One by one, sirens stepped forward. Melissa and Roxana were among the volunteers. Agatha looked over the group, then she walked past Cord and Shasta, completely ignoring Gaiana and Pelagia as if they were beneath her notice, and stopped in front of the three fishermen.

  “Disgraceful.” She said it so softly Shasta figured she and Cord were not meant to hear it. “Shasta, Cord, could one of you move them so they are lying next to each other?”

  “Sure.” Cord stepped forward, motioning for Shasta to stay where she was. He dismissed his sword, knelt, picked up the woman, and carried her beside the other two, carefully laying her down, being extra gentle with her head and neck. One of the men was angled away from the other two, and Cord lifted the man up under his arms, dragging him in line with the others.

  “Thank you.” Agatha gazed down at the three fishermen. When she looked at Shasta, it was with pursed lips and angry eyes. “I can fix them, make it so they don’t remember this ever happened, help them get back home where they should be. I have to sing, but you and Cord are in no danger from me.”

  Shasta glanced at Cord. He gave the tiniest of nods, his hand by his side, ready to summon his sword. She met Agatha’s angry eyes with her steady ones. “Proceed.”

  Agatha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A mournful tone cut through the air, and the entire island descended into silence. Even the waves quieted their crash. At the first words her voice deepened. Rich and enticing, it trailed its way up Shasta’s skin. Agatha sang of who they were, what they had back home. In full tones she reminded them of their hopes and dreams.

  Little by little, flickers of personality returned until at last they came to themselves, eyes wide, stirring to scramble back from Agatha. Her voice shifted, trailing down from a high note and then rising back up again. She repeated the sound, provoking a sensation of breathing—slow, steady, and hypnotic. They froze, and Agatha’s song took on a purposeful quality. She sang of what they would do once they were on the boat, their journey home, and ordered them to stay away from the island.

  Shasta was so swept away by the song that she didn’t notice Melissa until the siren stepped up beside Agatha. Agatha settled into a low hum, as if maintaining the trance that had settled over the fishermen. Melissa matched her, and for a moment the two of them hummed in perfect harmony, the vibrations so in sync it almost sounded as one voice. Agatha let her voice fade out as Melissa strengthened hers, taking over control of the fishermen.

  The seven other sirens stepped around Agatha and Melissa, two of them going beside each of the fishermen. They tenderly lifted and carried the trio into the water. Melissa trailed behind, continuing the low hum.

  Shasta watched them swim out toward the boat. She kept watching even when her better-than-human eyes couldn’t pick out the sirens and fishermen from the waves, and her sharp ears couldn’t hear Melissa’s hypnotic tone.

  Agatha stood next to her, still as a statue. The minutes ticked by, but Agatha continued her vigil.

  Shasta spent the time hoping the sirens would carry out their own justice. She knew better than to pray and ask for help. The ocean had helped her and ultimately made this mess her responsibility. Even so, it was one thing to be earth born, bringer of justice. It was another to be the judge, jury, and executioner.

  In the distance, lights moved. Shasta watched the boat turn around and head away from the island. Only a short time later, Melissa and the rest of the sirens stepped back on the shore.

  Melissa walked over to Agatha and bowed her head. “It was done as you asked. When they departed, they seemed unaware of what had happened.”

  “Thank you, Melissa.” Agatha’s voice held only the slightest touch of warmth.

  Melissa bowed her head and returned to the group of sirens.

  Agatha joined Shasta and Cord. “I do not need proof. However, I believe others may. Could you retrieve the camera and its images?”

  Shasta hesitated. She didn’t want to leave the sirens alone, and she didn’t want either of them to go retrieve the camera alone.

  “I can guarantee the safety of the two prisoners,” Agatha whispered, “and I will give my life to keep either of you safe.”

  “I’ll go,” Cord volunteered. “Shasta, you’re more accepted. They may say more if I’m not here.”

  “That’s logical.” That didn’t mean she liked the plan. “But be careful. I expect you to come back soon.”

