Sable’s gaze sharpens. “Where?”
“In mother’s grimoires.” She glances toward the shelves crowded with jars and books. “It isn’t just another stretch of water. It is said to be where the sea itself was born.”
My stomach tightens. I have never heard of the Sea of the First Song. If it’s a well-kept siren secret, maybe my mother was not willing to tell me. Or she didn't know. That’s an explanation easier for me to accept.
“What do you mean by born?”
Her eyes move to me.
“Where the first tide rose. Where the sea first breathed life into its children,” she explains. “Sirens. Witches.” A brief glance lands on her brother. “And pirates.”
Sable falls into silence, then takes a deep breath.
“Just so I am not getting any of this wrong,” he begins. “You‘re saying we should sail to a place that we have no real record of? And then hope to begin instead of end? Whatever that is supposed to mean.”
“Yes.”
Sable gets up with a grunt, the movement abrupt. His hands curl into fists at his sides, fingers flexing once before tightening. “You’re a witch,” he says, voice taut. “Can you not perform some bloody magic trick that tells us what exactly we should do? ”
“Sable.”
Cailia raises her voice slightly, a clear warning in her voice.
He turns away from her and strides toward the round window overlooking the sea that now lies dark and still. He draws in a breath through his nose and holds it, shoulders lifting before slowly settling again. His sister follows and stops behind him, places a hand on his shoulder, and squeezes it softly.
“You know what you have to do,” she tells him, and the lights around us flicker in response, shadows shivering along the walls. “You’ve already come this far.”
Sable’s jaw is set tight, his throat bobbing as he swallows.
Her head snaps toward me. I avert my gaze at once, pulse stuttering, suddenly aware of how closely I have been watchinghim. I have never seen him appear so open, so vulnerable. His emotions aren’t usually so evident on his face.
“Will you give us a moment?” she asks, her tone hushed but demanding.
I give her a quick nod of understanding and step outside to give them some privacy. The sun has completely set by now, covering the pirate island in darkness. I wander towards the cliff beside the house, the cool night air kissing my face. Below, the sea spreads out endlessly, the waves crashing against the rocks in a steady rhythm. The fog has settled slightly, and for the first time since we entered the Sea of Bones, I can see the moon. Somehow, it has always given me comfort to know that wherever I was, sea or land, the moon was always there. A consistent force pulling the tide.
Sighing, I sit down on the cool stone beneath me and pull my legs to my chest. This explains a lot. Sable seems to think that the Glim will help them break their curse, and it sounds like he was right. That's why he insisted on me bringing it back when it disappeared. Why he jumped in after me. He’s trying to save his crew from the cruelty of the sea, and honestly, I cannot blame him for that.
I swallow down the knot that has formed in my throat. The beginning or the end, that’s what the sea said. I know what this means for me, either I die or…I finally get my tail.
“Eryse.” A deep voice snaps me out of my thoughts. Behind me, Sable makes his way towards me, and for reasons I don't want to examine too closely, my pulse stutters.
“Please don't tell me you’re thinking of jumping again.” He comes to a halt beside me and reaches out a hand with a smile creeping onto his face.
I look at it with widened eyes, hesitating. It’s a simple gesture, but the meaning of it hangs between us like an unspoken truth.
I will help you if you help us.
His fingers curl around mine as I put my hand in his, and he pulls me to my feet.
“I wasn’t thinking about jumping,” I snort, and keep my hand in his for a little while longer, before he pulls away in the same moment as I do. “But I still need to try.”
He nods slowly and puts his hands into the pockets of his breeches. When his gaze lifts and finds mine, there‘s understanding in it.
“You can. When the Glim appears again and we have to leave. But if you get your tail back, be prepared to be towed back on board regardless,” he says with a shrug.
“Of course,” I mutter and roll my eyes.
Sable already turns, ready to leave.
