The Siren Princess

by Lichelle Slater

I took his left arm and rubbed my hand where his hook normally sat. “I teased you relentlessly about your name being Hook without realizing the nickname was given to you because you got a hook through your hand. Not because you wore one.”

  James shrugged a shoulder. “I suppose I was a little too sensitive about it. I think it hurt more knowing you didn’t remember that night at all. It was the first time I told you I loved you.”

  I softly bit my lip and looked up at him. I didn’t know if I could say those three words yet. I didn’t know if I deserved his love.

  He quirked a smile. “You’re not going to say it, are you?”

  I changed the subject. “If my mother is the sea witch, does that mean I have powers too?”

  “I’m the last one you should ask. I think you’d need to speak with Ulrich.”

  I bit my bottom lip. “What if he hates me when he finds out?”

  “He knows about your memories. I’m sure he’ll be all right.” He reached up and touched my chin.

  There were three rasps on the door before it flung open and Ulrich marched in, followed by a weary-looking Sky, and a young man and woman I assumed were the prince and princess.

  “Get up. We don’t have time to rest,” Ulrich ordered, motioning us to get up from the bed, not caring that I wore only a nightgown and James wasn’t wearing a shirt. “Crown Prince Mathias. His sister, Princess Tavia.”

  Mathias and Tavia were clearly twins. Both had hair the shade of shadows and copper-orange eyes with gold around the outside, giving their eyes a glowing appearance. They had had time to get ready for the day, while we were still exhausted.

  Tavia stood nearly as tall as her brother—a good four inches taller than me. She wore a simple but rich black dress with a silver shimmer and a red ribbon around her ribs tucked just beneath her breasts.

  Mathias, on the other hand, had a strong jaw, his hair was neatly trimmed on the sides, and his eyes glinted with boyish curiosity. His thin lips curled into a smile as he sized me up with those dangerous eyes. “Perhaps we should give them a moment to dress?” he spoke to Ulrich, though he didn’t look at him. I couldn’t help but feel Mathias could see right through me like Lord Tomblin could.

  I gritted my teeth, matching the intensity of his glare, but held the blanket up to my chest.

  Tavia’s smooth voice said, “Brother, don’t be so rude. They are guests.” She walked to a door beside the desk and opened a closet. Seconds later, she produced two robes, one for me—a beautiful blue that shimmered in the firelight—and one for James—a bright red the color of blood. She approached me first and held out the blue robe.

  I quickly stood and put it on. “Thank you, Tavia.”

  “You may address me as your highness or Princess.” She turned smoothly on her heel and held the other robe out to James. Her gaze deliberately trailed over his exposed chest and bare arms, drinking him in like a tall bottle of rum.

  “Heya, Princess.” I tapped to the corner of my lip. “You’ve got a bit of drool right here.”

  Her eyes darted to me and narrowed with sudden anger that flared behind her strange eyes. She rolled her shoulders back and returned to her brother’s side.

  James chuckled while he pulled his arms through the sleeves of his robe.

  I shrugged innocently and walked around the bed to his side. “So why did you wake us, Ulrich?”

  “Prince Ulrich,” Princess Tavia corrected.

  Ulrich waved his hand dismissively. “Titles don’t matter right now. I brought you in here because there is clearly something wrong with Queen Grimhilde. She isn’t acting as she normally does.”

  Mathias’ lips tightened, and Tavia’s fingers stretched.

  “You know,” I stated, looking from one sibling to the other.

  Mathias glanced at me. “Yes.” He returned his look to Ulrich.

  Tavia ran to the bed, seized the small blanket at the foot, and ran to the mirror over the fireplace. She flung the blanket, and it landed on top of the mirror’s frame, successfully covering the reflective surface. “You know better than to speak of these things without the proper precaution, Prince Ulrich,” she said quickly, voice practically a hiss.

  “Yes. I’m sorry.” He drew a breath. “I don’t know what to do. I mean . . .” He threw his arms up in the air. “My city is at the bottom of the ocean, my country is without a leader, my father is likely dead, and I come here for help, and your mother . . . she almost threw me in the dungeons! Them, I understand, but me?”