  Cord nodded tightly. “It shouldn’t take long.” With one last hard look at Shasta, he turned and set off up the beach.

  “Fascinating creatures, aren’t they?” Agatha mused.

  “I suppose.” Though she wasn’t sure what that had to do with the current situation.

  Agatha patted her shoulder. “Not to worry. He’s utterly devoted to you.”

  If only she could decide if that was a good thing or bad thing. Rather than answering, she deflected. “Don’t we have prisoners to question?”

  “Yes.” Agatha strode over to Pelagia. “Who was involved?”

  Shasta edged to the side to get a better view of the siren. Pelagia sat in the sand, shoulders slumped, head bowed.

  Agatha knelt down, her hand curving as it shifted, and grabbed Pelagia’s chin. Her claws dug into the siren’s flesh. “Who?”

  Pelagia whimpered. “I did it for us.” She looked past Agatha to the rest of the sirens. “We came here with the promise of being something better, and instead we lost who we were. I don’t want to play at being some pathetic excuse for a human. I want to be a siren.”

  Agatha’s fingers tightened, claws cutting deeper into Pelagia’s skin. Blood oozed from the five wounds. “Tell me who else was involved.”

  “I’ll never tell you.” Pelagia gazed steadily into Agatha’s eyes.

  Shasta reached toward the earth, wanting to feel the steady hum. Any moment now she would have to become something she’d never been before. The earth didn’t respond. It didn’t give her the guidance she hoped to receive.

  “Very well.” Agatha released Pelagia’s jaw. The siren sagged. Before she could slump to the ground, Agatha swiped her claws through Pelagia’s neck, leaving four cuts that severed everything but the spine.

  Blood sprayed through the air. Pelagia flopped to the ground, her hands reaching up toward her neck. Her breath gurgled, making bubbles in the blood.

  Shasta didn’t watch Pelagia die. Instead, she watched the group of sirens. Ligia’s face was empty of emotion, much like the blank face Shasta was using to hide her thoughts and feelings. Sappho showed only stony determination, and Melissa was failing to hide her anger. Behind them was a sea of emotions, ranging from horror to approval. Shasta felt only relief. This was one siren she wouldn’t have to kill to keep her bargain with the ocean.

  Before Pelagia had taken her last breath, Agatha was already untying Gaiana. She jerked Gaiana to her feet, turning her around so she could see Pelagia. “Who?”

  Gaiana moaned and passed out, sliding through Agatha’s hands. Sand puffed into the air as she collapsed.

  “Weak,” Agatha sneered. She whirled around, glaring at the gathered sirens. “Hypatia did not promise that we would be better for leaving. She did not promise that we would change. She did not promise that would become fundamentally different creatures. She promised that we would have a life where we did not have to take other lives. She promised that we could live in harmony with other races and enjoy the benefits of that lifestyle. She brought us far from home on that promise. She brought us here, where no one had ever heard of sirens, and we could realize her vision. If you believe we are better holding to the old ways, you do not belong here. If any of the others are still alive, I’m sure they would welcome you back.”

  For a long moment none of the sirens spoke. Then Sappho stepped forward, her chin held high. “I believe in this life. I believe we are at the beginning of something wonderful for our kind.”

  The crowd shuffled as a siren Shasta didn’t recognize pushed her way to stand next to Sappho. “I am with Agatha and Sappho.”

  Shasta felt the air swirl behind her, carrying with it words from Cord. Take the camera. Show them proof. Warm fingers brushed against hers before she felt the cold plastic body of the camera being pushed into her hands. Shasta rotated it around. Bless Cord, he had already adjusted the view screen to show Demetria standing over the eggs with the vinegar in hand.

  Wishing the earth felt like something other than a floor under her feet, Shasta took a firm grip on the camera and stepped forward. “I believe you still have traitors in your midst.” She held the camera, the screen with the image of Demetria, toward the sirens.

