My ears rang. I stood there, paralyzed.

A soulmate mark is the ultimate bond. Sharing it meant severing our tie, tearing my soul in half, and shoving it into another woman's body.

For any bonded mate, it was the ultimate humiliation.

Seeing me hesitate, Zale quickly stepped closer.

"Kressa, you know I swore to love you, and only you, for all eternity. This is just a temporary measure, a desperate act to save a life! Melora may not be your sister by blood, but in the eyes of the gods, she is your kin. It's only temporary. Once her divine core is stable, I will be your mate and yours alone. Philon's one and only father."

"Mother, can't you just be generous for once!" Philon had run up at some point, his small hands clamped tightly around Zale's leg as he glared up at me, his brow furrowed in a fierce scowl.

"Aunt Melora is in so much pain! Why can't you just share a little bit of Father's love? Aunt Melora told me that if you would just share a little, she'd stop coughing up blood every day. Why are you so selfish!"

Selfish.

I stared at the child I had risked my life to bring into this world.

Then at the man who had sworn to love me for all eternity.

So this was what it came to. In their eyes, fighting to protect my own husband, my own soul, was selfishness.

But now... it no longer mattered. If Melora wanted it all, then she could have it.

All of it. I was done.

I lifted my head and met Zale's gaze. "Fine. I agree."

A flash of surprise—and something like pity—crossed Zale's eyes. "Really?"

Without missing a beat, he pulled the Blade of Olympus from thin air and offered it to me.

I gave a weak smile. Oh, Zale. You can't even be bothered to hide how desperate you are, can you?

I took the heavy blade. Without a second thought, I slashed my own wrist.

Sacred mate's blood spilled, dripping onto the cold marble floor. The bond shattered.

I watched the soft mark bearing my name on Zale's chest burst into flames. When the light faded, a glowing Siren scale mark took its place.

He and Philon looked so relieved. So proud.

"Kressa, once Melora is stable, we'll restore our bond. Don't worry, I will never betray you!"

Zale dropped his own blood onto the array, sealing the ritual.

He looked at me, sighing, and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Kressa, you're being so much more reasonable now. I know I haven't been perfect. I've neglected your feelings."

"Once Melora is well, Philon and I will make it up to you. The three of us... we'll be happy again, just like before."

"Yeah, Mom!" Philon piped up like a little adult. "You're so nice to Aunt Melora! I'm proud of you!"

Watching them, my heart felt like dead ashes.

I had held onto one last shred of hope for them. Now... whatever. I was ready to fade.

I stood up to head to my bedroom, but a violent wave of dizziness hit me. I blacked out.

Right before the dark took over, I saw Zale's panicked face.

I woke to a bone-deep chill. My eyes fluttered open. I was still on the cold marble floor.

Looking up, I saw Zale and Philon. The father and son were staring down at me, their faces a mixture of concern and utter disappointment.

When I came to, Zale let out a visible sigh of relief, but his brow remained tightly knotted.

"Kressa, can you please stop these dramatics? Do you have any idea how scared I was when you suddenly collapsed?"

"I already told you, didn't I? Though our bond is temporarily severed, I still love you. You don't need to resort to childish fainting spells to test me!"

"See, Father? I told you she was faking it again!" Philon chimed in, a pout on his lips.

"Mother, can't you stop being so immature? You're making us late to bring Aunt Melora her necklace!"

Faking it?

I forced a bitter smile and pushed myself up.

The poison was a beautiful liar. It silenced the curse's agony and froze my body’s decay, all while devouring my life force from within. It painted my cheeks with a rosy, healthy glow for my final three days.

It was working perfectly, apparently.

I forced myself to stand. "My magic was just a little unstable. I'm fine. I'll go to the temple with you. There are domain transfer scrolls that require Melora’s personal seal."

Zale nodded. He didn't look surprised. My parents must have told him already.

At the temple, Melora was in her chambers, admiring the gems the mortals had offered.

"Kressa! You're here!" Melora looked pale, but definitely much better. I didn't miss the arrogant gloating in her eyes.

"Thank you for trusting me with your temple, Kressa. Don't worry, I won't let you down!"

"Exactly, Kressa," my mother beamed. "With Melora as high priestess, you can finally relax at the Sea God's Palace. Isn't that a relief?"

I pulled the last scrolls from my bag. "In that case, I want her to take all my gold and assets, too. Then I won't have to worry about a thing."

The gods and servants in the temple just stared at me.

The air froze.

Everyone stared at me in absolute disbelief.

I was a powerless mortal. I had endured so much scorn and mockery to survive on Olympus, saving up every last coin.

Every priest and servant there knew I'd sacrificed half my life for that wealth and my staff of authority.

