Siren's Kiss

64: The Stench of Treachery Part Two

The skies above the Seven Seas darkened as storm clouds gathered, mirroring the chaos unfolding in the depths below. Hawk, Purity, and Templar Commander Rowan watched the scene unfold before them. Emerging from the underground tunnel, the terrans, along with Drake's crew—Oli, Jonah, Gus, Griff, and Vic—and Purity's first mate, Barnabas, finally surfaced from hiding. Ciel's companions, including his adopted sister Coraline and the siren historian Sage, followed close behind. A collective gasp escaped them as they witnessed the Azure Kraken and the Leviathan locked in battle, with Drake suspended in the midst of the clash.

"Blimey, are me eyes deceivin' me, or is the Cap'n floating?" Jonah asked, startled by the transformation in their captain. It was unmistakably Drake, yet at the same time, it wasn't. Trying to fully comprehend what he had become felt like a path to madness.

"Aye," Purity replied. "Yer Cap'n 'as finally embraced 'is fate—the champion o' the Dragon God, Kali."

"Bloody hell..." Vic's eyes widened. "To be the champion o' one o' the most fearsome immortals in the universe!"

"One that can devour worlds, no less," Griff added. "Ye reckon our Cap'n can take down that there beast?"

Their conversation was abruptly cut short as the Leviathan, an ancient beast from the deep, let out a thunderous roar. The sound reverberated across the Lost Isle, so powerful that even the hardened pirates were shaken. Coraline crumpled to the ground, overwhelmed, but to her surprise, Purity was already by her side, steadying her before she could fall further.

"Ye all right, lass?" Captain Purity asked, quickly searching for something to plug Coraline's ears. When she found something suitable, their eyes met.

Sage, observing the interaction, cleared his throat. "You left your earmuffs back at the cave."

Coraline glanced at him, noticing the earplugs he wore to block out the Leviathan's roar. She frowned, but her thoughts quickly shifted. "Its howl isn't as strong as before."

"Aye," Purity nodded. "Either Drake's weakened it considerably, or Ciel 'as."

"Where is Ciel?"

Hawk, Purity, and Rowan exchanged uneasy glances. Coraline's attention shifted to the battle raging between the most powerful beings the Seven Seas had ever known. As she watched, a sudden realization struck her—Ciel's words from earlier echoed in her mind: part siren in spirit. She clutched her chest, horrified by the truth dawning on her. "Ciel is the..."

"The Azure Kraken," Hawk finished, his voice grim. Even Sage recoiled, shaken by the revelation. "Your brother isn't the monster we all believed him to be. Each time he transformed, it was only to save or protect someone. And we—all of us—misjudged his intentions. Even your father, hiding the truth from him, misunderstood."

"But... he is my brother!" Coraline's voice trembled with disbelief. Yet as she looked between the Azure Kraken and the Leviathan, the difference between them became clear despite their monstrous forms. Those eyes... unmistakably, they were Ciel's, focused intently on Drake—his alpha. Ciel wasn't just protecting Drake; he was protecting them all. It was obvious now—the Kraken was trying to drag the battle away from the shore, its massive tentacles pulling the Leviathan as Drake's cutlass, wreathed in dark flames, slashed through the beast.

It became clear now why King Cyraeni had kept Ciel hidden from the world. He feared that if Ciel transformed in front of the other inhabitants of the Seven Seas, he would lose his influence over the land. The Azure Kraken's attack on the siren kingdom hadn't been a random event—something had triggered Ciel's transformation that day. King Cyraeni had lost many soldiers trying to pacify the Kraken and revert him back to the siren prince they all knew. But what role had Queen Nerissa played in all of this? Simply put... her union with the siren king had birthed a monster.