I was sticky with sweat and my mouth was bone dry, so I walked to the nearest tree for some shade and sat down. Catalina and Alanza followed me, and it made me miss Malisa all of a sudden. She was a sweet friend, and even though she didn’t talk much, when she did, her words were always perfectly timed and exactly what you needed to hear. These two, while I enjoyed their presence—even Alanza at times—were brash. I had a feeling anything they said would only make my foul mood worse.
“What are you thinking?” Catalina asked before flopping down on the ground to my left. She leaned back against her own tree and closed her eyes toward the sky.
I followed suit, catching bright glimpses of Bravo as he soared across the sun.
“That I failed,” I admitted with a stoic expression. “The sea doesn’t have time for us to go on wild goose chases. Seabella could already be gone.”
“Don’t think like that,” Alanza cautioned me. “Our people are strong. Have faith they’ll hold on until the end.”
I sniffed. I don’t know if it was an almost-laugh, or if I was on the verge of tears. “How do we know the end hasn’t already come?”
“Because we decide when the end comes. It’s not over until that damn stone is in its unholy resting place. All right?”
I slid my eyes onto Alanza’s face. I hadn’t been expecting any ground-breaking pep talks to come from her, but...
“You’re right,” I found myself agreeing. “We’ll keep searching, and we’ll never give up. If Tikal isn’t the answer, we’ll try somewhere else. Maybe Palenque? I remember reading something about that site and thinking it could be important.”
Catalina smiled and pulled me into a hug. “That’s the spirit, Liliana. Never give up.”
Alanza thumped her chest with a fist and grinned at us. “Honor and glory.”
Catalina released me, and we both crossed our chests too. “Courage and sacrifice.”
“Thank you, girls,” I said with a genuine smile.
But our smiles quickly fell as Cruz approached.
I was fairly sure everyone was aware of how strained things had become since last night.
“Sorry,” Alanza whispered. It was nice that she’d owned up and taken the blame for the tension, since she was the one who blew the conch.
I shook my head, letting her know it wasn’t important.
Cruz swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “Can I talk to Liliana alone, please?”
Catalina and Alanza stood, crossing two tridents in front of him, and blocking his path to me.
“What makes you think the queen wants to talk to you?” Catalina asked.
He stared at me from across the golden barrier. “Because I brought water?”
The dryness in my mouth suddenly flared up at the reminder. I quickly waved a hand in his direction. “Let him though. And give us a few minutes, please.”
Catalina and Alanza nodded, sheathed their weapons, and strolled back toward the rest of the group.
Cruz sat down on my right, handed me a small cup of water, and hung his arms over his knees. “I’m sorry.”
I paused with the cup halfway to my mouth. “Oh?”
He nodded, gazing out across the terrain rather than into my eyes. “Yes. I didn’t mean to withdraw after last night.”
I didn’t feel like playing meek. Instead, I acted like the queen I was and got bold.
“You didn’t enjoy the sex?”
A look of surprise shot across his face and he turned to me and smiled. “No. God no! Is that what you think this is about?”
I raised both brows, challenging him, and took a deep sip from the cup. The water was amazing, almost magical as it streamed down my throat, and spread through my dehydrated body. I would need to submerge in some sort of pool soon. All of us sirens would.
“The sex was phenomenal,” he said with a small chuckle. “It’s not about the sex. It’s about the pirates.”
My brows scrunched and I finished off the cup. “Danny?”
Cruz shrugged. “Maybe. All I know is that I keep seeing signs of pirate activity, no matter where we go. It’s almost like someone’s tipping them off—”
“What the hell, Cruz, why didn’t you tell me you were finding suspicious clues?”
“I don’t know. I guess because nothing ever came of it. No attacks, no actual pirates showing up. And because everyone seems to like Alex and Danny, that makes it hard for me to outright accuse them. Especially without backlash from the group...or you.”
“Me?” I set the cup down and crossed my legs.
“You pulled away from me last night as soon as shit got tense between me and Danny. I thought maybe you liked him more than I realized.”
I turned and stared deep into his big brown eyes. “I like him as a person, I think. But that doesn’t compare at all to how I like you. Whatever that means.”
He scooted closer and put a hand on my thigh. My skin lit up where he touched, an involuntary reaction I hoped he wouldn’t notice. We might’ve been in the process of making up, but he didn’t need to know how intensely he affected me.
“I like you too,” he said with a little grin. “And I definitely want things to continue and progress with us. As long as that’s what you want?”
I’d been trying to convince myself all morning that it wasn’t what I wanted. But now that I was sitting there, barely a foot away from him, all that bullshit slipped away.
I found my head nodding before I even told it to move. “Yes, I want that too.”
Suddenly, his lips were on mine, pressing warmth into my entire body. Flashes of our time together in the river flooded my mind and made me want to climb into his lap. Thankfully, I refrained, but it was damn difficult.
I broke the kiss and quickly got back on point. “But I need you to tell me about this pirate evidence you’ve been seeing. No more keeping this stuff to yourself.”
