Silver nodded after a moment. “I told you once I would follow you anywhere. I did not make that promise lightly. Lead on. May the Song protect us.”
Ruyne nodded and turned. Together they walked to the dock to face their fate on the deck of a pirate ship riding the roaring waves.
Chapter 30
Shadow
Shadow loved Earling. The flamboyant pirate would have made a fantastic addition to the Band. He had the soul of a performer. Right now, Earling was showing Derry around the ship, prancing and gesturing wildly to keep Derry’s attention. Ruyne stood rigidly by the railing with Silver practically glued to his side. They both looked as though they were facing death. Perhaps they were; Shadow was unsure. All he knew was that he was returned to the land to bring Derry, Ruyne, and Silver to the Queen. He thought his brother had guessed his secret, though, by the way Ruyne kept looking at him sadly.
Shadow decided to wander over to talk to them as the ship cut through the waves and took them out to the deep sea. He leaned on the rail next to Ruyne, staring out at the water. “What do you want to know?”
Ruyne lowered his gaze. “What happened?”
Shadow considered his words, as memories flashed through his mind. “I got mixed up in the fighting rings while I was looking for Derry. I lost one of the battles. I don’t really remember dying; it was over so fast. When I came to, I was with the others in the Sea. I knew I still had to save everyone. So I went right up to the siren Queen and demanded she let me go just long enough to lead you here.” He smiled reassuringly at Ruyne’s tormented look. “Nothing you could have done about it, Ruyne. And we’ll all be safe soon.”
“Are we dead as well?” Silver asked, his voice quivering at he looked up at the sky that was always daylight.
“No. Unfortunately, what Travain did to the world is there for the living, too,” Shadow scowled as he looked up. “But I talked the Queen into giving Ruyne an audience to help with Travain. He just has to convince her to help us.”
Ruyne glanced to where Earling pranced around showing Derry the boat. “Derry’s dead as well, isn’t he? We only saved part of him when we drove Travain from his body. I failed both of you.”
Shadow reached over to rest his hand on Ruyne’s shoulder. “You didn’t fail anyone. You’re the Leader that will save us all. I believe in you. Yes, Derry has physically died, like I have. Silver was not wrong when he said the monster killed Derry so long ago. But we live still, don’t you see? All the Dusksingers that have passed before us wait beneath the sea just like the legends say. They’re not dead or gone. They live in a different way.”
“Derry doesn’t know yet,” Ruyne observed as he crossed his arms.
“No, he doesn’t,” Shadow sighed, “But once we visit the Queen it will be easier for him to accept. Please don’t tell him.”
“Will we ever get to go back?” Silver asked as he looked at the land in the distance now.
“That I don’t know,” Shadow admitted. “Depends on how convincing Ruyne can be.”
“Well, we’ll be safe then,” Silver mumbled with a smile, looking up at Ruyne. Before anyone else could say a word, Earling casually lowered the anchor, and the boat rocked to a stop. The pirate came prancing over to them with a big grin. “Here we are. All you’ve got to do now is summon them.”
“How do we do that?” Ruyne asked, as his brow furrowed.
Earling grinned and made a sweeping gesture toward the bow with his hat. “Your handsome brother will give us the performance of a lifetime and summon the sirens.”
Shadow chased away the unease that tried to settle on him. He had accomplished his goal, his Song-Bound lover stood beside him. He took Derry’s hand in his and walked to the bow. “Come here, Derry. No one will doubt how I love you again. You are mine, forever.” He grinned at the way Derry blushed. He went to the very front of the ship and looked over the water. The churning waves were still in this part of the ocean, and if he stared into the depths, he could make out colors and movement indicating the home of the sirens far below.
Shadow reached deep inside and released every bit of Song magic he still possessed. Death had made it easier to access, as though his magic had shed a heavy burden and was finally free. His rough voice rang out clear, as he started to sing. He let all of his emotions flow into the magic. He thought about his love and devotion to Derry and sang words of promise as Derry faced him. He thought about the Band and his family and sang words to bolster and defend them.
