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  “Mer’s parents come for her tonight, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  His eyes lit up. “Well, Mer will need someone to escort her.”

  Her heart soared for a moment as she thought about playing in the sea. But her enthusiasm was short-lived. At some point, they would have to drug Hayjen so they could return Mer to her family. He couldn’t know the young girl was Sirenidae. She had to protect her people from the land kingdoms at all costs. Secrecy was their strongest weapon. “The next week is going to be rough.”

  Blair nodded. “It’s been peaceful the last couple weeks.”

  She smiled at her friend. “It’s all the women.”

  His lips turned up. “They certainly improve our surroundings.”

  Her smile faded at the thought of how the girls would react to Mer’s disappearance. “They may need to be held as well, but I don’t want them drugged. It could damage their psyche even more.”

  Her first mate’s smile disappeared. “I don’t want to lock them up after all they’ve suffered, but you’re right—I doubt they will stand down.”

  Lilja turned and stared out at the waves. “Depths below, let’s all hope we survive Hayjen’s wrath.”

  “Aye, no good deed goes unpunished.”

  “Indeed,” she added gravely.

  ***

  Lilja’s stomach knotted as Hayjen finished the food on his plate. Blair’s hand landed on her leg, squeezing gently. She cast a sidelong glance at her friend.

  “You were thumping,” he said quietly between bites.

  “Sorry,” she grumbled, turning back to her own meal. Lilja pushed the food around on her plate, her ears straining to hear the conversation one table over.

  “Time for bed, Mer.”

  “Awww…do I have to?”

  “Yes, baby girl. It’s time.”

  Lilja just barely kept her eyes from watching the pair leave the galley.

  “Calm down,” Blair admonished softly.

  She blew out a breath, angry with herself. She liked Hayjen, but returning the little girl and protecting her secret were more important. One by one, her crew and the girls filed out, leaving Blair and her alone.

  “He’s probably gone by now.”

  “I know.”

  Her first mate raised a brow at her tone.

  Her lips thinned. Why was she feeling so guilty when she was doing the right thing?

  “You know you have to do this.”

  “I know.”

  Blair straightened and wrapped an arm around her. “It’s going to be okay. The next week will be filled with turmoil, but after that, the survivors will be gone and things can go back to normal.”

  Unexpected tears pricked her eyes. “I know,” she sniffed. “I just…it’s been a long time since I’ve felt at home, or had a measure of peace. Having the girls on board has been an unexpected blessing, and Mer…well, I will miss my niece.”

  “I’ve seen the change in you. You’re a people person. They make you happy.”

  “Am I?” she wondered out loud. She didn’t feel like she was a people person.

  “More than myself. You seek others out. You don’t have to be liked, but you enjoy it.”

  “I don’t think anyone enjoys being disliked.”

  Blair’s chuckle rumbled her shoulder. “You’re right.”

  Lilja groaned, straightening and wiping her tears. “I don’t have time for this.” She forced a smile and pecked Blair on the cheek. “You’ll make sure all the girls are tucked in?”

  He watched her for a moment and nodded. “They’ll all be in bed.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and stood from the pillows. “I’ll get Mer.” Lilja spun on her heel and swiftly strode from the room. She crossed the deck and moved into the girl’s barracks. She waved at the women still awake and slipped in next to Hayjen’s and Mer’s hammocks. Hayjen was out cold. His mouth was wide open, deep breaths moving his chest. Mer popped her head up, grinning. Lilja knelt and smiled at the little girl. “Would you like to go for a swim?”

  “Yes,” Mer squealed.

  Lilja held a finger up to her mouth. “Hush, we don’t want to wake the others.”

  Mer slithered over the unconscious Hayjen, her eyes glittering with excitement.

  Lilja held out her hand for the little girl and took one last glance at Hayjen, guilt cramping her stomach. Please forgive me, she thought.

  She turned and began weaving through the swaying hammocks filled with sleeping girls. Lera lifted her head.

