Water and Blood

  Now Amber looked shaken. She must not have thought of that option. Amber’s shock melted into anger.

  “You messed everything up, and I hope you pay for it. I’m ten times the siren she could ever be. You’re the one that will regret not choosing me when you had the chance. I hope you get everything you deserve.” She turned on her heels and marched back out of the room.

  Sam shrugged as the two guards looked baffled by her actions. He was only telling her the things he hadn’t told anyone before. He could understand that it upset her, but it didn’t change anything. There was no way he would regret not choosing her. He never wanted her in the first place. And by now it didn’t matter. He was going to be confined to the island forever. To live a boring life in a boring place. But at least Whitney would be free. That he could live with.

  Finally, Sam sat down. There was no need to wear himself out. He had set everything up as best he could and protected her. Her life would go on, and he would live knowing that he did everything in his power to do that. There was no going back and doing it over. He had done what he could. He could face his father and the siren. He was more than ready.

  Leaning back in the chair, Sam closed his eyes. There were many regrets in his life, but only one he was sad about. He pictured Whitney and smiled. He never got to tell her that he loved her, but that was okay. He showed her that by freeing her. She would know that. Even though he wished he could see her again, it was best this way.

  “Little brother, ready to go?” Tim asked from the doorway.

  Sam didn’t open his eyes, but let the last little bit of Whitney’s sparkle keep him going. He would be strong for her and accept his fate like he was meant to. Standing up, he looked at his brother. Tim was grinning ear to ear while he waited. Sam followed as Tim led him out of the house.

  “Do you want to know something?” Tim asked, acting like he was actually happy about something.

  “No,” Sam replied. Anything that made Tim happy wasn’t worth knowing.

  “I asked Dad if I could have her,” Tim replied, completely ignoring Sam.

  Sam shrugged. Whatever girl he was asking for would be his regardless. Not many sirens could refuse Tim. He was one of the stronger ones. Last year when Tim turned eighteen, he had asked to wait on choosing a mate because he still needed to shop around. Their father had agreed, and Tim had dated a new girl every week. Sam really didn’t care which one he had chosen.

  “Good for you,” Sam replied with fake cheer.

  Leading him farther down the dirt path and closer to the ocean, Tim continued to grin. Sam felt bad for whatever girl he had chosen. While Tim was attractive and came from the royal family, the only thing that was royal about him was that he was a royal pain.

  “Do you want to see who I chose?” Tim asked, as they started to get near the meeting amphitheater where the sirens would be gathered to see the spectacle that was his trial.

  “No,” Sam replied.

  “Oh, I think you do,” Tim added in a sing-song, teasing voice. Tim was in a really good mood, but Sam knew that it was probably not just the girl he chose, but also because Tim would get to see him punished. Tim loved the exhibition of a trial and getting to play the main role in the accusing game would be a cherry on the top.

  Sam walked by Tim and continued down the pathway to the amphitheater which was situated beside the ocean. Tim hurried to catch up and pushed Sam off the path, onto a much smaller second path that led behind the stage. Sam didn’t try to go back to the first path. He didn’t want to see the poor girl Tim was going to mate to, but this way he didn’t have to walk past all the eyes of the people sitting there, judging him silently. Sirens were wonderful at casting judgment, especially since they were all power hungry. One more person thrown off the hill would make it easier for them to climb.

  Climbing down the rock stairs, Sam followed Tim around the back of the seating area. Tim stayed in front of him the whole time, blocking his view as they rounded the corner. Sam bumped into him as he suddenly stopped. He spun around and smiled, not sweetly, more vindictively.

  “I asked father if I could have her as a mate.”

  Tim pointed to a glass bowl that was large enough to hold a mer. Sam’s heart sank. Whitney was sitting in the bowl with her bright pink fin on display; arms crossed as she stared daggers at Tim.

