Theron groaned in pain before he opened his eyes and blinked a few times. Above him, it was clear and dark, and the sky sparkled with thousands of stars. What happened? Was he still on the roof in Cadmus? No… he was too warm and too comfortable for that. Then where was he?

“I see you’ve finally decided to rejoin the living,” a voice said.

King Nero of Anzino stood at the foot of the infirmary bed, looking over him with concern. Theron sat up slowly, rubbing his aching chest.

“What happened?” he asked. “I oughta be dead by now.”

“I don’t really know the details,” Nero explained, “but your friend brought you here for both medical attention and safety. You’ve been unconscious the entire time you’ve been here.”

“Where’s Ken?”

“He had urgent matters to attend to back in Draconia. I sent members of the Royal Guard with him, and he left you and the other young man in my charge.”

“Other young man? Who—”

Theron fell silent as he glanced over and saw Blaise. He was paler than usual, taking slow, shaky breaths, and his body was covered in bandages that were stained with blood.

“I don’t understand.” He hissed in pain, clutching his injured shoulder. Why hadn’t the poison killed him? What had happened to Blaise?

“Let me see,” Nero said. He sat on the edge of the bed across from Theron and removed the bandages, and a grim look fell over his face.

The wound was red and inflamed, and some of Theron’s skin was black. It smelled like burning flesh, and it was oozing blood. The blood wasn’t fresh, though. It was dark and thick like sludge, and it smelled putrid.

“This is going to hurt,” he told Theron.

Before Theron could even ask what he meant, Nero grabbed his shoulder firmly, his bare palm pressing hard against the wound as he squeezed. Theron cried out in pain and gripped Nero’s arm, digging his nails into his skin while he tried to pull his hand away. Nero wouldn’t budge though.

“Let go!” Theron demanded. “That fuckin’ hurts!”

“Relax,” Nero said, squeezing harder. “It’ll only take a moment.”

When Nero released him, Theron doubled over, clutching the wound while he tried to catch his breath. The pain was intense. His breath came out in quick, labored huffs, and his whole body trembled as it slowly subsided.

He sat up slowly, and Nero fetched a cloth to clean the wound. The redness had gone away, and the skin around the wound wasn’t black anymore. When Nero cleaned it, the black ooze was replaced by fresh red blood, and he put clean bandages over it.

“How did you—”

“You like that?” Nero asked with a smirk. “A Werewolf taught me that trick when I was much younger. I got bitten by a snake in the Badriyan Forest. She used it to remove the venom from my leg.”

“I’ve heard some stuff about ya. There’s lotsa stories ‘bout you all o’er the place.”

“Well, I won’t brag about my past travels right now. I’m sure you’d be more interested to know that I’m preparing my soldiers to aid Draconia.”

“Really?” Theron’s eyes lit up with excitement. “We’ll take any help we can get at this point. Five years been way too long. This shit’s gotta end.”

“I agree,” Nero said, “and I hope you’ll accept my apology. I thought I was doing good by keeping this kingdom neutral, and by offering shelter to Draconian refugees, but I see now that’s not enough. I’m sending word to other kingdoms, as well. I don’t know how far a simple message will get me, but I do have friends in other kingdoms.”

***

Blaise, you’ve got to wake up. There’s so much work to be done.

Blaise groaned softly in his sleep. His whole body ached, and he didn’t know where he was. There was something soft under him, and the air was warm and comforting. It felt like an hour before he could muster the energy to open his eyes.

He was laying in an infirmary, surrounded by black stone that shimmered with magic. His chest was wrapped in tight bandages, and he inhaled a sharp breath as he sat up. It was dark outside too, and there were only a couple of nurses in the infirmary, paying him no mind at the time. Where had everyone gone?

***

Theron let out a heavy sigh and rested his arms against railing, looking out over the balcony at Anzino. It was beautiful at night, the black stone that made up most of the kingdom imbedded with shards of magic. It looked like a reflection of the night sky, glittering like stars.

