章 6: Chapter V
"What does she mean the 'Sea' killed him? Like, he drowned?" Calliope asked.
"I don't think that's what she meant," I replied. "Look, I can't take you to L'Attente, but I can have Thea take you. I need to know what happened today."
"Fine," Calliope replied.
However, when we arrived back at the factory, Dylan was already waiting. At the same time, Augie was stressed about not having the money. I hopped out of the truck and went for Dylan.
With a firm palm, I pushed him into his motorcycle. He toppled over it. When he bounced up, he was itching for a fight, but Augie and Cal got in between us.
"What happened at L'Attente?" I asked.
Dylan looked at Cal and Augie. He knew I was keeping the secret from Augie.
"Don't look at him. I'm asking you what happened?"
Dylan sighed, "I came here to collect the money. If you want to know, ask Adrielle or that little whore, Thea. She was there."
I nodded my head. I never liked that guy. He could never take a break from sucking Adrielle's tit long enough to see the world for what it was.
"Cal, let's go."
"Where the fuck are you two going?" Augie asked.
"We have business, Aug. I'll be back tonight," I shouted as I hopped in the truck then pulled of.
----
Sometime later, Calliope and I sat in the NAIAD as Thea and Bijou came through the door. Bijou ran to me and jumped in my arms.
"You were right. Something is in the water," said Thea.
"Just tell me what happened."
"I was watching Bijou and Gilles play. Violca came to apologize to them, and then we got into an argument. Jeremiah was also on the beach. You know how he likes to practice with the water. Suddenly the sea swallowed his feet and yanked him in. Violca and I ran after him. We tried to save him, but the water fought us."
"He burned Violca's stomach," Bijou added.
"Yeah, I think it wanted to take Violca too. I had to make a choice, Aiden. I choose Violca." Thea cried as she revealed that she let Jeremiah die.
"What about you?" Calliope asked, "It took this Jeremiah. It wanted Violca, what about you?"
"I don't don't know what you mean?"
"Are you stupid?" Calliope scoffed, "Why didn't it want you?"
"I-- I don't know. " Thea replied.
I looked to Bijou and asked, "What do Violca and Jeremiah have in common? Did they kill a Tidelander?"
Bijou shook her head. She and Gilles saw everything in L'Attent. Bijou then leaned forward to whisper in my ear.
"Thea? Is Violca fucking Raxter?" I asked
"Yes," she replied.
"And Jeremiah was steeping out of Fiona and Rick. With a human girl."
"Yes," she answered again.
"I know this story," I admit.
"What story?" Calliope asked.
I didn't answer but led them to my collection room. I pulled a fragile scroll from the shelf and said, "The scrolls I acquired from the Water Caves, Caves found near the sunken city of Heracleion, told stories about the end of Gods. One of the stories was of Oceanus and his daughters, the Oceanids. The Oceanids, like daughters of Nereus, the Nereids, had tails. "
"Mermaids," said Bijou.
"Yes, mermaids. The story tells of the Sea Titan, Oceanus' favorite daughter, Ocearos, falling in love with a sailor. She was to be the consort of Poseidon. But this sailor had a wife, and even for the beautiful Oceanid coveted by gods, he would not leave his wife." I spun that tale as it was written.
"So, what happened?" Bijou asked.
The dim light of the collection room illuminated the seawater through the glass floor, setting an eerie atmosphere.
"The Oceanid cried for seven days and seven nights, creating Typhoons, displaying the very power that Posideion coveted. When she finally stopped crying, Poseidon asked her about her pain. She refused to tell him and wished to marry as soon as possible...
After the marriage was consummated, this Ocearos told her sisters that they would no longer help ships through storms, but to destruction. And the sailors would be taken to the depths of the sea to drowned by the cold waters.
One day, Nereus, the ancient Sea God, lost a daughter who was to be wed to the son of Poseidon, Triton. A sailor killed her for her resemblance to her cousins, the Oceanids. The sailors begged Nereus to be spared as they told him that the goddesses of the water have been leading ships to destruction and drowning men in the depths of the sea. Nereus was furious and blamed Oceanus for the death of his daughter. Unlike Oceanus, Nerus only had fifty daughters. The Ancient God and the Titan fought a battle so destructive that Zeus and Poseidon stepped in. Even Hades came forth from the underworld as too many souls had perished before their time.
