30. Kaden

Chapter 30

Kaden

I 'm standing in the living room of the mansion, watching my grandfather with his red-haired mermaid lover, Nixi. The room is filled with a warm glow, casting a golden hue over everything.

Nixi is laughing, tears of happiness glistening in her eyes, as she smiles at my grandfather and rubs her small belly. I can see it in the way my grandfather tenderly caresses her, the way his eyes light up with a brightness I've never seen before, that he must have just discovered she's pregnant.

"I can't believe how lucky I am," my grandfather coos, his voice a gentle murmur that carries all the love he feels for her. He lifts Nixi into his arms, spinning her around with a joy that's infectious, her giggles filling the room like a melody.

"So you're not upset?" she asks, her voice a sweet, lilting sound that seems to dance in the air.

"Why would I be? Having a family is everything I've wanted. You are my stars in the sky, Nixi, my reason for being. That's why I'm going to change things and start my own business, something with less travel, so I can be at home with you more."

I wonder why he never spoke of her to me, why this part of his life was hidden away like a precious secret.

The vision blurs, a whirl of colors and emotions that leaves me reeling, and suddenly, I'm standing on a quiet shore with my grandfather and Lilia. Her face is a mask of fury, her eyes bright with unshed tears as she glares at my grandfather.

"You fucking asshole," she spits, her words a venomous hiss that cuts through the silence.

My grandfather stands there, looking truly bewildered, a frown creasing his brow.

"Lilia, I thought you would be happy for me, for Nixi and me."

"You really are clueless, aren't you?" Her response is sharp, coated with bitterness. "I actually thought we were building something together, and this whole time, you've been with someone else? And now she's pregnant, and you want to leave the business we built from the ground up?" Her hands are fists at her sides, trembling with rage.

My grandfather reaches out, his face a mask of confusion.

"Lilia, we were never an item. You know this. I told you this in the past. We've always been close business partners, good friends. Why are you making a bigger deal of this than it is? I never led you on."

The hurt in her eyes is raw. Her jaw clenches, and I see her struggling to contain the tears that threaten to spill over.

"You're a fucking liar, or you're simply too stupid to notice how I felt about you all these years."

Oh, fuck!

"Lilia, I'm sorry things turned out like this." My grandfather sighs, a heavy, weary sound that seems to carry the weight of the world. "I never intended ? —"

"I don't care," she snaps, pulling away from him with a jerk of her shoulders. She turns on her heel, her steps hard and deliberate as she walks away, leaving him standing alone on the shore, the waves crashing quietly at his feet.

The scene shifts again, a dizzying whirl of confusion that leaves me breathless, and I find myself on the deck of a boat.

Nixi's there, too, groaning in pain, clawed hands cradling her belly, her skin a patchwork of scales and flesh. Blood pools at her feet, and more runs down the middle of her legs, staining the deck.

I turn cold at the sight, at the implication that she lost her child.

My grandfather is a storm of fury, his face flushed with anger as he turns on Lilia, who stands nearby with a smirk on her lips.

"What the fuck have you done, Lilia?" he bellows, rushing to Nixi's side as she collapses into his arms, her cries a piercing wail of despair.

"The baby," she sobs, her voice a broken whisper. "It's gone… I can feel that I lost my child." Her body convulses once more, and her face is changing slightly, too—elongated features, thinner cheeks, sharper cheekbones, darker eyes… and pointed teeth.

A siren. For fuck's sake, she's changing into a siren.

Nixi cries frantically, and my grandfather cradles her, terror blanching his face, but fire burns behind those eyes as he glares over at Lilia.

I want to reach into the vision, to rip her apart for what she's done, to make her pay for the devastation she's wrought. But all I can do is watch, helpless, as my grandfather endures his own nightmare.

He sets Nixi down and lunges for Lilia, his hand closing around her throat in a grip that promises death, but she remains calm, her lips curled in a cruel smile.

"You fucking bitch," he thunders so loud that the air around seems to shake. "Undo what you did to Nixi! Now! Change her back to a mermaid, or I'll destroy you!"

"What are you going to do?" she gurgles. Her laughter is a chilling sound. She shoves against his grasp, loosening the chokehold. "Destroy me more than you already have? You know as well as I do, once a mermaid turns into a siren, she can't go back. And, well, a small side effect is that she lost your baby. What a damn shame. Every decision has a consequence!"

The callousness in her words is like a dagger to my heart. My grandfather throws her against the wall of the boat with savagery, his anger a living thing.

Nixi cries out, and my grandfather rushes frantically to her side, taking her into his arms just as her expression shifts from one of pain to something more sinister, more terrifying. Her eyes glint with an unnatural light, a twisted grin spreading across her face as she reaches for my grandfather.