And now, I was giving it all to a Siren who had done absolutely nothing.

Zale raised his eyebrows. "Kressa, you..." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but settled for a satisfied nod. "It's not like you to be so selfless."

"Very rare," my father strode forward, snatching the scrolls. His smile was wider than I'd seen it in years. "Kressa," he boomed, "You are finally acting as a High Priestess should. You are finally worthy of our family's name."

Open-minded. Proper.

They used these pretty words to justify robbing me blind.

Looking at them, my stomach churned.

My body betrayed me. A wracking cough tore through me, and I spat a mouthful of dark blood and black ash onto the marble floor.

The signature of the Tartarus death curse. My soul burning to ash.

The hall went quiet for a second.

Zale shot to his feet, his staff clattering to the floor.

He was before me in an instant.

His trembling hands reached out to catch my faltering body. "Kressa! What's wrong? Why are you coughing up blood?!"

My mother cried out, dropping the scroll and rushing to my side, her eyes instantly reddening. "Kressa, don't scare me like this! You're a healing priestess, how can you be this hurt...?"

My father said nothing, but his clenched jaw and the sharp hiss of his breath betrayed his terror.

Seeing the genuine panic and pain in their eyes, a bitter wave washed over me.

So, they could still feel worried for me. They could still feel pain for me.

What a pity.

It was far too late.

Just as Zale's fingertips were about to touch me, Melora let out a piercing shriek.

She slumped weakly onto the throne, clutching her chest and gasping for air. "Sister... if you didn't want to give up the temple, you could have just said so. Why force our hands by using a self-inflicted 'Pity Curse' on yourself? Cough, cough... If it pains you so much, sister... then I don't want the temple..."

At Melora's words, the taut thread of concern in the air snapped.

My mother's outstretched hand froze, and the pain in her eyes was instantly replaced by the rage of betrayal.

She recoiled, pulling her hand back in disgust and taking a sharp step away, covering her nose with a silk handkerchief.

"Kressa, stop playing the victim! To make Melora feel guilty, you'd resort to such a vile curse on yourself? We were all praising you for giving Melora the temple, and you have to ruin it by coughing up blood right now?"

"This pathetic, sickly display of yours... it's wretched!"

Zale's outstretched hand also paused in mid-air. The panic in his eyes faded, replaced by a profound weariness and a chilling cold. "Kressa, you disappoint me beyond words. I almost fell for it. When will you stop this?"

He clung to Melora’s explanation—a self-inflicted 'Pity Curse.'

It was a vile thought, but it was far easier to believe than the terrifying alternative that the black ash suggested.

I wiped the black ash from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.

Then, I looked at their once-again cold and distant faces, my own gaze as still and empty as a stagnant pool.

These were my last relatives in the world.

"Mother. Father." My voice was soft. Probing. "If one day my soul shatters completely... if I turn to stardust and never come back... will you regret it?"

"Stop talking such nonsense!" my mother snapped, her voice shrill. "You're a Healing Priestess, nourished by a Sea God's magic! How could your soul shatter? You just can't stand seeing Melora happy! You're trying to curse her with talk of death!"

"Yeah, Mom!" Philon was suddenly standing next to Melora, pulling on her sleeve. "Dad protects you with so much magic, and you're still playing the victim. Aunt Melora is the sad one! She's a cursed Siren and she hurts all the time. So what if you gave her your stuff!"

Melora leaned weakly against her throne. She patted Philon's head, her eyes flashing with pure victory.

"Be good, Philon. Don't blame your sister. She's just a little bitter, that's all."

Bitter?

I looked at Philon's face, so much like Zale's. I watched him snuggle happily into Melora's arms.

"Philon," I smiled. It was the most relieved smile I'd had in weeks. "Since you love Aunt Melora so much... from now on, you can call her Mom."

Philon’s eyes went wide. "Really? I can call her Mom?" He launched himself at Melora, burying his face in her silks. "Yay! Mom Melora! You’re so much better than my real mom!"

Zale stood there, watching his happy "family of three," a soft smile touching his eyes.

My parents nodded proudly, as if this were the perfect family reunion.

I just looked at them quietly.

Hearing him say "Mom Melora" burned away the last trace of hope in my heart. Ashes to ashes.

They didn't need me. They didn't care about me.

I closed the temple doors and walked away.

One day left. And nowhere to go.

I’d spent my whole life rushing around, completely on edge. I’d never once stopped to actually look at the mortal world.

I bought a ticket for a mortal ferry. I wanted to see the ocean at night, just once, through human eyes.

I wanted to climb the mortal mountains, but my body just couldn't take it anymore.

Right before I blacked out, I crushed a communication crystal I hadn't touched in five years.

Then everything went dark.