The three king Gods demanded an explanation. Poseidon then summoned all of the Oceanids and even Oceanus' sons, the Potamoi. When everyone was present, Poseidon demanded to know who was killing humans in his domain. The sisters were quick to point out the culprit, Ocearos. Even the Potamoi turned on her.
Due to the stress, The consort went into labor and gave birth to the first Oceanid-human hybrid. Poseidon was inraged. Triton was inraged, Nereus was furious. So Poseidon cursed his consort and all of her sisters never to hold their children again. He then killed all of the Potamoi and forbade Oceanus from having more sons. Triton then delivered a blow that killed half of the Oceanids and cursed the survivors to loneliness and transformed them into the embodiment of their sins.
Their voices became a bane to human men, the lovers doomed to drown in their arms, and the children cast away. But that wasn't all. Nereus stripped the Oceanids of their tails, as not to be mistaken as his daughters. Zeus then struck the final blow by forbidding the Oceacinds from every marrying deities again. They were considered unworthy.
That was the day the first Sirens were made. Years went by, and Tidelanders became as common as demigods. But a Tidelander had the audacity to love a human. Blaming humans for his family's downfall, Oceanus took control of the sea, reached out, and killed his blasphemous grandchild to serve as a warning. And one-day, Tidelanders will purge the human blood from his family tree. "
Calliope, Thea, and Bijou stared slack-jawed. The story had rocked their world. And if it were true, their grandfather would kill anyone he deemed a blood traitor to the family.
"Wait," Thea spoke. "Adrielle said we couldn't get pregnant. So how are to cleanse human blood from the family."
"According to the scrolls, pregnancy is possible. Tidelanders even had their own city in ancient times. 'Their waters of the sea-faring tribe were protected by beauteous cruel creatures of pale skin and eyes of nightshade, shielding them from the hate of men. Their walls as high as mount Olympus and as deep as the abyss'" I quoted the scrolls.
"A city on the water, made of nothing but tidelanders," Thea spoke in awe of the thought.
"If Oceanus is in the waters surrounding L'Attente and our mothers are also here. What does that make L'Attente?" Calliope asked.
"The next great City of the Tidelanders. " I guessed.
"So why now?" asked Calliope.
I give Bijou a serious stare. If her visions were right, all of this shit is happening because Calliope is back.
"I guess we'll find out," I tell her. "Thea, you need to keep everyone out of the water. And if they have human mates, they need to make a choice."
I dreaded the story I had told them. That Tidelander city ended in a great tidal wave.
"Umm, take Calliope to L'Attente with you. She wants to know her people."
Thea nods. "Okay. I can do that."
"Thank you, Thea."
After hugs and goodbye kisses, I keep Bijou in the collection room with me. I then place the necklace of Amphitrite on her.
" Amphitrite is the only daughter of Oceanus who was spared. As Poseidon's queen and mother of his son, she could not be touched. Legend says that she gave this necklace to her sister, Ocearos, after her fall from grace. If anything happens. You run to the sea, and you don't stop. And never take this off or get it wet while you are on land. It will protect you as it protected Ocearos."
I then send Bijou after Thea and Calliope. When they were finally gone. I flipped over my bed and revealed a small armory. I grab my vest and gear up before heading back to the factory.
-----
After I left the Naiad, I stayed the night with Augie at the factory. The boys were working overtime to find new buyers. During that time, Crumberland emailed me copies of the story of the horn. Then it hit me. I asked Crumberland to find a buyer for me. The man could broker anything.
Then I fell asleep with an assault rifle in my lap. Before I knew it, Augie was waking me up.
"What, mate?"
"We got a body. Let's go," he said.
Aug and I drove to the wood where the constables took pictures of a dead man with no eyes or tongue. Augie and I shared a look as he recognized the man. It was the same man who Cal was going to kill during the altercation at China Tom's warehouse. One of Stolin's guys.
"Do you know him?" Asked constable Murdoch. One dirty fucking copper.
"Do you wanna know him?" Augie asked inturn.
