Page 68 of Losing My Siren Luna (Hidden Cove #1)

He tucked the covers tight around me as I stared up at him confused, then he sat in the chair beside the bed and sighed. “I heard most of your conversation and I’m in agreement with the Alpha. I’m sorry, Ela, but you are just going to have to do as he says and trust him for now.”

“But, the alliance-”

“Will still be fine as long as our Alpha does things the smart way.” Cherum playfully knocks his fist on my chin. “It’s good to see you have the spirit to fight him again. In this case, though, I will be taking his side. Let him do what he needs to do.”

~

Cedric POV

My muscles are screaming at me by the time I get near the underwater cove that is hiding our grand kingdom.

It is cloaked and hidden away by magic in the center of the ocean, and I had to swim at top speed to make it here quickly.

I didn’t want to spend too long away from my princess.

I’m worried about her. If I can’t get permission to reveal everything to her, I’m scared she will just keep hurting herself by keeping everything in.

The underwater city is magnificent, the towers emitting their vibrant glow, lighting the city around it.

The minimalism of everything makes the city's natural beauty shine through. Some parts of the kingdom are inside forcefield bubbles, keeping the space inside dry for whatever purposes the area serves, but most of the kingdom is entirely open to the ocean’s sea life and natural elements.

The towers making up the castle the king lives in with his royal court and noble knights, such as myself, are at the center of everything, a beacon for all sirens, so they can find their way home if they are gifted with the sight.

Sirens born outside of our kingdom have to be gifted with the sight by our king himself to find our kingdom.

I always wondered why Elelira couldn’t find this place in her first life, considering who her father is, but she was born with the siren magic inside her locked away while living on land.

Her sight would have had to be gifted to her too.

I swim down alongside the towers until I reach the lower court. Many knights are still loitering about, eagerly waving to me as I swim past. I haven’t been home in weeks, not since my princess first called for help.

It’s strange that this place already doesn’t feel like home to me anymore. I have this longing to go back to Hidden Cove. It must be because that is where Elelira is, but even as I think about it, Meldec’s face is what comes to mind, not hers.

I dislodge that thought. If I wasn’t so distracted by him, I would have been more aware that there were deep-rooted issues with my princess. I could have tried to help her sooner, long before those men from her uncle’s pack arrived.

As I swim into the throne room, I find King Brennus in his chair with a worried look on his face as he stares at a map etched in stone beside him.

“Cedric?” he said my name with surprise upon seeing me. “What are you doing here? I felt the magic in the necklace flare for a moment, but didn't hear a word from you. Is my daughter alright?”

I look at the map and see different points marked with glowing stones.

He must still be trying to find out how his daughter passed away in her first life.

His goal since learning of her and her death has been to prevent it from happening again.

There weren’t any clues as to how she died.

He could just feel it. He felt it when the magic inside her died, then confirmed it when Alpha Lachlan set sail to find her and he revealed that he was searching for what happened to his mate who he felt had passed away.

If that necklace were attuned to Elelira from the start and not created to protect her mother and be her beacon to the king, we would have known of her existence sooner.

All that my king could find of his daughter in her first life after her death was the necklace she wears now.

He found it at the bottom of the sea at the docks outside her uncle's pack.

That necklace is his connection with his daughter, meant to keep her safe with his magic until hers comes in.

If her mother had worn it in her life, my king would have felt it when she gave birth, and then would have felt every bit of her pain and come to save her, even after she rejected him.

My king has been living with so much heartache for so long.

King Brennus did an extensive investigation into Elelira's death, but never found his daughter’s body or revealed how she truly died. He had the alpha bring him her uncle’s body and used the uncle’s and his own blood to complete the spell to bring her back.

My king is desperate not to let the same mistake happen to her again. He has been trying to piece together everywhere she was, where he felt her magic flare before she passed away, but he still can’t seem to figure out how she died.

“She has been better, my king,” I bowed quickly, “That’s why I’m here. I would like to ask for permission to tell her everything.”

He furrows his thick brows. “What do you mean?”

“Sir,” I gulped nervously. “I, uh, think something horrible happened to her in her first life. Something truly traumatic that may be worse than just death. I would like your permission to speak openly with her. I want to tell her the truth in hopes of helping her, your majesty.”

~

Elelira POV

I ended up falling asleep late into the night, waiting for Lachlan to return.

