Lorelei dove into the murky depths to meet us head on. My father and I circled her. Apollo reached into his quiver and thrust a bolt through the water. Lorelei flapped her tail and averted it. A sharp crack ricocheted around us, as the ethereal power connected with the bone wall. White shards exploded behind her. Lorelei’s gaze narrowed on my father, and he sent another at her head. She ducked but not fast enough. Her coral crown cracked and shattered, dethroning her. A queen no more. I watched the symbol of her power-hungry greed disintegrate with a smile.

Lorelei backflipped, moving her more delicate torso away from Apollo but exposing her fin to my reach. I sliced into the iridescent, rubbery flesh. Dark ichor streamed from the wound as she hollered in pain, but to my chagrin, she did not die. The God Slayer had not deemed her lesser. The jewels horded below scattered and clanked with the vibration of her battle cry. Her clawed hand swiped against my face, ripping my cheek and throwing me backward. Apollo caught me in one arm as stabbing pain exploded from my ear to my chin. My arm spasmed, and the dagger dropped as I released my own howl. My hand reached up to touch the hot, swollen cuts that sizzled with poison.

Lorelei smiled, showcasing her splintered teeth. “You fools,” she hissed. “None shall ever take my throne.”

Together, Apollo and I fluttered our legs, bringing us out of her reach and breaking the surface. My eyes darted in search of my mother. A mob of sirens pointed their spears toward her, confining her in a barbed prison.

“Go. Help Mother,” I hissed to Apollo.

He nodded and lifted himself out of the pool, bolts crackling at his hip.

Claws dug into my calves. I screamed as I was pulled back under, choking on the unexpected rush of water. Lorelei swung me around, making a show of her strength. The jeweled dagger lay at the bottom, rubies winking back at me as I dizzied in my sister’s whirlpool. The Siren Queen released me, and I hurdled across the pool, where my head struck the bone wall side. Blood trailed from my temple. The taste of copper filled my mouth. An intense pressure threatened to burst my skull open from the inside.

Lorelei flapped her fin, furiously gliding to me. She grabbed me by the throat. Her spiked fingernails punctured my neck as she lifted me above the surface. I grabbed her wrists, clawing at her hold as I struggled to breathe. My face heated as blood vessels bulged.

“Stop!” Calliope screamed. My father had distracted the guards, taking them on one by one, and Calliope had managed to move around the fight and near the pool’s edge. Tears fell down her cheeks. Her nose reddened. “I can’t watch this anymore.”