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“What do you mean by our enemies?” Sent Galeil. “Land-walkers are our enemies. Their petty squabbles aren’t our concern.”

Mareen stopped swimming, floating before Riella with blazing eyes. “How would you know where to find the amulet?”

“The Sea Witch told me.” Riella’s chest was beginning to ache. She needed air. But this was a critical moment, and she didn’t want to ruin it by acting human. “She told me via a Seer.”

“The Sea Witch?” Mareen scoffed. “She would never appear to a land-walking Seer. You’ve been tricked.” She shook her head, her hair flailing around her terrifying face. “The amulet has a greater purpose than land-walkers can comprehend. Typical human arrogance to suppose they might plunder the sea for such an artifact.” She shrugged. “But, let them drown trying.”

“I’m not human, though,” Sent Riella.

But her timing was terrible. Her lungs burned beyond endurance, and she was forced to kick upward. As she broke the surface, she lost the telepathic connection with the sirens. They emerged a moment later, glaring at her in revulsion as she gulped air.

“There’s much you are not telling us, and I don’t appreciate the deception,” said Mareen. Her eyes slid to the Pandora, where it bobbed in the shallows. “Who is that?”

Riella looked over her shoulder. Jarin stood at the bow, arms folded in front of his chest, watching her.

“Is that who you’re wearing a dress for?” asked Galeil.

“He’s a necessary evil. He agreed to help me rescue the elf.”

“Ha!” said Mareen, as if catching Riella out. “So you have sided with the Dark Tide cretins.”

Thera spoke for the first time. “Are we going to fight them or not?” she asked with a slight whine, eyeing the ship. “I’ve never fought a pirate before.”

Despite herself, Riella recalled having the same bloodlust when she was younger. In a siren, it never truly went away. She felt it still. Not that her friends would believe her.

“We’ve patrolled nonstop trying to find you, or any trace of you,” said Galeil, a hint of reproach entering her voice. “You only Sent us a message when you wanted us to do your bidding.”

“There’s no bidding!” Riella felt like tearing her hair out. “I’m trying to keep the amulet out of the hands of bad people. Why can’t you just do as I ask?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they were a mistake. The very last thing a siren appreciated was being bossed around. Perhaps her friends were right, and she’d become more human than she’d realized.

“Enjoy your new life,” said Mareen coldly. “Do not call on us again. We don’t exist to run errands for land-walkers.”

Before Riella could reply, the red-haired siren dove, kicking a wave of water into Riella’s face. Galeil followed. Thera alone stayed above the surface with Riella.

“Mareen searched harder for you than anyone,” said Thera quietly. “She hasn’t rested since you disappeared.”

Then, Thera left too, diving after her friends, headed out to sea.

Riella swam straight to shore instead of the ship. Her heart was too heavy to be around humans, who hated her, for meeting with sirens, who also hated her.

Perhaps she was destined to die soon simply because she had no power, no friends, no plan, and no weapons. What if she declined to participate in the prophecy? Could she opt out of her fate by refusing to seek the amulet?

But, as she reached the shallows of the beach, Seraphine’s haunted face appeared in her mind’s eye. She couldn’t abandon the elf after she’d sacrificed herself for Riella.

And Jarin?

He waited for her on the powdery sand. Her enemy, and yet the only one in her corner. How did that come to pass?

“Why were you watching like that from the ship?” she demanded, shaking her wet hair. “They scorned me for it.”

“In case I needed to step in.” He gestured at the sea. “What if they’d attacked you?”

“You would’ve restarted the war.” She sighed. “But it doesn’t matter anyway. They aren’t going to help me with the amulet.”

“I figured that, by the look on your face. Did you tell them about the prophecy?”

“They don’t believe it. The more I tried to convince them, the more annoyed they became. I should’ve known they’d react like that.”