He never did. Whatever he is planning on doing, I’m worried even more since he spent the whole night away from me.

Val was more upset that her nightly flirting and hairbrushing ritual with Killian was skipped than she was about the fact that my husband may be punishing innocent men.

Cherum stayed by my side all night, falling asleep in the chair and waking up periodically when he would almost fall over.

I was up before him, sitting in my nook and staring out at the sea as Mimi walked in the room with a tray of food in her hands.

“Oh, good. You look much better today, Ela, dear.” She hurried over to me and set the tray on the table, then felt my forehead with the back of her hand, as if last night I was just sick.

I guess that was all she could think of to do.

It’s hard to know how to help people sometimes, but you still have that urge to help them in some way.

I smiled gratefully at her. “I feel much better. Thank you.”

“My beautiful Luna. I’m here for you whenever you need me.” She rubs her thumb against my cheek, then pats it softly before turning to make me my tea.

She kicks Cherum’s chair as she turns to leave, making him startle awake.

“What happened?!” He jumped to his feet, looking around for the threat.

I laugh softly while Mimi smacks him playfully on the back of the head. “You oversized meat bucket. Some guard you are. Your breakfast is over there with hers. Alpha’s orders.”

What? He had time to tell Mimi to bring us breakfast but he didn’t have time to come see me?

“ He might still be handling those jerks from your uncle’s pack,” Val tells me.

“ That doesn’t make me feel any better.” Those men have done nothing to me yet in this life, and I’m not even sure if they will.

Cherum and I eat breakfast quietly. He tries to make small talk with me several times, but I’m too lost in my own thoughts. He gave up with a heavy sigh after a while.

Meldec comes after our breakfast tray is taken away and Mimi helps me to dress for the day.

He is looking for Cedric, and is upset that he can’t sense or find him anywhere.

Cherum reassures him that he will be back soon.

I ask Cherum where he went after Meldec leaves, and Cherum gives me the same answer as last night.

I feel like all he is doing today is trying to keep me in the dark.

I ask him to call for Lachlan, wanting to know what is going on, but all he tells me is that the Alpha is busy at the moment and will come see me when he can. My worry turns to annoyance as the morning carries on. I feel like a prisoner in this room, Cherum not letting me leave for whatever reason.

I understand Lachlan wants me to stay safe, but this is starting to disregard my feelings on the matter. We didn’t discuss much of anything last night, and he just raced off to do who knows what to men that have yet to commit a crime against me.

Right before lunch time, Cedric came into my room, looking tired and the most unkempt I’ve seen him since his arrival here.

“There you are,” I complained. “Where did you go?”

“I had to talk to your father, Ela,” he tells me, collapsing on the bed beside me.

“Her father? You said you were going to see your king?” Cherum looks at him accusingly.

I stared at him in question, wanting a clear answer.

“ He does call you his princess,” Val reminded me, almost as a joke. “ Maybe both answers are correct.”

“That can’t be. Why would my mother have been with the Siren King? I thought only his officials visited my uncle’s pack. I didn’t think anyone had seen the Siren King in quite some time.”

“Hey, maybe that’s why we could never find any information about him. Maybe he was acting as an official or representative and not the king.”

I thought for a few moments. “ That’s a fanciful thought, but I doubt I am the daughter of a Siren King. If I was, I’m sure Lachlan or Cedric would have told me about it.”

Even as I say it, though, I’m not entirely sure they would. Lachlan didn’t even tell me he knew my father. I had to ask him about it. Cedric tells me things when I ask, but sometimes he tells me cryptic answers like, you’ll find out some day, or, when your magic comes, you will know.

“Cherum,” Cedric looked up at him with an exhausted expression. “Would you give us some time alone? I need to speak to Ela about something?”

Cherum stares at him for a while, then says, “I’ll be right outside. I won’t be far. Alpha’s orders.”

“Sure, sure,” Cedric waved a hand dismissively.

I stared at him, waiting for some sort of an explanation. When he doesn’t start talking right away, I nudge him with my elbow and ask, “Where did you go? To see my father or your king?”

He turned to stare up at me, a nervous expression on his face.

“Both, I guess.” He sits up, taking both my hands in his. “I went to ask your father, the Siren King, King Brennus, to speak freely with you. Elelira, I want to talk with you about your first life.”

I stared at him in shock. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. “What?”