Page 6

I glance at the pearls on my bodice, my fingers tracing the smooth surface of the largest one. It hums beneath my touch, a silent promise of what’s to come. It remains unclaimed—for now. But soon, it will belong tosomeone.

King Aldric may not be trapped within it—yet—but I know he wants to be. Or rather, he wants my power which of course, does not come freely. He needs me to win this war, to rip through Nyxara’s lands and claim them as his own. And Nyxara—well, she hasn’t admitted it yet, but she’ll need me just as much if she hopes to keep her realm from falling beneath the weight of his armies.

It all comes down to the same thing: who has the better bargain?

Because I don’t care who wins. Who sits on a throne, who rules the land—none of it matters to me.My kingdom lies beneath the waves, where neither dragons nor men have any claim. I own the sea. The tides bow to me alone.This war is not my concern.

And yet, here I am—the prize neither side can afford to lose.

The irony makes me smile.

Each pearl on my bodice holds a story, a life, a debt. Some begged for wealth, others for love or power. They all thought they could outwit me.

Fools.

I was born in the abyssal depths of Nythos, the endless black sea where light fades and the currents whisper forgotten names. My mother was a siren queen, my father something far older—a creature of deeper magic, something dark and unrelenting. I never knew his face, only the power he left in my blood. The ability to weave fate like strands of kelp, to whisper promises in the tides, to take from those who would dare take from me.

My mother called me agift.Others called me acurse.

Even among my own kind, I was feared. The kingdom of Aqueira, a vast underwater empire ruled by sirens and sea-dwellers alike, regarded me with unease. They admired my beauty, envied my power, but never trusted me. A siren should lure, should entrance—but I did more than that.

Ibound.Ibargained.Itook.

It started small, a whispered offer to a desperate merchant who had ventured too far into the depths.I can guide you home, if you promise me a year of your life.He agreed. They always do. And when he tried to run, to break the bargain, I plucked his soul from his chest and sealed it away—my first pearl.

The power tastedgood.

The more I took, the more I learned that mortals never truly want what they bargain for. They ask for riches and find them hollow. They ask for love and discover it isn’t enough. Power, beauty, immortality—none of it ever fills the void in them. And when they realize it, they always try to go back on their word.

So I learned to make sure theycouldn’t.

With every deal struck, my name spread. Sailors whispered of me in dark taverns, their voices hushed in fear. The land-dwellers spoke of theSea Witch, the woman who could grant any desire—for a price. And in the royal courts above the waves, kings and queens took notice. Some sought me out in secret, wanting what no god would give them. Others, like the one whonow wages war on Nyxara’s land, plotted to take my power for themselves.

But unlike the fools who came before him, the king has not yet made his move. He has not yet stood before me, desperate and arrogant, trying to barter his soul for power. No, this time, he meant tocaptureme first. To force me to serve him.

And Nyxara stole me before he had the chance.

Though not out of kindness.

No, she wants leverage, wants a bargaining chip to keep the king at bay. She may not have spoken the words yet, but Iseethe truth lurking behind her sharp emerald eyes. She may hate me, may keep me in her stone-and-fire cage, but sooner or later, she’ll realize she needs me.

They both do.

And until the right offer is made, I remain the prisoner in this little game of thrones. Howamusing.

I roll the unclaimed pearl between my fingers.Soon, I think, letting the smooth surface press into my palm. This one will belong to either Nyxara or the king.

But I don’t know which of themyet.

The ocean still hums in my blood, its pull as relentless as the tide. Even here, surrounded by ancient stone and runic wards, I am not severed from it completely.They did not take everything.

Luma and Neridia are proof of that. They shimmer beside me, glowing softly in the dim chamber, their tendrils drifting lazily through the air. They are my tether, my reminder that no matter how far I am from the sea, the depths will always be mine to command.

But for now, I wait.

And Iwatch.

Because soon, the tides will shift.