"Depends," Murdoch replied. "Are his prints in the system?"
"He's not in the system." replied constable welch. A good 'ol cop with a dirty superior just trying to do some good in this corrupted fucking town. He has a thing for Calliope, though, like a little puppy dog that one.
"All right. Constable Welch, take him up to the morgue at Padstow and file him as a John Doe," said Murdoch.
Augie and I share a nod. We then start to leave.
"I see your shipment went out." Said Murdoch.
Augie stopped and turned around.
"Is it payday again?" Murdoch asked like the worthless leach he was.
"Have you been paid, Murdoch?" I ask. "No?"
Murdoch just frowns.
"Then no, it isn't fucking payday again. But we did pay you enough to get this bloody corpse out of here. Chop chop." I finish then walk to the truck. I hated Murdoch. I couldn't trust the man.
Speaking of trust. It was in short supply these days. Like Luara Maney, Augie's chick. I had just got a text from Zara with a picture of Laura being bent over a table and fucked by Jared's tiny dick. I got another picture of the little welp leaving, smoking a cigarette like some hotshot.
So I gave Zara a simple text. "Kick her ass, and find her husband's phone."
"What about Augie?" she replied.
"I'll handle, Augie. I want that bitch black and blue. I'll handle Jared later." I then put my phone down, and Augie seemed to pick up on my mood.
"You alright?"
"Just peachy. Let's get to it." I tell him. I couldn't hurt Augie. But I could hurt Laura and Jared.
------
Later at the Factory, Augie and I enjoyed a smoke when Colton came in with bad news. Or at least he thought. I had only told Augie about the request from Crumberland.
"I know what you're going to say." Said Augie.
Colton took a seat
"I've asked around, Aug," said Augie. "There's a lot of guys who want to buy, but they're all saying no. They're all shit-scared of Stolin."
"They're not even talking to me. We're not going to find another buyer. I think it's the end of an era." Said Colton. "Stolin knows about us. There's no going back."
"And the lads?" Augie asked.
"They're waiting," Colton replied.
Augie took a moment and seemed to have an epiphany. "Okay," he said.
He then pushed himself up and walked out to the work floor to address the gang.
"Colton's right." He said. "Stolin won't let another buyer take our gear. I don't think we have any choice but to do a deal with him."
The gang looked satisfied.
"That's a smart move, Aug." They said.
Augie agreed with them, then he dropped the punchline and said. "Because when Stolin and his men arrive for that deal, we're gonna kill the lot of them."
I liked the plan. It was the right thing to do.
"I'll organize the deal for somewhere near the water," he explained. "We counted six or seven of them at China Tom's. One's already dead, Aiden dropped two, so I'll get the CALLIOPE's hold ready for the rest."
"I'll let you all know." Augie finished then walked away.
I was proud of my mate. I was going to after him when Calliope called. She was on the waterway back home, and she wanted me to meet her.
---
When I arrive at the McTeer house, I see the constable's white truck in front. I quickly put on a coat to cover my vest and walk to the porch with my pistol drawn. I didn't know if it was Murdoch or the puppy dog. But you could never be too safe. As I peek into the window, I saw Welch and Calliope sitting on the couch talking.
Whatever they were talking about was probably tough. Calliope seemed like she had a lot to say as she stared at the table, and Welch was stringing together his message with a knitted brow that looked like he was doing rocket science with an elementary school education.
So, I just leaned against the wall and waited. Calliope wasn't Laura, so I waited with ease. That is, until fifteen minutes passed, and I tapped on the window.
Calliope looked up at me, and I just pointed at my watch. A few moments later, she walked out with Welch.
"Welch," I say.
"Aiden," he replies.
We had bad blood since I first came to Orphelin Bay. I didn't expect it to change. I looked at Cal and asked if she was alright.
"Yes. The constable and I were just finishing up when you knocked."
Welch gave her a hard look.
"See you around, Constable," she spoke with a little venom.
When Calliope and I went back into the house, I asked her if she was really alright. Instead of an answer, she asked me if Augie was a good man.
"One of the best men I know," I replied.
"Are you a good man?" she asked.
"What's wrong with you, Cal?"
