The Siren Queen

Chapter Thirteen

Nerissa's wrist felt completely naked without her bracelet. The blood red scarf, which protected and hid the dagger that she received from Hannah, that was wrapped around her narrow waist horribly clashed with the pretty pastel colors of her mermaid tail, though she knew it wasn't intended to be a fashion statement.

Being held captive by the young daughter of a morally ambiguous pirate captain had been a harrowing ordeal, but it was advantageous that the ship had been sailing northward. A brigantine could cover more than a hundred nautical miles per day, which was much faster than she could ever swim.

She could not stop shivering, as she ploddingly glided through the bitter cold waters of the Northern Ocean. Even though merfolk generally had a much higher tolerance for cold than humans, there was a good reason why so few of them lived in the Far North.

It sure would've been nice if Hannah had given me a waterproof parka instead of a dagger, thought Nerissa, her teeth chattering. She remembered her mother, Queen Melinda, once mentioning the water-resistant fur parkas that human tribes in the Far North wore.

Stormer had been left behind when she was caught in the pirates' fishing net, so the Crown Princess of Pacifica was totally alone. She wanted to believe that the loyal giant seahorse would find his way back to her someday, but the rational part of her brain realized that was more than likely just wishful thinking on her part.

All of a sudden, Nerissa was surrounded by a pod of a dozen Wild Beluga whales. The marine mammals were very light in color. The biggest one was eighteen feet long and weighed over three thousand pounds.

"Greetings, mermaid princess...with a heart purer than a pearl!" one of the Belugas telepathically communicated with Nerissa.

"By any chance...do any of you guys know about a Siren who lives somewhere in the Far North...?" Nerissa asked the whales.

"Beware the Siren Queen! Beware the Siren Queen!" every Beluga whale in the pod messaged her at once.

"The Siren Queen...?" echoed Nerissa. "Where is she...? You see, I need to find her, to save somebody I love...". She figured that the evidently much-feared Siren Queen the Belugas referred to just had to be the one who lured away Lord Zale with her haunting singing and somehow cursed everyone in Pacifica, including his own family, to forget he even existed.

"Her palace...is further north from here..." messaged one of the smaller, younger Belugas in the pod.

"Thank you!". Nerissa smiled at the Wild whale in gratitude. More than ever, she was aware that the Siren Queen, assuming she was indeed the one who had abducted Zale, was extremely dangerous, but her potent memories of Zale's sharp wit, compassionate heart, and handsome face, and the thought of him trapped and forgotten forever, fueled her resolve. No matter the risks, she had to find him, and it seemed the only way to do that was to pay a visit to the Siren Queen's palace in the Far North.

The Belugas exchanged glances, a mixture of concern and apprehension swirling in their dark, intelligent eyes. "Your love is strong and sincere, but we beg you...beware the Siren Queen...!" projected the leader of the pod.

"I appreciate your warnings, but there is no turning back now" said Nerissa firmly.

For days, Crown Princess Nerissa continued to swim north at the pace of a sea snail. With every labored stroke of her delicate fishtail, her muscles throbbed. Her stomach rumbled, as edible bivalves were rare this close to the top of the world.

"Would you like a ride...?" telepathically asked a massive, midnight blue Wild bowhead whale. Fifty-feet in length and weighing in at 120,000 pounds, the enormous whale made Nerissa feel as tiny as a single grain of sand on the ocean floor in comparison.

"Yes, please!" replied Nerissa. "I'm...I'm searching for the Siren Queen's palace. Do you know the way...?"

"I shall take you there, if you are sure that is what you wish...but beware the Siren Queen...and her Army of Ice Mermaids...!"

"Ice Mermaids...?" Nerissa repeated apprehensively.