I need to rest for a while, but my mind doesn’t.
She’s Morcant’s daughter – she knew I was here to kill him. Does she really not care? I guess not. He really wasn’t the best father around.
Her mother’s past has remained with her, and tying that all in with Morcant, I’m not surprised. I guess this is what she meant by:the sea sirens need protecting, too.
So what do I do?
Never in my life have I felt so conflicted. Everything I have learned and been taught has now gone up in flames. I know what Ishoulddo, and then there’s what I want to do.
Two very different things, two worlds colliding.
The truth is, I would destroy the world for her. I will throw away everything for her, my logic, my revenge, because, like a madman, I have fallen in love with her, and I can no longer deny it.
Night has now fallen, andI haven’t moved. The adrenaline rush has died away, and the only thing left is the pain of her absence. The way she smiled, the way she showed sass despite knowing I was far stronger than her, the way she cared…
Maybe all sea sirens aren’t the same. Maybe she’s right and some are good, or maybe I just want her by my side, and I don’t give a fuck about her being good or bad. I just want my Little Liar here with me, where I can see her, smell her, kiss her and fuck her.
Sighing heavily, I knock my head repeatedly on the trunk behind me.
Reflecting on her final words:“You can breathe.”
In her last moment, before she was dragged away, she gave me the sea siren’s breath. I should be able to breathe underwater. I have to do this.
I will end Morcant, and I will take her as my queen and rule both sea and sky. As for Varkhazan, the moment I tell him I’ve found a woman, he won’t tolerate it, but I refuse to let himgain control of Varindor or control me any longer. Siralaine is a Princess of Elmeria; she’s royalty. It’ll only make our hold as King and Queen stronger.
I stand up, zipping up my bag.
I may be angry at her, butI’mthe only one who can hold her prisoner.
“When I find you, Sira – and I swear I will – I will punish you,” I murmur.
Now to find her and Elmeria.
Morcant, your days are numbered, because I am coming for you.
I launch into flight again. I’ve wasted enough time. The trees soon give way to mountains, and soon the mountains give way to rivers. Only then do I decide to take a break and rest for a while. I still feel drained, and I can’t afford to fail because I show up spent.
The river runs quietly at my feet, silver and still beneath the dying light. I crouch by the bank, map in hand, tracing the route Siralaine had marked. The Elmerian Ocean lies ahead, her kingdom, his throne, the heart of everything I’ve sworn to destroy.
And yet Siralaine has been the one to help me plan it, to show me how to find Morcant. I frown, remembering something she had said.
Her words were spoken softly as she drew the route.“When you dive, the current will fight you. Do not fight back. Let it take you to where you need to go.”She was so confident on the matter. Another sign I fucking ignored.
Now, as the light fades, the air begins to taste saltier as I approach the ocean. My wings ache from not resting enough, butthere’s no more time to waste.
I fold the map and tuck it inside my bag. The sky stretches for as far as the eye can see, over miles and miles of water, and for a moment I just breathe, enjoying the way the fresh air feels. It gives me strength. The wind carries the scent of the sea, cold and sharp. The ground is rough and hard beneath my feet. The world stills, as if it too is waiting to learn of the outcome of the future.
“Well, keep waiting. I will be victorious,” I murmur.
When I move, it’s an instinct I was born with. I spread my wings, the air catching beneath them, lifting me in a single, powerful sweep. The ground falls away. The rocks become a splatter of dots, winding through the darkness. Ahead, the horizon glows faintly, where sea meets sky.
The wind whips past me as I fly. Clouds streak past, cold mist stinging my skin. The sea glints below, dark and endless, filled with sea sirens, no doubt. Every beat of my wings carries me closer to where I need to dive.
When I see the small tip of a distant mountain she told me to watch for, I slow down, fold my wings and descend. Spray lashes against my face, the roar of the waves deafening. I hover for a heartbeat over the edge, staring at the stormy ocean.
This is it.
Taking a deep breath, I dive.
