Page 2

Story: Voice of the Ocean

CHAPTER TWO

Something was wrong. Celeste had swum only a few miles toward home when she felt it. A disturbance in the water. Halting, she willed her racing heart to calm before it alerted any predators. How she wished for her spear. It had been a risk not to bring it, but leaving the palace armed would surely draw too much attention if she were seen. She lifted her hands, rolling them into fists.

She cast a look around at the endless turquoise vastness, but her eyes only fell upon a freshly born sea turtle. The little body was so small that if Celeste hadn’t been training as often as she did, she would have missed it. The newborn flapped its arms adorably, rocking its shell side to side through the rippling water. So small in the great vastness of the open ocean. She swam down a little closer to look.

But then she felt it again. Something else was near.

From the dark depths a hulking body cut through the water like a knife. A massive blue shark, nearly twice the size of Celeste from head to fin. The shark was still far enough for Celeste to make an escape; it was no match for the speed and dexterity of a siren. The turtle would not be so lucky.

The gills across Celeste’s neck fluttered in indecision.

It’s not our place to intervene with other creatures . This time the voice inside her head was of her instructor Madam Auralia. And it was true. In the wilds of the ocean, no creature was safe. It was stupid to risk your life for an animal, let alone a turtle. Each second that ticked by was a risk in itself.

But she could not tear her gaze away from the toddling newborn.

With a growl of frustration, she dove. The turtle, who’d seen Celeste and knew her as a predator, attempted to flee. But its little limbs were too clumsy. The shark gained, but the siren was closer. With outstretched hands, she scooped the turtle into her arms and bolted.

Behind her, she felt the shark follow. Could feel it drawing closer by the second. The frightened turtle struggled in her arms, desperate.

“Stop wiggling,” she hissed, clutching it tighter. “I won’t eat you. I’m saving you .”

But when they reached the sandy floor, her stomach dropped. There was nothing but delicate coral as far as she could see. No place to hide. Celeste let out a curse. She wouldn’t dare touch the sacred reef. And even if she could bring herself to break off a piece as a weapon, it would be too brittle to use for long.

Panic tightened her chest, and she fought to keep her breathing even. Her fear would only send the shark into a frenzy. The hesitation had already cost her dearly. The shark shot toward her, jaws open wide.

Celeste spun, throwing her body in an arch at the precise moment the shark went sailing off beneath her. The trick only gained her moments. In an instant, the shark whipped around, ready for a second attempt. It was fast. Much faster than she’d anticipated. Fleeing was out of the question. And she doubted she was strong enough to beat a shark in a fistfight, especially while holding the very thing she was trying to protect.

One option remained. And yet she wavered, dodging the shark again to buy time. You won’t hurt anyone , she tried to reassure herself, and you are out of options . And so as the shark dove for her tail, Celeste focused and opened her mouth.

The Song poured from her lips, haunting and beautiful. A soft, clear sound that beckoned and caressed like a lover. It was a sound that could shatter hearts and bring hundreds to their knees.

Celeste’s body began to glow. Silvery-white light pulsed from the tips of her hair to her tail. The siren stiffened, eyes widening in alarm as she looked upon herself. No. This isn’t right. Stay calm. Stay in control . If she lost focus, the magic of the Song would be undone. That was why sirens ordinarily sang in groups.

As if in response, the Song slipped further from her grasp. But instead of the magic falling away, as it should have, it became a writhing and wild thing all its own. And although the water hardly moved, her moon-white hair billowed around her head, swirling and fluttering. Clouds circled in the shark’s fathomless black eyes, swallowing them whole. Its body slowed to a halt, so close its nose bumped against her tail. Celeste’s shoulders sagged in relief. The Song continued, wrapping around the predator’s frozen form. Holding. Dominating. The shark’s stillness was eerie to behold. Like a moment preserved in ice. In her hands, the baby turtle had stilled as well. She winced. Not again.

Celeste swam forward, beckoning the shark to remain with her. As much as she wished to flee, she had to keep her target within eyesight to maintain the connection. It trailed behind her like a shadow, an extension of herself, obeying her every thought.

Now what? Celeste needed to get to her lessons. Madam Auralia had kicked initiates out for being late. But she couldn’t swim home. That would lead the shark straight to her kingdom. She’d just have to find somewhere to leave the shark.

