brows draw together with the effort to remember what he has forgotten. “They are like dreams, but I am awake. So real that sometimes I reach out and try to touch them, but then it all disappears and I remember that I am here on the island.”

Evelyn nods, bringing a hand up to cover his larger one, which is still resting on her cheek. “Mathius, you need to listen to me. Do not drink the Elixir tonight.”

I walk toward them, opening my mouth to question Evelyn, but she holds up a hand and stops me.

Mathius frowns, dropping his hand from her face and taking a step back. “Why would I not drink the Elixir? It is forbidden not to.”

“You must pretend to drink it, but not actually partake.” She persists, “It’s causing you to forget.”

---