Sergei pointed to the map Fergus referenced as he added, “There is a sizeable gulf between Lyndoruun and Vanyara.” His finger dragged across the map where the ocean was illustrated. “Prince Fergus is right, that might be our best shot of getting everyone out safely. The handful of Fergus’s guards operating the mission will have strength from the ocean, and siren adults with stronger shapeshifting abilities will be capable of swimming themselves to the shores of Vanhirra, if something happens to the ships.”
If Ilia targets the ships and they all capsized, he meant.
I nodded. “Okay, how much time do we need?”
“A few days at least,” Fergus replied. “It’s not easy for members of the guard to find time to go directly against my parents’ orders.”
“What happens when your parents realize what’s happened?” I asked. “Will your parents ship all the refugees back to Lyndoruun?”
“No.” Fergus shook his head. “If the refugees happen to find their own way into our lands, my parents will welcome them. My people have always felt a companionship with the sirens, so it would be very foolish for my parents to go against public opinion and send the refugees back Lyndoruun.”
“That’s great,” Hush started to pace the room with her words. “Ilia told us to confirm Van’s death by tonight,” Hush added, rubbing her forehead in thought.
“Damn,” I muttered. “Ilia has no chill.”
“None of this is fuckingfunny, Van,” Audrey snapped. I jumped, surprised at her heated tone. I glared at her and snapped back.
“If I don’t get to laugh about any of this, I’ll start screaming,” I explained. She ground her jaw and looked away from me, silently fuming.
Hush rolled her eyes before leveling everyone in the room with a stern look, “Any suggestions on how to buy time for Fergus’s spies to set up an escape plan, while proving my loyalty to Ilia by tonight, would be helpful.”
Everyone thought in silence. Brainstorming.
“…What if we just killed Van?” Fergus suggested, the first to break the silence.
“Dude.” I glared at him.
“Notliterally,” Fergus smirked at my offense as he explained. “But we need to confirm your death, right? What better way than to make Ilia believe they actually killed you?”
“How?” Audrey questioned.
Fergus stood from the wall, his dark blue eyes sparked with confidence as he continued his train of thought, “We have this herb in Vanyara.” He pointed to me. “It’s strong enough to knock out a nereid. Slow their heart rate. It’s medically used to combat extreme levels of stress and anxiety. To slow the body down.” He glanced over at me. “I’m sure it could do more to a human.”
I frowned. “This just sounds a lot like killing me, but gently.”
“It can slow our heart rate down to less than five beats per minute.” He pointed to his chest.
“For context,” Audrey spoke up for my benefit. “The average resting heart rate for a Hyvenmerian is around two hundred beats per minute.”
“Goddamn,” I replied as I lifted a skeptical eyebrow at Fergus. “So if mine is half that rate, and I take one of your herbs…”
“It will get dangerously close to stopping your heart entirely…” Fergus tilted his head with his words, “Though, not completely.”
“But what if this herb actually does just stop Van’s heart?” Audrey argued.
“It shouldn’t,” Fergus replied. “It’s designed to slow the heart down, not to stop a heart completely. Though, if it does, you could just heal Van.”
“I can only heal what’s alive. I can’t bring someone back from the dead.” Audrey bit her lip in worry. “Have you even tested this on a human?”
Fergus shook his head. “Not officially.” Though the way he said it made my suspicion rise.
“What does—” I frowned, thinking of the human inclusive bond Fergus and I saw at his birthday. “…You’ve seen this work on a halfling, though.”
Fergus smiled in confirmation. “The halfling’s mate was very distressed, as going several minutes without hearing their mate’s heartbeat would make anyone feel, I’m sure.”
“Ilia isn’t patient,” Hush spoke, squinting her eyes in thought at Fergus. “He wouldn’t need more than a minute to confirm that Van was disposed of.”
“We could fool him with a dangerously slow heart rate,” I said, considering. “But I don’t think the herb itself would beenough…” My brain was going through several scenarios. My unconscious body being within the same city as Ilia made me sick to my stomach, but if we were going to risk me being in the same room as him, we needed tosellit. Make my death as believable as possible, so that he would find comfort in Hush’s loyalty again.