"Kiss me," she whispers, her voice laced with the siren's call, seductive and deadly. "Take me into the water with you. Please, I need this…"

"No!" I scream, though I know he can't hear me. My grandfather's hands tremble, tears streaming down his face as he turns back to Lilia, but she's gone. And he's left with the woman he loves, now lost to him forever. A tragedy is unfolding before my eyes, and I'm powerless to stop it.

T he vision shatters, the world around me dissolving into a haze of light and sound. I'm thrown back into the present, the real world crashing down around me with a force that leaves me breathless.

I'm kneeling on the pavement beside Sasha's car, the cold, hard reality of the world pressing down on me like a suffocating weight. Chowder's frantic cries pierce the air, a desperate plea that slices through the fog of my mind, bringing me back to the here and now.

"Kaden!" His voice is a lifeline.

I blink, my gaze focusing on the small otter staring at me from inside the car, his paws pressed against the window, his eyes wide with fear and worry.

My mind is a whirl of emotions, a maelstrom of rage as I process the horror of what I've just seen. Lilia's betrayal, the cruelty of her actions, the way she stole everything from my grandfather, just as she's trying to do with Sasha.

I replay so many visions in my mind, trying to piece together the puzzle. Nixi turned into a siren and lost her baby, and now, Sasha's fate is intertwined with the same evil. Is it because of me? Is that why Lilia has turned her attention to Sasha?

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut, the cold, hard truth sinking in with a finality that leaves me reeling.

Then I recall the one vision where my grandfather was searching through a secret room, sifting through papers, looking for something. A pendant , he called it. Was it the key to reversing the curse? Could it be the answer I need?

My hands are shaking as I fumble with the car keys and get into the driver's seat. Chowder is frantic, his small body trembling with fear as he looks up at me.

"You find Sasha?"

I take a deep breath. "We need to find a hidden room, Chowder. Maybe, just maybe, we can find a solution. Maybe we can save her." I reach over and scratch his head. Chowder rushes over to my lap, clinging to me, and I sense the poor thing shaking.

I throw the car into gear, the tires screeching as we peel out of the parking lot.

"Go faster if it saves Sasha," he urges. "Why you so slow?"

I grit my teeth, pushing the pedal to the floor, the city blurring past us in a haze of colors. My thoughts are a chaotic jumble of desperation. I can't lose her, not like this. Not to Lilia.

We crash into the driveway, the car skidding to a stop as I leap out, Chowder close on my heels. Together, we sprint into the house, the door slamming shut behind us as we race to the basement.

"It has to be here somewhere," I mutter, my voice a low rumble of urgency as I search the walls, my hands tracing every surface, every nook and cranny. I'm frantic, needing to find the damn room.

The basement is dimly lit, shadows stretching across the floor as I work, my heart pounding with every passing second. I can sense the clock ticking, and after an hour of nothing, my insides are ice, and I collapse against the sacrificial table.

Then I feel it… a faint breeze against my back, a whisper of air coming from somewhere behind me. I twist around, my fingers brushing against the stone floor and where the stand meets, and there it is—a hidden seam, a concealed entrance.

My heart leaps in my chest as I push against it, the floor easily shifting with a low creak, revealing a set of dark stairs leading down into the depths. Chowder is at my side, peering into the shadows.

"What is that?" he says.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I breathe as I stare into the darkness. This is it. The secret room.

We descend, the light above fading as we plunge deeper into the bowels of the mansion. Dust hangs in the air, the scent of old paper and forgotten secrets filling my lungs as we reach the bottom. I find a string hanging from the ceiling near the entrance, and I pull on it, recognizing it instantly. The light in the room flicks on. Nearly every room in the mansion had these until I had them updated.

The room is a mess, papers and books scattered across the floor.

"Why so messy?" Chowder asks, staring at the chaos around us.

"My grandfather was trying to find something down here," I reply. I run my fingers over the books and papers scattered across a table.

I start rifling through the stacks of papers, flipping through books filled with scribbled notes, searching for anything that might give me a clue about Sasha or what my grandfather was involved in. Every name, every date, every location feels like a thread, and I'm hoping they will lead to an understanding of how to reverse what's been done.

I find a ledger filled with names and dates, meticulously recorded alongside locations. There's another book with names of ships and their charted paths.

Wait a minute…

I'm thinking back to the news articles Sasha was investigating, of boats being targeted by sirens, of sailors killed and everything precious stolen. I flip the book pages madly, and there are so many entries. There are other books, too, older, fading… There must be years' worth of records.

My heart sinks as I realize the enormity of what I'm holding.

This wasn't just a business; it was a carefully orchestrated operation targeting ships, and what's the bet the names are mermaids who are changed into sirens. Which tells me they must be controlled somehow. Forced to board ships and kill sailors, stealing anything of value.

It's one thing to have sirens randomly attacking a boat, but these books with records tell me there was nothing accidental about those attacks.

And my grandfather must have been involved.