  Every eye swung toward her. This was it. This was how she proved to the ocean that there were sirens here worth saving. This was how she lived up to being earth born. “Agatha hired me to find the cause of the trouble on this island. I found that sirens had been working against other sirens. I found weresharks harassing you because some of you killed and ate one of them. I found a wereseal laying traps, trying to figure out which one of you killed her husband. I heard rumors in town of people going out on boats and vanishing in record numbers.

  “Agatha wanted me to give her the name of the person responsible, but I can’t. It was not one of you. It was not four of you. It was a larger group. Everything the mainlanders believe, everything the weresharks have done, and everything the wereseal has done was because of that group. If you want to set things to rights, you need to find the traitors.” Shasta passed the camera to Agatha. “This wasn’t simply the acts of sirens who wished to revert to the old ways, it was the acts of a group who approved of killing your eggs. Those are the people hiding in your midst.”

  Three sirens were retching. Several others had hands pressed to their mouths, as if that could hold back the vomit. Others were crying. Shasta felt bad for the innocent among them, the ones who’d unknowingly eaten a shifter and befriended the murderers.

  Agatha scrolled through the images. The corners of her mouth were pinched when she looked up at Shasta. “Were any of the eggs—”

  “The eggs were unharmed.” Shasta projected her voice so all the sirens could hear.

  As soon as the sighs of relief and thankful whispers settled down, Sappho spoke. “How do we find the traitors? We have lived with them and were unaware. How do we find all of them?”

  “You know more than you think.” Cord stood shoulder to shoulder with Shasta. “These sirens have said things that make you uncomfortable. They’ve changed their behavior. Friendships have strengthened or waned. You have the information.”

  Before they could protest that they’d never find all of them, Shasta built upon Cord’s advice. “There are charms that can be used to compel someone to tell the truth. I can have them shipped here.”

  That silenced everyone. None of the sirens liked the idea of being forced to give their unfiltered answers to any question.

  “We will start with interviews.” The certainty in Agatha’s voice reassured the sirens. Their shoulders relaxed, and folded arms loosened. “Then we will use the truth charms. We’ll gather and all of us will watch the testing. I will go first.”

  “I will be second,” Sappho volunteered.

  Other sirens started calling out numbers. Cord bumped her with his shoulders. Shasta glanced at him. The corner of his mouth tilted up, and he tipped his head toward the sirens. See, the look said. They’ll police themselves.

  If only it were that easy. Shasta still had a job he knew nothing of. One that she couldn’t pass off to someone else or quit.

  The ground vibrated and then shook. Shasta dropped to one knee, resting a hand on the earth to hold herself steady. Cord did the same. The sirens tried to kneel, but they were too close together and half of them fell.

  With the tremors came rumbles, distant booms like explosions, and thunder. Bright flashes lit up the sky.

  “No!” one of the sirens screamed.

  Agatha crawled across the trembling earth, her face pale. “We broke the covenant. We’re all going to die.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “What covenant?” Shasta demanded. The earth shuddered again, and she braced herself with both hands.

  Agatha’s eyes were wide and unfocused. “The covenant.”

  Shasta held back some extremely not useful, if accurate, words. “I’m gonna need more than that.”

  “The one we made with the volcano elemental. The elemental who created this island.” Agatha twisted around, looking at the volcano in the center of the island as another set of tremors rocked them. “The clutch.”

  Of course. A broken agreement with a volcano elemental on that elemental’s island. That sounded about right for her life. “Details, Agatha. What was the covenant?”

  Agatha turned to crawl away, but Shasta grabbed her ankle. Agatha tried to find something to cling to, but the trembling ground proved elusive. Shasta dragged her back. The siren swung around, her clawed hand swinging for Shasta’s face.

  Cord grabbed her arm and squeezed. “The agreement. Talk.”

  Agatha whimpered. She cast one desperate glance back toward the volcano before focusing her attention on the two of them. “Hypatia, my mother, led us to this island. The elemental was a small thing then, hardly more than a hot vent that occasionally burbled up some lava. It would give us an island if we gave it power. She sacrificed herself to it, giving it her life force.”