There was a frantic knocking at the door, and he stood up straight, his heart pounding. He didn’t know what, but something was wrong. He rushed to the door of the room he’d been given to stay in. He was still healing, but his shoulder felt much better than it had a few days earlier.

Noira was standing in the corridor with King Nero, and they were both out of breath.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“It’s your companion,” Noira told him breathlessly. “He’s gone.”

Theron’s eyes went wide, and he rushed around the room, collecting his Draconem uniform.

“He can’t be far,” he said, struggling to get his shirt on. “He’s hurt real bad. There ain’t no way he can get outta the kingdom that quick with wounds like that. We gotta find him before he gets himself killed!”

***

How are you going to face your father? You don’t even have any weapons on you.

“I’ll kill him with my bare hands if I gotta.”

Yeah, right, kid. Do you even remember what happened? He nearly killed you and you weren’t even conscious.

“I’ll figure somethin’ out, a’right? Just leave me be!”

Blaise hissed in pain, clutching his chest as he walked. He hadn’t fully healed, but he didn’t have time to lay around doing nothing. He had unfinished business he needed to deal with before he could ever hope to help Zane with taking back Draconia.

He’d spent two days traveling south, towards Oorlog. He was afraid the others would come after him when they found out he was missing, so he stayed off the main road.

The path to Oorlog wasn’t safe, especially off the road, and the sun beat down harshly on the mostly barren lands in the southern part of Anzino. There was a steep drop that led down to the ocean shore far below, but nothing grew around it, not even a tree or two. The few trees that littered the landscape were all dry and dead.

Do you really think this is a good idea? You should have asked Kenric for help.

“I gotta do it on my own,” Blaise said. “I don’t want no one else gettin’ hurt. Besides, you—”

Blaise was cut off as the path crumbled away. His foot slipped out from under him, and he tumbled down the steep embankment. His heart beat frantically as he fell, unable to find anything to grab onto. Pain shot through his body as he hit stones and rolled off ledges, until he finally came to a stop at the bottom, face down in the gravel.

Are you all right?

He groaned in pain and rolled onto his back, struggling to catch his breath. His arms were all scratched up, and blood ran down the side of his face from a gash in his brow. It mixed with his sweat and just smeared into a bloody mess when he tried to wipe it away.

“What an unfortunate fall,” a sultry voice said. It was serene and inviting, and one of the smoothest sounds Blaise had ever heard.

He sat up slowly, brushing the dirt and blood off his arms, and then he saw her.

She was waist-deep in the water, watching him with intense green eyes. Her dark hair was so long that it touched the surface, and she was adorned with seaweed and hibiscus flowers. Her blue-green dress shimmered like the water as the light hit it, and she wore a silver circlet that was embedded with ocean-blue gems.

Once Blaise met her gaze, he was mesmerized. She was beautiful, and he couldn’t help but stare as he got to his feet. She didn’t speak, and yet, Blaise felt drawn to her.

As he reached the edge of the lake, his legs locked up. Zane was pulling him back.

Don’t go in the water. She’s not Human.

Blaise was puzzled by Zane’s reaction. It must have shown on his face too, because the woman laughed softly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, moving closer to the shore. “Don’t you want to wash the blood and dirt away? The water isn’t cold.”

Blaise couldn’t break his eye contact with her, and didn’t really feel any reason to try. Zane was the one who was trying to stop him. He tried to step into the water again, but the Dragon Prince’s will held him back with a surprising amount of force.

Snap out of it before she drowns you!

“You seem conflicted,” she noted, still moving closer. She was only knee deep in the water now, and her dress accentuated all her curves. “I can help you. This water has healing powers—just come in for a moment.”

Blaise was still trying to get in the water. He wanted to wash the blood and dirt away. He hadn’t been in the ocean in years. The last time he’d gone swimming was when he’d lived in Oorlog with his mother. He wanted to feel the coolness on his skin, to submerge himself and forget about war and Dragons and pain for a while.

Blaise!

