“Somebody's boarding the ship!" the lookout shouted from his post. A great commotion broke out among the crew as Silas, now in his first form, clung to the hull of the ship. The whales had already vanished into the waters and Jasper was waiting nearby, still submerged in his whale form. There was no way he could get on the boat until he recovered his mask.

  “What do you mean with-?” Warwick's head peeked over the gunwale, and his eyes widened as he saw Silas. "Miraculous Nymph, Lady of the Waters! Silas!” Then he narrowed his eyes and snapped at the state the chimera. “Blankets! Get a blanket! Ladies, step away from the edge!”

  “What's wrong with you and the women, Warwick?” Tavia shouted, but, as soon as she looked down, she turned her eyes away and disappeared from Silas' sight. Judging by the garbled exclamations, it seemed that the pirate was keeping Olivia from coming over to look.

  “Where's the captain?” asked the boatswain with a tremble on his lips.

  “He's coming!” shouted Silas. “Warwick, the mask!”

  “The mask? What are you talking about, boy? Where's the captain?”

  “Here it is,” Bronto's head poked over the side, and he threw the magical artifact toward Silas. For a moment, the sirenian glared at him and the chimera understood that he had just discovered Jasper's secret.

  Silas grabbed the mask, and, just like that, dropped it into the water.

  “What are you doing?”Warwick grabbed his head, pulling at the few hairs he still had left.

  “Don't panic, Warwick” Bronto told him in a calm tone.

  “Don't panic? But... the captain!” Warwick dug his nails into the edge. “Captain!”

  A splash was heard and the golden eagle's head emerged from the water. In the same naked condition as Silas, Jasper climbed up the rope ladder that the pirates had thrown down. Soon after, both were on deck covered by heavy blankets. Shouting in celebration, the crew surrounded them. Some patted them on the back and others shook them and laughed in relief. Warwick kept wiping his eyes as he kept yelling that they had given up hope of finding them alive.

  “Silas!” As soon as Tavia released her, Olivia ran to him and hugged him with a force similar to the waves that nearly drowned him. “I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!”

  Silas frowned as he heard her sobs. “But it wasn't your fault.”

  She lifted her red, swollen face to him. Rivers of tears streamed down her cheeks. “I tried to call them! I did! I asked them for help!”

  “But you said-”

  “You were drowning! I couldn't stand by and do nothing! But they didn't answer!”

  Some faces looked at her with concern, thinking that the distress had made her go mad.

  “Silas! You're alive!” Before he could do anything, Penn, Finn, Vinnie and Katty threw themselves on him and Olivia until they staggered. Silas let go of the girl and ended up falling backwards, as the kids continued to jump on top of him. Milo and Rufus were also there, but all they did was raise their fists in approval.

  “If the storm didn't kill him, you will!” Tavia shouted, trying to pull the children away from Silas, although as she helped him up, he noticed that the pirate's eyes were red.

  “How the hell did you manage to survive?” Rufus asked anxiously, shifting his gaze between Silas and Jasper. “There was no way the storm didn't drown you. Did you run into any sirenians?”

  “No, no sirenians, I'm afraid.” Jasper shook his head and planted a hand on Silas' shoulder. “This guy over here turned into a whale and rescued us both.”

  An furious wave of cheers and applause swept across the deck. Olivia's mouth was hanging open. Her eyes were sparkling. Bronto, with his back leaning against the mast and his arms crossed, was the only one who kept quiet , his eyes fixed on the captain. The children urged them to tell everything that had happened, but before Jasper could begin, Silas began to sneeze. The sea breeze snuck under his blanket and sent shivers down his spine from head to toe. Tavia stopped them and began to nudge them to go put on dry clothes.

  As they made their way to their cabins, Silas gave Jasper an angry look.

  “Don't look at me like that,” the captain whispered. “You really did turn into a whale. If you won't lie for me, at least lie for the pack whose existence no one should know about.”

  “What about Bronto?”

  “Well, I'll have to talk to him... The advantage of being friends with a sirenian is how easily one can share memories with a member of his race. He will understand why I must keep it from the rest of the crew.”

