The Siren

Chapter 13

I was on edge and jumpy the rest of the day, flinching at every noise and sudden movement. As much as I craved sleep, I dreaded it too. It gave me a reprieve from the emptiness inside me, the yawning chasm threatening to smother me with every breath.

Every time I closed my eyes, however, I was thrust back into my nightmare. I saw Wyatt pull out the hidden dagger, heard my choked voice as I pleaded with him. "What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?"

His answering scowl had been filled with such hatred, such malice that I'd shivered. "Ask your parents if they're familiar with the name 'Isla Flannery.'"

A shudder had run down my spine even as confusion had appeared on my face. I wanted to ask him what he meant, but he'd swum away before I could. Several times throughout the day, I'd been pulled out of my thoughts by a hand on my arm, a concerned look.

I blinked now, glancing up at the surface. We'd left the palace and were approaching the current that led to the school. I swallowed hard when I met Mom's gaze, biting my tongue to avoid voicing the words that all but leapt from my mouth. Who's Isla Flannery?

"Are you okay, honey? You've barely said two words today." Her voice was filled with so much concern that I almost confessed everything right there and then. Instead, I took a breath, exhaling deeply.

"I need to talk to you and Dad." By sheer will, I managed to keep my voice steady. The latter swam beside Mom, glancing at her, then flicking his eyes to mine.

"What's this about, Faye? Is everything okay?" His deep voice was soothing, comforting in a way I hadn't realized before.

The words burst from me, as if a dam had been unleashed. "Who's Isla Flannery?"

Mom's eyes widened, all the color draining from her face as she faltered. Dad steadied her with a hand on her back, though his reaction was nearly identical. He swallowed hard, the sound audible in the silence that had fallen as my question hung in the water.

I hadn't realized it until then, but my hands were clenched at my sides and I was tense. I looked between them, hoping that either of them would fill in the blank. Dad recovered first, reached out to me. "Let's go to our suite and talk privately." The way he glanced around as the words left his mouth told me enough: he didn't want the conversation that was to come getting out.

I nodded as I gestured for him to lead the way. Mom was trembling as she swam, her own hands clenched at her sides. Dad's eyes were hard, his mouth set in a firm line. The distance from the dining hall to their suite had never seemed so endless. When we finally got to the door, I was so tense my muscles were all but vibrating.

Dad swam in first, ushered us in before closing the door. He took a deep breath, exhaling deeply. "Isla was a mermaid your mother used to play with when we were little. Her parents served as a maid and a butler, respectively. Years ago, she reached out to us, claiming she had news about a merman known as 'Barracuda.'" His jaw tightened as the word left his mouth.

Mom squeezed his hand, but didn't say anything. He took a deep breath before continuing. "When your mother and I met up with her, I immediately noticed the change in her appearance. Her usual attire—dresses and jewellery—was gone, replaced with a short black shirt and a dagger at her hip. Before either of us had time to react, a merman appeared at her side, a sadistic grin on his face."

Anger flashed in his eyes, across his face as he struggled to control himself. I didn't press him, just waited patiently. "She swam to us, a mocking grin on her face. We learned something new that day—there was more than one pendant. That's when we first heard about the Loyalty Pendant. Identical to the Lost Soul Pendant in every way except one. Instead of taking souls, it swore them into the service of whomever was wearing the pendant."