Jeremy's mind was ablaze with frustration and fear while he continued cursing Tyche for the ever-evolving mess they found themselves in. The disappearance of Felix was far from good, and if Cassie or Delia were right, then the shipmate was likely well acquainted with Hades by now.

Jeremy’s short readings of Delia's bestiary told him that the Sirens would have eaten Felix alive, with razor-sharp teeth sinking into his flesh, mixing their melodic notes with his blood-curdling screams as they stripped him of his skin, leaving him to slowly waste away to the bone. He could picture the gruesome details far too vividly, and it made his skin crawl.

And as if that haunting thought wasn’t enough of a weight on their minds, it seemed the capricious gods took perverse pleasure by making some crew members of the Flightless Owl aware of Felix's disappearance, adding another layer of complexity to the matter.

No one had outright raised the alarm with the captain, and so those who knew likely didn’t understand exactly what was wrong, merely something was amiss. If they knew the truth — that Felix was dead — perhaps panic would have ensued. But Jeremy wasn’t concerned about that. Sure, it would be troublesome, but the crew had sailed through countless storms before and had seen many of their numbers vanish in pirate attacks. There would be the initial scare, and then a heightened sense of awareness.

He also wasn’t worried since Greg knew how to avoid mass panic. The captain would gather the entire crew and cut the uncertainty at its source, informing them of what had transpired instead of letting rumours fester.

No, Jeremy wasn’t worried about the revelation of death. What troubled him was that crew members randomly disappearing never happened. It was an out-of-the-ordinary situation, and so the problem was not how they would tell the crew, but what they would tell them. The captain had instructed him and the group to keep the knowledge of Sirens, ranks and whatever else awaited them at Inia Telle hidden, but how would they explain the vanishing of a man without disclosing the truth?

If it were only Michael and Damien, would Greg let them into the fold? It was an idea worth suggesting once Delia confirmed the extent of the leak, so Jeremy made a mental note to bring it up as the captain continued talking.

"How many remember the Sirens with any proper recollection?" Greg asked as Delia left the room.

"No one remembers seeing any," Karl said. “They shouldn’t, I don’t think. They were all passed out when we got attacked.”

“By the time the crew woke up, they were all choking on my concoction,” Cassie added. “Assuming the smell didn't distract them enough, I'm sure they wouldn’t have been able to see clearly. It’s a strong enough smell to make their eyes water. Not to mention the fact it was a dark night. Full of haze too.”

The captain nodded appreciatively. "They might not have seen them, but how many remember hearin’ about them?" he asked, looking at Karl. “They didn’t see the Kraken, but they all know about that.”

“Because we saw its aftermath,” Cassie said.

“Rumours spread, Cass. Any of them could have heard about the sirens.” Greg said. “Did any of them mention the Sirens, even as a passin’ comment?”

"They’ve all probably heard about something,” Gavin said pessimistically. “Or they’ve guessed it on their own. I mean, look, we did go around shoving wax into their ears. It wouldn’t take a genius to put two and two together. Not after just meeting a twice damned Kraken."

Jeremy kept his mouth straight and ignored his own joke about the crew not hearing anything, given that they had their ears plugged. He was facetious by nature; he knew that, but it was the mental jokes that kept him sane in troubled times like this.

He also knew when it was the right time to tell a joke. Delia often said that his jesting was immature, but she didn't appreciate how much restraint he had. If anything, she was the kid of the group.

"That's not my question," Greg said, snapping Jeremy out of his temporary daze. "How many mentioned sirens at any point in the timeline just after you asked them when they last saw Felix?"

He panned his gaze between the doctor and Karl. “How many?” he said, his voice growing increasingly frustrated

"Three," Karl answered quietly. The boatswain's eyes were cast down to the floor and his body was a clammed oyster. It was as if he were a child, caught in a lie.

“Fuck,” Gavin muttered.

Jeremy agreed. “Fuck indeed.”