  “Hey,” Sky scowled.

  Mathias glanced at his sister.

  I stepped forward and put my hand on Ulrich’s shoulder. “We don’t have time to worry why her behaviors are different. You have less than two weeks now to get Delphi back.”

  Ulrich turned to the twins. “If Delphi isn’t raised by the summer solstice, we will be stuck there forever. Terricina’s main port is completely decimated, no one is running the kingdom, and we’re more vulnerable than we’ve ever been.”

  Mathias ran his fingers through his wavy hair. “I don’t know how we can possibly help you. Our powers are limited.”

  Ulrich held his hands up helplessly. “I didn’t know what else to do. Maybe you can decipher the contract? Find a way to help undo it?”

  Tavia looked at him with such pity it actually broke my heart. “Prince Ulrich,” she said, her voice low. “We can try. When you have rested. At lunch or dinner, we will speak with our mother and all of you present. If we can’t find a way to help you, we might be able to offer help some other way.” She walked forward and hugged him, not long and deep like a lover, but gentle and short like he was a good friend or maybe brother.

  Ulrich tried to smile but failed. “You’re right, I suppose.” He straightened and rubbed at his eyes, and I could have sworn I saw the glint of a tear on his cheek. “Forgive me for waking you.” He swallowed and flashed another smile, this one coming easier.

  I couldn’t imagine knowing his entire kingdom’s fate rested on his shoulders and that there was absolutely nothing he knew to do to help them. To think I’d selfishly thrown a fit about being a captain, and here was Ulrich willing to throw everything he wanted aside for the safety of his people.

  “Can I speak with you alone?” I asked Ulrich before he could leave.

  He nodded, and I waited for Mathias and Tavia to clear out before I dared speak.

  Sky cleared his throat. “Can I stay?”

  I nodded. “Yes.” I turned to Ulrich. “I remembered everything.”

  “That’s great!” Sky exclaimed.

  “My mother, Athena, is the sea witch.”

  “What?” both Sky and Ulrich exclaimed in unison.

  I explained what I remembered to all three of them. Ulrich listened with silent anticipation, his expression growing more and more stern.

  When I finished, he sat down on a chair in front of the fire, staring at its flames. “Your mother is the sea witch. You never knew?” He glanced my direction.

  I shook my head. “Not until she told me.”

  “And she sunk my city. You tried to stop her.”

  I nodded. “I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t want to be on your throne. I was happy being a pirate with my friends.”

  He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and put his face in his hands. “Maybe I need sleep,” he mumbled into his palms. “I’m trying to figure out so many things and . . . can’t think.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Sky reassured. “Once we’ve rested, maybe we can sit down together and try and come up with some ideas of how to break this contract of yours?”

  Ulrich heaved a sigh before groaning to his feet.

  I walked over and gave him a hug. “We’ll figure it out.”

  twenty-two

  James woke first, and I reluctantly peeled my eyes open and blinked furio
usly against the morning light as he pulled the curtains back.

  “In spite of how cold this place is, the view is breathtaking.” He stepped to one side so I could look out over the white snow-covered trees and valley below.

  I rolled out of the bed, dragging the blanket with me, and shuffled over to his side. He was absolutely right. The vibrant colors of the rising sun reflected off the snow, casting fractals of light upon the trees and houses. Chimneys puffed heavy smoke into the sky. Everything looked like a painting.

  After we’d washed up, the servants brought us clothing to wear. James, a handsome black and red suit, with fancy stitching, expensive buttons, and unnecessary frills on the wrists. I was forced into an awful pink and white dress that made me wonder if Tavia had chosen it herself. Even worse, the servant made me do my red hair up in a large pink bow.

  Yes, a bow.

  A pirate wearing a bow in her hair like some curly-haired, freckle-faced child.

  So what if I had curly hair and freckles on my face? I was no child!

  I walked out of the bedroom, a scowl deep on my expression.

