Staggering backward, I faced the crowd of sirens, my brother, and my friends. “It was your greed and cruelty that stopped the waters.”
They gasped, some looking offended.
Part of me wondered if it was smart to tell them the truth, but I couldn’t seem to stop the words. “Youmuststop prioritizing money and other riches over your ancestral waters.” To my shock, power filled my voice, weighing on the crowded sirens. They knelt as I spoke, almost like the power in my voice was too much for them to resist. The offense on some of their faces faded to wonder. “If you give a blood oath to restore the waters, to stop overfishing and polluting the waters, and to give back to the waters, I will let the sacred water flow loose again.”
The siren queen stepped toward me, though her head was ever so slightly bowed. Her opinion of me had certainly changed in the last couple of minutes. “We will do whatever is needed.”
The light of the moon glinted off the metal they had been brandishing at us not more than a few minutes ago, and I knew what needed to be done, even though I didn’t know why. “Use those daggers,” I commanded. “Giveyourblood to the stones. The sacrifice that needs to be made is from you, all of you, no one else.” Every siren stood and without speaking formed a series of lines. Each one sliced their palm and pressed their hands to the sacred stones around the empty pool area as they approached, giving their blood as an oath.
I closed my eyes. I could actually feel the way the land responded to their blood. It rippled out into the forest and up the mountains to the source of their water. There was a moment, just a few short seconds, that I wasn’t sure if it would work, where the mountain seemed reluctant to release the sacred waters that it had been guarding for so long. After a very long minute with nothing happening, I could sense the sirens behind me wondering if they’d been tricked. They were starting to think this had all been a ploy to buy myself time and were getting upset.
“You can do it,” Deva called, her voice ringing out as clear as a bell in the stillness.
“We believe in you,” Beth added, her voice filled with hope.
“I’m trying to help!” That was Carol. Almost at the same time as her words reached my ears, I felt her magic flow over me, giving me strength as I tried to pull the waters down from the mountain that was so far away. A second later, I felt the chill of the cool mountain air rush over my skin making me break out in goosebumps.
And then I felt the first water droplet against my skin. I lifted my face upward to search the top of the waterfall for any signs of the water the sirens so desperately needed.
Then another droplet fell, and another, and another. I squinted in the darkness but could see well enough by the light of the moon to watch the first few drops of water fall off the edge of the cliff face. Some of the sirens must have seen it too, because whispers started up behind me. When I saw that the drops were increasing in size and frequency, I knew I had to move. “Move,” I called. “Hurry!”
I ran to the side, grabbing Henry’s arm and yanking him with me as I moved.
Enough of the sirens must have realized that we had been successful because no one tried to prevent us from leaving the stones or the circle of sirens.
The siren queen led the way and all of the crowd rushed forward, standing at the base of the waterfall. I knew I shouldn't have been surprised by the sudden flow of water, but when it came roaring over the edge I couldn't help but gasp. It fell on the sirens below like they were standing under the oncoming tide. They began to dance and sing, frolicking in their ancestral waters as the rocky area filled with water for a moment before it overflowed into the ocean.
Fortunately, when I'd scurried out of the way, dragging Henry with me, my friends had taken the hint and moved to the side as well, which was why we all stood there together, watching this incredible moment.
A hand found my empty one, the one that wasn't holding on to Henry for dear life, and I looked over to see Beth watching with tears shimmering in her eyes. “I always wondered why they were so angry,” Beth said. “But not being able to have children, that would anger anyone. I can't imagine the heartbreak they must have been going through.”
I gave Beth's hand a squeeze and let go. It felt like there was more there than I was comfortable asking about in front of strangers. Because I didn't know how to respond, I lifted Henry's hands and untied them before I threw my arms around him. “Henry, you are so done with gambling.”
Before I could stop myself, I glanced over my shoulder and saw the siren queen watching us. I had honored my end of the bargain. Would she?
22
Daniel
Istared at the flowing water in shock for several seconds before walking closer to the path that led to the beach. This waterfall had been dry for as long as I could remember. Now it flowed with life, the frothy churn of water covering it until it made it out to the ocean.
Moving closer to the edge, I looked down the path to see the base of the waterfall where the sirens, some in human form, some in their fins, danced and cheered as the water continued to splash over them and fill the little pooling area that had existed there since before I was born. Or at least it had until the waters dried up.
Before I could get too distracted by the mystery of the newly flowing waterfall, I glanced around. I had come here to save Henry after all, and with water flowing, did that mean I was too late?
The thought made the bear within me angry, and a low growl exploded from my lips. I’d spent nearly every minute since learning Henry was with the sirens talking to the siren liaisons and trying to arrange a meeting before the ceremony. I’d also gone back to talk to the vampires and the wolf shifters to try to find any connection between the sirens and Henry that I could. All I found was that Henry had really pissed them all off, but no one knew when he could’ve come in contact with a siren. Tonight, when I realized I was running out of time, I’d finally hung up on the jerk siren liaison and drove here as fast as I could.
I’d known this wasn’t the first time the sirens had one of these ceremonies, even though I didn’t have any proof. But this was the first time the waters were flowing in longer than I could remember. So had killing Henry been the thing to finally fix what was wrong here when other blood sacrifices hadn’t worked? I didn’t know, but magic and curses had always confused me.
My gut churned as the thought crossed my mind. I inched closer to the edge of the cliff, not seeing Henry’s dark head of hair. I frowned, then looked straight under me. Then, thanks to the full moon, I saw Emma standing with her friends and Henry. Their hair was all much darker than the sirens. Even Beth’s blonde hair looked dark in comparison.
“What in the hell,” I whispered and rushed over to the path down to the beach.
Emma and company met me about halfway up. “Well, that’s that,” Emma said, a cheeky grin tugging at her lips. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glittered in the moonlight. She looked enchanting, and I couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with getting Henry back. Was this what happiness looked like on her? If so, she wore it well. I might even go so far as to say better than most people.
“What are you?” I blurted, amazement taking my verbal filter away. I cleared my throat and tried again, keeping myself more composed the second time. “What did you do?” This erased any doubt in my mind that Emma had become something supernatural, because there was no way her friends had enough magic to do something like this. But what she was, I wasn’t exactly sure. But I'd figure it out. That was kind of my thing, after all.
“Emma fixed it all,” Deva said as she walked past me with that all-knowing smile she occasionally got on her face. She patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. It's all going to work itself out.” Sometimes I couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't a little seer mixed in with Deva's witchy heritage. She always seemed to see more and know more than most people. It could be quite unnerving, or at least it would have been if I wasn't used to it already.