  They both went to Jasper's cabin and got some clothes for Silas. Now dressed, Jasper asked someone to bring them lunch, and so the two of them sat quietly munching in silence for a while. After securing the door, Jasper had removed his mask and leaned back in his chair with a tired but relaxed expression.

  Once Silas had gulped down his portion of fish in a few bites, Jasper took his plate and served him even more. “This way you'll be stronger for your next transformation," he told him in a good mood, and Silas feared that he would start talking again about what they would do once they reached Kraken Bay. But Jasper did nothing of the sort. Maybe he didn't want to push him, and the boy appreciated it.

  Instead, the captain recalled his first transformation in detail with the guidance of his great-grandmother, laughing at his unsuccessful attempts and how he used to scare his cousins every time he adopted grotesque forms that gave them nightmares. Sometimes he didn't even do it by mistake, but on purpose. Once he had turned into an octopus boy whose two hands had split into eight tentacles with fingers at the tips. Another time his canines had elongated like walrus fangs, and later it occurred to him to walk around the house with a shark's head. That was actually more difficult for him, as he immediately panicked when he realized that his gills were forcing him back into the sea and the fright prevented him from transforming again. His father had to rush out with him in his arms and throw him into the water before he suffocated. His great-grandmother spent the rest of the day scolding him, as that was no way to use his power. As punishment she forbade him to transform for a whole month, and, if he did, she would find out and stop teaching him.

  Someone knocked on the door, and they left the cabin at the urging of Warwick and the rest of the crew. Having survived the storm and recovered their beloved captain, everyone seemed more relaxed and wanted to hear in detail what had happened in those dark hours. Even the children remained quiet, as they listened to Jasper describing Silas' transformation and how they had ridden through the storm, having to dive every now and then to avoid the waves. To Silas' embarrassment, Jasper also said that he was the one who had called the whales that had guided them to the ship.

  Since he could not bear the farce, Silas decided to keep quiet. Jasper teased him that he didn't want to talk, because he was too humble, and everyone took every word that came out of his mouth.

  Every now and then, Silas couldn't help but turn his head towards Bronto. The sirenian still feelt a little weak, especially from the previous night's exertion, so he had handed over the helm to another sailor, but he did not return to his cabin, but sat on the floor with his legs stretched out and his back resting on some nets, as he listened closely.

  “So, Captain...” The Sirenian began to speak when Jasper was done. “It turns out that our chimera brother didn't need saving after all.”

  “Well, it seems he didn't...” Jasper replied in an embarrassed tone that made a few people laugh. “In the end I was the one who needed to be save...”

  “Truly, a great suicidal plan... quite stupid, in my opinion." Bronto was provoking him on purpose, but Jasper ignored him.

  “Well, yes, it was very stupid, but I wasn't really thinking when I jumped in the water.”

  “That's rather odd coming from you, Captain," Bronto pointed out.

  “Odd indeed...” Warwick repeated thoughtfully, scratching his beard.

  “I don't see what's so odd about worrying about saving a life," Jasper growled, and the rest of the crew joined in.

  “Anyway...” Bronto cleared his throat. “Silas wasn't the only one who did something amazing... You too...”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “It must have been hard to hold your breath for so long... I dare say you've got some good lungs.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure, it was torture... but Silas stayed afloat long enough. I think my pirate blood helped me hold on too...”

  “Thank goodness your impulsive decision didn't prevent you from remembering to take off your mask.” The sirenian smiled.

  “The mask!” Warwick exclaimed, putting both hands to his head and turning to Silas. “You boy! You're the first one ever to see the captain's true face!”

  Silas watched as Olivia blushed. She also knew Jasper's true face, but no one noticed anything unusual about her. All eyes were on Silas who didn't know what they were expecting him to say.

  “Well?” Tavia hurried him.

  “Well what?” Silas asked.

  “How is the captain's face?”

  “You do realize I'm here, don't you?” said Jasper annoyed, but nobody cared, and they kept waiting for the next word to come out of Silas' mouth, who remained pondering for a moment.