  “I’m taking Mer for a swim. Is that alright?” Lilja asked. The petite woman smiled and closed her eyes. She let out a breath and walked through the door with Mer skipping beside her. Mer dropped her hand and scrambled over to Blair leaning against the wall. She leapt into his arms, hugging him. A lump formed in her throat when Blair hugged the girl just as tightly and gazed over Mer’s shoulder at her. He would have made a wonderful father. Their connection broke when Mer pulled back and began chattering excitedly.

  “Lilja is taking me swimming! I might see a dolphin.”

  “Really? Now?”

  “Uh huh!” She kicked her legs to get down.

  Her first mate followed the silent prompting and placed Mer on the ground. Mer reached for Lilja and Blair’s hands “Can we go now?”

  The trio made their way to the open deck where her crew had made themselves scarce. They knew her secret, but they still respected her people’s laws and secrecy. Two black fins sliced the water, alerting her to the arrival of Mer’s parents. She dropped to her knees and clasped the little girl’s face. “Would you like to see your parents?”

  Mer’s lilac eyes rounded in her small face. “You found them?”

  “They found you!”

  The little girl jumped in place with a huge smile adorning her face. Lilja made sure to sear this memory in her mind. Mer ran for the edge of the ship and paused at the rail, “I forgot to say goodbye to Hayjen. I can’t leave without saying goodbye.”

  “I’ll make sure to tell him,” she whispered, caressing one of her niece’s chubby cheeks.

  Mer hugged her leg and looked up to Blair. “Can you throw me? My papa always does that.”

  “You don’t want us to swim with you?”

  “Nope, I like flying.”

  “I sure can, little one,” Blair added.

  Lilja looked down to the silent Sirenidae couple, their magenta eyes pinned to her, their pale skin glowing in the moonlight. “She’s all yours, sister.”

  The couple clutched each other and tears filled their eyes when Blair hoisted Mer up.

  “Mama! Papa! Watch this!”

  Her first mate picked up Mer and then tossed her over the rail. The little girl squealed in delight as a loud voice bellowed, “NO!”

  Lilja spun to find Hayjen horror-stricken. “No,” he cried, staring at the railing.

  “Damn it,” Blair hissed, moving quickly to intercept Hayjen.

  Her sister needed to leave now. Mer’s parents were cuddling the little girl, peppering her with kisses. Lilja jerked forward and waved, catching their attention. “It’s not safe.”

  Lily peeked over Mer’s head. “Thank you. I miss you.”

  She slumped against the railing, staring at the Sirenidae woman. “I miss you too,” she called over the hollering.

  “Love you,” her sister’s musical voice floated to her.

  Tears blurred her eyes. She hadn’t heard that voice in years. “I love you too, sis.”

  Mer blew her a kiss and dove into the water just as something huge smashed her into the railing. Her breath rushed out, and she tried to inhale but her lungs screamed.

  “I’ll kill you,” Hayjen screamed next to her ear.

  His weight lifted off her and she sunk to her hands and knees gasping for breath.

  “How could you? She’s just a little girl! What kind of monster are you?”

  Lilja peered up at the out-of-control Hayjen fighting against Blair and Cook.

&
nbsp; “You’re a murderer.” His face was purple. “You killed her. You killed her!” His scream cut off into ragged sobs of someone who had lost everything.

  Blair and Cook dragged him to the stairs leading to the cells below deck.

  She placed her forehead on the deck, still able to hear the muffled cries.

  “Captain, do you need anything?” her deckhand’s soft voice floated above her.

  “No, thank you.” She listened to his feet move away from her. Lilja knew she should get up, but the will to move wasn’t there. She could still see her sister diving below without another glance backward, and Hayjen’s panic-stricken face in her mind. There wasn’t any way he would forgive her after this night.

  Boots thudded across the deck in her direction and paused by her side. Large, careful hands plucked her from the deck and cradled her against a warm body.

  “Oh, Lil.”

  So much was said in that brief statement. Blair was sorry she couldn’t speak with her sister, sorry that she had to keep it from Mer that she was her aunt, sorry that Hayjen hated her—just sorry.