She sits on the couch and says, "the guy from the warehouse, the old man, he's dead."
"Yeah, compliments of Adrielle. What about it?"
She first seems relieved by reply then asked, "How many people will you kill before this over?"
"As many as it takes. This life that your brother and I live. Is a hazard. If Stolin doesn't kill us to take over, Adrielle will try because we lead Stolin to her front door. And if everything goes alright, She will never let Augie walk away. This is forever. For family, we do what we must. Now, will we go out and just massacre people? No. but if they come for us as they did at the warehouse. I will kill them so that you, Augie, and I see the sunset and the sunrise. If that makes us bad, then we are the worst."
"I didn't mean." she tried to explain her line of questioning.
" I know exactly what you meant, Cal. Things in this world have consequences. In this life, they are the most extreme—especially when dealing with men like Stolin. If you want, you can stay with Thea at L'Attente. But that's the only safe place for you in Orphelin Bay right now. It's that serious."
"If you and Augie die, who do I have?"
"Welch," I tell her.
"He thinks I should skip town. Leave you behind. He says you'll get me killed if I stick around." she says.
"Do you want to leave, Calliope? How much we sacrifice for each other is up to us. You can say enough, right now."
Cal was abit shaky. She realized how serious this shit was.
"Don't let me die," she replied.
"Don't let me die," I tell her.
"Whatever it takes?"
"That sounds about right, love."
"Okay, let's do this. We're in this together, you, me, and Augie." Cal walks over and caresses my cheeks. She then gives me a soft kiss on the lips before she hugs me.
"Don't forget Bijou," I add.
Cal leans back and gives me a look. "The little girl?"
"Yes. We have the same mother."
"I'm sure.."
"No, Bijou says we're the only ones," I tell her.
"Wow." Cal must have put something together as she reached for her pockets and said, "She gave me something before I left L'Attente."
"A drawing?"
"Yeah. How did you.."
"She likes you." I chuckled. " Do me a favor and burn it," I tell her.
Before she could ask me why, her phone rang and interrupted. It was Augie. He wanted to know if she was back from L'Attente. He then told her to come down to the docks, and she also wanted to talk to him. She was ready to tell him that she was a Tidelander.
But before we left, I told her why we were going to the CALLIOPE. That we were going to kill Stolin and his crew during the exchange, she was anxious about it, but she agrees to come. When we arrived. The CALLIOPE was empty till we heard Augie banging and screaming for help.
Augie was locked in the hold of the CALLIOPE with water feeling it up. Somebody was trying to kill him.
"Open it," I tell Cal.
"What?"
"Save Augie. Open it!"
Calliope pulls at the lock, but she can't use her strength properly yet. The water was filling up quickly. It was now spilling out of the hatch. A sign the hold was completely filled. Augie was drowning. When Calliope could no longer hear him, she panicked.
She put her hands in the water, and the water that spilled out of the overflowing hold went back in. She then used the pent-up pressure to blow the hatch open. As soon as it was open, we fished out Augie's unconscious body, and Cal used her powers once again to pull the water from Augie's lung.
"Nicely done, babe." I compliment her.
Calliope fell back with a great sigh. But her proudness was expunged when Augie pushed himself up from the deck. " We're going to the factory."
Whoever tried to kill him was supposed to be a brother. The walls were closing in around us, and our 'Family' was turning on us for money, most likely.
I floored it the entire way. And I brought the assault rifle with me. It could have been one man. More could have been in on it.
"Jared!" Augie shout as he sped walked into the factory. "Jared!"
The boy looked behind him, then tried to run, but Augie caught him. I should have guessed it was the pussyboy who would fuck his boss's girl. The same boss that put food in his mouth since he was fourteen years old. I should have put a pick in him before I went to meet Calliope.
Jared was now on his knees, begging for his life as Augie held a gun to his head.
"Tell them what you did! Just tell them!" Augie roared for the last time.
"I tried to kill him!" Jared shouted, "I tried to drown him."
The gang suddenly got quiet with shock. Even Calliope was quiet.
"Why?" Augie asked.
"He made me, man. Stolin's guy made me," Jared sobbed. "I didn't-- I didn't wanna do it, man. I didn't wanna do it, I promise, man."