  James turned, hands politely behind his back, and his conversation with Sky died. Sky looked much better after getting some rest and cleaning up.

  “Don’t say a thing.” I raised my hand. “I look like a tent! I feel like . . .” I patted the preposterous petticoat that puffed out the bottom of the dress. “A sheep!”

  “That’s an unusual comparison,” Sky chuckled. “I would have said a blowfish.”

  I gave him an unamused blink.

  James snorted a laugh but quickly recovered. “Odette, I was going to say you look stunning.”

  I tilted my head, looking up at him. “James, lying is your strong suit, but I’ve learned to see through it. I’m a redhead. In a pink dress!”

  “What color dress would you rather be in?”

  “I don’t know. Green?”

  Someone cleared their throat, and we all turned to see Ulrich. He wore a stunning suit of blue with golden accents, but he had dark bags under his eyes and his complexion was pale.

  “Ulrich, are you okay?” I asked quickly.

  “Of course.” He straightened. “I just didn’t sleep.” He rubbed at his eye with a gloved hand. “I’ll recover once all of this is done.”

  “I can’t imagine you could sleep much right now.”

  He gave me a crooked smile and shook his head. “It’s one thing after another.” He gestured to his right. “Shall we? I believe everyone is waiting for us for lunch.”

  “And I’m starving,” I added.

  We made it to the bottom of the stairs and saw two wide doors open, revealing a massive dining hall with a hand-carved table that was as long as the room. Three chandeliers overhead gave the room light, along with two fireplaces. Three stained glass windows stood from floor to ceiling at the end of the table, and the table was decorated with a lace tablecloth. Gold and silver plates and flatware were organized with precision.

  “I’m surprised they didn’t hide their expensive cutlery so we poor pirates didn’t steal it,” I joked.

  “They did.”

  I jumped out of my skin and turned to see Mathias over my right shoulder.

  He flashed a smile. “The normal dishes are pure gold.” He gestured. “Please come sit.”

  “He’s joking,” Ulrich mumbled. “Mathias just has a dry sense of humor.”

  I still didn’t know how to read Mathias. He was smooth, not quiet like Gerard, flirtatious like Sky, or bold like James. But still, he was handsome in his own way. With a thin face, pointed jaw, nose like a bird’s beak, someone would find him attractive. He just wasn’t pirate-y enough for me.

  Ulrich led us to one side of the table, and Prince Mathias and Princess Tavia walked to the other.

  Mathias stopped at the chair nearest the one at the end of the table, which was undoubtedly reserved for the queen.

  Luckily Ulrich chose at the seat nearest her. I stood at his side, then James, and finally Sky. If the prince and princess weren’t yet sitting, then neither was I.

  “Where is Gerard?” I asked.

  “He will be joining us shortly. He . . .” Tavia turned her attention to the doorway.

  Seconds later, it opened. Gerard held it and gestured with a bow so graceful, it made me realize he, too, had been raised alongside royalty. He was definitely comfortable here.

  Queen Grimhilde entered first, and I wished I’d asked Ulrich and Mathias for some tips on how not to offend the woman. I felt out of place, and I knew James and Sky did too. None of us had been around royalty like this. None of us had been trained how to act. We’d never even been close to a castle, let alone eaten a meal with the queen, prince, and princess.

  Following behind Queen Grimhilde was a slender woman with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and thin lips. I couldn’t help but compare her to a skeleton.

  Ulrich nudged me with his elbow, and I realized he was hinting for us to scoot down and move out of the way so this woman could take the seat he’d gone to. So I elbowed James, who then nudged Sky, and with a ripple of movement the royals probably frowned at, we moved.

  “Do not fret, Prince Ulrich. I will take Prince Mathias’s position this morning,” the woman said. She must have been Selina.

  Mathias’s lips quickly flashed upward. “As you wish, milady.” He and Tavia moved two chairs, so Gerard could take the seat beside his grandmother.

  Gerard pulled the seat out for her and pushed it in as she took her seat.

