Chapter 50:

  The rest of the day managed to be fun. The boys made friends with others their own age, pying ball, wrestling, and building castles of sand. It was the happiest she had seen Alejo in a long time, though Egaz was overwhelmed by the other children and often returned to her side. The food provided was amazing, with several fvours that Nereida had never tried before. The crew also seemed content, eating their fill and a few of them getting intoxicated on the beverages that the other sirens made.

  The sun had dipped beneath the trees, but there was still light in the sky. The moon was rising in the east, her face rge, pale and beautiful. They had been told the blessing was not to occur until the night properly fell, but that once the moon was visible, the evening was holy. Alejo was at the tournament with Ael, cheering for her. She hoped. There was ever the possibility he was cheering for her to get beaten. But she had made it to the final four. Egaz, exhausted from his py, was curled up on her p, leaning into her as he had as a toddler, snoring softly. Nereida hummed to him softly, old lulbies, to keep him calm and grounded as the party raged on. Basiano sat next to her, a pensive look on his face as he watched the cooking fire’s coals shimmer.

  “Prince?” a tentative voice called. Basiano stood. Behind them was the older siren that had been on the ship, and a younger couple. The woman held an infant in her arms, and Nereida felt her heart sink. The poor mother had tear tracks on her face, her eyes red as she held the precious bundle against her skin.

  “I am Prince Basiano,” his voice was low, calm and soothing. He could see their heartbreak as much as she could.

  “This is my daughter, Kana,” the old man said, his voice wavering with unspent tears. The baby began to cry then, and the woman began to feed her, tears flowing down her face. “And her daughter, who was born seeking air.”

  “I am terribly sorry,” Basiano breathed. He took a step toward them, holding his hand out. “I had hoped, for you all, that my intervention would be unnecessary.” He looked at the little bundle of bnkets and smiled softly before turning his eyes back up toward the mother. “Have you named her?” The woman shook her head.

  “We don’t name them until they reach a week old.” Her voice shook. “If we name her, she is ours. And she cannot be.” Basiano nodded.

  “I have already spoken to the Admiral,” he began softly. “We need a way to feed her if she is to survive the journey. Would you be willing to be her wetnurse? Or would that be too much of a burden?”

  “I… yes. I will do my best to keep up.”

  “Keep up?” he echoed. “No, you misunderstand. We would offer you a bed on the ship. Not much privacy, but you would not have to swim to keep up, and she would not have to wait for feedings.”

  The woman broke down, sinking to her knees, holding the baby to her chest as the infant continued to feed.

  “You’d not be a prisoner,” Basiano promised. “You could come and go as you please. I just thought…”

  “You are so kind,” she sniffled. “When my people have been destroying your boats for decades!”

  “Not my boats,” he teased. “Mostly, because my people don’t have many. But even if we did, I imagine it was, functionally, a territory war. Even if we didn’t know it.” He knelt in the sand to be at her level. “I love my sister, you know. And she is of your people. My nephews too. And, if you will let me, I will grow to love your daughter.”

  “Your daughter.” She swallowed, wiping at her eyes. “She cannot be mine. You cannot ever tell me her name. Or I will never leave. Promise me.”

  Nereida looked away from the scene, down at Egaz who slept peacefully against her chest. Her heart ached for this woman, who looked enough like her that she could be her sister. She kissed her baby’s head, feeling the tears in her eyes, tears for the plight of the other woman. Tears for her brother, when she heard him speak again.

  “I promise. You will never know her name, and when we can get another nurse, we will part as friends, and never see each other again.” She heard him rustle. “I swear it.” She let herself cry silently, the water flowing, stopping only to wipe at her eyes.

  “May I bring my husband?”

  “Of course.”

  “I will see to supplies being delivered to your ship,” the old man said, his voice gruff. She was clearly not the only one to struggle with tears. “A thank you, from me. A few days of fresh fruit is all I can manage, for perhaps a hundred.”

  “Is all?” Basiano echoed. “That’s a small fortune.”

  “You will carry my heart, Prince. It is a small offering.”