Zane pulled with all the will he could muster, and Blaise fell back in the dirt, away from the edge of the water. He landed just out of reach of the woman, who had one arm extended towards him, and Blaise’s eyes went wide, his heart pounding with fear.

Instead of fingers, she had long talon-like claws that tried to grab at him. Her calm, serene face had turned sinister, and she had fangs instead of teeth.

She laughed softly, and it send a chill up Blaise’s spine as she reverted back to her Human form, appearing as just a beautiful woman.

All around him, at the edge of the shore, there were bones and skulls among the rocks. The water, which was beautiful and clear, made it easy to see the bottom of the lake. Down below, there were more bones, some even full skeletons, and glimmering jewels, trinkets, and money. Lost treasures of murdered men.

“What are you?” Blaise asked, and she laughed again.

“It’s difficult to say,” she said. “We go by many names, depending on who passes by. Some call us Sirens, others call us Kelpies or Mermaids. Not that it matters. I’m the only one left here. There used to be more, but very few still exist these days.”

Blaise felt pity for her. She was all alone? He had endured a similar fate, watching his brothers from the orphanage die all around him until he was the only one left.

Don’t empathize with her. She’s just trying to lure you in so she can kill you.

“You must be real lonely,” Blaise said, and she tilted her head curiously.

“Lonely? Yes, I supposed I am.” She had a thoughtful look on her face, but quickly became more serious, almost angry. “But you’ve found your way to me, as many have before you. Passersby make eternity go by faster. Some don’t pay me any mind, some speak from a distance, like you, and some remain here with me forever. Count yourself lucky to still be alive.”

Blaise swallowed hard.

“I ain’t countin’ myself lucky for nothin’. I’d prefer to die, if I’m bein’ honest.”

What are you saying? Don’t tell her that!

“Well, then,” she said, a smile forming on her face as she reached out to him with her long delicate fingers. “Why not join me then?”

Don’t fall for her tricks!

Blaise could feel Zane trying to take over, to keep him away from the woman and out of the water. Blaise had gotten stronger, though, and was able to stop Zane from overpowering him.

Stop this!

“Well?” the woman questioned, her hand still extended to him.

Forcing himself to move, Blaise took the woman’s hand. He was locked in her trance again, and he let her lead him into the water.

Get away from her! You need to get out!

He didn’t know how much time passed or how far he’d gone, until he reached the edge where the shallows dropped off. The sea suddenly became rough and stormy, and a wave crashed over him and he went under.

At first, he struggled, trying to get back to the surface, but the woman kept a firm hold of his hand, keeping him under. She had transformed again, and her long dress was now a layer of scales covering her long, beautiful tail. She really was a Siren.

She reached out and touched his cheek, and Blaise couldn’t help but stare at her. He stopped struggling, despite his chest aching as he went without air.

Every muscle in his body tensed as she moved in closer and pressed her lips to his. She dragged him deeper, and he felt his feet sink into the soft sediment at the bottom of the lake.

His body started to convulse, desperate to force him to breathe, breaking Blaise out of her trance. It was too late, though, wasn’t it? He was trapped in her domain. Was he going to die there?

As Blaise’s vision started to face, he felt a powerful grip on his shoulder. He was pulled up, and the Siren bared her fangs, trying to reach him with her long claws, but whoever had hold of him was strong and quick, and pulled him out of the water before she could take him back.

He lay on the shore, coughing and gasping for air. Once he managed to catch his breath, he sat up on his knees, but there was no one there. Who had pulled him out?

The sound of splashing caught his attention, and his eyes went wide. Theron was in the water, struggling with the Siren. She tried to drag him down, clawing at him and tearing up his skin and clothing.

“Get off o’ me!” Theron tried to conjure flames to get her away from him, but his hands were cold and wet. He hissed in pain as she dug her claws into his leg and pulled him under.

Had the area around him been enchanted by the Siren? It was now stormy and the water was rough and choppy. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed, and the wind howled. It started to pour, and the crystal-clear water had become dark and ominous.

“Theron!”

