Page 79 of A Sea So Cruel
Asta, grateful to the mindwalker, bowed her head—an action a princess should perform for no one besides kings and queens. She was forever indebted to the female for respecting something she coveted so dearly even though she could have snapped her mind in two for harboring a memory. Through it all, her honorable intention was clear and allowed her to pass the thoughtrus test.
Chapter 44
Kaid grabbed Asta by the hand. It was not the time, nor place, to show such a weakness to the high fae, but he needed the small comfort. He needed something to ground him—to remind him that the fears he envisioned were not real and never would be.
If Kaid had been subjected to thoughtrus a few months ago, his greatest fears would likely have been misfortune, being tied down to one woman, and—materialistically—never ingesting a drop of liquor again.
However, Kaid’s life had changed drastically since he arrived in Orntali. And so, it made perfect sense that the lost siren princewould fear loneliness. Not only loneliness, but losing Asta and his parents. Kaid saw himself in the dining hall of his Haalberg estate, a feast laid out with no one to share it with. They had lost the war. Kaid had lost his parents. Asta had sacrificed herself. He heard the empty echo of the home while he cut into his meal, the metal on porcelain scraping the silence like nails on granite.
Kaid found it somewhat amusing, how his greatest fears had changed so quickly. Now, he did not care for riches. He did not care for parties, royalty, or philandering. He cared for Asta and his family. He could lose everything, but if he still had them, he had everything. More than everything.
Asta’s gentle squeeze on his hand broke Kaid from reliving his nightmares over and over again. He wondered what she had seen. He couldn’t hear what Sabella had whispered to her after her assessment, but he was glad the fae’s words brought her comfort, as Asta’s shoulders had relaxed gradually during their interaction.
The air in the room felt stagnant as Lord Karlana and the other council members evaluated them. They all passed, so what was the delay?
“We’ve passed. Give us the trident,” Kaid said, growing more impatient by the second. The fate of his family and kingdom laid in the hands of these cunning fae.
Lord Karlana balled his hands into fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. “The agreement was that if you all passed the thoughtrus magic, you would receive the trident. Well, you did not all pass.” Karlana gestured to Tova, who was sitting on the ground at Gyrial’s feet as he supported her weight with his legs. “How do I know there aren’t more traitors waiting for you back home? How am I to know that you won’t simply take the relic and pass it to the wrong hands?”
The room fell silent again. The bouts of stillness were wearing on Kaid. He was tired of wasting time, which was exactly what these fae were trying to achieve.
“Give us a blood oath,” Gyrial’s deep voice boomed off the stone walls, demanding attention from everyone in the room.
The council snickered, exchanging hushed words. However, one face remained like stone. Lady Tressa approached the edge of the dais where Gyrial waited with squared shoulders and an unrelenting gaze. “You would swear a blood oath for these creatures? For those who are not fae?”
Lady Tressa stood so still that the light reflecting off her gaudy jewelry did not waver. Though he knew what she meant by her referring to him as a “creature,” it still rubbed him the wrong way. Afterall, sirens were half fae. They only existed because the fae placed their trust in the wrong “creatures” to begin with.
Gyrial’s eye contact never broke as he responded. “I would give my life for any member of this group, as they are the most trustworthy beings I have ever met.” Which was saying a lot, since Gyrial had lived such a long life thus far. “So yes, my Lady, I would take a blood oath ten times over for anyone standing beside me now.”
The other council members laughed again, but Lady Tressa remained still. She assessed each and every one of them, and for the first time, Kaid acknowledged how truly predatory fae were. Being a siren, he was a predator too, but he was still not accustomed to thinking in such a way.
“Everyone step forward. I will do it,” Lady Tressa gestured to the foot of the dais.
Kaid had not expected the stone-faced, unreadable council member to be the one to put her trust in them, but then he turned to Asta and it made more sense. Asta had an incredibly hard exterior and even harder, fortified mental walls, but shegave everyone a chance. One chance. Then, if you failed her, you were banished from her life. This female fae must operate similarly.
Kaid approached the dais while still holding Asta’s hand, followed by Soren, Revna, and Gyrial who guided Tova’s steps. They followed the Lady’s instructions to add a pool of their blood to the large golden bowl that was passed around. They each sliced their palms using their own blades and watched the crimson red splash into the bowl below.
When they were done, Lady Tressa gave three drops of her own blood. Then, she trained them on what words to say once she performed the oath. Kaid’s palms were sweating profusely. Luckily, the small incision he had made on his palm was already a faint pink scar thanks to his siren magic.
“I will now state the terms of the oath,” Lady Tressa announced to the rock ceiling as though she were speaking directly to the goddesses and gods above. “These beings swear to use the sacred siren trident for the greater good. They swear that the trident will not be gifted to those who wish to use it for tyranny. They swear that the trident will be concealed when its use is complete. On their lives, they make this promise.”
Kaid knew that once he responded, his life would be tied to the trident. It was one thing to give your life for someone you cared about, but to willingly shackle your future to an inanimate object felt irresponsible. Still, it was the only way the sirens could ever win this war.
“On our lives, we make this promise,” they all responded in unison.
Then, the bowl was passed down, everyone taking a sip of the blood mixture. Kaid let the warm, thick liquid slide down his throat and resisted the urge to gulp down the entire dish. His bloodlust was finely tuned without him ever intending it to be,but drinking pure blood like this made him second guess his will power.
With that thought, he passed the bowl to Asta, whose hands shook uncontrollably. Unlike everyone else here, Asta’s bloodlust was still new. “It’s only a sip,” Kaid whispered in her ear and she nodded in return. The princess lifted the bowl to her lips and ever so slightly tipped it. Something about seeing the red liquid smooth over her lips sent shivers down Kaid’s spine.
Drink, drink, drink. Drink until only residue remains. Drink from the bowl while I drink from you.
Kaid closed his eyes tightly, willing the siren voice in his head to silence.
When Kaid noticed Asta had drunk a little more than the rest of them, he pulled the bowl away, leaving a dribble of blood at the corner of her mouth, which she wiped away with her sleeve. He knew he was fucked when he wished he could have licked it off her himself.
Lady Tressa retrieved the bowl and drank what little was left. Kaid felt a jolt run through his body for a fraction of a second, then it was over.
Lord Karlana caught everyone’s attention as he approached the edge of the dais holding a golden, glinting object. The trident. He held it out begrudgingly while glaring at Lady Tressa, who watched the exchange carefully.
