The Fifth Season

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: I PROMISE I DIDN'T TELL

SNOH

Elder Herais has a stern look on his face. Like the rest of the girls that were frozen stiff in the water, his glamour remained on his person concealing the true nature of his appearance. His fins and tails were long—an emerald green and teal combination that ran longer than I've ever seen a siren's tail grow. His eyes were like the color of the sun, very bright and yellow with hints of pink sprinkled in the irises.

Despite being called an elder, his body was rather fit. His pectoral muscles rippled whenever he moved his body slightly, the matching scales on his skin reflected off the slight sun shinning against the river bank. His eyes carefully moved from each of the girls before stopping at me.

I offered a soft smile and pulled out a cookie that I had remaining from my bag as he looked at me with a questioning gaze.

"Would you like a cookie, sir?" I asked him.

The elder was surprised by my question, his eyes widening as he looked between me and the treat resting in my hand before shaking his head.

"My apologies but I am unaware of that substance you are holding at the moment." He stated seriously.

"It's a cookie, Elder Herais! It's so scrumptious and tasty on the tongue you should try—." Elder Herais slowly turned his gaze towards Nixie who had spoken and she instantly quieted and sunk deeper into the water, only her apricot-colored eyes showed as she attempted to make herself invisible in front of the elder's eyes.

"I thought I told you girls that you should be mindful of your surroundings and not associate with land-dwellers!" He scolded them with a firm tone. All the girls, including Koia, flinched at his words, each of them aware of the heap of trouble they were in having been caught up here with me.

I frowned setting the cookie beside me as I pursed my lips in dismay.

I didn't want Koia and her cousins to get in trouble with the elder; there had to be something I could do to help them out! I turned to my father for some sort of help, his gaze moved from the waters over to me where he could see me pleading for support on behalf of the sirens.

He grunted slightly and turned his attention back to the elder.

"Elder Herais, it's been a while." My father's baritone voice rumbled against his broad chest, projecting out loud enough that it could be heard over the rushing of the water. The elder who has been preoccupied sending the younger sirens death stares, turned as if he had remembered my father was standing there and bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"Prince Orion of Wysteria... pardon my rudeness, I was a bit preoccupied as you can see, I wasn't expecting to see our young sirens here perking their little heads above water when there are crystals to harvest." He stated formally.

My father nodded slowly, "I see...." My father slightly looked over at me before continuing to speak, "These sirens here seem to be my daughter's friends. I'm sure she's been very careful as to not allow contact with the land dwellers while she is around." He stated confidently.

My father was partially right about that. I did my best when I allowed Koia and her cousins to tour Clouiths to remain anonymous and away from prying eyes that may become suspicious of what was going on. Though on the occasion that I had shown Koia around we had unfortunately bumped into Miss Flora and my suitemate, Isadora who had questioned me a bit about Koia's background; I did my best to make up a believable lie, but I could never be sure of these things.

Elder Herais's lips curved into a deeper-set frown as my father recalled the information to him, "Prince Orion I was never aware that you had a child." He said which was quite the contrast to what I thought he would actually say in rebuttal to the point my father had made.