  Shasta was proud of herself for not swearing out loud. Sirens were nearly immortal. Their life was a potent thing, enough to turn a minor elemental into a major one. “Keep talking.”

  “It created this island.” Agatha tugged at her arm, but Cord held firm. “We settled here, giving it a permanent source of power and a connection to the rest of the world.”

  “What of the covenant?” Cord asked. When she didn’t answer right away, he looked pointedly at her wrist.

  “He’ll break it,” Shasta threatened. “Then how will you save the clutch?”

  The fight drained out of Agatha. “To keep the agreement, the elemental needs periodic sacrifices. But we were warned. If we ever made an unwilling sacrifice, the agreement would be broken. Before us, it never had contact with humanoids. The elemental hears us and can learn from the things we do or say on the island. I think tonight was the first time it understood that the recent sacrifices were unwilling, what you would call murder.”

  “Narzel take it,” Shasta swore. She and Cord were stuck on an island with an angry volcano elemental who believed the locals had broken their agreement with it. There weren’t any boats, and it was a long swim back to the mainland.

  Cord dropped the siren’s arm. “Fool.”

  Tears dripped down Agatha’s face. “What would you have me do? I didn’t know they were killing. I never would’ve allowed that. I never would’ve endangered the clutch.”

  Shasta didn’t bother replying. There were other races who’d sworn off similar ways of life so they could live in peace with the rest of society. From time to time, individuals would revert to the old ways and be hunted down and killed by their leaders. Agatha could have prevented this, but she’d been giving the sirens too much freedom and too little oversight.

  “What we do now?” Agatha’s voice was heavy with desperation.

  “Pray,” Shasta said quickly before turning to Cord. “I’m open to ideas.”

  He shifted his weight as the earth rolled again. “It’s not an impossible swim, especially if the ocean will help us.”

  Shasta scrambled sideways until she could lean close to him, risking knocking heads if the earth tossed. “Can’t. Made promises. I have to find the traitors.”

  He lifted a hand off the ground long enough to point over at Gaiana. “There’s one right there.”

  The siren in question was awake but hadn’t stirred from her prone position. Shasta sighed. There wasn’t much she could do until the tremors abated. “Do we risk trying to force the elemental to stop shaking everything?”

  Cord shook his head. “We could just anger it more.”

  “We could ask nicely.” The island shook again. Shasta toppled sideways, her shoulder thumping into Cord’s side, making him huff out a breath.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled as she dropped to all fours and scooted a few inches away from him. As tempting as it was to try to communicate with the earth and the volcano elemental responsible for creating it, she kept her power firmly locked inside. Cord had a valid point. Between the elemental’s current attitude and its previous lack of interest in interacting, she doubted it would take too kindly to any interference.

  Under her the earth stilled. As the seconds ticked by, not only were there no new large quakes, but the fine tremors also abated. Shasta forced herself to breathe evenly. When nearly a minute passed without any seismic activity, she slowly got to her knees and then to her feet.

  Cord stood up next to her. The sirens were slower, only just getting themselves off the ground. While they were still trying to reconcile the new problem of the angry elemental with everything else that had been going on, Shasta marched over to Gaiana, hauled her to her feet, and marched her toward the center of the group, carefully steering her with one hand on her upper arm and the other on the back of her neck.

  A few sirens offered soft protests, but most of them simply watched. Perhaps they knew what was about to happen. Perhaps they were so flustered by the day’s events that they couldn’t bring themselves to protest. Either way, there was one thing that had to be done.

  Nothing about this felt good, but it was necessary. Not only had she made a bargain with the ocean that she had to honor, but this was also part of who she was. It wasn’t a part she liked or enjoyed, but it was a part of her she couldn’t avoid any longer.

  She stopped in a small empty space in the very center of the crowd of sirens. Gaiana took shallow, panting breaths, doing her best to twist around to look at Shasta.

  “Kneel,” Shasta ordered.