"Can you contact him? You have his number?" Augie questioned him
"No, no!"
"How do you contact him?"
"He always came to me, bro. Augie, please!"
Pow! Augie pulled the trigger, and it was over. If anyone else were in bed with Stolin, they wouldn't be acting anytime soon.
The gang was speechless and conflicted. But I was calm and clear. Augie stared at everyone, panting. "Has Stolin tried to talk any of you into killing me?"
Everything was good. Then Cal walked off, and Augie chased after her. But I drove, so she wasn't going anywhere.
"Listen up!" I addressed the gang. "If I find out that any of you are thinking about choosing up. I'll kill you before Augie gets the chance. Jared was fucking Laura. Augie doesn't know yet. I haven't told him. But how many of you really think that Jared was just forced to murder Augie? Watertight. If you try to kill one of us, it's because you're greedy or jealous. And that's a threat to all of us, think about it."
I then go after Cal. When I step outside, she demanded the keys. I then asked her what she would have done if we hadn't found Augie in time. What would she want us to do if Stolin sent Jared after her. Or another person in that factory was scheming with Jared.
"Should we call Murdoch and file a report?" I asked.
It started to sink in.
"Didn't you say whatever it takes? That's what it took for us to survive today. Now take a minute and calm down. Augie, get back inside. The boys are losing their shit."
"What did Crumberland say about the buyer?" Augie asked me.
"Nothing yet. Give him some time. Just focus on Stolin right now. And Aug, don't tell anyone about the plan with Crumberland."
"What plan?" Calliope asks.
"We're selling the drugs anonymously to go around Stolin. He's threatened, everyone. No will buy from us directly."
"Everyone?" she asked.
"I told you he's dangerous. You can't trust your own hands when this guy is after you."
"Fucking shit. What about Adrielle?" Calliope manically asked.
"What about her?"
"She talked to Stolin's guy. With the siren's song, he could have told her everything. If she needs money and she can't get it from us, what.."
"What do you want to do?" I ask her.
"Me? I've never--"
"You're smart enough to think not to trust Adrielle and to think about the possible connection between her and Stolin. That connection could ice us out, and then we'll be done for. So, what do you want to do?"
"I want to find out what she's thinking. Augie is fighting hard to keep her happy. But is she doing the same to care for us... I need to go back to L'Attente."
"Okay." I toss her the keys. "Tell Jou to stay by the sea for me."
"What about Oceanus or whatever is in the water?" Calliope was reasonably confused.
"She'll be safe." I then walk back towards the factory but was stopped when Calliope called out.
"Yeah," I answer.
"I love you." she sang.
"Haa. I love you too. Drive safe!"
Calliope nods then pulls off.
-----
Later that night, I got a call from Crumberland. He had a buyer. Just for this instance. Augie had switched out the shipment with real ice. The drugs were placed in a separate freezer that only we knew. Once I picked it up. I went to the city for the exchange.
I finished reading the ancient horn story that calls a great tidal wave and an army of sirens while traveling to the city.
An ancient seafaring tribe constructed the ancient horn. They were beautiful, powerful. No one knew who they were or what they were. In ancient times, these sea-faring people, tidelanders, were plentiful. But they were also at war with men— a long and bloody war with no end in sight.
They tidelanders then constructed a war trumpet anointed with the blood of men. When it was sounded, a great wave washed over the land—a flood of biblical proportion. And in the water came angels of death. Beauteous and cruel. And by their pale hands, many men perished. When the water had receded. Countless humans were dead, and the Tidelanders had vanished.
The surviving men then found the trumpet and smashed it to pieces. Afraid of its power, the pieces were put into four ships and taken to the far corners of the world, never to be reassembled again.
Though I couldn't find the connection between the Horn and the manuscript, yet, It was obvious that the horn was created in the city of tidelanders. Until evidence of another ancient civilization of tidelanders was produced. I convinced myself that the Sea-faring tribe in the Oceanus story was the birthplace of the ancient horn.
And If the pieces of the horn were being gathered. It could be the reason Oceanus was returning. But why Orphelin Bay? and more importantly, why did the Tidelanders vanish after the wave? And was it the same wave that sank the city in Oceanus' story?
