“I have to go,” she said, and hurried back to her chamber.
An overwhelming desire to meet her birth parents washed over Cordelia. If ever she needed a sign to move forward then this was it. She rifled through her clothes and pulled out her swimsuit.
“Where are you off to?” asked Nixie who was perched on Cordelia’s bed.
Cordelia paused briefly to compose herself. “I’m going diving,” she said.
“In this weather?”
“What does it matter if it’s raining?” asked Cordelia. “I’ll get wet anyway.”
“The wind is wild,” said Nixie.
“If I let the wind stop me then I won’t win,” said Cordelia.
“Win?”
“The diving competition. I’m going to Meren.”
Nixie squealed with excitement. “I knew you’d come to your senses,” she said.
“Yes, alright, now if you don’t mind.”
“Why would I mind?” asked Nixie.
Cordelia raised her eyebrows and held up her swimsuit.
“Say no more,” said Nixie and she vanished into thin air.
Once in her swimsuit, Cordelia grabbed a towel and walked out of the caves onto the rocks by the amphitheatre.
Battling against the wind, she clambered along the coast until the bay was visible in the distance. Cordelia climbed the rocks of the diving site and waited on the cliff top. She saw the swim team dragging the horses into the water. It was a sight that would have broken the strongest heart. They swam beneath her, into the deep, taking the horses to their resting place. Cordelia sat on the sopping grass and wailed like a young child. She wondered if she would ever find true happiness in this godforsaken place.
Unbeknown to her she was being watched. Arna, the Siren who had betrayed Cordelia’s mother had been watching her for years. Isolated on Bishop’s Island, she spent her time alone in the church with little else to do but hunt for fish and observe the girl whose mother had been brutally murdered. She blamed herself, of course, but Cordelia appeared to have inherited her father’s genes and she didn’t think it was her place to interfere, until now. The sleek blond hair caught Arna’s eye and she flew closer. Cordelia had never met the gannets. To her this was just another sea bird scavenging for food. Arna noticed the wounds on Cordelia’s shoulders. She could smell the same sweet scent of Carmen’s blood. Arna cocked her head to the side and stared into Cordelia’s sapphire eyes.
“What are you looking at?” moaned Cordelia.
Right there in front of her, Arna morphed from a regular gannet into a beautiful Siren, towering over Cordelia. Cordelia fell back onto her elbows with a horrified look in her eyes.
“Don’t be afraid,” said Arna. “I mean you no harm.”
Cordelia couldn’t help but notice Arna’s hair. It bared a canny resemblance to her own.
“Who are you?” asked Cordelia, using her hands to push herself up.
“My name is Arna. I knew your mother. You look just like her.”
Curious to know more, Cordelia stood up, though Arna still towered over her.
“What do you know about my mother?” asked Cordelia.
“She was beautiful,” said Arna, “just like you.”
“Was?” asked Cordelia, her heart sinking.
“I’m afraid she died the day you were born.”
“She died because of me?”
“Not strictly speaking,” said Arna. “she was killed by the ravens. She was a great warrior, your mother. A respected leader.”
“Why did they kill her?”
Arna paused. “They found out about you.”
“They killed her because of me?”
“No. They killed her because of me. I told them about you.”
“Why are you telling me this now?” asked Cordelia, tears welling in her eyes.
“Until now I thought you belonged with the merfolk,” said Arna.
Cordelia kept quiet, waiting to see what Arna would say next.
“Look at you now.” Arna toyed with Cordelia’s hair and walked around her, lightly brushing her shoulders with her wing. “You’re becoming one of us.”
“Appearances don’t mean anything,” said Cordelia. “I’m nothing like my mother. I’m not a killer.”
“Neither was she,” said Arna. “Your mother loved you and did everything she could to keep you safe.”
“Tell me what happened, I need to know.”
“Your mother was the most beautiful of all the gannets but she kept a secret which she guarded with her life. Word got out that she was guarding an egg and Zamira descended on our island with her vicious flock. She was jealous that your mother had won the affection of the King. Zamira believed that she could one day be queen but with you on the way, there was little chance of that happening. She saw you as a threat; not just to the crown but to their way of life. Your mother supported the King’s desire to end the needless killing of sailors but Zamira refused to sign the treaty.”
“What happened next?” asked Cordelia.
“The gannets heard the ravens’ angry cries. Armed with shields and daggers, they surrounded the church where your mother was hiding with you. Zamira commanded her army to search the island.”
“Then what?” asked Cordelia, listening intently.
“The gannets drew their daggers as the ravens moved closer. Sounds of squawking and clashing metal filled the air yet down on the water, Flynn was unaware of the violent battle high above him; the clouds and sea spray were a smoke screen between him and us. With every clash of daggers and shields came lightening and thunder. Your mother watched anxiously from a tiny window as feathers and blood were shed. She knew that she was trapped in the church. Determined to give you the best chance of survival, she unbolted the door, clenched your shell between her feet and flew into the open air. She dropped you over the side of the cliff as a group of ravens swooped around her. Zamira watched you plummet towards the ocean. She thought you were both dead. Of course, it was all my fault. I told Zamira about your mother, about you.”
“Where did the gannets go?” asked Cordelia.
“The rest of the gannets were distraught by the sudden loss of your mother and refused to live in the shadows of the