  “I need to go to bed,” she murmured against his sea-stained shirt. Blair tucked her underneath his arm and guided her towards her rooms. Once inside, Lilja sunk onto her window seat, staring out at the black waves hiding everything she cared about.

  Her door clicked shut. “Do you want to talk about it?” Blair asked, sitting next to her.

  Her eyes traced the swirling colors painted on the glass as thoughts whirled through her. “I miss them. I long to be with my family.”

  Blair’s hand slipped into hers. He shared her pain. He knew what it was like to be separated from your people.

  “After all this time,” continued Lilja, “I thought the longing had faded away. But when I saw Lily’s face, all I wanted to do was jump into the waves after her.” A fat tear plopped onto her cheek, making her feel angry. “I hate that I’ve been punished for doing what is right.” She turned to Blair. “Am I doing what’s right?”

  “I am thankful you didn’t turn your back on the rest of the kingdoms like your family did. If you had, I would not be here with you. I would be stuck in that hell.”

  Lilja swallowed and closed her eyes. The decision to exile herself with those who dwelled upon the land had been easy. She had known it was the wrong decision to retreat to the sea when Scythians had attacked Nagali. Hiding didn’t solve the Scythians’ corruption or conquest for perfection. All it did was save her people’s own skin. In deciding to help the other kingdoms, she had exiled herself from ever returning to the depths of her home. The claim was that she would be tainted by the world and endanger the others. The Sirenidae had faded from most people’s minds and were now considered a myth. But she was living proof that the Sirenidae were alive and well. Even as the pain of seeing her sister coursed through her, she knew she had made the right decision. If you had the power to prevent a crime, then it was your responsibility to do so.

  She’d seen firsthand what the Scythians were doing. Lilja couldn’t bear to leave the ignorant kingdoms on their own. She couldn’t do much now, other than steal back the slaves they captured, but one day she would make a stand against those beasts. Justice and vengeance would be served.

  “You look as if you have the weight of the kingdoms on your shoulders.”

  “Don’t we?” Lilja asked with a weak smile.

  Blair studied her, his brown eyes keen. “We could always settle down.”

  Lilja slammed a hand against the window and stood. She ran her hands over her silvery white braid in agitation. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just—” She turned sharply and met Blair’s eyes. “I am tired of waiting for the perfect time to strike Scythia, but we are just two people. We would need armies to defeat them, to destroy their labs. It feels hopeless.”

  Blair blew out a breath, dropping his eyes to her desk. “I feel the same way, but we must not be hasty. These things take time.”

  “I know.” She truly did. “Then there’s Hayjen.”

  Her friend’s eyes lifted to hers. “He was very angry.”

  She rubbed her mouth, trying to figure out what to say. “I can still hear him screaming.”

  “He thinks we threw Mer to the Leviathan.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “He didn’t see your sister and her husband. All he saw was her being thrown overboard into the water. The Sirenidae’s existence is still safe, but now he thinks we are murderers.” Blair’s voice was bland, betraying that he was upset over the ordeal. “I thought you drugged him, Lilja.”

  “I did. He shouldn’t have woken until tomorrow morning.”

  “Well, something didn’t work. Cook and I had to knock him out to get him contained.”

  “So he believes we murdered his adopted daughter?”

  “Yes.” Blair stared at her resolutely. “If he has the chance to kill you, he will.”

  Lilja let that settle for a moment. “I can’t say that I blame him.”

  “No,” Blair added. “This week is going to be brutal.”

  “I can only imagine.”

  ***

  It was brutal.

  Hayjen raged in the belly of the ship, bellowing himself hoarse.

  The girls cried and cursed, then kept to themselves—speaking to no one but each other.

  The whole ship filled with tension that set Lilja’s teeth on edge.