It took some time, but at last she found the perfect opening in the side of a cliff far from Staria’s entrance. With one gesture of her hand, the shark swam headfirst into the crevice, burrowing deep inside. She backed away, still singing until she was certain the shark was far enough inside. Then she turned tail and darted away.

But it turned out she shouldn’t have bothered. Celeste was in sight of home when she at last felt the turtle’s wriggling begin again. The Song had taken over ten minutes to fade. She cursed beneath her breath. Why did it linger?

Celeste stared down at the tiny turtle, rubbing her thumb against its smooth shell. She could keep it. It’d be nice to have a little friend to take care of. But Celeste’s parents would never allow it. Not since the dolphin incident . But who knew dolphins were so contemptible? And even if Celeste could bring the turtle home, she’d have to explain where she had gotten it. If only she weren’t such a terrible liar.

With a sigh, the siren found a small rock formation beside a busy reef, safe enough for a young turtle to make its home. She unfurled her fingers, enjoying the sweet feeling of victory as the little creature swam free.

“All the blessings of the Goddess be with you, little one,” she whispered with a smile. “Until the tides turn.” Then, with a proud swish of her tail, she made for home.

* * *

The Kingdom of Staria was built in the embrace of a vast cave system in the Southern Ocean. At its front, one small entrance was guarded day and night. Thousands of cycles ago, Celeste’s ancestor, Queen Isla of House Neris, constructed it so she could control all movement in and out of her kingdom. But having one entrance and exit also meant those inside could be easily trapped. And so, secret tunnels had been constructed. Well concealed and hardly used, they certainly came in handy if you were a princess with a secret.

Celeste reached a pile of rocks and pushed them aside to reveal a hole slightly wider than her hips. She swam through, making sure to sweep the rocks back in place behind her with her fin. Beneath, the hole widened into a long, deep cave. She rushed along, the light growing dimmer as she went. Siren eyes were adapted to limited light, but she’d know each twist and turn even in darkness.

The tunnel ended in a wall. Celeste felt along the flat rock until she found a small fracture, and she pushed. The stone gave, sliding to reveal the back gardens of the palace. She slipped through the opening, turning to replace the rock.

A hand clamped down upon her shoulder. “What do you think you’re doing here? The palace is not open to visitors.”

Celeste’s heart plummeted into her stomach. She’d been rushing and hadn’t noticed the guard. They hadn’t recognized her yet, but if she bolted now, they’d pursue her. How would she explain herself? If the queen found out...

With a jerk, the guard swung her around to face them. Celeste winced. She hadn’t had time to think of a lie. Perhaps that was what she should have been doing during the swim home. But her mind had been flooded with thoughts of the human ship. No, not the ship. The prince . His dreamy song still echoed endlessly in her ears, a call waiting for her response.

Celeste met the guard’s eyes, knowing full well that her guilt was likely written across her face. But as the guard looked at her, realization dawned. They dropped their hand from her shoulder as though she had burned them.

“Princess!” they exclaimed, lilac skin flushing deep red.

Celeste knew most of the sirens who worked within the palace grounds, but she did not recognize this one. Perhaps they were new? Maybe luck was still on her side.

“Good tides!” Celeste chirped, flashing a too-bright smile. “I apologize, but I don’t believe we have met.”

The guard blinked before inclining their torso, dark hair falling into their face.

“Please accept my apologies for touching you, Highness. I did not recognize you.”

Celeste threw a glance around to see if anyone else was watching but found no one. “Do not worry yourself,” Celeste said graciously. “But I do have somewhere to be...” she trailed off, hinting that she didn’t know their name.

“Maris, Your Highness.” The guard flushed, pleased that she cared enough to ask their name.

“A pleasure to meet you, Maris,” Celeste said with a wink. “I look forward to seeing you again!”

The guard blinked, staring even as she swam out of sight.

That had been close. Too close . She had been lucky. If she had been caught by a guard who knew where she was meant to be, they’d have gone straight to the queen. But now that she was safely on her way, a little thrill ran through her at the victory. I got away with it.

