Chapter 1

Soldiers hurled my sister into a tub of pearls. Her tail glowed faint blue.

They shoved their hands all over her, ripping off scales. Shimmering blue scattered across the floor.

Then they cut her open and pulled out her heart.

The Queen had heard rumors of sirens in the Southern Isles. That their princess carried a Siren's Heart inside her body.

Swallow it, and you'd have eternal beauty. An allure no man could resist.

The Queen wanted it.

So the King sent soldiers to slaughter us and gut my sister for her heart.

That day the sea ran red. Everywhere I looked, my people lay split open.

I hid beneath a reef, blood clouding my vision, tears rolling down and hardening into pearls. Every one stained red.

My sister's last words echoed in my ears.

*"Elara, stay alive."*

The world knew our colony had one princess, one Heart.

No one knew this generation, there were two.

And one wasn't just beautiful. She was a witch.

That one was me.

I dragged myself ashore and cast the old spell to trade my tail for legs.

Then I summoned a familiar. It took shape of a snake.

I fed it my blood and bound it to me. It coiled around my wrist, teeth glinting, and I named it Malice.

Three months. That was all it took.

I made my way to the capital, slipped into the palace as a dancer, and traded a pouch of siren tears for the King's whereabouts.

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