  Nereida stared into the embers, trying to break her mind away from her brother and his pain, from her brother and his little bundle of joy. After a few more quietly exchanged words, her brother returned to her side, holding the baby in his arms. She looked up at his dark eyes, saw his hurt as clear as day. He struggled against the tears.

  “Brother,” she whispered. She did not offer ptitudes, she just reached her free hand to his leg. His expression crumpled and he finally cried, silently, staring into the fire. He whispered promises to the little girl in his arms as she slept. You are family now. Safe. My daughter.

  Egaz stirred, his mother’s tears having fallen on his little head.

  “Mommy?”

  “I’m fine, love,” she replied softly. “Just the smoke in my eyes.”

  “Oh good,” he replied, snuggling in. “You shouldn’t be sad for your surprise.”

  “What surprise?” Egaz looked up at her with wide eyes, and he blinked repeatedly, as if trying to come up with a lie. His little mouth opened, closed, and then, before he could format a lie, he spotted the baby in his uncle’s arms.

  “Is that a baby?” She nodded. “Did Ael make a baby with you already?” Basiano choked on a ugh, and began to cough. There were others nearby who caught the boy’s excited words, and they ughed, giving the mother space to deal with the question no one wanted to answer.

  “Oh, sweat boy, no. Ael and mommy can’t make a baby together. We are both girls.”

  “You both have magic,” he replied. “You’ll make a baby with magic, like in stories.”

  “Ael doesn’t have magic, little love. And those are stories for teaching about kindness, not how to have a baby.”

  “She does too!” He crossed his arms, and put on the biggest pout she had ever seen. “She knows things. All the time. Without seeing them.”

  “Little love, she is observant.”

  “She can feel magic. She said so. Said my magic felt sharper than yours. I heard her! She was expining it to the big wooden sail-holder thing.”

  “The mast?”

  “Yeah, yeah, the big one!”

  Nereida smiled at her son, ruffling his hair fondly.

  “If she has magic, my little love, she doesn’t know it.” She kissed his head and he sighed as if she were the most exasperating person alive. He looked over at his uncle for an ally.

  “You believe me, right, Uncle Bassi?”

  “I think, little guy, that mommy’s right. If Admiral has any magical blood, she has squashed it down so hard she might as well have none. Which is a sad way for a dragon-blooded to live.” He smiled, his tears banished, and cuddled his new daughter gently. “Do you want to come meet your cousin?”

  “What’s her name?”

  “I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “I will tell you when I am sure.”

  “She’s tiny.” Egaz looked at the little girl, pink and with a shock of bluish grey hair. “She and I are going to be friends.”

  “I hope so, little man.” Basiano gnced at Nereida at the boy’s words. She frowned, feeling torn. She did not want to choose between the life she wanted with Ael, and the life she wanted with her family.

  But that choice was coming. She felt it in her bones.

  “Mommy!” Alejo’s voice broke through the crowd and he hopped over to her, weaving between people and jumping over the logs that acted as benches. “Mommy! Admiral did SO good. Did you know she was so awesome with a sword?” Nereida smiled at him, trying desperately to control her flush.

  “I did, little one. We fought once, her and I. And she beat me soundly.”

  “Mommy! Why didn’t you tell me you got to fight the Admiral? That would have been so fun to see!” He sounded absolutely scandalized. He crossed his arms and huffed. “Well now you have to do it again.” His arms fell and he brightened as if he had just remembered something. “Oh, but not right now. Come see her get a prize! You are supposed to be there! And Egaz is up. Come on, come on!” And he took off in a run. Nereida ughed and stood, offering her hand to her son.

  “Come on little man. Let’s go see what has your brother so excited.”

  “Okay mommy. Bye Uncle Bassi! See you soon!” He waved excitedly, pulling Nereida through the crowd. His excitement was clear all over his face.

  “We missed the fight,” she told him before they could reach the ring. She did not want him to be disappointed. But he ughed.

  “I know! But that’s okay. The best thing is still coming.” And he pulled out of her grasp and ran ahead. She sighed and took after the mischievous little boy, wondering what he had pnned.