  Ulrich inhaled sharply when she sat before Queen Grimhilde and he turned his face to Mathias and Tavia, who didn’t respond. Apparently, that wasn’t customary.

  The queen took her seat next, and Mathias motioned for us to take ours.

  “We have spoken,” Queen Grimhilde said, beckoned with her hand toward the stranger. “The only help I can offer you are a handful of fairies.”

  Ulrich’s brows shifted. “Fairies, Your Highness?” His gaze finally darted to Mathias and back to the queen. “I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with the magical properties of fairies or how they could possibly assist us in getting Delphi out of the sea.”

  “That’s up to you.” She raised her hands and clapped.

  The mirrors on either side of the room shimmered and fairies flew out in an orderly fashion. As they landed on the floor, they grew to human size, and each of them carried a tray of food, which they placed on the table before disappearing again.

  Mathias turned his head toward us. “Do not serve yourself until the queen has served herself and begun eating. You are not royalty and therefore are the last to eat.”

  I successfully bit back my words and instead tightened my hands around the napkin on my lap.

  “Lady Selina is visiting us from Ashwrya,” Tavia explained, watching Mathias serve her some sausage, a beautiful large scone, and some cheese.

  “Gerard did tell us that’s where he is from. It sounds lovely,” I said.

  Selina smiled at me in a way that made my blood run cold. “Yes, dear. What else has he told you?” Her dangerous look moved to Gerard.

  Gerard didn’t flinch but set his goblet down after a sip. “I told them about our rolling green hills, stone architecture, and changing seasons.”

  Her expression softened. Perhaps that was a look all mothers gave their children because Athena had given me that look a few times. And I also thought to myself how odd it was that Selina was Gerard’s grandmother at all. She was much younger-looking than I expected. She didn’t have a gray hair on her head.

  “It’s a pity we can’t help you more, Prince Ulrich,” Selina added before taking a bite of her food.

  Ulrich nodded silently.

  “After all,” I cut in. “We’re on the same side, aren’t we?” I’d phrased the question intentionally. I needed to see how she would an
swer because I didn’t know if we really were on the same side. I didn’t know Gerard’s angle, or Selina’s, or even Queen Grimhilde’s, for that matter.

  “Side?” Selina answered.

  “Did you not send Gerard to James to have him collect the summer stone?”

  The room went silent. I suddenly felt as if I were balancing on shards of glass.

  Gerard straightened in his seat, slowly lowering the napkin from the corner of his lip. He moved calmly, yet I saw how tight his hands were and realized I should have kept that information to myself.

  “You sent Gerard to get the summer stone?” Queen Grimhilde asked, looking to Selina with the clearest look in her eyes I’d seen her with since we’d arrived.

  “The girl doesn’t know of what she speaks,” Selina scoffed. “Gerard was there for a reason that has nothing to do with her.” Selina’s cold gaze shifted to James before returning to the queen.

  “If it doesn’t have anything to do with me, it must have something to do with James. After all, Gerard sought you out specifically, didn’t he?” I looked at James, and my stomach dropped.

  James’s lips were tight, his face paling, and for the first time in my life, I saw genuine fear on his face. “Odette, stop,” he said. He looked at me, his eyes full of anger. “Now. Don’t say another word while we eat.”

  “James,” I said softly.

  “I mean it,” he snapped. “Not another word.”

  The harshness of his words stole my breath. I wanted to press for an answer, but I was so shocked by his sudden hostility, I didn’t know what to say. His anger at that moment was more intense than at the boathouse.

  My stomach churned with unease, and I found myself staring at my empty plate. I hadn’t even put food on it yet.

  “You may serve yourselves now,” Tavia instructed.

  I was no longer hungry.

  From the edges of my vision, I saw James scoop food onto his plate, and he reached to put some on mine, but I leaned back against my chair and set my jaw. I wasn’t in the mood to look at him.

  Mathias cleared his throat loudly. “Perhaps I should introduce them to the fairies after breakfast, Mother? Explain to them how fairies are, you know?”