  Whitney glared at Tim as he stood there. He had had fun stripping her clothing off before throwing her into the glass bowl. How they had a glass bowl big enough to fit a person was beyond her. Now she sat in the water, feeling a bit like a goldfish as Tim appeared before her again. She had already tried to get out, and the perfectly round sides were impossible to climb with a fin. Tim was now back, and if she could get close enough, she wasn’t going to hold back as she smacked him. Maybe if she put some siren strength behind it, she could actually hurt him. If that didn’t work, she could always kick him between the legs. Day or night human, that was bound to hurt.

  As Tim turned around, Whitney caught a glance of a head of dark hair that made her heart beat fast. Her anger instantly disappeared as she stared at Sam. He stood there in shock.

  Sam ran over to the bowl, but Tim caught him just before he could reach it. Sam bucked him off, turning to take a swing at Tim, but stopped as soon as a regal-looking man walked between them. Whitney had no clue where she was and really had no clue who the man was, or where he came from. They were close to the ocean, she heard its song, but she couldn’t see it. In fact, all she saw were some trees and large stones that shot up into the dark night sky.

  “There will be no fighting before we get through this night,” the man stated, looking at both Sam and Tim as he spoke, his voice scolding while still soft.

  “She’s not a part of this,” Sam said through clenched teeth.

  “You’re correct that she isn’t on trial for what you did, but we will still need to decide what to do with her,” the man replied.

  “But, Father,” Sam started to complain. That made it clear to Whitney who the older man was.

  The king beside Sam didn’t look like a father to over a dozen children; he looked like the oldest brother. Maybe he could pass for forty at the oldest; his slight beard made him look older, but even that could be a stretch. The man glared at Sam in some sort of silent warning, causing Sam to turn on his heels and walk away. Tim grinned and followed him. Both brothers were gone.

  “You’ve caused quite the stir,” the king said to Whitney as he turned back around to face her. “It seems like both my sons are very interested in you.”

  Whitney knew this was her time. She needed to make sure the king knew the truth, and Sam wouldn’t be killed because of what he did.

  “Sam didn’t break the law in telling a day human about night humans. I already knew about night humans,” she blurted out before he could interrupt her.

  The king rubbed his beard. He looked nothing like the calloused man that Sam refused to respect and return home to. In fact, she didn’t see the malice of someone who hated his son like she expected. The king stared at her through the clear glass, stroking his chin more.

  “All my sources say you were a day human. There are only one set of day humans I know that know about night humans. If Sam changed a hunter into one of us, that’s a more serious crime you are admitting to.”

  Whitney quickly shook her head to shake off the shock of the accusation and to try to get him to understand that she really wasn’t that.

  “I’m not a hunter. I promise you that. And yes, I was a day human before, but that was because a witch took my night human out of me. I grew up as a skinwalker. I was a cougar,” Whitney quickly explained, thankful that the king was taking the time to listen and not jump to conclusions.

  The king stared hard at her, as if he was trying to see if she were telling the truth or not.

  “My parents were murdered when my night human was taken from me. I was sent to live with my aunt because I’m not a night human now. Really. Sam didn’t tell me about night huma
ns or even about sirens. I had learned about all the different kinds growing up since I was one. I’ve known about them since before I was able to talk. He didn’t break that law.”

  The king still stared at Whitney, and it was a bit unnerving. He didn’t show any indication either way if he believed her or not. Whitney wanted to plead more, but someone came around the nearest rock.

  “They are ready for you, dear,” the queen told the king

  “Aren’t they always,” he teased back as he offered her an arm and walked away without another word. Whitney was left without knowing what the king thought, or if she had swayed him.

  As soon as she was left alone, Noah came out from his hiding spot.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

  Whitney shrugged. “It’s a little late now. I can’t seem to get my feet back, so I’m kind of stuck in the bowl.”

  Noah shook his head. “We are going to have to teach you all this stuff. The bowl is made to hold mer, even strong ones like Sam can’t get out of there, so don’t feel like it’s you. The water has healing stuff in it. It makes you remain a siren so you can’t just climb out.”

