“Pledge your allegiance to me, and you will live,” Kai says, as he steps forward to face the fae. I touch the side of my leg, now reaching for the dagger my father had given me to kill Kai, but I will never use it on him.
“What guarantee is there that you will protect the sea sirens? We all know you hate our kind,” Gideon says.
“Not all of you, my queen is Siralaine, and the sea sirens are her people, and hence my people. I believe in a just world,” Kai clarifies. “Things need to change here.”
“And Varkhazan?” someone else asks.
“I will deal with him. Even he knows the kind of person I am,” Kai answers.
Varindor will be in good hands.
My eyes prickle. Victory is here. The future was so close… but…
“I agree to accept you as King,” Lord Gideon says, “And my niece as Queen.” He lowers his head to Kai as others hesitate.
My stepmother is crying over my father’s dead body, but no one else is really bothered. It just shows he was not a loved ruler.
I stare down at the dagger. The curse feeds on selfishness, greed, and rage.
I smile sadly at Kai’s back, knowing he’ll take care of our people.
I know what I need to do.
Everyone, one by one, begins to bend their knee to Kai, pledging their allegiance to him.
I smile, proud of him.
Take care of our people, my love.
“You got this… I love you,” I whisper as I raise the dagger, taking a deep breath and plunge the dagger into my chest just as Kai turns, horror plastered on his face, as pain explodes inside of me.
“SIRA!” he roars as he closes the short distance in a second, just as my body gives way, and he catches me before falling to his knees. “Why?!” he snarls, holding me to his chest.
“It’s the only way for you to live, My King,” I whimper, my legs giving way to my tail as I take on my true form and darkness begins to pull me away from him. The pain is unbearable.
“No, no! Sira, you have to stay with me! Fuck, I can’t do this without you. You’re mine, you can’t leave me, dammit!”
I’ve hurt him, I can hear the anguish, the betrayal, the pain in his voice.
Sea sirens are selfish.
We are taught to put ourselves first no matter what, but the truth is, putting someone else first is far more fulfilling.
It makes me happy…
He kisses me, and I gasp, something inside of me breaking, and I feel a lightness overcome me.
“I feel it… Our bond… it feels… beautiful,” I whisper weakly.
“Fuck, no, we have yet to experience it all. Fuck, darling, come on, don’t die on me! Someone heal her!” Kai thunders, but even as the fae surround me, trying to heal me, I know it won’t work.
The dagger was poisoned.
“Kai… live on, for me. Be the king you were destined to be.”
“No. No!” His voice breaks, his teeth bared, but I’m unable to comfort him further. My eyes flutter shut, and the world goes dark.
A Siren’s Song