"Son of a bitch!" I breathe, my voice barely above a whisper as I stare at the names. I slump down heavily on a creaking chair. My grandfather's involvement, Lilia's betrayal—it's all connected. The vision of my grandfather wanting to leave this business makes sense now. He wanted out to start a family, to stop the death and destruction he and Lilia caused.

It guts me to think he's not innocent in this ordeal.

As I sift through the papers, Chowder's falling asleep on an open book in front of him. But my attention is caught by something colorful on those pages.

"Hey, can I look at that?" I ask, my curiosity piqued. I slide it out from under him as he shifts onto his side, curling up.

There's a hand-drawn image of a round pendant, beautiful with colored stones. The longer I study it, the more familiar it seems. I blink at it, narrowing my gaze as it comes back to me.

My grandfather had given me something similar, a trinket he'd said was precious and unique, something to keep safe. I brought it back from Tartarus with me, never thinking much of it until now.

The realization hits me like a thunderbolt.

"Chowder, this might be it!" I exclaim, gathering the book and Chowder as I race back upstairs, my heart pounding with a newfound sense of hope.

I dash into the living room, pulling open the glass cabinet where I had placed the charm for safekeeping. My hands shake as I retrieve it—a deep violet and golden pendant, its spiral pattern wrought in white gold, the stones shimmering like captured stars.

Flipping through the book again, I find a section in handwritten notes.

Sirens can be reversed to mermaids, but only within twenty-four hours of being turned and only by one with true blood.

What the fuck does that mean? I skim the rest of the page, my heart racing as I find another scribbled note.

The pendant, when covered in blood, can reveal any siren you seek. Whisper her name into the pendant…

My breath catches in my throat as the significance of this discovery sinks in.

"Chowder, I think we might be able to find Sasha. Once I do, I'll need to bring her back to heal her… somehow. But first, let's find her."

Chowder nods, his eyes filled with a mix of hope and determination. "We find her, we save her."

I grab a small knife from a nearby drawer, my hand trembling slightly as I make a shallow cut across my palm. The blood wells up, dark and crimson, and I press the pendant against it, feeling the cold metal warm under my touch.

"Sasha," I whisper, my voice a soft plea carried on the air and picture her in my mind to make it clear who my intended is.

The pendant glows faintly, its stones pulsing with a life of their own as the magic within it stirs. For a moment, nothing happens, and fear scratches at my throat, then the glow intensifies, casting shifting patterns across the room.

The pendant's magic reaches out, weaving through the air, and in my mind's eye, I see her. Sasha curled up on the deck of a ship in her siren form… her tail flapping, her face emotionless, her eyes wild. I don't see my Sasha in there, only someone controlled and cursed. My heart clenches at the sight of her.

"She's out there, Chowder, on a ship. I'm going to find her with this pendant," I murmur. I have to reach her and figure out a way to bring her back before it's too late.

Chowder jumps onto my shoulder, his small form a comforting weight. "We go now?" he asks, his voice filled with determination.

"Sorry, buddy, you're staying home for this one," I reply, my resolve hardening into something unbreakable. I set him back down on the couch. "I have to focus on her, no distractions. You stay here, and I'll bring her home."

He stares at me with those huge eyes that tear me apart.

"Stop staring at me like that. Trust me, you're safer here. I got this." I quickly scratch his head, and with the pendant clutched tightly in my hand, I stride toward the door.

"You bring her back," Chowder pleads.

Heading outside, I lock the door behind me. I waste no time and am at the wharf, which is a complete mess because of me. I should feel guilty, but I'm drowning in the ache for Sasha and have no space in my emotions for anything else. After I save my little mermaid, I swear to pay for all the damages.

The afternoon sky is already dimming. The pendant glows softly in my hand with a faint line of golden magic pointing out to the ocean.

I strip down and prepare to dive into the icy water, and I feel the familiar pull of the kraken, the power coursing through me as I shift, my body expanding, limbs lengthening, until I am one with the depths. The ocean sings to me, and I know that here, in this element, I am at my strongest.

With the pendant wrapped in one of my tentacles, I follow its path, moving fast through the sea, knowing Sasha needs me. And her time is running out.

As I swim, the water darkens, the depths deeper, and I sense the pull of the pendant growing stronger, its magic a constant pulse in my grasp.

Hours pass in a blur of motion and water, the relentless push forward the only thing that matters. I surface occasionally, checking my bearings, the cool night air a welcome reprieve from the pressure below.

Finally, I spot a ship on the horizon, bobbing on the water. The Siren's Vengeance is written on its side beneath the moon's gaze. I grin, gliding forward. I approach cautiously, the water concealing me from view as I circle the ship from beneath the surface.