I had a lot to think about. But after I made it to the city and Crumberland made the sale. I had a chance to talk to him. I found out that the pieces of the shards were all snagged by the same buyer. Even the latest piece that he wanted me to bid for went to the same man, Hashim. But Hashim was just a broker like Crumberland.
I decided to pay Crumberland to find out the identity of Hashim's client. If the horn was being reconstructed, it could mean bad business for humans and tidelanders.
---
The next day I found myself spacing out in the middle of the gang meeting. I couldn't help it. The possibility that Oceanus had returned, the construction of an ancient horn that might wipe out tidelanders and flood the earth. Stolin was going to be a nonexistent problem by the end of the day. That meant I was going up against a Titan, a divine weapon, and a mysterious psycho that was probably the cause of it all.
I really just wanted to put Stolin in the ground and move on already. I was then shaken from thoughts.
Augie, I had told me that Laura had been attacked. Jared was dead, and I figured Laura had got the message, so I left it alone.
"I'll ask around," I told him. "If you need me, I'll be at the NAIAD."
Augie wanted me to stay and talk about the exchange, but I just told him everything was in order. Little did I know that I wouldn't be anywhere that day. Once I got to the NAIAD. Crumberland called me. He had managed to find out that Hashim's client was none other than Adrielle Cuthbert.
For a woman who preached privacy, she was leaving a pretty big footprint when it came to buying the shards of the horn. But unfortunately, the information came too late. While I was handling mortal affairs, Adrielle had managed to decipher the shard and tested its power.
I never stepped foot on the NAIAD that day. Adrielle had made a blood sacrifice to the sea. It had awakened something in me and drew me to a place long forgotten by men. When I dived into the water, the world went black.
----
Third POV.
While Aiden was lost at sea, driven by the power of Adrielle's blood sacrifice. Orphelin Bay was going through a major shift.
Violca Roux had discovered that she was pregnant with Colton Raxter's baby. This prompted her to take action. She begins to actively speak out against Adrielle to the other tidelanders, gaining supporters in L'Attente.
At the same time, Colton Raxter was meeting with Gregori Stolin, plotting against Augie. No doubt prompted by Violca Roux.
But Violca wasn't the only Tidelander making moves. Lamar, Adrielle's secret keeper in L'Attente, was working to discover Adrielle's secrets. He had stolen a shard of the ancient and took it to Bill with many questions. He was now returning the shard to its rightful place when Adrielle had finally returned.
It was the perfect storm. As Adrielle was getting out of the car, she had seen Violca with her supporters. Adrielle is secretly unnerved by Violca's growing numbers. So unnerved that she wanted Leandra to handle Violca immediately.
Once Adrielle was in her house, she called for Leandra but nearly caught Lamar returning the shard he had stolen the night before. Under the assault of questions from Adrielle. Lamar had remembered the information that Gilles and Bijou had given him. The two children saw everything in L'Attente, coupled with the grudge they had against Violca. The children had given Lamar Violca's positive pregnancy test and told him everything.
Lamar promptly presented this information and the pregnancy test to Adrielle. Adrielle then concocted a new plan in a matter of seconds. She didn't want to assassinate Violca. She now wanted to use Violca as a way to reacquire the loyalty and devotion of her people.
The dominoes kept falling later that day when Augie was getting ready for the trap he planned to set for Stolin. However, at the last minute, Colton had to Augie to run. Augie had realized that the trap that was set for Stolin had been set up for him. His men had betrayed him.
Now Augie was on the run, and Aiden was nowhere to be found. At the same time, Calliope was playing her role in eliciting information from Adrielle.
Adrielle was taking her motherly role, while Calliope played lost child. Neither expected the other to spin deception. Calliope skillfully led Adrielle into admitting that she was losing faith in Augie. Adrielle then pushed her own plan by convincing Calliope to bring Colton Raxter to L'Attente. She reasoned that Colton could act as an intermediary or a replacement for Augie.
When Calliope picked Colton up from the factory, Calliope told him to follow her lead. Calliope wanted to know what Adrielle was up to. Most importantly, she wanted more detail about Adrielle's plan for her family.