Buzzing with energy, Celeste dashed through the palace halls to her rooms. She grabbed her spear and leather armor. Her lips hummed the human prince’s tune, echoing behind her as she swam through the halls. But when she reached the palace entrance, her mother’s voice stopped her.

“You’re late,” the queen said. “And you haven’t eaten.”

Celeste paused. She considered swimming away, pretending she hadn’t heard. But there was no use ignoring the queen of Staria. With a sigh, Celeste entered the dining room.

The white stone ceilings were cavernously high in every room of the magnificent palace, arched, and covered in shimmering mother-of-pearl. Small shafts of light illuminated the room from deep cuts circling the domed roof. They were too narrow for sirens to travel in and out of, but they let in enough light. The effect was a little claustrophobic, in Celeste’s opinion. Especially when she knew how the sun shone above.

Queen Halia reclined at the head of a long stone table, fixing her youngest daughter with a questioning stare.

“Good morning, Mother,” she said tightly. She tried to ignore the pit in her stomach from her mother’s worry. The queen cared greatly how the family appeared to others. “You look very regal today, Father.”

King Tidus responded with a grunt that made Celeste smirk. A man of few words. Her father did look rather striking that morning. Dressed with his formal stingray leathers strapped tightly across his wide chest. The masculine balance to the queen’s sovereignty. They were the perfect pair. Him battle ready and her in a delicate pearl crown and elegant shelled finery.

“Why aren’t you at training?” The king lifted a golden shell filled with shining red fish eggs to his lips. He was a large siren with stiff, sizable muscles beneath his sand-colored skin. Atop his head rested a large silver crown with rare pointed shells rising like spears. Beneath the crown, his hair was long, braided, and golden blond.

“I’m on my way there now.” Celeste was anxious not to be late. She tried, and failed, to avoid glancing at the tempting piles of sea grapes that sat upon the table. Her stomach growled.

“Don’t leave hungry. We wouldn’t want you fainting during drills in front of the others,” her mother chided.

Celeste sighed, knowing there was little sense in fighting. She was already going to be late, so she grabbed a fistful of sea grapes and popped one into her mouth.

“Your sister has already come and gone this morning,” the queen informed Celeste.

Of course she had . Shye, the heir apparent, was nothing if not punctual.

The queen tucked a strand of coral-red hair behind a delicately webbed ear. It was the same color that Shye, her eldest sister, shared. Sephone’s hair was soft and pink, a mix of their parents. Only Celeste’s hair was white. The House of Neris was once known for their white hair. It came from the Queen Mother’s lineage, descended from the Goddess of the Sea. But it had been over a century since anyone in their family had been born with the white hair of their ancient house. Having it should have made Celeste feel special. But growing up, she would have done anything to have her mother’s hair.

“Any news of Sephone?” Celeste asked, hope rising in her chest.

“Not today, Celeste.”

Celeste nodded, deflating a little. They hardly received news of her sister since she had left the kingdom in search of a royal marriage. In fact, Celeste couldn’t remember the last time she’d received a letter from her sister. It’d been nearly a cycle now. Still, she couldn’t help but ask anyway.

“Why are you in your armor today, Father?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Meetings,” he said.

“What about?”

“They pertain to the protection of this kingdom,” he said, before returning to his food, signaling the conversation’s end. Celeste wasn’t sure why she expected anything else. Her father was never one to give many details.

A server swam into the room, carrying a fresh silver tray of oysters. But the queen surveyed only her daughter, a tight expression on her face. Echoes of their argument rang in Celeste’s ears. Certain her mother wished to reignite the dispute, she dove toward the oyster shells.

“Please excuse me. I really must go,” Celeste told them, swimming from the room.

“We will speak after,” the queen called after her.

But Celeste was already flying down the hall, shoving an oyster into her mouth and trying not to focus on how late she was or what exactly her mother wished to say. A task she quickly failed at, as she squeezed the now empty shell in her hand. Madam Auralia is going to kill me . Swimming past the dining room had been a mistake. She should have thought to go another way. She shouldn’t have saved the turtle. She should not have gone to the ship. Her mind should be on the upcoming initiation, not returning to that handsome prince.

He was a human. She was a siren. Their kind had been at war since their creation.

She was certain she would never see him again.

And he would never know she existed at all.