“Agreed.” He sighed, staring at my lips like he really didn’t want to stop kissing me, and started filling me in on what he’d seen. “There have been empty bottles of alcohol strewn about in the undergrowth. Old campfires, with rock-rings still in perfect condition. Paths where the grasses had been trampled over, and footprints in the dirt beneath. Random coins in strange places...”
He didn’t wait for me to ask any questions before continuing.
“At first I thought, maybe the paths were from a wild animal? Maybe the coins were from the ancient Mayans? And as for the glass bottles and fire rings, maybe they were kids sneaking into the forest for an underage party? But none of that really made sense. Wild animals are few and far in between, and they sure as hell don’t wear shoes. Mayan coins have long ago been collected and put into museums. And most kids haven’t had time for things as trivial as parties since the meteor struck. The only other thing those clues could logically lead to is...pirates.”
I nodded as my brain started firing. “We’ve already had Alex admit to consorting with them. And Danny was literally a crew member up until the time we recruited him.”
Cruz nodded his agreement.
“So you think it’s one of them tipping the pirates off?”
“It would make the most sense,” Cruz said. “But I don’t know what I think.”
“I know it’s not the sirens.”
“Not even Arlo or Kayo?”
I knew where he was going with that. And even though I’d contemplated them as suspects, myself, the belief held no true conviction.
“My parents might have assigned them to a few secret missions above water, but they’re not even here with us now. How could they possibly be behind this?”
“I’m just saying, they’ve been on land before. They could have set something up before this journey even started. Not only that, but they knew we were headed for Yaxchilan. They could have easily sent word to the pirates as soon as we left them. Or, perhaps their wounds weren’t as bad as we thought? Maybe they’re with the pirates right now?”
I put my hand up to silence his overact
ive imagination. “I’ll still keep Arlo and Kayo in the back of my mind as possible suspects, but I’m telling you right now, sirens are proud and honorable people. They would not betray Seabella—or me—like that.”
Cruz reluctantly shut his mouth.
“What about you?” I asked, mostly in teasing. “How do I know it’s not you tipping them off?”
He rolled his eyes. “I might not have been ready to come on this journey, but it was necessary. Even my mother agreed. That’s what mages do: we keep the balance. Helping pirates, and neglecting sirens, would most definitely throw off said balance. Besides, it would go against everything I believed in to help the bullies win.”
I grinned, and climbed up onto my feet, dusting off the butt of my skinsuit. “Good.”
Cruz followed suit, and we started making our way back toward the group.
“What are we going to do about all this?” he asked me under his breath.
“For now, let’s just watch them. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”
He nodded, just as a new question popped into my head. “Why’d you choose Tikal?”
“I don’t know. I remember reading about it in the book you gave me, and I knew we didn’t actually have a backup plan, so I just sort of blurted it out.”
I smirked. “You think it’s actually a good place to look, then?”
He stared at the dust our feet were kicked up. “It’s as good as any, I suppose.”
By the time we reached the group, Alex was back at the front with his gun slung across his shoulder and the map tucked safely into his pack. He watched us carefully, as if he could sense our suspicion. I slowly slid my gaze over to Danny, who aimlessly stood between Alex and Alanza. He looked about as clueless as they came. But was that nothing more than an elaborate front?
My lips turned down at the corners and I forced a silent sigh. “How many days to Tikal?”
Alex shook his head. “Maybe five.”
I sighed at the amount of time it would take, but we didn’t really have many options.
“Let’s head out.”
///
We were halfway to Tikal, sweating like beached whales on a blistering shore, when I finally called it quits.
“I can’t do this shit anymore,” I panted, placing a hand on my aching side. My skin was dry and flaky, and my throat was arid as a desert. Or at least, what I’d imagined a desert might be like. “Where’s the closest body of water?”
Alex stopped walking and glanced at me over his shoulder, a cheeky grin on his face. “You shriveling up, Queenie?”
“We all are,” Catalina huffed, bending over to catch her breath.
That knocked the smile off Alex’s face. He might’ve found amusement in my discomfort, but he seemed genuinely concerned about Catalina’s.
“I agree,” Alanza added, trying to fan herself with a wide jungle leaf.
Danny glanced from us sirens over to Cruz and then Alex. “I’ve never seen a siren so far from the sea. I didn’t even know it was possible for them.”
“It’s possible,” Cruz informed him, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “We mages didn’t take any abilities away, only added to them. But it would make sense that, after all these years, they had a connection to the water that we don’t. They definitely seem to need it more than we do.”
Alex ran an irritated hand down his face. “The closest lake is Laguneta. Another half a day’s journey, but at least it’s in the same direction. Can you wait that long?”
While I contemplated whether or not the journey would kill me, Alex pulled a flexible container from his pack and poured some water into a few cups.
“We don’t have much left,” he informed us grimly. “We probably all need this little pit stop at Laguneta in order to survive.”
As I tipped the water into my mouth, I savored the hydration as it soaked into my tongue and washed down my throat. I told myself I’d survive the journey to the lake. There were no other options. Sheer force of will was my life-force now. Not water. I could totally get there without it. No problem.
“We’ll make it,” I croaked out, but none of the three men seemed to believe me. I’m not even sure if Catalina and Alanza believed me. I crossed my fist over my chest to get their attention. “We decide when the end comes,” I reminded them.
