HeatMarie

The Emotional Shift

Kali slid off Nyx, her feet sinking into the soft earth by the shore. The subtle shift in the wind carried with it the crisp scent of salt and something far more ancient, like this place, was part of some old forgotten time. A time when life was more simple. When people roamed freely unbound by kingdoms, kings, and princes. A time when princesses didn’t trade lives out of jealousy for Darkness and its monsters.

Stretching out before her was the ocean’s vast, endless blue waters reflecting the rays of the setting sun. She inhaled deeply. The sound of the waves and smell of the salt-kissed air washed over her, chasing away all the fears that had been chasing her. For the first time in a very long while, her mind stilled. Time slowed with her thoughts and her heartbeat echoed the constant, steady breathing of the waves as they draped over the sand. It was as if the universe gifted her this moment to breathe, to feel the beauty of the earth, to remember it, to become part of it.

Behind her, Caius gave a long grunt as he swung a leg over Thorne and dismounted. He stretched out his arms with another groan.

“Seriously?” Kali huffed, turning to him with an exasperated stare.

“What?” he asked. 

“I was enjoying a moment,” she said, “and you ruined it with your old man noises.” 

“It’s been a long ride. I’m a bit stiff now.”

“Like I said, old man noises.” She shook her head. “Regardless, we will camp right here. It seems far enough from the shoreline.” She unclipped her pack off of Nyx, pulled out her sleeping pad, and sprawled it out on the sand. 

The prince nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. He set about unsaddling his horse, carefully folding the saddle blanket before laying it beside his own pack. As he rummaged through his belongings, he asked, “Hungry?“ He pulled out a small bag of food. “It’s not much, but it’ll keep us going.”

He looked up to find her settled on her sleeping pad, with oatcakes, a jar of wild berry jam and dried fruits sprawled out in front of her. She spread a dab of the jam on top of an oatcake and lifted it to her lips. “I got everything I need.”

“Fancy,” he said with amusement, “And here I thought you’d be begging for my meat.”

“You’d be waiting a long time for that.” She took another bite, savoring it with deliberate exaggeration. “Besides, I prefer something with a bit more… flavor.”

“Is that so?” he said. He sat down next to her and pulled a piece from the bag, taking a bite of it. “We’ll see how you feel after a few more nights.”

Kali nibbled on her food and watched Caius with curiosity. He moved with grace, each gesture measured and deliberate, but filled with an effortless charm and that smile—the one that always seemed to be there.

“How do you do it?” she asked, plopping the bite of fruit into her mouth. 

“Do what?” The corners of his lips curved up as he asked the question.

“That,” she said, gesturing to his face. “Smile. As if nothing is wrong.”

Caius looked down at the bag in his hands, closed it and set it to the side.

“It’s just who I am,” he said.

“But the world around you is dying, being destroyed. How can you be happy about that?”

His eyes pierced through her with a sadness that she thought she could understand. “I’m not happy. I’m pissed, I’m sad, I am scared. But what does dwelling on it do? I do care, Kali.”

Hearing her name from his lips caught her off guard. She looked away.

“One of us needs to keep watch tonight,” she said. “It’s hard to predict where the Siren will be. I believe I brought us close enough to hear her. But I might have misjudged it a bit. We will just have to listen for her song.”

Caius raised an eyebrow. “Did you say ‘Siren’s and ‘ song?” 

“I mentioned that earlier, didn’t I?”

He shook his head.

“They’re not evil, you know. I know the old tales paint them as dangerous, spellbinding creatures that drag sailors to their deaths, but that’s not true. Their songs…” She paused, her expressions softening. How terrible it is to have people fear you just for a part of who you are. If only they would take the time to understand the beauty beneath the spell, then perhaps they wouldn’t hate us so much. Her words became more wistful as she continued. “… they’re said to be beautiful. When you hear the song, a part of your soul dies, the part that holds all the pain, all the hurt, all the worry, and a new part is created, one filled with love and joy.”

Caius listened to her with quiet admiration. There was something in her voice that made him want to wrap his arms around her and pull her in. He wanted to protect her from whatever pain she held so deep inside of her. “Sounds like a very misunderstood kind of beauty.” 

“I guess that would be one way to describe it,” she said. “These creatures purify the darkness, transform it into something extraordinary. When they sing, they reach out into the shadows and they draw them out, turning that darkness into light. The Aurora’s Mornlight blooms because the Siren’s song purifies the night, making it bearable until dawn. I’ve never heard it myself, of course.” 

Caius studied her. “You’ve never heard them sing? I thought–” 

“I’ve never even seen the ocean,” Kali admitted, “not until today.” There was a vulnerability in her voice that Caius hadn’t heard before. She reached down, her fingers brushing against the cool tiny grains of sand and felt each piece as she let it slide through her fingers. “But I’ve read about it, and I’ve seen glimpses of them in my visions, felt the pull of the Siren’s song in my dreams… It’s how I knew to come here. But it’s not the same.” She looked for the words in the gentle waves that caressed the sand. “It’s like knowing the words to a song without ever hearing the melody. You understand it, but you never really feel it until it’s there, wrapping around you, drawing you in.” 

She felt Caius watching her with an intensity that made her feel exposed. She blushed and shook all the feelings and memories from her mind.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she pleaded. 

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. He thought he knew the land so well, better than most people. But the way she talked, the tone in her voice brought her vision of the world straight into his heart, his soul. He didn’t just see it in a vivid image. He heard, he felt it. Turning from her, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable, he asked, “So we just have to follow the song when we hear it?”

“Yes,” she replied. 

“Well,” he said. “Why don’t you get some rest and I’ll take the first watch.” 

Caius leaned back against his bag while Kali stretched out on her back, eyes tracing the stars as she listened to the pulsing tides, lulling her into a deep trance that pulled her to a distant place.