The courtyard emptied fast. Nobody wanted to stand around after hearing there was another strange creature by the river. Morganna ordered more guards to block every gate. The air turned sharp and tight, like the whole kingdom held its breath.
Isolde followed her mother, Severin, and Thalassa through the hallway. The soldiers led the way, boots hitting the floor in quick steps. Isolde's stomach twisted with worry.
One siren already showed up.
Now another creature?
What did that mean?
Thalassa whispered beside her, "This morning is cursed. I should have stayed in bed."
Isolde gave a weak laugh. "I miss the quiet already."
Morganna's voice cut the air from in front. "Do not wander. Stay close."
They reached the outer courtyard, the place where traders usually waited before entering the city. Now it was almost empty except for two guards standing beside a stretcher.
On the stretcher lay a man or something that looked close to a man.
He was pale. Too pale. His lips were cracked. His long dark hair was wet and tangled with bits of grass. His clothes were torn, soaked with river water. His chest rose weakly, but his breaths were shallow.
Isolde pressed a hand to her mouth. "He's dying…"
One guard spoke quickly. "He washed up on the bank. We thought he was dead until he opened his eyes and said that word."
Morganna stepped forward. "Open your eyes," she ordered the man.
He did.
And the moment he looked up, every guard jumped back.
His eyes glowed silver.
Not bright, not like magic in stories but sharp. Not human.
Thalassa whispered, "That is not a siren. Sirens do not look like that."
Morganna stood still, unreadable. "What are you?"
The man swallowed. His voice was thin, broken. "Help me… please."
"Speak," Morganna repeated. "What are you?"
His lips trembled. "I… I don't know what humans call us. But… I followed her."
One guard stepped behind Morganna. "Followed who, sir?"
The man gasped for air. "The girl… with mint hair… the one you brought in…"
Isolde's heart dropped. "Melusine?"
The man nodded weakly.
Severin stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Why were you following her? What does she want here?"
The man shook his head and winced like it hurt. "You do not understand… she is not alone. She is never alone…"
Morganna's eyes hardened. "Speak clearly. Are there more sirens nearby?"
The man tried to lift his hand but it fell back to his chest. "She… she broke the rule She crossed land alone. They will come for her. They will come for any who touch her. They..."
His voice cracked, and he coughed water.
Not normal coughing this was river water pouring from his mouth.
Thalassa stepped back fast. "Isolde, move!"
But Isolde didn't move. She watched with wide eyes as another wave of water spilled from his lungs. It didn't drip it poured, pooling on the stones beneath him.
Severin grabbed Isolde's hand and tugged her behind him. "Stay back!"
The man's body shook. His silver eyes flickered. His voice turned more frantic. "She broke the rule… you must send her back… she must return to the water… before it starts…"
"Before what starts?" Morganna demanded.
The man suddenly stopped coughing. His body dropped still.
Silent.
Then he whispered one last word.
"Calling…"
And he passed out.
Guards rushed forward.
"Your Majesty, he's losing breath!"
"Should we get the healer?"
"Stand back!" Morganna snapped. "If he is tied to that girl, we do not know what he carries."
Isolde's heart thumped fast. "Mother… he needs help."
Morganna did not answer. Her eyes stayed locked on the creature's still body.
Severin said quietly, "If this man truly followed Melusine… then she is not just a wanderer. Something bigger is happening."
Thalassa whispered, "And if sirens are searching for her… that means trouble is coming here."
Morganna turned sharply. "We take him inside. Lock him in the lower room beside the guard tower. No healer touches him until I decide."
The soldiers carried the stretcher away fast.
Isolde grabbed her mother's arm. "Why are you treating him like a monster?"
Morganna faced her. "Because he might be one."
"He was scared," Isolde said. "He asked for help."
"He is not one of us," Morganna replied. "And neither is the girl. Remember that."
Those words felt like a stone thrown at Isolde's chest.
"Morganna," Thalassa said softly, "not every creature is an enemy."
The queen's jaw tightened. "In this world, anything not human becomes our problem sooner or later."
Then Morganna walked away with her guards.
The moment she was gone, Thalassa exhaled hard. "Your mother is going to make this ten times worse."
Isolde rubbed her arms. "We need answers. And the only person who knows the truth is..."
"Melusine," Severin finished.
Isolde looked at him. "Take me to her."
Severin frowned. "That is not safe. The queen said..."
"I don't care," Isolde said. "Something is wrong, Severin. Really wrong. And we are wasting time."
Thalassa nodded. "I agree with her. If that man followed Melusine, then whatever danger he talked about is already coming."
