After leaving Loch Ness, Alan, Hannah and the Kelpie travelled towards the coast. They found a merchant ship preparing to cross the sea and persuaded its captain to take them aboard.
The voyage began peacefully. The weather was clear, and the sailors expected to reach their destination within a few days. But on the third night, a violent storm swept across the water.
Waves rose above the deck. The wind tore at the sails, and the ship rocked dangerously from side to side.
"Hold on!" the captain shouted.
A tremendous wave struck the vessel.
The mast snapped. Water poured through the damaged hull, and the sailors struggled to keep the ship afloat. Within minutes, the vessel broke apart.
Alan grabbed Hannah's hand as they were thrown into the sea. The Kelpie, being a creature of the water, managed to keep them above the surface. They eventually reached a small, rocky island.
When the storm finally passed, Alan looked around.
Hannah was missing.
He searched the shoreline, calling her name, but there was no answer.
"Master," the Kelpie said, taking human form, "we must find her."
Alan drew his sword.
"Then we start now."
The island was covered with bones. Some belonged to fish and seabirds; others were unmistakably human. The remains lay scattered across the rocks, suggesting that many travellers had met their deaths there.
The Kelpie examined the surroundings.
"Sirenum Scopuli," he whispered. "The island of the Sirens."
Alan remembered hearing stories about them. Sirens were dangerous beings who used enchanting voices to manipulate the minds of sailors. They could take different forms, appearing as the person their victim most wished to see. Their songs could create powerful illusions, making a person forget danger and willingly follow them.
"Can they be killed?" Alan asked.
"Yes, but you must not trust your senses. They can make you see whatever they want you to see."
The Kelpie searched the remains of the shipwreck and returned with a bronze dagger, a small mirror and some seagrass.
"Put the seagrass in your ears," he instructed. "It may help block their songs. Do not look directly into their eyes. Use the mirror to see their true faces."
"What about you?"
"My powers are limited here. I cannot enter their lair in human form. I will help you when I can, but you must find Hannah."
Alan placed the seagrass in his ears and entered a narrow passage between the rocks.
He followed the sound of singing.
The melody was beautiful, even through the muffled protection of the seagrass. It seemed to promise peace, warmth and everything he had ever lost.
He saw his mother standing beside a garden.
"Alan," she called. "Come home."
He stopped.
For a moment, he forgot the island, the storm and the monsters. He wanted nothing more than to approach her.
Then he remembered Merlin's warning: never trust what magic shows you merely because it is what your heart desires.
He raised the mirror.
The woman's reflection was not his mother. It was a pale creature with hollow eyes and a mouth that appeared fused shut.
Alan stepped backwards.
The illusion vanished.
He continued until he reached a cavern. Two Sirens guarded its entrance, while a third sat beside Hannah. The princess appeared unconscious, her face peaceful.
Alan approached slowly.
One of the guards turned towards him. Its appearance changed into that of a young woman with familiar features.
"You have travelled so far," she whispered. "Why continue suffering? You could remain here. You could have everything you have lost."
Alan raised the mirror.
The creature's true face appeared in its reflection.
He closed his eyes and struck with the bronze dagger. The Siren shrieked and fell.
The second attacked immediately. Alan struggled to defend himself, unable to see clearly with his eyes closed. The creature knocked him against the cavern wall.
Before it could strike again, the Kelpie entered the passage in his true horse form. He charged the Siren and dragged it away from Alan.
Alan seized the opportunity and drove his dagger into the creature.
Only one remained.
The final Siren was beside Hannah.
Alan entered the chamber. The creature began singing, and although the seagrass muffled the sound, he felt its magic pressing against his thoughts.
The Siren transformed.
For a moment, Alan saw his father.
King Prometheus stood before him, wearing his royal armour.
"You have done well, my son," the illusion said. "Come. Your journey is over."
Alan lowered his weapon.
He wanted to believe it.
Then the illusion smiled.
His father's smile had never been cruel.
Alan closed his eyes and moved forward.
The Siren attacked, wrapping its arms around him. Its strength was greater than its delicate appearance suggested. It dragged him towards the cavern's water-filled passage.
Alan struggled to breathe.
He struck blindly with the dagger, but the creature held him tightly. His lungs began to burn.
Then Hannah stirred.
She had regained consciousness and understood what was happening. She seized a loose piece of rock and struck the Siren's head.
Its grip loosened.
Alan pulled himself free and drove the bronze dagger into its chest.
The creature collapsed.
The cavern fell silent.
Hannah opened her eyes fully and recognised him.
"Alan?"
He rushed towards her.
"You are safe."
She reached for his hand.
"You came back for me."
"Of course I did."
He helped her towards the entrance. The Kelpie guided them through the water-filled passage, and together they reached the surface.
Hannah explained that the Sirens had used their songs to create illusions of people she loved. She had nearly surrendered to the illusion of returning home, but had fought against it.
"You were stronger than their magic," Alan said.
"So were you."
They rested on the island until the weather improved. The Kelpie gathered pieces of wood from the wreckage and helped construct a raft. He then pulled it through the water, carrying Alan and Hannah towards the nearest continent.
Their journey lasted several days.
Eventually, they reached the eastern coast of the Americas. The land was unfamiliar, and the people they encountered spoke languages Alan did not understand.
The travellers were cautious of one another at first. Alan and Hannah made no attempt to claim the land or impose their authority. Through gestures and the help of a local interpreter, they explained that they were travellers seeking shelter.
A community living near a large lake eventually welcomed them.
Their leader listened to their story and offered them food and a place to rest.
But there was something troubling the settlement.
Beyond the village lay a lake where people had disappeared.
The locals called it Devil's Lake.