The secret was now out of the bag. The captain would have to tell them. Surely it would be worse not to say anything than to tell them the truth.

"Everyone else either doesn't remember when they last saw him, or they just say they haven't seen him since the party," Karl said. "That, or they just say they haven't seen him since the stupid prank Delia and Cassie pulled off."

Jeremy sensed the weight of the words in the room — manifesting itself with physical pressure — and he empathised with the captain's frustration as the man fell silent, his eyes locking onto the wooden floor with a fierce gaze, as though he would burn right through them. If Karl had known about this, he should have spoken up right away. Hiding the information, having it pried out of him, was irresponsible.

Jeremy ignored the thought of Karl's punishment, his mind focusing on an earlier point of their conversation. If there were three of them aware of the Sirens, then it was likely Gavin and Greg were right. The news would have spread, or more would have put it together. Even if the others didn’t mention the Sirens, if they had any doubt about it, then Felix’s disappearance would only confirm suspicions, particularly given the timings of the incident.

"Fucking Tyche and her ill fortune, like we haven't suffered enough," Jeremy murmured in the suffocating silence. She couldn’t just let them know he was missing, but she had to make them aware of the very thing he was to stay silent on.

Greg, seemingly roused by Jeremy's words, lifted his gaze and surveyed the room's occupants before closing his eyes and exhaling deeply. It was clear from his sagging shoulders and controlled breaths that he had finally found the answers he was seeking within the grains of the oak floor, and they were anything but good.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

He stayed like that for three long breaths. Three long breaths which didn’t escape Jeremy, which his pounding heart reminded him of. Three long breaths that aged the man three decades, such that when Greg opened his eyes and looked up at the occupants, there was an ancient weariness in them and a grimace etched in his face.

"We need to cut them off," Greg said, his voice low and intense. "Those three, and anyone else who knows about the Sirens, or Felix missin'."

Jeremy attempted to inhale, but the three prolonged breaths turned into four, then five, causing his legs to feel weak and his heart to feel like a thunderstorm. It was only when Cassie spoke that he managed to draw in a breath of air.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

Turning to her, he saw the horror in the doctor's widened eyes. He was grateful for her question, not just for breaking the deathly stillness in the room, but for asking the very question that was ringing in his mind. Cut them off? Greg didn't mean it literally, of course, but what did he mean? It was an ominous statement, to say the least.

The captain looked up at her, his expression bitter. "It means we can not afford to take any chances. We have to make sure that no one talks about what happened yesterday. If word gets out, it could mean big trouble for all of us," he said. "It means we can't take them back. Not to Askern with us.”

The doctor shook her head in disbelief. "And what do you plan to do? Leave them here? At Inia Telle?" she asked.

The captain gave a feeble nod.

"They’re going to die, Greg. That's insane," Cassie said.

"It's not insane. It’s what we have to go and do," Greg countered. "We don't know what they remember, but as Gavin said, it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together. If they piece Felix missin’ with the Sirens, then we have an issue. I can't let that happen."

"There is a better way than this," Cassie said. "Just make up a lie. Tell them he fell overboard. Tell them he went with Khaleel. Make something else up!"

"I…” He paused, considering her thoughts. “Fine. You’re right. Those who know he's missin' aren’t an issue. We can deal with them," Greg said. "But those who already know? I'm sorry, but I can't take any chances."

Jeremy was aware from his conversations with Greg that the land was dangerous, but why would Cassie suggest he was sending them to their Death? it wasn’t a death sentence, was it? He was sending Jonah there. He was letting Delia, his very own daughter, go there.

He also didn't understand how or why Cassie knew anything about the land. She wasn't with them when Greg explained about the land or ranks, nor was she in the room with Khaleel and his men when they initially discussed their travels.

Being left on a strange land far away from home was cruel, yes, but a death sentence felt far-fetched… right?

"You can't let them stay there, Greg," she said pleadingly. "We both know they won't be able to live there on their own. They're not—"

“Sorry," Jeremy said, interrupting the doctor, "but what exactly is the issue?” he asked, not liking being left in the dark or the foreboding feeling that stemmed in his guts.

