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Rhoswen surveyed the group, her emerald eyes scanning us all before settling on Bayleon and Bastian. “Ambrose was the first of the Tyvar,” she said slowly. “He was the one who gave your people that name. But it turns out that the curse wasn’t so much of a burden to him. Haleth thought he would suffer from being unable to be with Nienna, but it seemed he enjoyed every minute of seducing other women and killing them.” She paused and her gaze shifted to me. “Nienna, however, is the one who truly suffered. She had to watch as Ambrose changed into a completely different person. Ultimately, he was quickly banished and Haleth lived with incredible guilt for what she had done.”
“What happened to Haleth?” I asked.
Rhoswen’s smile was sad but genuine. “She married and had children but never found true happiness. Everyone said it was her punishment for what she did. But Nienna found love again, despite all the pain her heart had endured at Ambrose’s hands. She lived a long life with a husband she truly cherished.”
At least, there was a happily ever after to the tragic story. With a trembling hand, Rhoswen stood and padded across the room to a painting on the wall. She ran her finger over the edge of the frame until she found the hidden latch. When she clicked it, a small door slowly opened and Rhoswen reached inside to pull out an ancient leather-bound book. Its pages were yellowed with age and frayed at the edges. She gazed at it momentarily, then sat back down and placed it on her lap.
“When news of Ambrose’s banishment began to spread, our people were thrown into a state of fear and chaos,” Rhoswen said sadly. “Many were abducted by the Tyvar or forced to make deals with the sirens that often ended in tragedy. It took a long time, but eventually, our king and queen issued a decree banning any of our people from ever going near the lake again, and any caught dealing with the sirens were subject to execution.”
I could hardly believe what I heard—it seemed too harsh for such a beautiful place. It was hard to imagine the elves in such dire circumstances.
“How did things eventually go back to normal?” I asked curiously.
Rhoswen sighed sadly and her shoulders dropped down in resignation. “Fear, unfortunately,” she said, her voice heavy with regret. She gestured to the leather-bound book on her lap. “This is a collection of names of those who were turned into Tyvar. Some volunteered and some were forced; it’s written beside their names. There’s even a list of women we believe were sold to them and those who voluntarily gave themselves up.”
Bastian stood and took the book, carefully running his fingers over the cover before opening it and looking through its pages. The paper was dry to the touch as if it would crumble in his hands, but that didn’t stop him from fully immersing himself in the information within.
Rhoswen watched with a look of curiosity on her face as if she was expecting something from him. A few seconds later, Bastian halted with his index finger lingering on a name. His jaw clenched and he sighed quietly.
“What is it?” I inquired.
He looked over at me and then at Bayleon. “There’s something you need to see.”
I leaned back so he could hand the book to Bayleon. Bayleon examined it and his facial muscles tightened once he saw the name. “‘Amadar: volunteered to be Tyvar,’” he read aloud. “I suspected but I never knew for sure,” he uttered.
“Do you recognize the name?” Rhoswen asked.
He closed the book and exhaled deeply before passing it back to her. “Yes, Your Highness,” he said. “It’s our father. He chose to be a Tyvar of his own free will.”
My mouth dropped and I gasped; this answered many of my questions. I was sure elven blood ran through their veins somehow.
“Which isn’t shocking,” Bastian added. “The man was an arrogant ass.”
Rhoswen glanced between them. “When I first encountered you two long ago, I couldn’t help but notice your similarity to the elves. However, I didn’t think it was my place to ask about it.”
Bayleon hung his head, his shoulders tense, and he sighed deeply. “Our father never talked about his lineage. All that mattered to him was being the leader of the Tyvar and passing that legacy down to Bastian and me.”
Rhoswen asked softly, “What of your mother? She had to have been a strong lady to survive his powers.”
Bayleon’s face twisted in pain and Bastian’s eyes glowed with a suppressed sadness. He cleared his throat before speaking. “She was from the Summer Court and had an affinity to earth. I remember watching her transform dirt into flowers and rocks into gems.”
A heavy feeling of sorrow filled the room as silence took over. We’d gotten a lot of answers and information, but there was still nothing on how to break the curse.
“You’ve given us so much information, Rhoswen,” I said, “and we’re very grateful. But do you have any idea on how to break the curse?”
She looked over at Aidan and then at me, knowing he’d be able to sense the truth. When she shook her head and said, “no,” I knew it was the truth without looking to Aidan for confirmation. Aelfric and Rhoswen stood and the rest of us followed suit.
“Just because I don’t have the answers doesn’t mean you won’t find them. It’s obvious the sirens are back. You’ve witnessed that tonight.” She smiled sadly at us. “If there’s anyone who can defeat them, it’s the four of you.”
Aelfric agreed with a nod. “You have our permission to go anywhere in our kingdom. Find your answers and do what you must do. Just be careful. The sirens are dangerous.”
Aidan’s eyes shifted to his dragon, and he smiled. “So are we.”
Bastian faced Bayleon and me and I could see the determination on his face. “Tomorrow, we hunt. What do you say?”
If the sirens were back, there was a reason for it. I had to believe we were in the right place at the right time. Even if they were after Bayleon and Bastian for some reason, they had Aidan and me behind them. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to my men. Bayleon nodded at his brother and Bastian focused on me, waiting for my answer.
“Yes,” I replied, taking Bastian’s hand in one hand and Bayleon’s in my other, their touch electrifying every nerve ending in my body. “Let’s find us some sirens.”