  “Kind of like the siren hair ropes?” Whitney asked.

  Yes, she needed to be taught more about the siren world, but there wasn’t time for that now.

  “Did he look like he believed you?” Noah asked, still glancing around like they would be caught.

  “I don’t know,” Whitney replied. She truly didn’t. The king was an impossible person to read.

  “Then let me go get a ladder and get you out of there. I only agreed to this because you had a point to make.” Noah was scanning the empty area, obviously plotting her escape.

  “Noah. You did what I asked. None of this is your fault. I asked to be here, and I’m not leaving until I see that Sam is treated fairly. I’m not going to run away from this,” she explained for the tenth time. She was beginning to understand that the greens weren’t as strong as the blues, and running was their preferred style.

  “And what if they make you bind to Tim? What then? Not only will Sam be trapped here forever, he’ll have to live seeing you as Tim’s property.”

  Whitney made a gagging noise as she pretended to puke. “No way possible I’ll bind to him.”

  “Sometimes you don’t have a choice,” Noah replied.

  “Actually, with that sort of thing you do,” Whitney replied. She had been a night human long enough to know what binding to someone meant. It was a choice. You had to love them to do it.

  “What if the king orders it? I’ve seen him do it. He’s a siren, and the most powerful one at that. If he tells you that you love the person and will bind to them, then you will.” Noah sounded like he spoke from experience.

  “No one can tell me who to love.” Of that Whitney was sure. Not even the king, no matter how powerful.

  “They’ll be back soon. Are you sure you don’t want me to get you out of there so you can make a break for it?”

  “No. I’m not going anywhere,” Whitney replied, set on seeing it through. She wasn’t going to let Sam do this alone. She would be there with him, letting him know that much. He was probably going to be mad, but oh well. It was her life, and she was pretty stubborn.

  Water sloshed around as two very large siren carried her glass bowl around the large rock that was the direction Sam had gone. As soon as they made it past, Whitney could see what she had been missing now from her prime seat. There was an amphitheater with over a hundred faces staring back. Right near the front, Tim sat and grinned as Whitney was brought in. Sitting on the stage was the king in a stately-looking stone throne with Sam’s mother beside him. Sam was in front of his father on his knees, head to the ground, but he looked up as soon as Whitney was brought in. She had the perfect seat in her glass bowl as it was left on the stage, prominently displayed for all those there to view.

  They all gaped at her in shock. They were used to a two-level system of blues and greens, but they looked at her as if she had a third head, not a different color tail. Whitney stared back at all the confused faces. She didn’t blame Sam one bit for wanting to leave all these people behind.

  Whitney continued to stare at the siren watching at her as she realized something odd. They all looked back with blue eyes—crystal blue eyes. She didn’t have a blue or green tail and she lacked the blue eyes they all had too. Too bad it wasn’t the time for questions, because that was just one more thing added to her list to ask Sam when she got the chance. With him kneeling before his father, she hoped she would get the opportunity.

  “As we can all see, you have turned a day human into a siren, and we must punish you,” his father said as soon as the staring and chattering died down a little bit.

  Whitney wanted to defend Sam, and he must have sensed it as he looked up at his father.

  “I take full responsibility for my actions,” Sam stated.

  Surprise shone from the older man’s eyes, and Tim’s smile actually faltered.

  “Whitney was, in fact, a day human when I met her. I was assigned with teaching her how to swim. Under my guidance, she did learn how to swim, but I failed. I let her almost drown.”

  Whitney watched him and had no idea what was going on. The fact that Sam was speaking surprised everyone, but even as he spoke there was more astonishment. Maybe they expected him to defend himself, but instead, he was confirming that he broke their law.

  “I couldn’t let her die. The hunters are always around looking for suspicious drownings. I used my blood to save her. At the time I didn’t know she had been a night human previously, and I surely didn’t know it would turn her. But it did, and I’m prepared to face the consequences.”

