Page 140 of Silk and Sirens

“Shit,” Fletcher finished with a small, sad smile. “I remember. Then she’d be crying in pain all night, cursing her own terrible choices.”

A gentle salt breeze moved around us, teasing my bare legs as we both leaned against the railing at the end of the pier, the same pier Mira used to drag us to whenever she needed to escape.

Fletcher let out a long breath, tilting his head back towards the sky. “She would’ve hated this weather. Always complained when it was too sunny. Said it made her freckles worse.”

“It did,” I said quietly, remembering how they’d spread whenever the sunshine touched her skin. Still, her favourite place was along the coast, finding the rare spots of sand amongst the rocks while the freezing waves lapped at her feet. “I miss her.”

Another fold of the paper, my fingers pressing into the creases until they were perfect.

“Me too, Red.” Fletcher’s shoulder nudged mine, eyes glancing down at my hands. “You don’t have to forgive him, you know. Not today. Not ever, if you don’t want to.”

I stared at the folded letter in my hands, shaped into a plane. “I know. But part of me still wonders what kind of person I’d be if I could.”

“You’d still be you. Still the strongest person I know. Most annoying too.”

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” With a smile I pulled my arm back and threw. The paper plane soared, caught on the wind to be carried away towards the water.

As I watched it go I realised, for the first time in a long time, the thought that Mira was gone didn’t completely destroy me.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do about Atlantis yet?” Fletcher asked, sitting straighter.

I hadn’t. More so because I needed the break. Needed to figure out who I was without being someone’s puppet. But I did miss it. I missed singing. I missed the way the entire room would fall silent the moment I stepped onto that stage. I missed my Sirens.

Now that Selene was gone, Atlantis was one hundred per cent mine. Albus had been running it in my absence. Surprisingly well, in fact. Considering his profound discomfort at anything related to sex.

I guess I was capable of forgiveness after all.

But only for those that deserved it.

A seagull squawked somewhere behind me, but I still watched the paper plane go until a gentle wave reached up to claim it.

All I’d ever wanted was to break free, to become someone who didn’t deal in secrets, blood, and lies. But now I understood how ridiculous that dream was. As if I could ever just stop being the Mistress of Whispers, stop being a Siren or the broken girl brought up by monsters.

For years I thought freedom meant abandoning the Underworld entirely, leaving it behind for something softer, something normal. But doing that would mean abandoning part of myself too. The place where that broken girl survived, thrived, even while trapped beneath Selene’s control.

“I’ll go back one day,” I said eventually, although it was likely to be sooner rather than later.

Fletcher studied me for a long moment, his expression serious. “I still have those papers,” he added quietly. “Everything you and your sisters need to disappear.”

I frowned, giving him a side-eye. “I never asked for anything for myself.”

“I know,” he replied gently. “But I also know you wanted a life outside of all this.”

“That was before I knew I could have one,” I admitted. “Before there was something else I wanted.”

Fletcher reached for the two beers he’d bought, handing one to me before raising his own. “To Mira, and to whatever you desire.”

I laughed softly, clinking my bottle against his. “To an actual life. One free from a cage.”

We both took long drinks, the silence that followed peaceful.

“So,” Fletcher asked after a while, “what do you want me to do with those documents?”

“She won’t be needing them,” came a deep voice from behind us.

I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

Caden’s voice wrapped around me like silk and steel, my heart skipping a beat when he came into view. “Starting to feel like you’re stalking me,” I said, making his upper lip curve.