As his song drifted through the air, the water before the boat began to part. The siren that rose from the water towered over the boat. Her long flowing hair surrounded a harsh, but beautiful face. Sea plants and shells decorated her scaled body. Her long tail lashed through the water like a sea serpent, surrounding the boat.
Shadow’s voice trailed off as he knelt in awe before the Queen of the Sirens. The others did the same, bowing their heads to the goddess of the sea.
“My poor, lost, children,” the Queen’s voice flowed over them, calming. “It pleases me that you have returned, Shadow. Rise and join me.” Her giant hand flattened at the end of the boat, resting on the railing before Shadow and Derry.
Shadow slowly rose and helped Derry to his feet. “I have brought my Song-Bound, Derry.” Derry ducked behind Shadow, burying his face against Shadow’s shoulder, too afraid to look.
“Fear not, Derestan. The Song has made you my child as well. Come forth and join us. Come home where your cursed song may finally harmonize with those whom you love.” The Queen beckoned them, and Shadow stepped from the boat onto her hand, pulling Derry to stand with him there. Then Shadow looked back at the boat. “I have also brought Ruyne, Leader of my Band, and his Song-Bound, Silver.”
“Be welcomed, Leader Ruyne and Silver child,” the Queen greeted them with a warm smile. “My servants shall bring you to plead your case. For now, I must take Shadow and Derry before you.”
“Will we see them again?” Ruyne asked, his expression pained.
“Of course,” the Queen promised. Then she closed her hand around Shadow and Derry and dove back beneath the waves.
Chapter 31
Derry
Derry clung to Shadow as the Queen released them onto a sandy floor. When he looked up, he could see a crystallized dome above them and the light straining to filter through the waves. He looked around, startled, eyes wide. He knew they were underwater but he did not feel it. There should be pressure from the water, especially this far beneath the surface, shouldn’t there? When he moved his hand through the water around them, there was no resistance. He panicked and gulped for breath out of instinct, but water didn’t fill his lungs.
“Calm down, Derry,” Shadow’s soft voice whispered near his ear. “You’re safe now.”
Derry whirled on him, grabbing Shadow’s shirt, which felt tangible to him, but it wasn’t soaked. Shadow didn’t look wet at all. “Shadow, what is going on?” Derry trailed off, his voice broken. “We’re dead. Shadow? You’re dead? I’m dead?”
Shadow slid his hands along Derry’s arms, solid and reassuring when everything else around them seemed unaffected by their presence. “Derry, calm down. Listen to me. You’re safe. I saved you. No one is ever going to hurt you again. We’re together, forever.”
Derry could feel over their Song-Binding Shadow’s magic attempting to soothe him. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, out of habit, not because they actually did anything to calm him.
“Derry?” A female voice called shakily. “Alastan, come quickly! It’s Derry!”
Derry whirled around at his father’s name just in time to be swept up in his mother’s arms and pulled close. “Mother?” he whispered, as she clung to him. This had to be one of the dreams he had because he was still trapped and Travain had his body. Right? He tried not to allow himself to believe what was happening. His mother’s arms felt so real.
“Oh, Derry. We didn’t know if you’d be able to join us because of what happened,” Deliah
cried. “Oh, my sweet boy.”
“Thank you, Shadow,” Alastan said, clapping Shadow on the shoulder before joining the hug with Derry and Deliah. “Welcome home, son.”
Derry pulled away from them, suddenly angry. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me that you were running from Travain?”
His parents both stepped back, looking guilty. Finally, Alastan spoke, “We thought we could protect you, Derry. We did not know the darkness we were running from would follow us into the Bands. The Song has saved us though, son. We exist here in this afterlife granted by the Sirens far away from any that could harm us now.”
“We’re so sorry for what you went through, Derry,” Deliah whispered as she brushed some of his hair back. “It’s all right now. Forget all of that and enjoy your eternity with us. Shadow saved you.”