"The problem is that for a bunch of unawakened, your captain is signing their death wish," she said critically. "He is kicking flightless birds out of the nest, hoping they don't splatter on the ground."

"What I am doin' is keepin' the crew safe in the best possible way," Greg said.

"It might be dangerous, Cass, but it can't be that dangerous," Jeremy said. "The captain knows the land better than us. You don't —"

"Don't you dare 'you don't know' me," she snarled. "I know as well as he does about this place, and I can tell you now that this place is a viper's nest."

"If it were that bad, he wouldn't let me or Del go," Jeremy argued.

The statement caused the doctor to freeze.

Cassie stood there, momentarily stunned, before looking at Greg with renewed horror.

"What are you doing…" she said, voice barely audible, shocked by the news.

"I've told them what they need to know," Greg said. "Jonah's going to be there, and he can take care of them until they can take care of themselves. House El will be there. I didn't raise my daughter to send her to the gallows and I'm not goin’ to send my crew to a death trap either."

"Have you lost your mind? Even if being with Jonah would keep them safe, do you really think the others will accept this?" She said, voice still faint. "I can tell you know, they won't. And the moment they leave Jonah's side. They. Will. Die," she finished, emphasising the words.

"Hang on a minute," Gavin said. "This all sounds super dramatic. Why can’t we let them come back with us to Askern? I mean, why can't we just tell them then? If this is just a big issue, just tell them the secret. If we let them know it's a secret, we'll be fine, no?"

“We spoke about this literally less than thirty minutes ago,” Greg said, frustrated. “If those who know what happened and speak, if Michael and Damien, or rather, if those other three who know of the Sirens even tell a story that is believable enough, people would talk. Then the royal guard will come sniffin’ around like the dogs they are. I can’t have that.”

“They will have no reason to believe them,” Cassie reasoned. “It will just be another tale.”

“Another tale with a missin’ person and a reputable crew talkin’ about it,” Greg said. “There’s only three of them, Cassie. Three for thirty.”

“Three that we know of," Gavin said.

"That's exactly my point," the captain said. "The moment one of the talks, you think the others won't remember. Overactive imaginations will go into overdrive. We can deal with Felix missin'. We can go with the story Khaleel took him as an ambassador. What we can't do is have people knowin' about the sirens and piecing the two together."

"You can't do that, Greg," Cassie said, sounding like a crow repeating the same words.

“Every single one of us will die if we don't," Greg said.

The doctor looked at the captain with a strange expression that Jeremy couldn't discern. Then her eyes narrowed, and flint entered into her voice. "I don't know if I can go along with this, Greg. It's not right."

The captain's jaw tightened. "I understan' if you don't want to be a part of it. But I have to do what I have to do to protect the crew,” Greg said. “If they didn't remember it, If they forgot it like everybody else, then it wouldn't matter. But now we're riskin’ everyone's lives," he said. "And I'm not doing that. Will you?"

"I'm not letting you throw their lives away for nothing," the doctor said firmly. "How do you know none of the others heard about it or know about it? Just because they didn't mention it? What if they remember a week down the line? Maybe two? Will you kill them too?"

"I'm not killin’ anyone," Greg said, the exasperation clear in his voice. "I'm makin’ sure they're all safe."

"You're feeding them to the wolves, Greg. And you know it," Cassie said. "None of them saw it. They were drunk. And what they heard is less damaging than a Kraken."

“Krakens are common enough sightings. Think about how often they're reported. The guard knows that no one would survive a real kraken encounter," Greg said. "But bird woman flying from the sky singing songs?” He shook his head. “There's no other choice."

"There is always a choice," she said adamantly. "You can tell them. You can bring them into the fold. You can trust them."

"No. My trust does not extend beyond this room."

"If you cut them out, Greg, I'm leaving."

"Fine."

Cassie stormed out of the room.