26. The Midnight Sky

Chapter 26

The Midnight Sky

The Siren

P roteus twirled dark red liquid in his glass before taking a long, indulgent sip. Kipp had left to check on his crew who had succumbed to the revelry of Dionysus and dryads. Proteus' people had joined in on the festivities, a full-blown party of debauchery. I had stayed with Proteus where it was somewhat quieter, sitting in lavish chairs on a balcony that overlooked his gardens. The salty spray of the waterfalls on either side of his palace created a mist that reminded me of the bow of Kipp's ship.

"Absolutely hate and love it when Dionysus visits." Proteus rose from the lounge chair he'd been sitting on and crossed the balcony to peer down at the gathering amassing below. "Hate it because…" He waved a hand around to gesture at the shenanigans happening in his gardens, then he tipped his glass and drained the last of it. "Love it because, well, this wine is worth putting up with his wickedness for a night."

I joined him at the railing, my arms resting in the cool stone as I gazed below. Lyrical music carried on the breeze, mixing with the floral scents of the surrounding garden. It created an atmosphere that called to me, and as I watched bodies melding together, I understood why. I turned from the scene below, leaning on the stone railing as the breeze lifted my hair from my shoulders and cooled my suddenly heated skin.

"I need to know, Proteus, if you will stand by me when I claim the throne?" I asked, needing to distract myself from the blatant lustful atmosphere at my back.

"Must you even ask, minnow?" He turned toward me, an indulgent smile lifting his wine-painted lips. "What kind of support do you require?"

"We are friends. Any support will be well received."

He pressed his lips together into a thin line, his gaze distant as if he were miles away in thoughts as a long silence stretched between us. "I must warn you, dear friend. I do not engage myself in the dealing of the gods. Especially those that may result in war. The last one was devastating." His gaze met mine, penetrating to the depths of my soul. "Talia, are you even sure you want the throne?"

We'd had this conversation long ago, on the beach of Siren Island. I'd never been given a choice of what my life would hold. This duty had always stretched out before me. I'd always known I'd one day rule the sirens as their queen.

"Of course," I answered with deliberate ease but even I heard the hesitation in my voice as I spoke.

Proteus raised a brow as he handed me a glass. "The real question is," he said, reclining back into a cushioned lounge chair with his tall glass refilled. "What are you going to do with this beast you have bound to you?"

I let out a sigh, glancing around the balcony to ensure no one else was near enough to overhear our words. I shrugged. "Our interests align… for now."

Crossing the balcony, I sat again in a lounger opposite from him, stretching my long, bare legs along the length of luxurious cushion as I leaned back. I swirled the liquid in my tall glass, taking a sip and relishing in the delectable taste that coated my tongue. Proteus hadn't been wrong; the wine was divine.

"My plan is to break the siren curse once and for all," I said, resting the glass at my side as I eyed my oldest friend. "I think his path will lead me to mine as well."

He studied me in the dim light of the flickering candles nearby, its orange glow casting an eerie shadow across his pale skin. He seemed almost otherworldly in this setting, beneath the midnight sky with billions of stars glittering in the sky above. His head cocked sideways as he watched me. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

I met his gaze steadily. "Yes. It's the only way to ensure that Poseidon doesn't give away my crown."

Proteus shook his head. "I hate to break it to you, but if Poseidon has already chosen this boy creature to be the next ruler, saving the sirens won't change his mind."

"He isn't even a siren!"

"I know that. He is a merman, from his mermaid of a mother," Proteus admitted. "I have a few who reside here. They're much less vicious than you heart-obsessed sirens."

"You knew about him?" I accused, betrayal at these kept secrets he'd withheld from me all these years.

"I'd heard about him, but I never thought Poseidon would try to put him on the throne. It makes sense though. The sirens are cursed and they're dying out. They need something new. So, it makes sense, if only from a purely factual perspective." He sat his empty glass onto the table next to him and sighed. "I'm sorry, minnow. I never thought he would try to depose you."

My teeth sharpened and I clenched them, giving my head a shake as I replied, "It doesn't matter. I will break the curse, and we will go to war if we must."

"Perhaps, but there is the matter of this binding. You do realize that you cannot even go to Atlantis while bound to this pirate, right?"

"I'll break it."

"It's not that easy…" Proteus' words trailed off as he shut his mouth. Footsteps approached, and a second later, Kipp walked through the large double doors that sat open at our backs.

"Trouble, Captain?" Proteus asked with a smirk.

Kipp stood in the open doors, his clothing marred with dirt and debris as if he'd walked through a wicked storm to make it here. "A few of my crew were a little wild. I had to restrain them and send them back to the ship. The rest, I forced to retire for the night." He stepped under the glow of the flickering light, and I noticed the blooming bruise along his jaw. I touched my own, wondering why I hadn't felt the injury through our binding.

Proteus looked to me. "The magic of this island, minnow." Turning to Kipp, he gestured to a nearby lounger. "Captain, have a seat and join us."

"We need to leave early in the morning and should get some rest," Kipp said with a shake of his head. The darkness hovered just beneath his skin, deepening his tone as he spoke. I felt it slither across my skin like electricity, and I clenched my teeth again, denying the urge I felt to go to him.

"Fine," Proteus said, an amused grin lifting his lips, "But then I must make my warning now. Vicious as this lovely creature is, I am fond of her. If any harm comes to her…" He let the pleasant kindness and good host melt from his demeanor. A cold hard look clouded his gaze, promising death and destruction as he said, "There is nowhere in this sea or on this earthly plane that I will not be able to find you. I will drag you to the worst parts of Tartarus and delight in your torture should even a hair on her head be plucked intentionally by your hand or actions." A crack of thunder roared in the clear skies, a show of his godly power as he glared across the balcony to where Kipp stood. The power strong enough that I felt nauseated for a moment in the presence of it. "Do you understand me, boy?"

Kipp looked like he wanted to fight as he locked eyes with my friend, but as I watched the dark emotions weigh over his face and the inky shadows that showed what lurked just beneath his skin, he shocked me as he simply nodded. He pressed his lips together and dipped his head in agreement before he held a hand out for me.

I stood, placing my palm into his hold and letting him take me to the room Proteus had given him.