  “The only thing I can say...” he answered finally, while taking his time. “So as not to betray your captain... is that he, in fact, has quite a grotesque face...”

  For a moment there was only the rumor of the sea mixed with the wind that brushed the sails.

  “Ha! I knew it!” Tavia shouted. "Warwick, it's payment time.”

  “But he hasn't said anything!” the boatswain objected.

  “The bet was on whether he was ugly or not, now we've confirmed it.” She stretched out her hand and Warwick, while muttering some curses, took a few coins out of one of his pockets. Tavia continued with the rest of the crew requesting payment for the bet.

  “How long have you been betting on my face?” Jasper's beak swung back and forth.

  Warwick snorted. “Well, ever since Tavia joined the crew.”

  “So you've been keeping up this bet for years!” the captain roared.

  “Exactly!” Tavia exclaimed triumphantly, raising two bags full of coins. “Everyone was convinced that you were nothing more than a criminal hiding your identity! But I was sure you were just doing it out of vanity!”

  Tavia finally approached Bronto who looked at her with obvious discontent, but finally agreed to hand over his coins.

  “I am no criminal!” Jasper objected.

  “And now we know!” Tavia replied. “So that's why you've never had a partner. You're ashamed of the way you look!”

  Several pirates shook their heads.

  “Who told you I never had a partner?”

  “But, Captain!” Warwick protested. “Nobody cares about your face, we just like you as you are... You have no reason to live clinging to that mask, hiding from the world.”

  Jasper's beak pointed at Silas who gritted his teeth to keep from letting out a laugh. Olivia also restrained herself by covering her mouth with one hand, which made him even more tempted.

  Jasper, defeated at his own game, let out a heavy sigh. “It's not easy for me, Warwick, it'll take me a while.”

  The boatswain planted a hand on his captain's shoulder. “We understand, Captain, no one will force you to do what you don't want to do, but know that we all support you... Damn it, Tavia, stop dancing, have some bloody respect!” He suddenly shouted when he saw that his subordinate couldn't stop spinning on the deck to the rhythm of the jingling of the coins.

  The crew scattered across the deck, and everyone returned to their duties. A sudden heaviness made Silas realize he needed to rest so he made his way to the cabin. Olivia followed him, while the children stayed on deck helping Tavia count the coins

  “I wonder what will happen if Jasper ever decides to tell them the truth," Olivia laughed between sighs of exhaustion as she leaned back in her bunk.

  “I'm more worried about what Tavia will do with me...” Silas mumbled with sleepy eyes.

  She smiled at him from her bunk. “I'm so happy for you, I knew you'd get your power back.”

  Silas stirred uncomfortably. “It was with Jasper's help. He was the one who first transformed to save me and then helped me do it.”

  “I thougth there was something in the story that didn't add up... but, Silas, help or no help it's a great win.”

  Silas shrugged his shoulders without saying anything.

  “How did it feel?” she asked.

  Silas sighed. “Amazing.”

  More than amazing, it was as if for the first time he felt connected to something greater. It felt very different from when the sirenians had helped him transform. He felt small but also vast, gigantic. He was part of the fabric of a great whole. What had so often been explained to him by his elders, he had now truly felt.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Sounds beautiful...” Olivia stirred in her blankets as if she felt cold. “I was so scared... but in the end you didn't need me to save you... Good thing the witches didn't show up.”

  “I have no problem with you saving me from time to time...” Silas gulped. “I'm used to it now.”

  “You can save me from time to time too,” she smiled again and after a period of silence Olivia spoke again. “Silas?”

  Silas, almost dozing, made some kind of sound that even he didn't understand.

  “One day, could you tell me something about your pack?” Olivia asked.

  He didn't know what he answered at the end, because as he did so he was overcome by sleep.

  The next two days went by normally, although everyone remained vigilant in case a storm struck again. By then, the children had become expert sailors, and worked their way around under Tavia's command. Bronto and Jasper had spent a long time talking in the cabin, and once they came out they continued to act as if nothing had happened. Jasper told Silas that the sirenian didn't like the fact that he hadn't trusted his crew, but after a long discussion –and a bit of sirenian magic– they managed to come to an understanding.