  When the Sanee port came into view, her frayed nerves settled a bit. They could rid themselves of the women and Hayjen, gather some supplies, and be on their way in a handful of days. Lilja adjusted her long flowing hair and dress as The Sirenidae glided into port. She waved to a few merchants smiling brightly. Most of them knew her as an eccentric lady merchant. When her ship shuddered to a stop, she swept from the rail towards the women’s makeshift barracks. All eyes turned to her when she sauntered through the door. There were no welcomes or smiles, but rather blank faces and angry scowls.

  It broke her heart that they’d lost the friendship and comradery they had built since she rescued them from the slaver ship. From the look in their eyes, she was no different than the monsters that hurt the girl, and that cut deep.

  Lilja brushed it off as best she could and looked over the group. “We’ve arrived in Sanee.” Emotions washed through the group; excitement, nervousness, apprehension, joy, resignation. “My first mate has arranged for transportation and some coins to help you start a new life or better your old one. You deserve happy, long lives.”

  “What of Mer? What did she deserve?” Lera growled.

  “She deserved happiness, and a family.”

  “You’re a monster.”

  Lilja schooled her face from betraying how much that hurt. “That may be so, but today this monster is returning you to your homes. I wish you every happiness and joy. May your lives be filled with love.” With that parting remark, she swept from the room, saddened that she wouldn’t see the group of girls again. One by one, her crew helped the girls disembark the ship. She watched with a sad heart as they hugged and cried when they left each other.

  Once all the girls had left, there was just one to let loose. Lilja abandoned her perch and made her way down into the belly of the ship. The ship creaked as she halted in front of Hayjen’s cell. He looked like a broken man, even worse than how they’d found him. It killed her that she’d done that. He’d survived so many things. She’d broken him.

  “What do you want?” Hayjen lifted his head and locked eyes on her. Rage and hate blazed in his eyes as he lunged for her, slamming into the bars, his fingers barely skimming her dress. So close but not close enough to harm her. “I’ll kill you.”

  She maintained a calm appearance even though her heart was pounding. It was the first time she’d visited him since returning Mer to her family. “I understand what you must be going through.”

  “You know nothing, murderer.” His hands moved back to the bars. Hayjen shook them, a maniacal smile on his face. “When you release me, you better
be prepared, captain—because there’s nothing that will keep me from you.”

  “Indeed?” She arched a brow and cocked a hip. “I think there are many, but most importantly your sister.”

  He stilled. “What about my sister?” he growled.

  “I have it on good authority that she’s been taken in by another family, but I’m sure you would like to make sure of her welfare.”

  “How?”

  “How do I know?” Lilja scoffed. “It’s my business to deal in secrets. We’ve been in port less than an hour and I already know what is afoot in Sanee.”

  Hayjen just stared her with disgust. “Apparently you deal in death as well.”

  “Not everything is as it seems,” she whispered.

  “You’re right,” he rumbled. “I thought you were a decent person, but you’re a bloodthirsty pirate without a conscience.”

  “How uninventive.” She waved a hand. “I’ve been called worse.”

  “I’m sure it was appropriate.”

  Lilja glanced at the stairwell. She wasn’t going to get anywhere. She wasn’t sure what she had hoped to achieve by coming down those stairs, but it wasn’t this.

  “We’ve arrived in Sanee,” she said in a monotone, not even bothering to turn back to face him. “My crew has arranged for transportation and coins for you to start a new life with your sister.” She turned then to cast one last pitying look at the broken, angry man in her cell. “Good luck.”

  Her dress whispered around her legs as she ascended the stairs up to the deck. She sucked in a deep salty breath and blew it out.

  “How was he?” Blair asked, stopping at her side.

  “Angry, depressed, reckless.”

  “Can you blame him?”

  “No, I cannot. But there’s nothing we can do except get him off our ship.”

  Blair squeezed her shoulder and walked away.

  Lilja’s eyes slammed shut as yelling and fighting echoed from the belly of her ship, becoming louder. She turned and opened her eyes in time to watch her men drag Hayjen by his arms up the last of the stairs. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, causing her stomach to drop. She’d made a lifelong enemy.

  He bared his teeth in a feral grin, teeth stained red. “Take a good look at my face, Femi. It will be the last thing you will ever see.”