"So, don't be surprised if she asks you to take over the operation." Said Calliope.
Colton didn't tell her about the setup and Augie's trouble. However, he saw Calliope's plan as a way to help Augie.
Calliope never expected that she and Colton would be led to the beach with all of the Tidelanders presents when she arrived at L'Attente.
"No! Don't, Colton! It's a trap!" Violca called out.
Colton and Calliope were immediately ceased and dragged to the center of the group. Colton was pushed to his knees, and Adrielle addressed her people.
"I know you have been unhappy with me," she said. "And that hurts me because all I care about is you."
Adrielle continued, "Some of you are worried about where I am spending our money, but you will see that I'm spending it wisely. My duty is to protect you all. And that means drawing a line between false hope and hurt."
Adrielle then faced a restained Violca. "You know what I mean. I forbade you to foster that awful, hateful lie that we could have children. But you defied me. So I have no choice now but set an example."
Adrielle walked towards the kneeling Colton. Violca cried out as she feared for her lover's life.
"A queen that does not enforce her laws is no Queen at all!" declared Adrielle.
"What the fuck are you doing!?" Calliope shouted at Adrielle.
Colton could sense the danger. "Run, Baby! Run!" he shouted to Violca, not wanting her to stay behind as he knew his death was imminent.
Violca immediately broke free and made a break for it. Leandra was going to give chase, But Adrielle allowed her to run away.
Colton was now in the water, being held down by two large male Tidelanders. Adrielle stood next to him in a flowing blue ankle-length dress. In her hand was the same shard that Crumberland had shown Aiden. On the shard was the instructions to summon a Siren, written in Sumerian Cuneiform.
"My word is our law, and our law is our future." Adrielle declared.
Calliope cried out Colton's name.
"Save Augie! He's in trouble." Colton managed his last words as Adrielle reach over and slit his throat with the horn shard, making her second blood sacrifice of the day.
"No! You fucking bitch!" Calliope cursed as Thea held her back from attacking Adrielle.
As Colton's dying body was dropped into the water. Adrielle stepped forward and projected her voice. "We make this sacrifice to our mothers, the goddess of the water."
A great horn sounded, and the Tidelanders on the beach could feel the power of the summoning. Deep in the sea, A siren was sent forth to answer the call. And an unconscious Aiden had opened his in the abyssal waters of the sea.
His ocean blues eyes shined with intense radiance, his white hair shimmered like his mother's, and power from his body rippled throughout the sea. A great and strong voice said, go forth, my son.
The sea had once again gone silent, and the Sirens of the deep blue watched in awe of Aiden.
On the beach, the siren had arrived and surfaced for all of the Tidelanders to see her. But the Siren looked around only saw Calliope without Aiden, and Bijou was nowhere to be found. Calliope was frozen for a moment when she had seen her mother for the second time in her life.
All of the Tidelanders regarded the siren as their mother, but Calliope knew that the siren in the water had birthed her, and she was only one of many.
There was an urge driving Calliope to go to her mother, but she fought the urge and ran to Colton's corpse instead.
All of the Tidelander were standing in the wading water of the sea as the pale siren enchanted them. However, the Siren dove back into the water when she realized that it was not yet time.
But suddenly, the waves began to surge and pushed the Tidelanders back to the shore. A moment later, Aiden erupted from the depths and looked more divine than mortal as he walked on the surface of the sea.
"He has defiled the granddaughter of Oceanus with his seed. Divine punishment is all!" Said Aiden with a voice the ensnared every Tidelander present.
Aiden twisted his hand, and a torrent of water rushed forth to envelop Colton's corpse.
"No!" Calliope shouted in protest.
The water stopped midway and fell back into the sea. The divine Aiden tilted his head as he looked at Calliope. Then he sank into the sea after his eyes lost their shine. Before anyone could react. Calliope's mother jetted back to grab Aiden and swam away with incredible speed
クリエイターの想い 
D_Blackwell
D_Blackwell I know this chapter was heavy on the lore. But it needed to be done. As for the lore, let me know what you think. I wanted to create an origin story that had the potential for future plots.
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