  Whitney’s mouth hung open in confusion along with the rest of them. He was confessing.

  “All I ask is that you let her go free. She didn’t ask to be part of the sirens, and she isn’t bound to our laws. Even her tail agrees with that.” Sam smiled over at her, and she felt her heart race. He was taking full blame to get her off the island.

  The king stared at Sam without saying a word. The people in the audience began to mumble to their neighbors, and soon it was loud enough that Whitney was distracted as she was trying to hear from one conversation to another. She wasn’t sure if the audience held sway over the king but she wanted to hear what they said. Whitney glanced over everyone. They were all just as confused as she was except for Tim. He was scowling. He obviously didn’t like Sam’s speech.

  “Son, you’ve pointed out a very odd fact,” his father said quietly, and the people instantly hushed. “A fact that you didn’t tell me before, one that the girl has also mentioned.”

  Sam looked at his father questioningly, and a flicker of sadness came over his features.

  “It seems I can’t grant your request of letting her go free when, in fact, she knows of night humans. Then she must also know that the night humans don’t like the sirens, and we shouldn’t exist. We cannot allow her to be on her own. She’s a liability. If she were to be found, they would come looking for us all.”

  Sam rubbed his hands down his face. His last attempt to free Whitney wasn’t working as he wanted it. She gave him a sad smile in return for his quick glance. He had tried, and she understood that. All she could hope now was that they wouldn’t hurt him.

  “And there is the fact of the tail. I don’t know exactly what it means, but it might mean that she needs to die. We have an order in our society that has stood for hundreds of years. We function well, and these rules have kept us from crumbling and infighting. If we allow one that different to exist, it might break down the world we’ve worked hard to create.”

  The king didn’t look at Whitney as he spoke easily about ending her life. The same callous disregard for life she saw in Tim’s eyes was coming through in their father. Sam must have sensed it, too, as he looked back over to Whitney. She could almost feel his despair. She wasn’t about to let him give up.

  Without thinking, Whitn
ey pushed herself up, forcing her fin to hold her weight and allow her to stand. It hurt, and felt the pain as a few of her bones cracked, but she wasn’t going to just sit in a glass ball waiting to be saved. She was done with that. Grabbing the rim that was barely within reach now, she held on tight as her fin gave out, more bones cracking in the process. She still didn’t care. Sam was giving up. She wasn’t. She’d fight hard enough for the both of them.

  Sam’s head snapped to her as soon as the first bone crunched and he didn’t hesitate to run over to her when her fingers wrapped around the glass rim of the bowl. He ripped his shirt off in the process and threw it over the glass edge.

  Whitney realized her hands were being cut by the glass. Not only did they make it so you had to break your fin to get out, you would cut your hands in half at the top if you did reach it. She hadn’t thought of that. The glass looked normal to her, but as blood dripped down the inside of the bowl, she couldn’t get out.

  Sam’s shirt was there as he helped her move her cut hands over. He was standing just a little taller than the bowl, and when she looked down, she saw it was water holding him up, and the water in the bowl had moved to hold her in a seat also. She still needed to learn that ability.

  “Neat trick,” she said quietly as they stood there face-to-face.

  “You need to get back down in that water and let your hands and fin heal,” he told her, or rather ordered her.

  Whitney grinned. Sam was just so Sam. She was anxious about what was coming, but that didn’t seem to matter in that exact moment. She was there with Sam. Everything she had been thinking and worrying about flew out the window. She was getting one last chance with him and was too tongue-tied to say anything. Snapping out of it was hard, but she needed to talk to him.

  “I can’t let you take all the blame for this. You aren’t a bad guy for saving my life. This isn’t how it’s supposed to end,” she complained.

  She couldn’t help it. Whitney had spent her whole life on the outside of the skinwalker clan, one of them but never fitting in. She never had a boyfriend or fell in love. Never in a million years did she think this going to be her world, but now it was, and she didn’t want to let go of it.