  Olivia had not pressed him again on the subject of his pack, but the captain did not stop chasing him to continue describing all the wonders of Kraken Bay. Silas had not commented anything about his decision, but Jasper seemed very confident, which brought a lump to his throat. Perhaps he should prepare himself in case the hybrids did not want to meet him.

  Three days after the storm, Silas, Olivia and the children awoke to the intense ringing of the bell, which immediately put them on alert. They knew it wasn't the shift change, but there was no sign of a storm either. Something else was going on.

  “We have reached our destination!” Warwick was waiting for them on deck with a grin from ear to ear and waving his arms.

  They all looked in the direction of the bow and ran towards it, but when they got there they were stunned. Silas squinted, thinking his eyesight was failing him or maybe they were still too far away.

  “Where is the island?” Olivia asked.

  Ahead of them stretched a void of water. No island in sight. Not even a piece of rock to serve as a landmark.

  However, the crew continued to maneuver, and Warwick ordered the anchors to drop. The ship came to a stop in the middle of nowhere. Silas' breath hitched, thinking the pirates were taunting them.

  Jasper approached them with his hands in his pockets.

  "Where is the island?" Silas asked angrily

  Jasper raised his beak. "Right in front of you."

  "There's nothing there!" the young chimera roared.

  Jasper bowed his head and Silas heard a choking sound behind the mask. He was laughing, but before Silas could start insulting him he spoke again. "Oh, yes, there is. We just can't see it yet."

  "How?" Olivia asked.

  "A portal protects the island," the captain explained. "It's a kind of magic wall that makes it invisible to outsiders. The hybrids take their protection very seriously."

  Silas turned to the bow, not yet able to believe what they were telling him. “And how are we supposed to get there if we can't see it?”

  “We need to ask permission, and for that we have to wait,” Jasper explained. “Now we are at the exact spot. We can't see them, but they can us. They will send someone at any moment. Let's hope it's not Moryabeth,” he grunted at last.

  “Who is Moryabeth?”

  “Our dear customs inspector,” the captain replied wryly. “You'll soon meet her.”

  “What happens if we go in without permission? -Rufus asked, and alarm went up among the pirates when they heard that. Several dropped the objects they were carrying, and a couple of them bumped into each other.

  “We're not going in without permission!” Jasper exclaimed trying to calm them down and then sighed. “As I said, it's more than just a wall, it's a portal. The hybrids managed to create a gigantic artifact that not only prevents us from trespassing on the island, but in case we disobey and go ahead...”

  “The portal would engulf the entire ship, and we could end up who knows where,” Warwick finished.

  “What does that mean?”

  “That's just it. Many ships have tried it, and ended up in the most unlikely places.” The boatswain scratched his beard nervously. “It depends on the officers' mood. If you meet them on a bad day, they can send you to the other side of the world. It actually happened to us once ...”

  “Yeah, yeah, don't remind me...” Jasper grunted.

  “Uh, yeah, I know that story,” Tavia whistled.

  “You weren't even there!” exclaimed Jasper.

  “But I heard about it! Every pirate in the League knows the story!”

  At the children's request, Warwick and Tavia went on to recount an incident that had occurred shortly after Jasper had been appointed captain of the Rambling Herald. It was the first time he had met face to face with the famous Moryabeth, the customs officer, who had refused the ship's entry because of an unpermitted cargo found on the ship: an exotic plant species that, according to hybrid regulations, could cause problems among the island's native flora. Moryabeth had asked him to get rid of the cargo before entering the island, which Jasper eventually did, but not before having a heated discussion with the officer.

  “It was a gift for my mother...” Jasper muttered in annoyance only to Silas and Olivia. “It didn't cost her anything to let me in with a simple flowerpot...”

  Once the plant was thrown overboard, they were supposed to have permission of entry. Moryabeth, however, had decided to teach the arrogant young captain a lesson, so, once they went through the portal, they found that the hybrid had actually sent them straight to Penalty Island.

  “And not exactly to the shore!” Warwick laughed along with the rest of the crew, many of whom were holding their hands to their stomachs. “The ship was stranded in the middle of a village, and we spent days dragging it back to the sea.”

