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“Yes,” she said with more certainty than she felt. “But perhaps I better head them off before they reach the ship, all the same.”

Although a truce existed between sirens and pirates, she didn’t wish to test it. The pirates’ tempers were nothing compared to her friends’, especially Mareen. She took special pleasure in tormenting her prey before killing it.

If sirens attacked the pirates now, Riella could kiss the amulet and Seraphine goodbye. But how would her friends receive her? They likely didn’t know she had legs now.

Jarin nodded. “Go.”

She climbed onto the wooden railing of the bow and dove headfirst into the turquoise water. Right away, she heard her friends’ thoughts.

“Stay there,” she Sent to them. “I’m coming to you.”

“Riella! What in the seven seas?—”

“I’ll explain. Just stop advancing. The pirates are getting ready to defend themselves.”

“She’s ordering us around. Unbelievable.”

That was Mareen. Despite her nerves, Riella’s heart lifted at the familiarity of her friend’s haughtiness. Perhaps this meeting would go well. The sirens might even want to help her to defeat Polinth.

She swam through the blue depths as fast as she could, painfully aware of how much slower she was traveling than her friends.

“I can’t see you,” Sent Galeil.

“I’m coming. Right in front of you.”

Mareen’s vivid orange hair became visible first, then Galeil and Thera. Although the younger siren had just come of age, Thera looked every bit as fierce and beautiful as the other two, with her cloud of brown hair and powerful pink tail.

Riella’s optimism vanished as she took in the majestic sight of her friends. Never had she missed her tail more than in that moment. She steeled herself for their reactions to her new body.

“Where have you—” started Mareen. Then, a moment later, she saw the rest of Riella. “Ugh! What happened to you?”

Mareen propelled herself forward to get a better look, then surged backward again in disgust. “Riella! You have legs. Is this some kind of trick?”

Riella was treading water to stop herself from sinking to the ocean floor. Her air would run out soon and she’d need to surface, but for now, she could communicate via Sending.

The three sirens circled her, their faces aghast.

“That day with the fishing boat,” Sent Riella. “I was captured by a sorcerer. He experimented on me.”

“But what are you now?” Sent Galeil in fascination and horror.

“I’m still me!” she replied desperately. “He just gave me legs. And stole my Singing voice.”

Mareen swam right up to her, gazing into her eyes. “You seem so . . . fragile now.”

She wrapped her hand around Riella’s wrist and twisted her arm back. Riella gasped in pain and tried to shove her off, but Mareen easily overpowered her. Riella’s physical strength used to outstrip Mareen’s, before Polinth changed her.

“What are you doing on a Dark Tide Clan pirate ship?” Mareen seethed, releasing her wrist with a look of derision. “Traitor.”

Riella rushed to explain, mindful that she’d need to surface shortly. Sirens were perfectly able to speak above water, as humans did, but she suspected her friends would further deride her for it. “I’m trying to save an elf named Seraphine. She’s being held hostage by Polinth, the sorcerer who captured me. Seraphine helped me to escape him. But then I was dragged up by a Dark Tide Clan net. I need your help.”

“Do you, though?” Sent Galeil. “It seems pirates are your friends now. Land-walker,” she added.

Galeil swam to Riella with a single tail kick, glaring into her face as Mareen had. Thera circled ceaselessly and silently. For the first time, Riella glimpsed what it was like to face sirens as opponents, as humans did. It was utterly chilling.

As apex predators, the trio innately sensed Riella’s fear, heightening their killer instincts. They circled her more closely, pressing in on all sides. She willed herself to focus on her reason for summoning them in the first place.

“The Amulet of Delphine is hidden in the caves of Neredes. Please, swim down there and find the amulet, before our enemies do.”