Two Tails, One Rotten Heart

Kill the boy, Kill them all

Atla had come to life by the time Nala made it back and she passed sirens carrying shells and nets or carcasses for dinner, passed guards who looked at her suspiciously and younger sirens in gear ready to train who nodded as she passed. Still there was no sign of the two sirens Nala wanted to see so she started back to where she had last left them.

"Where were you?" Were the first works thrown at her as soon as Nala made it back to the room. Cari was standing up arms crossed and Ash was throwing a daggers to the wall and they were embedded in a straight line. They both turned to stare at her when she didn't answer but Nala didn't know what to say besides the truth and it was so close to coming out but still she choked, in front of these two who might as well have been her sisters she choked still protecting the sister who turned her back on Nala. Instead she lied, she had nothing else left to lose anyways.

"I saw something." Nala forced her voice to be sure and unwavering as she spun the lie of taking a swim in the seaweed garden and catching sight of a strange creature that looked like a siren but not and Nala following it only to see it interacting with a human. She turned to Cari, "What was it? You know, don't you?"

She and Asherah shared a look and then answered even though Nala already knew what Cari was going to say. "When the gods created the siren they also created mermaids, weaker creatures. The two groups are banned from seeing each other and most sirens don't even know mermaids exist. We each have our own territories."

Asherah rose, "If Nala saw the mermaids interacting with humans that means they broke the treaty."

Nala confused asked, "What treaty?" Cari furrowed her eyebrows and rubbed her chin which meant she was thinking hard.

"Eons ago the two groups signed a treaty to never interact with the humans unless it meant hunting for the sirens and for the mermaids it meant no interaction at all. They do not hunt humans as we do. If the treaty was broken we must tell my mother." Another chill ran up Nala spine and she wondered if she just doomed Ula to death. Unaware of the panic Nala was feeling Ash and Cari continued to discuss. Nala was oblivious too all of it until the question burst out of her, "What will happen to the mermaid?"

The two girls turned to stare at her and Ash raised an eyebrow but answered her. "We don't normally interfere with the mermaids so it will be up to the Empress and the queen of the mermaids. For now, we make plans to destroy the human's home and the human along with it." Nala was dumbfounded for a moment.

"We are going to destroy my town?"

"Yours?" Cari demanded. Nala nodded her head. "Will this be a problem?" Cari's voice had gone quiet and Nala finally looked at her before shaking her head. "No," she replied, "it won't." This would be the best thing for Ula, Caden would die and be forgotten. Ula was wrong about the sirens, they were her family and they were going to deliver to her the one thing she had always wanted: revenge.

The girls wasted no time before hurrying to her the palace Cari demanding to speak with her mother. She went in alone at first and then summoned Ash and Nala. It was much different retelling the lie to the Empress, Nala felt as though those cold eyes were waiting to impale her and fish out the truth. When she was done no one said anything for a moment.

"Cari tells me the human boy lives in your old town. Do you know him?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes I did. His name is Caden."

Aphrodite's mouth tightened as if hearing his name had angered her. "You believe you can be part of this hunt? Do I need to remind you of what happened the last time you saw a boy from that human town?" Samuel. No the Empress did not need to remind her, Nala could still feel the pain of the whip coming from her back. She moved forward.

"That boy means nothing to me but I would like to request the privilege of taking his life if it would please you Empress." Nala needed Caden to die or Ula would never leave him alone. Aphrodite stared at her for a long moment before giving a small nod. Nala bared her teeth in a grin before bowing and moving back.

"Daughter you will be in charge of this expedition. I want that town destroyed completely. Swept into the depths as if it never existed and no survivors. I will deal with the mermaid queen. You have your orders." The three sirens bowed as one before taking their leave. Cari split them up to ready the sirens. They would need a huge amount of numbers to pull this off. They readied the weapons, not only the spears but sharpened their claws and prepared their voices. Nala was looking forward to singing her song once again, the villagers would not be able to resist her call. It took the whole night but by the time the sun rose on the sleepy little human village and the town awoke they were in position. The villagers started upon their day unaware on the danger surrounding the town lurking just beneath the waves.