From Sea To Land • n.m

09 | trust me

"The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."

—Jaques Cousteau

          "MARCEL IS WRONG, YOU KNOW?"

     Sirena spoke before Klaus could, without even turning her head to look at him from her spot in the copilot's seat of the black car.

     He closed his lips, looking straight ahead, ready to turn on the car and leave, but somehow waiting for her to continue talking.

     "He's wrong about what he said to you, that you will never find people to be loyal to you." She scratched her temple and hissed when she accidentally touched a cut over her eyebrow. "People will be loyal to you, unconditionally. Not now, of course. But, they will, if you allow yourself to become the king I know you can be."

     "Why?" His irritation slipped through his gritted teeth, grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Why are you even here, Sirena? Claiming to be loyal to me?"

     "I can't tell you that now." She sighed, knowing it wasn't helping her case. "I can't tell you a lot of things because it would put you in danger, and it's a risk I can't afford. So, I'm going to need you to do something that it's going to feel like it's against your nature." The mermaid turned around, blue colliding against blue as their eyes met. "I'm going to need you to trust me. Because what I am saying it's true, there is nothing I want more than for you and your child to be safe. I swear."

     Silence fell like a heavy blanket between them, the seconds stretching as none of them spoke a word after that.
     She could see his internal debate, telling himself not to be a fool and trust a girl that was practically a stranger, specially not now that his own sister had betrayed him.
     But, another part of him, was trying to convince himself that she hadn't given him any reasons not to trust her.

     Sirena had saved Hayley three times now, had fought with him, had sided with him, had believed him. Which was more than what he could say about his siblings right now.

     Almost fifteen minutes down the trip to the Governor's house, Klaus decided to speak again. "What are you?"

     She chuckled without humour, looking straight ahead. "So, you saw, huh?"

     "Never in my thousand years have I seen black eyes like yours." It was almost hurtful to his pride to confess that he didn't know something, but his desperation for answers was getting the best of him.

     "Can't blame you. Those who have, never lived to tell." She shook her head. "In all honesty, I'm afraid to tell you." His eyebrows furrowed as he shifted on his seat. "I am afraid you'll stop seeing me as a person and see me as an 'asset' instead, or a weapon." She shut her eyes tightly and opened them again with a sad gloss covering them. "But, I guess I gotta reciprocate your trust somehow."