Derry stepped back from them, overwhelmed by the feeling something was terribly wrong. He heard the three of them asking him if he was okay, but he waved them away as he backed up. He couldn’t hear them anymore; all he could hear was Travain laughing in his head. A vision of the entire band dead before him flashed through his mind and he stumbled back, clutching his head and moaning. No, he knew it couldn’t be real. Travain was still there!
“That is enough!” The Siren Queen’s voice boomed and shattered Derry’s nightmare. Her melodious voice dragged him back to safety, as she scooped him up in her massive hands and held him gently before her face. “I see the other siren could not quite free you from this monster’s chains. I will not allow this corruption.” The Siren Queen looked deeply into Derry’s eyes to the darkness still lurking within him. “Hear me, Travain. This one is mine now. Release him at once!” Her command revealed the magical chains still binding Derry to Travain and he could only watch with wonder as they manifested around him and shattered. The Queen shook her head, defiant, and then smiled at Derry. “You are free now, child. Do not doubt this. The Song has brought you here to be with those you love. Do not let that fool’s poison make you doubt. I promise you that you are safe here.”
“Thank you,” Derry whispered as she set him down next to Shadow.
“I must go have my audience with your Leader. Shadow will show you the wonders that await you,” the Queen said as she turned to swim away.
“Come on, Derry. I know it is a lot to take in at once. You don’t have to understand it. All you have to do is trust me. You’re here with me now. I promise I won’t ever let anything happen to you again. You’re safe.” Shadow slipped his hand into Derry’s once again. “You’ve always trusted me.”
Derry tried to relax. He had always trusted Shadow completely. “I’m sorry, it is just so shocking.” He started to look around them again as his parents wandered away. A beautiful underwater city surrounded them. Sirens and mermen swam in and out of windows and doors. Fish floated calmly around the area, crabs scuttled in the sand, here and there an octopus crawled by.
“It gets better,” Shadow smiled at him. Then he led Derry through the city and out the other side where, settled in the kelp forest, were familiar painted wagons. Derry pulled away from Shadow and ran, recognizing his horse. Or what had been his horse. The hippocampus nickered as he got close, but four legs had turned into two with the hind legs replaced by a massive, scaled tail. Seaweed and shells decorated the horse’s mane and tack. Derry hugged the equine’s head to his chest, then closed his eyes as Shadow came up behind them. “Does this mean he died too?” Derry whispered, his voice breaking at the thought of his beloved mount suffering.
“No, Derry. They’re not true horses. This is their real form. They are born to come here with us when we return to the sea. He’s fine, see?” Shadow smiled and ruffled the hippocampus’s mane. His own hippocampus looked away from the kelp it was trying to steal to snort jealously at them.
Derry pulled away from the hippocampus and walked over to open their wagon door. The interior looked just like the one they had left behind at the camp. He gave Shadow a confused look. “How is all this possible?”
Shadow shrugged as he leaned casually against the wagon’s wall. “The Siren’s magic creates it for us.”
“So, it’s not real,” Derry whispered, disappointed. “We are all just living in a magical dream now.”
“You always think so hard about everything, Derry. Don’t try to figure it out. You’re safe. And I’m going to make you happy like you’ve always deserved to be. I promise,” Shadow said as he took Derry’s hand again and pulled him toward the door. “Come inside with me, so I can show you something real. My love for you.”
Derry blushed at Shadow’s leer and stumbled up into the wagon behind his husband. Maybe he was thinking too hard about it all. A distraction would be welcome until he could sort it out in his head.
Chapter 32
Silver
Ruyne had not moved away from the ship’s railing since the Queen had disappeared with Shadow and Derry. Silver had stood with him for a while, but then wandered over to Earling. The flamboyant pirate sat down in a chair and propped his feet up on the railing, chair tilted back. A fishing pole dangled over the edge next to him. “Are you a ghost as well, Earling?” Silver asked.