Catalina took a deep breath and pounded her chest. “Honor and glory.”
Alanza nodded determinedly and did the same. “Courage and sacrifice.”
“Let’s go,” I said, ending the little breather we were taking. “The sooner we get to the lake, the better.”
But not long after, the world began to sway and blur. My senses failed, and as I crashed into the ground, there was no pain, no resistance, no sensation at all. There was no earthen scent filling my nose. No sounds entering my ears, not even my own breathing. I vaguely noted feet and legs rushing over to me in slow motion, but then...everything drifted away...
And soon, there was nothing but black.
///
My eyes cracked open.
I slowly realized the world was upside down, and my cheek was lightly smacking into Cruz’s muscled back. At some point, all three of us sirens had ended up slung across the shoulders of the guys—hanging onto life by a thread of sheer willpower alone.
I groaned, praying for the millionth time that Poseidon would just put me out of my misery.
“Hold on, Liliana,” a muffled voice pleaded. I thought it was Cruz, but I couldn’t be sure. “We’re almost there.”
Almost where? Elysium? Olympus? I was so sure I was damn near dead. Extreme dehydration had me thinking extinction might not be such a bad thing, after all. At least we’d all be in a better place.
But then, I ended up tossed into a lake, and suddenly my senses came rushing back.
I absolutely did not want to die, and I wanted that even less for my people.
I sat at the bottom of Laguneta, watching an assortment of slimy green plants sway lazily in the current. A few ugly freshwater fish darted away just as Catalina and Alanza came crashing through the surface. They soon landed with a gentle poof of sand a few feet away from me.
“Hello girls,” I said smiling.
“Hi,” Catalina replied as she rubbed her temples.
Alanza ignored the greetings all together. “We cut that one a bit close, didn’t we?”
But before I could answer, three more people plunged into the lake—the guys. They were probably exhausted and sweating profusely after carrying our deadweight for the past however many miles.
Then Bravo launched into the water, paddling in excited circles all around. The lake wasn’t big enough for him to go very far or very deep, but like us, the water seemed to be a blessing to his spirit. We needed this emotionally almost as much as we did physically.
I sighed contentedly. “We should probably go back up and thank them for saving our lives.”
Alanza pouted grumpily. “I hate being indebted to others.”
“Me too,” Catalina agreed.
I smiled and my sympathy went out to them. I didn’t particularly like it either, but I was way too grateful to let my pride get in the way.
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. A ‘thank you’ is the least we owe them now.”
When we breached the surface, we startled the hell out of the guys.
“Oh my gods,” Cruz muttered, splashing like crazy as he swam over to me. “You’re alive!”
I took him in my arms so he wouldn’t have to splash around anymore, and I kissed him. “Thank you, Cruz. For saving my life.” Then I turned to Alex and Danny. “Thank you all. We owe you a life debt.”
“Oh, don’t start that,” Alex grumbled as his cheeks flushed.
Danny brushed us off with a hand in the air. He seemed to be the best swimmer in the group, only needing one arm to stay afloat. All those years as a sailor-turned-pirate had apparently paid off in that regard.
“It’s a dog-eat-dog wor
ld,” Danny added with a grin. “No need to go getting all heroic on us.”
“Right,” Alanza said sarcastically. “Except that you scurvy dogs didn’t leave us to get eaten by the wolves—you saved us. Which means you were the ones who got heroic first, and now we’re the ones who have to finish it.”
“Dear Jesus,” Alex muttered. “If I’d have known it was going to get this complicated, I might’ve considered leaving your asses in the brush all those miles ago.”
Catalina splashed water at him, and he chuckled.
“I hope you enjoyed your swim,” Alex continued, “because we need to fill up the canteens and keep moving. Tikal is still—”
“We’re not going to Tikal,” I said, cutting him off.
A look of confusion passed over his face, and everyone else’s for that matter, as they bobbed in the water.
“What?” Alex asked. “But that’s what we’ve been—”
“I know, but we’re turning around again,” I said, without an ounce of uncertainty. “There has been zero mutant activity, zero natural disasters, and zero vibrations emanating from the stone at my chest. The worse activity we faced was back near Yaxchilan.”
Alex growled. “But you searched all over Yaxchilan! The resting place wasn’t there.”
“You’re right,” I agreed with a nod. “I don’t think we went far enough. What’s the next site of ruins after that?”
“Palenque,” Alex and Cruz said together.
My smile broadened. “I remember reading about a triad of gods that were honored there. One of them was an aquatic deity. His temple is called ‘The Temple of the Cross’.”
Danny’s eyes went wide. “Aquatic? You mean, he was a siren?”
Cruz shot him a flat look. “Sirens hadn’t yet been created back then.”
“You think it was Poseidon?” Alex questioned aloud.
“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “The Mayans had called him something different, but he could have been the same god with a different name. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what god it was. It matters that we have a new destination, and a lot of ground to make up.”
I pulled Cruz through the water and up onto the shore and grinned. “One day, I’m going to teach you how to swim.”
Siren Awakened (The Cursed Seas Collection) Page 17