Calypso's wide, predatory smile sends a chill down my spine."Incorrect, little guppy. The Siren's Lyre is precisely what it sounds like. Lyria's gift was crafted for the Sirens—not the Merfolk. The tales from the land have been twisted into falsehoods, which doesn't surprise me, among other lies. But I knowyoucan obtain it, and I need it."
I'm stuck between believing Gideon's version or trusting this sea witch's twisted tale. With a dramatic toss, I throw my crab leg down and lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. "And what makes you so sure I'm the one for the job? Last I checked, I'm not your personal treasure hunter."
Calypso rises from her seat, her movements fluid and graceful as she glides toward me. She leans close, her breath tickling my ear as she whispers, "I know who you are, Dani. The Savior, theChosen One. The key to obtaining the Siren's Lyre lies withinreflectionsof one's true nature, and you, my dear, have a soul that shines brighter than any treasure in the oceans."
I feel my heart skip a beat, a cold sweat breaking out on my neck.
Calypso pulls back, her eyes glittering with hunger and anticipation."I can help you, Dani. I can help you obtain the Aquanite stone—the very stone you need to fulfill your destiny. Help me retrieve the Siren's Lyre, and I'll help you get it."
The room feels like it’s spinning, the weight of her words crashing over me. I glance at Lucian, who’s watching the exchange with confusion and concern.
I narrow my eyes, suspicion coiling in my gut like a serpent ready to strike. Why would Calypso, a loyal lackey of Moretemis, suddenly offer to help me find the Aquanite stone? Is this Siren’s Lyre some metaphorical nuke designed to set off a chain reaction of catastrophic events that will bring this realm to its knees?
My mind races, piecing together the fragments of my destiny. I’m not just meant to find the stone; I’m supposed to be the glue that holds this whole damn realm together, the one who unites it against the forces of darkness.
Calypso starts muttering to herself, having what appears to be a heated debate with... well, herself. Lucian catches my eye and makes the universal 'cuckoo' gesture, twirling his finger beside his temple. I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
I lean forward, my elbows resting on the table as I fix Calypso with a steely gaze. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass. I can find the Aquanite stone alone without your help."
Calypso’s eyes flash with a dangerous glint, her smile turning razor-sharp. "You're making a grave mistake, little goddess. I didn't say I'd help youfindit; I said I'd help youobtainit. You'll stumble in the dark without my guidance, chasing shadows and dead ends."
I push back from the table, rising to my feet. "I'll take my chances. I’ve faced worse odds before and come out on top."
Lucian glances at me, his brow furrowed with concern. I give him a subtle nod, a silent reassurance that I know what I’m doing.
Calypso comes closer, her movements fluid and graceful as she stalks toward me, her gown shimmering like a thousand scales in the soft light. "You have no idea what you're up against, little girl. The forces at play here are far beyond your comprehension. Nothing is as it seems here—"
"Maybe so, but I’ve got something you don’t: a fire in my belly and a stubborn streak a mile wide. I’ll find the stone, unite the realm, and send you and Moretemis packing, with or without your help." I stand my ground, refusing to be intimidated by her posturing.
Calypso starts muttering again, locked in another heated argument with... herself? Thin air? Her imaginary friend?
Who the hell is she talking to?
Did she forget to take her mermaid meds this morning, or is she entirely off her rocker?
The tension in the room immediately cranks up, crackling like electricity in the air. Calypso’s eyes glitter with malevolent rage as she hisses, "You forget what I am capable of doing."
Her shadow tentacles lash out in a flash, wrapping around Lucian’s throat and hoisting him above the table. He gasps for breath, his face turning a sickly shade of purple as he claws at the tendrils, constricting his windpipe.
My anger surges—a white-hot fury that burns through my veins like lava. I’ve had enough of this bitch pushing us around like pawns on a chessboard. With a primal scream, I summon a ball of pure, blinding light and hurl it at Calypso's shadows. Thetentacles recoil as if burned, dropping Lucian to the floor in a heap. He lands with a sickening thud, coughing and sputtering as he tries to suck air back into his lungs.
Calypso whirls on me, her eyes blazing with unholy fury. Her shadows surge forward, enveloping my torso in a suffocating embrace. I can feel the air being squeezed from my lungs, my ribs creaking under immense pressure."I don't want to fight you, Dani," she snarls. "I am only asking for your assistance. The tides need to be turned. Continue to defy me, and I'll act on my promise concerning your friends."
I struggle against the shadows, my vision blurring at the edges. Her cryptic talk is only confusing me more—with a last, desperate surge of strength, I close my eyes and reach deep within myself, tapping into the well of light that burns at my core. It explodes outward in a blinding beam, searing through the shadows. Calypso screams in rage and pain as her tendrils retreat, and I collapse to the floor, gasping for breath.
But the reprieve is short-lived. In a blur of motion too fast for my eyes to follow, Calypso is on Lucian, her hand plunging into his chest like a dagger. He lets out a strangled cry, his eyes wide with shock and agony as he falls to his knees, clutching at her arm in a futile attempt to dislodge it.
"I warned you."
Danica
30
Icanfeel his pain—the searing agony of his heart nearly being torn from his body. The damn Faerite stone is working its twisted magic, forcing me to experience everything connected to the supernatural—it makes me want to fucking scream.
"No. No. NO! STOP!" I shout, hurling another beam of light at her. But she’s too quick, dissipating into a cloud of shadows that swirls across the room like a tornado, mimicking Azrael's shadows. When she re-emerges, she's still got her hand buried in Lucian's chest around his heart, a twisted smile on her face.
I can feel the fight draining out of me, replaced by a sinking sense of despair. Lucian’s pain shoots through me like a searing needle, a phantom agony that feels all too real. I clench my chest, gasping for breath as the ghostly sensation of his heart being ripped out courses through my body.