Blaise didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t a strong swimmer. If he tried to go in after Theron, he would just get in the way. But he needed help. She was trying to drown him.

He couldn’t really see them anymore through the pouring rain, and the water was so rough that he couldn’t tell if it was just the water or if it was Theron struggling against the Siren. He could see blood mixed with the waves, though, and his heart pounded with fear.

The two burst up above the surface, still struggling against each other. Theron was covered in deep scratches, but he still seemed to be holding his own against her.

A harpoon suddenly came flying through the air, and it narrowly missed the Siren. She turned her attention to the direction it had come from, and there was a large fishing boat just off the shore. The men on the deck were shouting and gathering weapons. Another harpoon was thrown, and the Siren snarled at them. Another one grazed her arm and she shrieked before releasing Theron, and retreated under the surface.

Theron wasn’t moving, and Blaise rushed out into the water without thinking. Hopefully the Siren wouldn’t come back to finish him off. Theron was heavy, and he struggled to get him to shore, but he couldn’t just let him drown. He got him to the edge of the water before he couldn’t pull him anymore, and he slipped on the sand, falling beside Theron.

Theron lay half in the water, clutching his side. He was covered in blood and his breath came out in labored huffs.

“Dammit,” he growled. “That bitch got me good. She fuckin’ bit me.”

“Don’t move too much,” Blaise said. He couldn’t tell how bad Theron’s injuries were because of all the blood.

Don’t worry about the scratches. He needs to get that bite taken care of before it gets infected.

“You boys all right?”

A few of the fishermen had taken a rowboat to shore, and they rushed to help. They pulled Theron out of the water and one of them went to work with a shabby medical kit to attend to his wounds.

“I’m fine,” Theron said, slapping the man’s hand away. “I don’t need ya help.”

“What’re the two of ya thinkin’?” One of the fishermen asked. “Y’all should know better than gettin’ in these waters.”

“We ain’t from ‘round here,” Theron told him, and the man gave him a curious look.

“Really? You got a Oorlogan accent, though. Where are ya—” His eyes went wide as he got a closer look at Theron, who was glaring at him with glowing blue eyes. “Hey, yer a Dragon, ain’t ya?”

“What of it?”

“Take it easy, son.” The man took Theron’s arm, despite him trying to pull away, and dabbed at the scratches with a towel. “You ain’t in Cadmus. We ain’t got no problems with Dragons, ‘specially not one of our own.”

Blaise got up and walked along the shore while they attended to Theron’s injuries. He let out a long sigh, staring out over the stormy sea.

What the hell were you thinking? You almost got yourself and Theron killed. You need to start thinking about the consequences of your actions.

“Me?” Blaise let out a forced, angry laugh. “Yer one to talk. You don’t know nothin’ ‘bout what I went through in order for you to be livin’ here inside o’ my body. Ya didn’t even care to know. Don’t talk to me ‘bout thinkin’ ‘bout shit.”

Zane’s voice went quiet in his head, but Blaise had a strange feeling in his chest that didn’t belong to him. Guilt? Regret?

You’re right. I didn’t want to know. I wasn’t thinking clearly—I was only thinking of some way to protect myself in order to take back Draconia. I know now what I’ve done to you, and I’m sorry. I’m sure my apology means nothing now, after all you’ve been through, but—

“Just shut up,” Blaise hissed, rubbing his forehead. “I get it, a’right? I’m gonna help ya. But you gotta help me first. I ain’t gonna be able to do nothin’ for ya unless I take care of Orion and deal with this first.”

What exactly is your plan? Kenric and I couldn’t even defeat him together. He almost killed you too.

“I don’t know yet, but I ain’t gonna be able to get through none of this with you and him invadin’ my head all the time. It’s been long enough.”

May I ask what happened with your father?

“No,” Blaise said curtly. Not that it really mattered if he told Zane anything or not. Zane was in his head—he could access whatever memories he wanted to if he really tried. He let out a heavy sigh and headed back to Theron.

Theron was sitting in the sand, a sour look on his face. His wounds had been bandaged up, despite him spending the last half hour telling everyone he was fine and didn’t need help.