Rather than answering immediately, Earling offered him a flask. Silver took it politely, but smelled it then shook his head at the heavy smell of liquor and returned it. Earling shrugged and took a swig from it. “Not yet. Though the way this world is going, I’m sure none of us are making it out alive. Maybe you bards since you’ve got ties with the sirens. Their magic can save you.” Earling waved a hand at the massive fiery comets falling in the distance. “Things look really bad up here, my friend.”
“What will you do?” Silver asked, furrowing his brow. He truly did like the odd sailor, even though the man kept looking them over with obvious interest.
“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head about me, darlin’,” Earling grinned at him. “I have places I can go and people to spend the end of the world with. If the world ends, I’ll be havin’ the time o’ my life when it does.”
“I’m afraid of death,” Silver whispered as he looked back toward the land they’d left behind. They had been out on the sea for hours. How was the rest of the Band doing? They were too far away for him to pick up any of them with his Song magic.
“You believe that all your dead people go below the sea to a peaceful eternity, right?” Earling sat up, interested. “So why are you worried, sweet thing? It doesn’t matter what happens to you on this sad planet when you go to be with all the ones you love after that, right?”
“Death is an ending. Even if there is another existence after that, it will be different. Little things about life will be different. For instance, meals. We wouldn’t need to have the community meals anymore.”
“Don’t know, bud, if I didn’t have to waste time on eating, sleep or relieving myself I’d count that as a bonus,” Earling chuckled. “Change is hard for you bards, ain’t it?”
“Of course, it is!” Silver declared as he gave Earling an exasperated look. “Our entire society is rule based and strict and follows a set order.”
“And part o’ that order is you die and join the sea, yeah? It’s not change then; it’s the next step of your journey,” Earling pointed out.
Silver stilled and stared at Earling, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Who are you really, Earling? How do you know Shadow?”
Earling tilted his head, as if considering his response, then looked over the sea and watched the waves. “I was real close to Shadow for awhile. A man needs a friend when he’s at the end o’ his rope. Didn’t get there in time to save him, though, in the end. So, I came back to my boat and set sail hopin’ all that stuff about his eternity with the sea were true. Sure enough, found him on his way to save all of you. Promised him I’d bring you all back here.”
“Silver!” Ruyne called. “Come here, it is time.”
Silver sighed. There was something strange about Earling. The pirate was not telling him everything, but he would likely ne
ver know now.
“Don’t worry,” Earling winked at him. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
Silver gave him an exasperated look, then walked up to join Ruyne. As he looked beyond the boat, the sea before it formed watery steps down to the dry sand at bottom of the ocean. The excess water formed walls along the stairs, and revealed a beautiful palace nestled in the sand.
“Come, Dusksingers, the Queen awaits you,” a siren called to them from the sea next to the pathway that had opened. She waved them forward with a finned hand.
Ruyne turned to Silver, hesitating. “You don’t have to come, Silver.”
Silver shook his head and took Ruyne’s hand. “My place is at your side, always, Leader.” He gave Ruyne as reassuring as smile as he could and tried to harmonize his Song magic with Ruyne’s to steady them both.
Ruyne gave him a grateful look, as they started down the sea-stairs together. They felt odd under Silver’s feet, but the water didn’t soak through their shoes. They felt solid but wobbly and it was a disconcerting feeling. As they descended, the walls of the sea became higher and higher, and Silver pushed away the idea that they could crash down at any moment, and he and Ruyne would drown.
They reached the bottom without incident and walked across the squishy damp sand to the doorway of the beautiful palace. Carved shells decorated the white marble around the barnacles that covered it as though the walls wore armor against erosion. The Queen sat on a throne made of a giant clamshell, her flowing tailfins curled around her. She beckoned them forward with her finned hand. “Come, Dusksingers. Leader, tell me why you are here.”
Ruyne took a deep breath and approached with Silver at his side. He knelt before the Queen, and Silver followed suit. “Travain would have us hate and distrust you. However, I have the magic of the Leader. I can see the treacherous past of our founding father. I do not believe your curse was meant to punish us all. You call our dead to join you in the sea. I come to ask your aid in destroying Travain and saving this world.”
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