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I pulled out the two amber necklaces from my pocket and ran my fingers over the smooth stones. Lerissa pinched her eyes shut, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths.
“Are you scared?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Not scared. Just nervous. I can feel Diawen’s magic calling out to me. It’s like a magnet pulling me closer.”
I squeezed her shoulder. “Once I free Bayleon and Bastian, we’ll go to Diawen. She’s the only one who knows how to break the curse.”
Lerissa opened her eyes, staring back at me with skepticism. “What if she doesn’t tell you how to break it? Are you going to kill her?”
With her conspiring with the Tyvar and taking Bayleon and Bastian, she deserved to pay for what she did. That sort of deed couldn’t go unpunished. The problem was that I had no clue how powerful she was. I didn’t know much about sirens or what kind of power they possessed besides seducing men. A part of me still felt as if Lerissa was hiding her true strength.
I met Lerissa’s gaze and shook my head. “No, I’m not going to kill her. But one way or another, I have to get the information I need.”
I looked down at the necklaces and reluctantly handed her one, knowing I was putting my trust in her. She peered into my eyes but made no move to put the necklace on.
“How do you want to do this?”
“Well,” I began, “I would say we should stick together, but once you put that necklace on and disappear from sight, all I can do is trust that you’ll stay by my side until we find my men.”
Lerissa nodded and fastened the necklace around her neck, immediately vanishing before my eyes. I half expected her to run off, but I could still feel her presence beside me. Now it was my turn. I slipped on the necklace and watched as my own body disappeared.
Shortly after, I felt Lerissa’s hand touch mine, her grip firm. “I’m ready.”
We cautiously set foot across the wooden bridge, the fog billowing around us with every step. The air carried the scent of smoke and something musky. I felt Lerissa’s hand tighten in mine as we passed through the fog and the Tyvar encampment came into view. The last time I was here, there were only a few hundred in number, but the place had grown. Everywhere I looked, there were round huts and people. Small groups of men huddled around tall campfires, laughing and drinking from deep wooden mugs.
Further away, I could hear the muffled moans and cries of pleasure from the women behind tightly shut doors, a sound that brought a lump to my throat.
“Is that seriously all they do?” Lerissa whispered, her voice barely audible.
I squeezed her hand in response. “Yes.”
Despite the apparent joyousness of the evening, I knew it would be fleeting—many of those women would not make it through the night.
A door opened to one of the houses on our left, and two Tyvar stepped out, their laughter obnoxious and grating. One had short brown hair and was muscular, his skin gleaming in the moonlight, while the one had curly blond hair and was tall with elvish features like Bayleon and Bastian. Both wore the identical brown and green thin fabric tunics that all the Tyvar wore, but there was something particularly cocky in how they stood.
“Rogan beat the shit out of those bastards today,” the brown-haired one said, slapping the other one’s shoulder.
“I thought those guys were the strongest of the Tyvar,” the blond one said, and the brown-haired one snorted.
“They were until they stopped fucking. That’s what happens to us if we don’t. We get weak.”
The blond one scoffed. “I heard it’s because they fell in love with a fae princess. Idiots. Who would give up what we have for that?”
I could feel my blood boil as I watched them, my fists clenching and unclenching. We continued through the camp as soon as they were out of earshot.
“Where do you think they are?” Lerissa asked.
I squeezed Lerissa’s hand when I spotted exactly what I was looking for. “Straight ahead,” I said. At the far end of the camp, carved into a hillside, was what I assumed to be Bayleon’s home. Two men stood guard outside the entrance. “No other place here has men standing guard,” I murmured. “They have to be in there.”
Lerissa pressed closer to my side. “How are we going to get inside?”
I hated what I was about to do, but there was no other option. Releasing Lerissa’s hand, I quickly drew my bow and fired two arrows. They found their targets causing them to slump to the ground, and Lerissa gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I said, knowing she wasn’t used to this way of life. “But we have to hurry.” I went to grab one of the men and Lerissa followed, aiding me in dragging the body away from the door. When she returned, I noted her footprints in the dirt. “Thank you,” I whispered.
I stepped forward, my hand reaching out to touch her arm, but instead, I brushed the back of her head. I glanced nervously around us, making sure nobody was there to witness the door miraculously open.
Taking a deep breath, I grasped the handle and the hinges creaked ever so slightly as I pulled the door open and rushed inside. Lerissa followed right behind me, her gasp echoing off the walls. I took in the scene before me—Bayleon and Bastian maskless, tied to poles, their faces bruised and battered. As soon as they heard Lerissa’s gasp, they snapped their heads around to look in our direction, but they couldn’t see us. I ran over, knelt between them, and placed my hands on their faces.