  “They say you asked the wizards for help,” Tavia added.

  “Never!” the pirates shouted in unison.

  “We dragged the damned thing step by step into the water," said Warwick, folding his arms. “Since then, Jasper has been nothing but kind to our dear Moryabeth.”

  “Alright, now...” said Jasper, raising his beak to the sky. “They should be here anytime soon.”

  The others kept looking at the spot where he was pointing, but saw nothing. Some more time passed as everyone went to get their breakfast, but in the meantime no alert was heard from the lookout.

  “Quite odd,” Warwick muttered as Silas approached him at the bow. The boatswain kept watching the place where the island was supposed to appear. He turned and shouted to the captain:“Captain! Do you remember what was the last thing you said to Moryabeth?”

  “This time I had nothing to do with it, Warwick! It's been months since we last set foot in this place!”

  Warwick sighed and then muttered to Silas: “I'm sure he told her something that upset her, and Moryabeth hasn't forgotten it yet.”

  And so came lunchtime, then afternoon and finally evening with no sign of the hybrids. Silas even watched as Bronto used his magic to create a huge bubble. The sirenian explained to himt that this was how they sent messages through the water, and, when he encouraged Silas to touch it, the chimera could feel that, despite how delicate it looked, its texture was as hard as glass. Bronto then threw it into the water. The bubble could not pass through the portal on its own, but it could send an alert to the hybrids when it came in contact with it.

  However, it was not until the afternoon of the next day when everyone was in a state of slumber that the lookout sounded the alarm: “Wings in the sky! Three figures approaching from the east!”

  Silas and Olivia stopped the card game they had started with the children and fixed their eyes on the sky. Indeed, three shadows, shrouded in the clouds, were coming closer and closer until they turned into winged beings the size of a person and started landing in the middle of the deck.

  Harpies.

  The two got as close as they could to observe the creatures without losing any detail. One of them had pale green feathers, except for the tips of its wings, which were blue; the second was orange with black tips; and the third was a strong pink with golden highlights. Before landing, they flapped their wings one last time, and with a graceful twist of the torso slowed their descent. Their claws, sharp as fishhooks, dug firmly into the deck making the wood of the ship creak under their weight. However, Silas couldn't help but notice how the green-feathered harpy staggered a little as if she had suddenly become dizzy.

  As the harpies straightened their bodies, they noticed how slender and tall they were, probably three heads taller than an average human. Their eyes were slanted, of a dark, stormy gray. Their faces were elongated with sharp cheekbones and pointed noses, similar to elves, though their gaze conveyed a contained rudeness. Except for the face, the same color as its plumage but of a paler shade, the rest of its head and neck were covered with a thin layer of feathers. Their arms, long and strong, were attached to their wings and ended in long hands with sharp nails.

  They were barefoot, but wore uniforms: gray vests and shorts, with silver buttons. Olivia then drew Silas attention to the insignia they wore embroidered on their vests at chest level: a ring formed by six intertwined circles, like the links of a chain, with a flame in the center. The Fellowship's emblem.

  “Crew members of the Rambling Herald, before crossing the veil you will be required to submit a full manifest and declaration of intent. All cargo will be checked and access to the Fellowship will be evaluated after inspection,” she continued in a sharp voice. “Any suspicious object, creature or plant shall be evaluated prior to entry. Failure to provide information or refusal to cooperate will constitute sufficient grounds for denial of access, whereas the vessel... may be redirected out of the Fellowship's protected waters.”

  “Is she the infamous Moryabeth?” Olivia whispered to Warwick, and he shook his head.

  “Moryabeth is the one with the pink feathers. The other two are her subordinates.”

  It was there when Silas noticed that, unlike the other two harpies, Moryabeth's badge was golden, indicating her higher rank. The expression on her face was much sterner compared to the other two.

  “Welcome back to my ship, Moryabeth.” Jasper stepped towards the harpy, who stood stiff and haughty as a statue, while her subordinates began their inspection of the ship. Tavia and Warwick followed them.