“You boys need anything?” the old fisherman asked, looking between the two of them. They were a mess, both of them dirty and wet and covered in bandages. “Food, a place to sleep? Ya really should be restin’ with those injuries. We can at least give ya a ride to the main port of Oorlog. Plenty o’ inns and stuff for ya. It takes about two days straight across the water, instead o’ hikin’ the next two weeks the long way ‘round.”

They were given a small room below deck, and Theron lay in a bunk, scowling at the ceiling with his arms crossed. Blaise was a bit nervous around him, afraid to say anything that might upset him more.

“How’d ya find me?” he finally asked. Theron’s gaze shifted to him, then back to the ceiling, and he shook his head.

“I ain’t as dumb as I sound when I talk, kid. How far didja think you’d get with those injuries anyways?”

“Well, I ain’t goin’ back to Anzino. I gotta do this, and you ain’t gonna stop me.”

“I ain’t tryin’ to stop ya,” Theron said, turning on his side to face Blaise. “Why would I be here on this ship if I was? I ain’t gonna let ya go alone and get yaself killed neither. You can tell me on the way about everything that I missed.”

Despite Theron seeming to not really want to be there, Blaise did feel more at ease to know he wasn’t alone. He told him everything. The antidote to the Enforcers’ poison, Kenric and Soren, Anzino and the Moordenaar… Theron listened intently.

“I dunno know why Soren would wanna be workin’ for the guy tryin’ to wipe us out, but I’m sure it’s got somethin’ to do with Draíocht. Or maybe Agni’s keepin’ him alive in exchange for work. I dunno. He’s been real messed up a long time.”

***

“I know why you haven’t bothered trying to escape.”

Kenric was sitting outside of Soren’s cell, watching him pace back and forth like a caged animal. His injuries had healed well, thanks to sparing amounts of Draíocht.

“Yeah, you just know everything, don’t you, Ken?” Soren shook his head. “You always think you’re right.”

“Tell me I’m wrong, then. You can’t return to Cadmus because you’re a liability. If Agni doesn’t think you’re dead, he’ll know there’s more the Castle Draconia than meets the eye. You’ll be executed immediately as a traitor.”

Soren scowled and continued to pace back and forth. Kenric wished there was more he could do, but they’d been down that road before. Was there anything left of Soren to save?

“Are there any more Dragons in Cadmus that work for Agni?”

“No.”

“Don’t be so curt with me, Soren. We were friends once, remember? I’m trying to figure out what’s going on so I can help you.”

“Why would I want your help?”

“Why else would you have come here?” Kenric asked. “Why would you have let your Enforcers be killed or allow yourself to be captured by my men? They know you, Soren. They said you barely even put up a fight.”

Soren stopped pacing, a distant look in his eyes. He looked tired, and although most of his bigger injuries were healing well, he still had many smaller cuts and bruises on his arms.

“I don’t want to do this anymore,” he said softly.

“Do what? Be an Enforcer? You could return to the Royal Guard. You have to stay clean, though, and—”

“No. I don’t want to do any of it anymore. Four years with the Royal Guard and six years with the Enforcers…” Soren gripped the bars of his cell with a wild, desperate look in his eyes. “Either send me back to Cadmus to be killed, or let Prince Zane have me executed when this is all over. I’m done.”

“You honestly think that I, of all people, would let you die, just like that?” Kenric shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I know why you’re here, and I know why you joined the Enforcers. You can’t keep your thoughts hidden all the time, and I can’t always control what I hear. Once this war is over, Prince Zane will know the truth.”

“It’s not your truth to tell!” Soren snapped. His knuckles were white from gripping the bars so tightly. “Don’t tell him or anyone else—just let me die!”

Kenric sighed. He didn’t know what to do. If he put more work into saving Soren like he had done all those years ago, would it make a difference, or would he just be wasting his time again?

“I chose my path,” Soren said firmly. “Accept it and move on. We already went our separate ways.”