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“I’d thank him,” she said, looking away and back out at the coastline of San Juan. “And I’d reassure him that the things that happened to me were never his fault. It was just meant to be.” She drew in a breath and slouched. “I hope he’s found some happiness.”
“Maybe you’ll have the chance to tell him that yourself,” I said softly, watching the horizon for any sign of Milo and Bellamy.
Serena only hummed a soft sound and nodded in response. After a moment, she turned to me. “What about your mother? How do you plan to get her back without trading my life in exchange for hers?”
The question caught me off guard. I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure how I was going to go about that, but I didn’t want to say that out loud. So I said the only thing I could say. The only real hope I had. “We get your crown back. With your power, you can free her, right?”
“I can. A goddess’ power is greater than that of Davy Jones.” Serena leaned forward, elbows in her scaled lap, propping herself up with her hands. “But remember, I can’t face him without it. Without my power, he can kill me. And that’s what he wants.”
“Then we’ll have to face him for you. Somehow.” I watched the water bubbling as it crashed against the rocks on which we sat. Guilt bubbled in me much the same way, because my siren side was adamant that I use Serena as a bargaining piece . Take down the goddess and get my mom back all in one move. And though my human side fought hard against that idea, there was a small part that was just desperate enough to be tempted to make the trade. I knew it wasn’t the real me who had those thoughts, but I felt remorse for not having the will to even fight them harder.
To my surprise, Serena reached over and took my hand. She didn’t say anything for a moment, but just sat with me in silence. Though she looked and seemed similar in age, she had some mature, motherly air about her. This was one of those moments in which I felt nurtured by her ancient nature.
“All will be made right,” she said. “But not without sacrifice.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. Did she mean one of us would die? I asked her to explain what she meant, but she simply shook her head. “I can’t tell you everything. I don’t even know what exactly is to come. But I know that this won’t be easy, and I sense that something must be given to gain what was lost. Rarely do these things come without a cost.”
“Is that why you didn’t want to come here?” I asked.
She offered a slight move of her head, barely slight enough to be considered a nod.
My shoulders dropped like the sun beyond the line where the sun and sky met. I was no stranger to sacrifice. “Seems to be a recurring theme.”
Serena huffed out a laugh tinged with sarcasm. She seemed like she was about to say more, but just then, she paused, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the horizon.
“They’ll be here soon.” She uttered. I didn’t ask how she knew that, but I certainly believed her.
I wished I had my cell phone to call McKenzie and ask her what happened and how Bastian had even found my mom in the first place, but part of me thought it might be for the better. I still didn’t know exactly what happened to my friends or where they were, and it was eating at me in the back of my mind. I had to find them.
“How soon?” I asked.
“Maybe another hour or two.”
I closed my fist. “Then I’m going ashore to see if McKenzie and Noah are still all right. If they know what’s going on, too, it can only help. We need all the manpower we can get.”
I expected Serena to protest and argue with me, but she stayed perfectly silent, a strange look in her eye that suddenly made me feel judged and just plain stupid for suggesting such a thing. “I’ll be back in just a bit. I promise.”
I slipped down into the water, my focus on the city coast. “You don’t happen to have enough power left to make me some clothes, do you?” I asked, looking up at Serena who still sat elegantly on the rocks. I’d gotten used to being naked every time I transformed from mermaid to human, but it would surely create some issues for me if I tried to walk ashore in the nude.
“I’m afraid not,” she laughed with a shake of her head.
I groaned and dipped deeper into the water, assuming clothes were one more thing I’d figure out along the way. My tail propelled me to the shoreline, leaving Serena behind. I waited below, lurking by the beaches, looking for an opportunity to snag some clothing.
The thought of using my siren powers for something so trivial stirred up waves of guilt in my conscience. I’d really compromised everything I swore not to be on this journey so far. But then again, hiding naked in the coves of Puerto Rico while your mom was kidnapped by some lunatic was hardly a trivial matter. I really needed clothes. Maybe this wasn’t such a trivial situation after all.
A young couple playing in a private area caught my eye, soaked in their bathing suits stealing kisses by the palm trees—next to beach chairs and a bag lying close to them that looked like it contained their clothing.
The girl was close enough to my size and build that I felt whatever outfit was in that bag would be more than adequate. Careful not to let them spot me, I swam close, singing my song as my scales lit up and their eyes fogged over. They waited for their commands, entranced by my tune. My siren side elicited a smile from me, pleased at my growing strength. This was the first time I’d controlled multiple people at once. And I liked the way it felt.
I guided the girl to the bag, where she dug in, pulling out a pair of jean shorts, some underwear, and a one-shoulder loose shirt. Under my command, she marched to the shore and tossed them in, where I waited to pull them under with me. I snatched the clothes, then dove under as I released them from my spell. Swimming fast, I returned to the old city area, where I pulled myself up on the crags of coastline dotting the city’s border. With a mental pulse of power in my mind, I willed the water on my lower half to dry up, and in milliseconds, I had slender, tan legs again. Then I dried the clothes by draining out their water, casting it out and back to the sea.
Getting dressed frantically in the shadows, I rushed to the hotel where I’d left my friends and mom days ago, but something told me they weren’t going to be there. But I had to start somewhere. I ran to their room, knocking on the door furiously only to be met with silence. And I didn’t have a key card to enter. I rushed back down to the lobby and asked the receptionist if she’d seen or heard from them.
“Actually,” she said, sorting through some papers in front of her on the desk. “They did tell me to leave you a message if you came. Here.” She handed me a folded up note, and with my heart pounding in my ears, I unfolded it to read.
Katrina, He found us. He knew about your mom. About everything. If you read this, we’re probably outside the club trying to figure out what to do and watching for any sign of your mom. I’m so sorry.
Without another word to the receptionist, I darted out of the building, rushing through the cobblestone streets back to Bastian’s club. It was just starting to open, given the time of day, and I rushed inside, pushing past the bouncers that I enchanted with my song to let me pass.