  Moryabeth's thin nostrils flared as if she was sniffing something that made her sick to her stomach.

  “False bird.” The harpy gave him an intense look of disgust. “I see that, despite my claims, you still have not given up wearing that ridiculous mask, and insist on continuing to insult our fellow birds.”

  “Charming as always, Moryabeth... I see it more as an homage...”

  “I don't see the homage in a human pretending to be something he's not.”

  Silas watched as Jasper clenched his fists.

  “Moryabeth... at another time I would be willing to continue this interesting and endless debate, but I am in a bit of a hurry... You see... We've been anchored for more than a day, and we don't understand the reason... At this point the Rambling Herald should–”

  “We are on high alert.” The harpy interrupted him. “That's why we didn't come sooner.”

  Jasper paused before continuing.

  “What happened?”

  “We don't know,” Moryabeth's eyes darkened even more. “The entire island has been affected by a strange disease.”

  “The whole island?”

  The harpy nodded.

  Jasper turned and for a brief moment his gaze rested on Silas and Olivia. Then he turned back to Moryabeth.

  “Can you describe the disease?”

  The harpy went on to explain how in some mysterious way all the hybrids had fallen prey to an inexplicable pain that burned them from the inside. The disease had attacked all at once, without showing any visible symptoms or wounds. No one knew how to treat it, and not even the healers were strong enough to take care of it. Those most affected could barely move, and, because of that, the island had been plunged into a chaos that had lasted several days. She herself had been caught while flying home, and the pain caused her to fall through the trees, lying on the ground until she was able to crawl away, and was found by some neighbors who were just recovering from what had happened to them.

  No one had escaped the contagion, and all activities had been forcibly interrupted. The Senate had not met, markets and streets were empty, homes and workshops were closed. Just a couple of days before, the island had begun to resume its usual rhythm. Hence the reason why it had taken them so long to come to the ship.

  “Fortunately, the portal continued to function.” A shadow of fear crossed the harpy's face. “I don't even want to think what would have happened if a ship had arrived at our shores while we found ourselves in such compromising situation.”

  “What about Bhoriax?” Jasper asked.

  “Even if I knew, I would not be authorized to reveal that information.”

  That's when Bronto stepped in between them.

  “With your permission, sister Moryabeth, I need to check something." Bronto extended his hand to the harpy. Moryabeth hesitated for a moment, but finally rested her feathered hand on his palm and let the sirenian's thick fingers envelop hers. A transparent, liquid lines encircled Bronto's arm and climbed up the harpy's wing. This was the method, Olivia explained to him, the sirenians used to transmit their memories to other beings.

  They remained like this for a long while until the harpy suddenly let go and jumped back in surprise. Her gray eyes widened. “You felt it too!”

  “Yes,” said Bronto. “And I dare say so did the rest of the sirenians, which is why we have not been able to contact the Freedom Sea tribes.”

  “What could have happened to make both hybrids and sirenians feel it?”

  “Bronto turned to Jasper, but he said nothing. Silas guessed that by then the captain had confessed to the sirenian that he had felt it too. Still, they continued to talk to the harpy about what had happened and exchanged some hypotheses.

  Silas was getting tired of listening and was wondering when Jasper would mention the matter of his entrance to the island, when the harpy rested her gray eyes on him.

  “So, false bird... did you think I wasn't going to notice that you have a chimera hiding on your ship?”

  Silas froze in place and with his heart pounding he slowly walked towards them, as the harpy kept an eye on him. Olivia followed him.

  By then, the other two harpies had returned and stood behind their superior.

  “Zaihkra,” said Moryabeth.

  The orange harpy turned to her. “Boss.”

  “Did the manifest say anything about a chimera hidden on the ship?”

  “Nothing of the sort.”

  “Well,” Moryabeth sighed. “I'm afraid, false bird, this is an omission I can't let pass.”

  “Moryabeth... listen to me,” Jasper's voice sounded pleading. “We didn't mean to hide it, we were just about to tell you.”

  Jasper went on to explain what had happened in Stormbrace, and how Silas had gotten there. He also mentioned that it was part of Rovenna Astra's plan to prevent the Council from capturing the chimera.

