Before I could look to him for an answer, Hylos’s head whipped to the entrance, his wonder fading, replaced by the hard, steady gaze of a leader with a plan.
It was the other Circle leaders.
One by one, each siren paid homage to the great stones, offering their gift of song to Nymphaea as we had, forcing the monoliths brighter, until they vibrated with power.
Then Hylos spoke. “There is a great threat to our ways. That is why I call you here today. Why I share with you Naiadon’s greatest source of power. My power. Nymphaea’s power. The womb of the great Mother now holds a small piece of you. A mere drop of your strength that you offer back to her. To the sea.” His song was growing, and I realized the others were adding to it. Amplifying it. Like a war chant. “With the rest of your power, defend our people.” The pulsating song dove into an unthinkable bass that rattled my bones. “Defend our way!”
Their song was hungry for blood.
“Join me and stop the king of Oakhaven! Stop him from ever harming another siren in our great seas!” Hylos’s chest heaved as he raked a hard look over us. “Who here offers their arms and allegiance to me against Oakhaven?”
I was going to be sick.
“I do,” Draveen belted loudly, his song strong and coarse behind his words.
Hylos nodded in acceptance. “Thank you, Draveen of Circle Twynox.”
Circle Fushdmuir, Starwyrt, Orman, and Mariscal each offered their allegiance to Hylos.
Then his eyes fell to me. The music halted. “What of Circle Blackthorn?” Hylos asked. Circle Blackthorn. But I was not the leader of my people, of myCircle. I was no one.
I wanted to plead with the others, explain that this meant death. Like the totals accounted for in history books and the forgotten gravestones clustered in valleys shrouded in moss. Death of humans and sirens. When Hylos didn’t even know who the true culprit was in the taking of his people. What if it wasn’t Oakhaven attacking the sirens? What if this was all for naught? Hylos hardly had any evidence besides one measly coin, found at the bottom of the sea by a scared young siren. A boy. Just like him.
I couldn’t be a part of this war.
I couldn’t harm my people.
I shook my head in a slow, steady no.
Chapter 31
Hylos couldn’t even look me in the eye as we all mounted our horses and left. Now he was a whisper on the sea, glowing ahead of me. A reminder that he was still out there. He always would be. Waiting in the ocean. Readying his attack.
I needed to return home. I needed to warn my father.
War was coming.
Then, a horrendous screech shattered all my thoughts. My steed thrashed madly. Was it more sirens? It didn’t sound like them. The sound screamed through the water like a hawk’s cry.
I looked around for siren lights, but only saw Hylos’s, which waned in the distance and headed toward the surface.
Something was wrong. Without a second thought, I dug my heels into the plated sides of my mount and sped after Hylos.
That strange, vile sound blared again, devastating my senses. I was closer now to whatever was looming above.
My stomach sank when I saw Hylos ensnared just below the water’s surface in a large net.
He was limp and his mount was nowhere to be found as the ropes pulled him toward the surface.
I pushed my mount closer and began tugging at the thick netting, all while striving to maintain my position atop the beast that continued to buck under me.
My fingers seared with pain as I desperately attempted to unravel the knots. The thick, braided rope was as wide as my wrist. I begged the Guardians to grant me the strength to free Hylos. But my pleas went unanswered and the net dragged upward toward the surface. Where were the other Circle leaders? Were they stunned too?
If I could see what had him, maybe I could stop whatever created the terrible sound that was beating down on us.
I raced toward the surface, breaking through the crashing waves.
“Oy, there’s anotha one!” a man’s voice boomed in a thick Oakhaven accent.
