The Siren Song - Book 2 of the Legends of Henge Series

Chapter 35

Luna Ulric

"We've found absolutely nothing and you still refuse to give up and resort to stopping a pointless war." Hearing that in an argument might lead to serious life questions normally but we'd been having this conversation so much we were beginning to sound like a broken record.

"Luna, we're not giving up. We'll find Nadia and Bailey!" Hero yelled. We were walking through the forest on the Wisconsin side of Lake Superior currently.

I groaned. "Hero, there are more important things going on around here," Nesia countered. "Crevan is going to be around and we can use that to find Bailey and Nadia anyways."

I flapped my hand at Nesia. "Exactly!"

"No!" Hero shouted. "I'm Quest Leader and we're doing our Quest. We're not involved in a war that we're not even sure will happen."

"When have the Sirens and Mermaids passed up the chance to kill each other?" Nesia snapped.

"Why are we concerning ourselves with that when it'll happen a hundred more times anyways?"

"War, no matter how frequent, is never something you just let happen," I growled. "Why are you so insistent on going the wrong way?"

"I don't know, maybe I just like disagreeing with you!" Hero lied. I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you really doing this?"

"It's not our problem," Hero insisted. I scoffed and stopped walking.

"Well, if that's how you feel then I guess I'll let you continue on this blind hike of yours and I'll actually do something about it," I shouted. Hero stopped too.

"You can't just break off," Hero spat. "I'm the Quest leader!"

"Yeah, well, you're not my leader in life," I pointed out. "And this is real life, Hero."

"Real life, Luna? Real life?" Hero crowed. "You don't know a thing about real life."

"No, you don't," I hissed. "Sitting up with your perfect family. Never having to actually work for anything. I've had to act like a parent since I was a kid!"

"And you're still just as bratty as you were!" Hero pointed out. "You can't get over the fact that your mom has moved on to another chapter in her life. You can't accept what everyone else can!"

"Don't," I warned. "Don't you dare."

"Your mom made me promise her something," Hero cried. "She made me promise that she wouldn't lose you to a war you didn't have to fight. She made me promise that you wouldn't end up like your dad."

"No," I denied. "No, she didn't."

"I can't let you try to end this war like your dad did," Hero continued. "I have to make sure you get home."

"She didn't," I shouted. "She didn't lose him. He's still out there!"

"No, Luna, he's not," Hero said gently. "You need to-" I whipped my hand across his face before I had a chance to think.

"Don't- Stop lying," I sobbed, voice choking. "My dad is not dead. I-" I swallowed hard. "God, why Hero? Why is your name such a goddamn oxymoron?" Hero didn't meet my eyes. "You're the villain." I bared my teeth at him. "I hate you!" I raised my hand again. "I hate you!" Nesia grabbed my arm and pulled me away. I didn't fight her.

"Luna, sit down," Nesia said in a strained voice. I slumped against a tree and looked up at the twins. I didn't want them to comfort me. The only person I felt close enough to do that with thought I hated him.