  “And this girl.” Jasper pointed to Olivia. “Is none other than Olivia of Shadowrock, daughter of the Guardian of the Circle.”

  The harpies exchanged glances.

  “I will have to consult with my superiors,” said Mortyabeth at last. “In the meantime, you must wait at Kraken Bay. They will remain under your supervision, false bird.”

  Silas gave Jasper an urgent look, and the captain sighed. “I had hoped to see Bhoriax... about a matter–”

  The harpy shook her head. “You can dock at Kraken Bay and send your request from there.”

  “I'm afraid I won't be able to stay that long. We'll just stock up and set out for Rebellion as soon as we can. I must appear before the Captain's Assembly without delay and give my testimony about what happened in Stormbrace.”

  “That's your problem, not mine.”

  Jasper snorted. “You never make things easy for me.”

  Bronto interrupted them again. “Perhaps we could speed up the process if the chimera were willing to share his memories," he suggested to the harpy. “I can serve as a bridge.”

  The harpy nodded and held out her hand again. Bronto took it and then extended his other hand to Silas, who was watching him suspiciously. “Don't worry,” Bronto whispered to him. “She can't read your mind. I can only show her what you are willing to reveal.”

  Silas nodded and took Bronto's hand. Lines of water stretched down both arms of the sirenian reaching Silas and Moryabeth. Silas closed his eyes and focused on everything that had happened since he had left the mountains. He began with his stay at Shadowrock Castle, how he had been rescued by Olivia, Barthra's hut, his encounter with Daephennya, his transformation into an orca, his journey through the human realm, what had happened with the witches, the fight between Eldrin and Rovenna, and finally his arrival in Stormbrace.

  At that point, he was about to let go of Bronto's hand. All that should be enough to convince the harpy.

  But what if it wasn't? Silas suspected that what happened on the mainland would be of no interest to the hybrids. No, he had to reveal something else to her.

  And so he did. The flood of memories continued to stream until he reached the part where he made the pact with the witch and the world around him fell apart as he shifted into his original form.

  He felt Bronto let go of his hand, and when he opened his eyes the sirenian was looking at him with a terrified look. He had tried to sever the link, but it was too late. He was breathing shakily, as was the harpy, who had brought a hand to her chest, and was staring at him as if seeing him for the first time.

  Jasper stepped forward. “What's wrong?”

  “You...” Moryabeth pointed her sharp fingers at Silas.

  “Yes, it was me!” Silas exclaimed. “I broke the Dragon Seal!”

  Olivia ran up to him and shook his shoulder. “Silas, what have you shown her?”

  Moryabeth's chest puffed out like a balloon. “Silas, the chimera, and Olivia of Shadowrock," the harpy said in a deep, gravelly voice. Her eyes sparkled as if lightning sizzled within them. “You are now under arrest for conspiring against the balance of the magical world, until the Senate of the Fellowship of the Island decides what your punishment will be.”

  With that said, the other two harpies rose into the air, and each one dug their claws into the shoulders of Olivia and Silas, who were left with their feet dangling in the air as they sped away from the ship.

  The crew tried to intervene, but Jasper's authoritative voice forced his way in to prevent the situation from escalating. His look of disappointment met Silas' who couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

  “Those who attempt to defy this order will face severe consequences!” the harpy shouted.

  Ignoring her words, Milo, Rufus and the rest of the gang climbed up the mast trying to reach them, but there was no way they could do anything. Silas watched as Katty had taken refuge crying in Tavia's arms. Warwick lay beside them with his head drooping.

  He regretted that they had to separate like that, but there was no other way. They could wait no longer.

  As they ascended, the ship grew smaller and smaller and disappeared behind a blanket of clouds. Suddenly, a thunderous sound was heard, as if something was tearing and the firmament opened up like a fabric cut by a knife.

  Through the hole, Silas glimpsed great cliffs surrounded by rocks that stood like tusks, and then some dense vegetation.

  The journey was over. They had reached their destination.

  Now it was time to wait and see what the hybrids would do with them.

  Thank you for reading!

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