[ Lachlan ]

Nereus had been built like a flower; beautiful and open to the world for the visitors of the other clans to pay their respect. Anthemusa was built like the tip of a shattered spear, sharp and sprawled everywhere. Pale coral caught the light of the sun, bright in the shallower water of the coastal ocean, and sent it back to Lachlan's eyes so that he had to squint to see. He shivered with the cold now, and held his arms close to his body in a vain effort to keep them warm.

Militum stopped and pointed ahead of them to the looming cliff in the center of the city. "The Siren's palace."

Lachlan briefly thought how odd it was to ask the question now that they were almost upon Anthemusa, but he nodded. "Melodia has told me some tales of them. Lyre and Viola are still Sirens, I think, and she mentioned that Ashiko took over for her when she left?"

Militum's back straightened, which seemed like it should be impossible. "Correct. Viola is the one we will likely parley with. She has been the strongest of the Sirens for over two hundred years."

"Then we'll get her to agree to our terms." Lachlan took a deep breath and exhaled a soft song. Heat flared through his body, warm and relaxing. He shook his tail and lifted his chin. "Let's go, Militum."

Together, they swam toward the city of the Undine clan. It didn't take long for a patrol of mermaids to find them and offer to escort them to the palace in a way that felt more like a threat than a desire to help. Lachlan accepted their offer graciously.

They passed the curious faces of many merfolk, though most chose to stay inside their coral homes and peek around doors and through windows. Their stares followed Lachlan and Militum right up to the palace entrance.

There were no walls around the palace nor any sign of a guard. The palace contrasted sharply with the deep browns of the cliff it was set in. Lachlan looked up, toward the surface that was so close in proximity, and he wondered about the land above the Siren's palace.

Without the guards moving to announce them, the doors to the palace opened, and out of them came a slim mermaid with pale blonde hair pinned up by pearls. Her light blue eyes and slightly rounded cheeks gave her a youthful, sweet look. She smiled at them.

"Well, look who has come to visit." She clasped her hands in front of herself. "I am Lyre of the Sirens. Welcome to Anthemusa."

Lachlan relaxed at the friendly greeting, and returned her smile. "I am Lachlan, Jewel to Triton Bastian. With me is Militum, my personal escort. I come with orders from Nereus."

Lyre's smile remained on her face, but it no longer reached her eyes. The very tip of her tail twitched. "Then you must come inside and have some refreshments. This way." She turned and swam at a leisurely pace into the dark opening.

Militum shifted closer to Lachlan, but very obviously stayed behind him. Lachlan took the hint and swam forward. As he went, he cleared his mind of all but his objectives. He must secure the offering for the Sun's augur, and he must make sure they were given free reign to pass through the Undine waters no matter what they might take with them.

It hadn't escaped his notice that Lyre had not saluted him, or bowed to him. In Anthemusa, the mermaids ruled all, and the mermen were not as cherished as they were in other clans. There was no doubt in his mind that the Sirens would relinquish as little authority as they could get away with. Militum's warnings draped over him.

If they discover our deceit, they will bind us and throw us to the viperfish.

The dark entryway led to an opulently decorated hall of gold and coral. Jewels winked at Lachlan as he swam straight down the corridor, following Lyre's blue feathered-tail. Eventually, she led them into a large chamber that centered around three thrones set in a semi-circle.

Around the room, gems glowed with magic, lending beautiful blue and green lights to the water that made everything seem just a little more dream-like. Lyre took a seat in the throne to the right of the center. Beside her, in the center throne, sat a fiery-haired mermaid whose obsidian tail glittered with muted light.

As Lachlan's gaze caught on the red-head, held by her serious black eyes, he heard Militum gasp. With effort, he turned his attention to the third mermaid, whose raven hair floated around her elfin face. Familiar, piercing blue eyes locked onto him and Lachlan forgot everything he'd prepared to tell the Sirens.

The ghost of Melodia sat in the third throne, looking for all the world like she were still alive. Her silver tail caught Lachlan's gaze and he could not help but speak her name.

"Mel—"

"Harmonia." Militum's voice overrode Lachlan's and drew everyone's attention to him.

The silver-tailed mermaid smiled, and Lachlan wanted to swim away from her. That smile had always meant trouble for him and his friends. But when she spoke, there was a calmness there that seeped into him and soothed his worries.

"Militum, what a pleasure it is to see you again." She lifted a hand into her dark hair and twirled a lock around her sharp claws. "I never thought I'd see the day when you weren't trailing after my sister like a love-lorn seahorse. Or is she near?"

"Now is not the time to catch up on personal business," The obsidian-tailed mermaid cut in. Her voice carried a quiet note of authority. "Introduce yourself, visitor. We are busy with the workings of our city." The implication was clear to Lachlan; talk or leave, just do it quickly.

But he was still stuck. He looked at Harmonia, but all he could see was Melodia. Her rigid posture and the way she looked not at him, but more just above or to the side of him--as though he were not important to her.

Her brow furrowed and she leaned her upper body toward him. When she spoke, magic laced her words. "You look troubled, visitor."

"If you will not speak," the red-head said, "then you will leave." She lifted a hand and made a shooing motion toward the doors they had entered through. Harmonia looked annoyed at the order, but she did not speak out against the other mermaid. Instead, she sat back into her seat.

Lachlan turned and swam for the door. Militum caught up to him a short distance outside the door and grabbed his wrist. "What are you doing?" He spoke quietly.

"I-I can't! She looks just like...just like..."

Militum squeezed Lachlan's wrist, though whether it was support or a warning not to complete his statement, Lachlan couldn't tell. He looked up at the bigger merman, shocked to his core.

Militum's face was a mask of studied impassivity. "Harmonia is Melodia's twin. I did not know she had replaced her sister, but it doesn't change anything. We came here for a reason, Lachlan, or have you forgotten what we are doing?"

Bastian. The Augur. The gift for a god.

Lachlan shook his head to clear it and took a few deep breaths of sweet, shallow ocean water. A shudder ran through him as an errant thought came to him. "Do you think she knows? Oh gods. We...we have to tell her!"

Militum grabbed his shoulders and shook him abruptly. "We can't! It will ruin everything. I need you to focus, Lachlan!"

The smooth voice cut through the water, calm and sweet. "Tell me what?"

The mermen turned to look at the door, where Harmonia rested against the frame. Her smile was all sugar, and Lachlan was terrified of it. She swam forward in a leisurely manner.

As she drew closer, Militum's bag emitted a soft blue glow that drew her attention. All the color in her face drained and her mouth fell open. Harmonia's eyes shifted back up to Militum's face. "Open your bag!" she hissed.

Militum laid a hand over his bag and backed away from her.

She bared her fangs and screamed at him. It was so vicious a sound that Lachlan didn't realize it was a song until he felt the magic roll over him. Her song weighed on his mind like a stone, forcing him down and down until he wanted nothing more than to give her whatever she wanted. He'd give her anything to stop her from singing.

At his side, Militum sank to the floor in a bow. His fingers trembled as he lifted his bag up and opened the flap. There, resting on top of his few provisions, was the still-glowing vitae gem of Melodia.

Harmonia's song ended abruptly. She lifted her hands to cover her mouth and moved forward. She reached out for the gem, but her hand trembled the closer she got to it. Her eyes filled with tears that turned to pearls as they rolled down her cheeks.

"Melodia," she whispered.

And then she screamed. 

Surprise!! Melodia was a twin, and now Militum is sad again. Oh, but I suppose he never stopped being sad... 

Welcome to Anthemusa! Please keep all feelings inside the mortal coil until the ride is over.