Severin sighed like this was the worst idea he'd ever heard, but he didn't argue. "Fine. But I'm staying three steps ahead of you the whole time."
"You always stay three steps ahead," Isolde joked weakly.
He didn't laugh. "This time I mean it."
He led the two girls back through the hallway.
They passed through the south corridor where Melusine was being kept. The guards stood in front of the locked door, confused and whispering.
Severin stepped forward. "Move."
They obeyed him quickly.
Isolde touched the cold door. "Does she know what happened at the river?"
Thalassa shrugged. "Siren senses are strange. She probably knows something."
Severin unlocked the door.
Inside, Melusine sat calmly on the bed, legs crossed, hands resting in her lap. She looked completely unbothered by the guards outside or the chaos in the courtyard.
Her teal eyes lifted when they entered. "Took you long enough."
Severin closed the door behind them. "We have questions."
Melusine smirked. "I expected nothing less."
Isolde stepped forward. "A man washed up at the river. He isn't human. He followed you here."
For a moment, Melusine's face changed.
Barely.
But enough.
Her shoulders stiffened.
Thalassa caught it. "You know him."
Melusine looked away. "Not him. Not exactly. But I know what he is."
Severin narrowed his eyes. "What is he?"
Melusine didn't answer right away. She stood from the bed and walked toward the window. "He is not a siren. But he belongs to the sea. A spirit tied to the deep water."
Isolde felt a chill. "Why would a sea spirit follow you?"
"Because I left," Melusine said plainly.
"That makes no sense," Thalassa said. "Creatures don't chase after someone just because they left."
Melusine's voice softened. "If a siren leaves the water alone… the sea sends something after her. To bring her back."
Severin's eyes widened. "So he came to drag you home."
Melusine hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. And if he failed… others will come."
Isolde stepped closer. "Why did you leave?"
Melusine looked her dead in the eyes. "Because I do not want to live like a prisoner anymore."
For the first time, her voice sounded raw.
Human.
Isolde whispered, "Were you trapped?"
Melusine sat back down slowly. "Every siren is trapped. We belong to the sea. We cannot walk on land for long without… consequences."
"What consequences?" Thalassa asked.
Melusine wrapped her arms around herself. "The calling."
Isolde froze. "The man said that too."
Melusine's jaw clenched. "The longer I stay away from the water, the more the sea calls me back. It starts as a whisper. Then a pull. Then… something worse."
Severin moved closer. "You are telling us you are in danger."
Melusine looked up sharply. "No. You are all in danger. If the sea calls too strongly and I ignore it… it won't just call me. It will come for me."
A cold dread settled in the room.
"What does that mean?" Isolde whispered.
Melusine looked at each of them slowly.
"It means the sea will break any border, any river, any land… to reach me. And it will not care who gets caught in the flood."
Thalassa went pale. "So this kingdom… is already in danger."
Melusine nodded once. "Yes."
Severin's voice dropped. "Isolde… we need to tell the queen."
Melusine shook her head fast. "If your mother finds out, she will try to throw me back into the water herself. She will not listen. She will panic. Panic leads to war."
Isolde grabbed Severin's arm. "She's right. Mother will choose fear over sense."
Thalassa added, "We need a plan. A real one."
Severin looked at the door, then at the two girls. "If we hide this from the queen and something goes wrong…"
Isolde held his gaze. "Severin, please. She will blame Melusine for everything. She will hurt her. You know she will."
His jaw tightened.
Melusine spoke quietly. "I didn't come here to start a war. I just wanted to breathe air for once. But the sea does not forgive those who break the rule."
Thalassa asked, "How long do we have before it starts?"
Melusine looked down at her hands.
"Not long."
Isolde swallowed hard. "Then we need to figure out how to stop it."
Melusine lifted her eyes.
"You cannot stop the sea."
"Then we find another way," Isolde said.
Melusine tilted her head, studying her. "Why do you care so much about me?"
Isolde didn't have an answer.
Severin broke the silence. "We need to talk to the sea spirit. The man from the river. If he wakes up, he may know more."
Thalassa nodded. "Then we watch him. All of us."
Isolde looked at Melusine. "And we protect you."
Melusine stared at her for a long moment confused, surprised, almost softened.
"You humans are strange."
Thalassa smiled. "Thank you."
Melusine rolled her eyes.
But a small smile pulled at her lips.
Isolde turned to Severin. "Take us to the lower room."
Severin nodded once, though worry filled his face. "Stay behind me. All of you."
They stepped out of the room.
But as Isolde walked out, she felt Melusine's eyes on her.
And for the first time, she understood something,
Melusine didn't fear the sea.
She feared being forced back into it.
And the kingdom had no idea what storm was coming.