I drift silently, but I fear that in my kraken form, I'll be easily spotted. If I'm going to save Sasha, I need the element of surprise. I won't take down the boat until I know she's off it and safe. I let the shift take me, limbs retracting, tentacles pulling back as I become human again. The water feels different against my skin now—cooler, more personal.

Gliding in the water, I peer up occasionally, just enough to break the surface and assess what I'm dealing with. It's an older vessel, its hull weathered and worn. It won't take much to destroy it, but not before I get my girl.

The pendant in my hand pulses with a gentle glow, guiding me toward her, the anticipation like a fire in my chest. Every second that ticks by is torture, every heartbeat echoing in the space between us.

I spot someone leaning over the railing, eyes scanning the water, and I slip back beneath the surface, allowing the ocean to close over me. I swim under the boat, deciding to climb on from the side. It's less risky to be spotted that way. In my head, I play out the plan—find Sasha, steal her off the boat, then deal with Lilia and her crew. It seems straightforward enough.

Just then, the movement of the water changes. A ripple of bubbles ahead signals someone entering the water with me. Even in my human form, my sight is strong enough to see the dark waters, and right now, I'm tensing, muscles coiling, ready for whatever's coming.

I'm no longer alone.

A solitary figure moves through the water with a captivating grace. Her flowing, glittery tail trails behind her like liquid gold. Her dark aquamarine hair dances around her face, framing eyes that see through me, piercing and profound. Those perfect, perky breasts bounce in the water, clawed fingers extend from delicate hands, and her lips peel back to reveal a predator's smile.

My heart lurches painfully as I recognize her—Sasha, my Sasha, transformed into a siren.

Seeing her like this, knowing the horror she must feel trapped in a form she dreaded, it's killing me. A piece of my heart shatters with every second that ticks by, with every moment she stares at me with cruelty in her gaze. The very gaze that once softened with love now turns hard.

"Sasha," I plead with her.

Her eyes focus on mine, and for a moment, her expression shifts. Then, slowly, beautifully, she swims toward me, her teeth hidden behind a smile that has my heart racing. The temptation she offers is impossible to ignore.

She begins to hum in the water, the song twirling in my mind, wrapping itself around my heart, my very soul. It's a siren's call, seductive and beautiful. My resolve wavers, my purpose blurred by her melody. For a moment, I forget why I'm here. All I see is Sasha, gorgeous and deadly, swimming circles around me.

"Come to me," she purrs, a melody that dances along my skin.

I remind myself to resist the pull of her song, but the desire to give in is overwhelming. It's like being burned alive from the inside, a torture I can hardly bear. My skin itches with the need to reach for her, my heart splintering in two. I want her in my arms, desperately, an ache I can't escape.

For a fleeting second, I remind myself that this isn't truly Sasha—she's a siren under control, sent to end me. But as I watch her lips, the thought crosses my mind—would dying by her kiss be such a terrible way to go?

I shake my head, trying to clear the fog.

"Sasha, stop this. It's me. I know you're in there somewhere." Desperation paints my voice.

She doesn't flinch, doesn't bat an eye at my words. She begins to sing again, the tune making me forget myself. It's as if each note is a thread, pulling me toward her, away from reason.

The world narrows to a single point—her. Sasha, the center of my universe, the siren of my destruction.

Rushing to her, closing the distance, I reach for her waist.

"Let me take you from here." My plan to rescue her, to destroy this damned boat and whatever control Lilia has, slips from my mind as I gaze into Sasha's eyes.

Her teeth bare at me for a split second, claws digging into my chest, scratching the skin. Then, as quickly as the hostility appeared, it vanishes. She morphs back into the goddess she is, pressing herself against me, those breasts so delicious, so soft, making me lose my mind as she sings softly in my ear.

She doesn't recognize me under Lilia's curse; that's clear. My heart cracks open, the pain unbearable. Her attention holds me captive, her eyes offering the promise of my destruction, yet all I can see is the love we shared.

She lifts herself, bringing our faces close. My pulse races, memories of our time together flashing through my mind—our laughter, our banter, the love that once burned brightly. I can't imagine a life without her, without those moments.

My throat thickens because I'm so close to her, yet I feel we're worlds apart.

The thought of pulling away slips from me, replaced by an overpowering obsession to be with her.

I lean in, whispering, "I've never been able to resist you."

Her lips suddenly meet mine, and electricity jolts through my body, a current so intense it sends us both into convulsions. In the chaos, the pendant in my hand glows fiercely. Sasha thrashes against me like she's trying to pull away. Her kiss should have ended me, should have stolen my life, but it doesn't.

Holding the back of her head, I refuse to let her break the kiss. I shove the pendant against her chest, figuring it needs to touch both of us, praying it works as a burst of magic surges between us like electrical currents.

Her body shudders violently, and in a heartbeat, she collapses, going limp in my arms.

Dread crashes over me like a wave, cold and relentless. I break the kiss, panic rising as I call out, "Sasha!"