Chapter 11: Bare Branches
November 15
Syrena and Philip had adjusted to a rhythm of life with her mother living with them. It worked out fine because they needed the extra help. Especially since Emelia had the experience of starting all over again in a new area. She helped with getting the coup ready and safe from predators
As of the past couple of months there has not been any sign of her sister, and they tried to prepare for the winter since they would have to rely on themselves. However, both Syrena, and Emelia were trained to hunt for their food, at least when it came to fishing. Philip would have to learn from William as well.
Syrena looked up at their house, and it was finally starting to look like a home. She smiled as Emelia walked out to greet them from the barn. Philip's hand was in her, and she had some produce from the town close by where many people glowed and replied kindly to her.
They all accepted Philip and herself and asked how they will survive out there with that nut, they would chuckle as they jested about William. Syrena sensed no animosity towards they all seemed to get along with one another. When she told them that they would help with hunting and hoping bringing it in for trade or money. The town of the whole seemed to appreciate that fact.
Phillip's hand pressed against the small of her back, and she looked up at him before leaning into him. "We haven't seen your sister," He said to her, and she looked at him with a frown. "Isn't it something that we still need to worry about?" he asked her.
"We do," she said. "But worrying about her won't get the food in the storage or get the eggs inside." She jabbed a finger into Philip's side. He yelped and shifted the supplies that they had gotten from the town.
"Alright, alright," he replied defeated and started to head the direction of their home. Syrena gave her mother a tired look and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Mother," she chided her.
"He needs to help out more," she replied innocently. "Besides you have my grandchild growing in you, and isn't it the job of the mother to become more protective?"
"You're already here to help against my sister," Syrena replied sullen.
"And you need the help," she added. "Your sister is a skilled killer."
"Mother," Syrena said remembered the stories that her sister would tell her while she returned at the Cove. She would just drown them, and even Syrena had experience in doing that in defense. "All she did was drown them."
"And what do you think she did about the mermaids? Did she drown them too?" She asked, and she remembered that her mom was the only one she ever spared. She sighed finally realizing what she had meant.
"Then what exactly do we do," she asked as she rubbed her belly. "I can't exactly fight back." Emelia smiled knowingly, and it worried her for a moment what her mother would do. "We're not going to tell her that she killed the wrong man."
"Tiberius is her true soul mate, Syrena," Emelia countered. "She needs to know, and the suffering needs to stop. She can't keep killing people." Syrena sighed.
"I thought we would believe that it would destroy her," she added.
"It may… Tiberius has me worried as well." She offered. "But it's a safer route than to just let her go at Phillip." To that Syrena had to agree, and she sighed.
"So, we wait," she said.
"We wait," she agreed.
November 20
Syrena tried to focus on her everyday life with her mother, and Phillip with visits from William and Tiberius. Syrena still felt unsure about Tiberius because of his mind. Granted, he had more hardships than just her sister being his mate. He just did not seem like he was trustworthy. They still needed to tell William about her mother, and about him being her soulmate.
Should they even tell Tiberius first… Or was it a risk if they told him about their existence. "Phillip," she started. She had been peeling some potatoes and finished rinsing them.
"Yes, Syrena," he asked.
"Should we tell Tiberius about… what my mother and I are?"
"Do you think that would help?"
"Maybe it would help his mind, and heart heal," Syrena offered, but she was not really believing it. "We would also have to tell William eventually." Then she forgot that she had not told Phillip about that yet.
"I agree to that, he's my closest friend, and he would take that secret to the grave," luckily Phillip agreed readily. She sighed. "But what do we do about Tiberius… If he is your sister's soulmate… would that even really stop her?"
"It might break her mind," she replied. "It might make Tiberius more obsessed with mermaids."
"It might help him," Phillip offered. "He has been thinking he has been insane and mocked of it." Syrena sighed and had to agree with him there. "Just a matter of how we do it."
"You could probably talk to him about it first," Syrena offered. "I do wonder how he would take it."
"He's a smart man," Phillip replied. "I think telling William would be easier. He has trust with us, and he won't believe that we're lying to him." She nodded in agreement. She started to set the plates at the dinner table, and Phillip got up to sit at the table to eat. Emelia came into the house just as they were starting to pray.
"You expect me to have a sixth sense," she asked snarkily with a smile as she sat down.
"We're thinking of a way to tell Tiberius and William about mermaids," Syrena told her mother, and Emelia thought about it. They were all silent trying to think about how they would go about this… delicate situation. "Phillip and myself could handle Tiberius."
"Why would you leave me to William?" Emelia protested. Syrena gave her a sharp look, and she sighed in resignation. "Don't you think it would be best for me to talk to Tiberius?"
"No," Philip said. "Tiberius is in such a delicate place… William is a lot more secure." He added, and he was still clueless to how William and her mother were connected. She supposed that would be addressed later, but his reason was sounded enough.
"When do we need to do this?" She asked Phillip, and he looked at her mother and thought about when the right time was to do it.
"I don't think William needs to know right away," he said. "But I do personally hate keeping things from him. Tiberius is the important one because he's your sister's mate, and that she is trying to kill me, and our child."
"That is true," Emelia agreed with a sigh. Syrena knew it was because she was still coming to terms that they were soulmates. She would have to talk to her mother later in private. "Let us figure out how we will talk to Tiberius in the meantime." She said to the both.
"We can always have Tiberius over to dinner," Philip began. "I can talk to him and get a feeling for how it really is with him." Emelia nodded in agreement.
"That's wise," she said. "But we should move quickly. We don't know when your sister will arrive." Syrena finished her meal before standing up, and Philip stopped her from taking her plate to the sink.
"I got it," he said as he took Emelia's plate as well. She thanked him and watched him go. It warmed Syrena's heart to see her mother, and Philip interact like this. She hoped she had forever, and she was dead set on achieving that goal.
Maybe… Maybe after they told her sister that they could start out new. That they would not have to be in fear, and that everyone would just coexist. This was the best scenario.
END NOTE: Hello, everyone who has stuck through waiting for an update. I will do better as I have said and write ahead. I have also outlined the rest of the fanfic, so it will just be the matter of writing it. At this post today, I will start to update on Friday 8 pm EST.
Also, and it is by no means necessary. I have started up a where you can get my updates on Wednesday instead of Friday as well as several ways to interact with me. So, again, I will update regardless on Friday night now, unless something is happening, which shouldn't because I will do my best to stay ahead of the chapters.
You can find me on there by the username of pkreevesauthor, as I may also have sneak peaks into my future books (I'm a broken record I know lol). I but I hope to see you all next Friday!
