AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He raises his gaze from mine, pondering something. “You weren’t yourself at first. You were dangerous. You were the siren, and then—I knew what to do somehow. I knew that if I didn’t struggle, if I just got close to you, you wouldn’t drown me.”
“In the story my father always told me about how he met my mother, he said instead of fighting the siren trying to drown him, he didn’t resist. That’s what stopped her, made her bring him up on land instead.”
It can’t be that simple, can it? An unresisting man causing a siren’s nature to be replaced with humanity? Whatever it is, I need to learn to control the siren, and Riden is the first chance I have at doing that.
“What is it?” Riden asks. He’s looking at me once more.
“I need your help. I was able to take out a ship from under the water. If I could learn to control myself, so I could go underwater anytime without fear… It’s not just a want. It’s a need. I need this in order to protect my crew. I need to learn to restock my abilities without losing my mind. I need to submerge myself in water without turning into a mindless beast. I need you to help me.”
Some of the fight leaves him at the look on my face. I don’t know what he sees there.
“Alosa, there is very little I wouldn’t do for you, but what exactly are you asking of me?”
“I need you to be with me when I replenish my abilities. I need you to bring me back. Over and over and over again. Until I can do it on my own.”
He scoffs. “I came in here to tell younotto drag me underwater with you, and you’re asking me to do just that?”
“Riden, we need this.”
“Youpromisedyou wouldn’t use your abilities on me. You broke it once to save my life. And now…” He shudders.
“This is different. I’m asking for your permission ahead of time.”
“And if I say no?”
“Then I’ll respect that.”
“Good. I’m saying no.”
I hadn’t expected him to answer so quickly. He could have at least pretended to consider it.
Part of me is relieved. The siren terrifies me every time I have to stock up. But the other part of me is disappointed. Doesn’t he know what this could mean for the crew, for our chances of survival?
It doesn’t matter. Riden won’t cooperate. That means I’ll figure something else out.
“Then on your way,” I say, pointing to the door.
***
Kearan, Niridia, and I are back in front of the maps. I’ve already explained the water situation to the crew. Now the three of us need to find a solution.
“There’s this large island on the Allemos map,” Kearan says, pointing to it. “It’s likely to have freshwater. We could stop.”
“The last island we stopped at had siren-made cannibals,” Niridia says. “Devil knows what’s on this one.”
“The question is whether we’d rather die of thirst,” I say, “or risk running into danger on another island.”
Niridia considers this. “Dying of thirst is assured if we don’t stop. Dying on this second island is only a possibility at this point.”
“Agreed,” Kearan says.
I’m thinking the same thing. “Good. Kearan, set a course.”
***
My eyes trail along the horizon, as they have for the last several days, but there is no sign of the fleet. Roslyn hasn’t shouted out anything from her better vantage point in the crow’s nest, either, so I decide to give it a rest.
A pod of whales swims a few hundred feet to our right. They leap from the water and splash back down. Roslyn laughs from the railing, straining as close as she can get, trying to catch the sea spray with her fingers.
