The sirens’ heads emerged from the murky water and the mist that hovered over it. Instinctively, my grip tightenedon my blade, and a growl erupted in my chest as two of them effortlessly floated toward the back of the boat. No matter how hard I attempted to block out their songs, I felt an irresistible urge to move toward its seductive pulse.
“A man,” a scenic voice called from the front of the pinnace.
My gaze snapped in its direction, and there, perched on the tip of the ship's front, sat a creature from ancient myths and legends.
Her soaked blonde hair was adorned with the bones of her past victims, twisting the top strands away from her face as the rest remained draped over the front of her bare breasts. A tail with shimmering scales black as night splashed in the water below, its fins appearing as sharp as the blade I held.
My eyes lingered on the conch shell embedded in her throat, which legends claimed produced the melodies of their deadly songs. The moment our stares met, an intense sensation of terror gripped me as I was forced to peer into her unseeing, stark-white eyes.
“Mother of the gods,” I breathed as I held my blade higher, ready to strike.
“A foolish man,” she cooed as she picked a piece of seaweed from her scales. “Your gods are not here. But I am.” Her webbed fingers traced the edge of the wood she sat upon as beads of water slid from her hairline and down her haunting face.
“I am no fool,” I answered. “I know exactly what you are and what you seek.”
She tilted her head to the side curiously, and I desperately tried not to look into her eerie stare.
She leaned toward me, attempting to tease me by exposing her breasts as her hair lifted from them in her bend. “And what is it that I seek…” The creature looked me up and down. “Captain?”
“I am Commander Cadoria, and you will stand down in whatever trickery you are attempting,siren.”
“Trickery?” she asked. “Commander, I just want to play.” A menacing smile tilted the corner of her sharp lips.
“I know whatplayingentails with your kind.”
“And what is that?”
“You lure men from their ships with your beautiful songs and false promises, trapping them within the depths of the sea—feasting on their blood and flesh,” I answered through furrowed brows. “We were warned of beasts within these marshes; however, creatures like you are not what I was expecting.”
A sharp giggle left her, sending a chill down my spine. “You speak of me with disgust, yet you do not know me. Tell me, Commander, what is it you long for most? A beautiful woman on your arm? Or is it power that you seek? A siren’s kiss may grant you both.” She paused as her eyes roamed over me once more. “Or am I lacking the allure that a commander desires?”
The melody of her sisters’ calls continued to fill the air as we stared each other down.
“A siren’s kiss is from the pricks of their teeth and always ends in certain death.” A smirk formed on my face. “Besides, I have all you offered—the most powerful and beautifulfemale in the realm. You have nothing I desire…except perhaps having your head on a spike.”
A hiss left her, exposing her dagger-like teeth that appeared as if they had been carved into points. Suddenly, the songs that had filled the air ceased, and an abrupt splash sounded behind me.
I whipped around just in time to watch as Gage’s body was dragged overboard and beneath the surface of the murky water.
“Fuck! Gage!” I bellowed, and as I went to leap across the boat, the siren whipped her tail out, catching my ankle as I was mid-jump.
My body slammed down into the wood, my head bouncing off the unforgiving edge of the pinnace, causing me to lose hold of my weapon. The sound of my sword clattering as it fell was nearly deafening as an instant headache brewed. I blinked through the blurriness of my vision and was met with icy eyes gazing back at me.
I desperately tried to move my body to strike her as the creature leaned over me, but I had lost all control of myself. As the siren opened her mouth full of razor-sharp fangs, a hymn left her lips.
My eyes glazed over, and a trance took over me simultaneously.
In my mind, Lia's face consumed my thoughts, her panic palpable down our tether that I thought I could suddenly feel once more—yet I couldn't discern if it was her distress or my own dread of losing her forever.
The siren pulled me below the water’s surface, and I knew nothing but darkness.
Chapter thirty-four
Elianna
The moment our stepsled us beyond the ruin’s arch, Jace’s panic slammed into me. What had originally started as a slight worry had quickly morphed into pure desperation. My feet couldn’t carry me quick enough as I raced between the winding trees. With each step, my feet sank deeper into the spongy ground of the marshy forest floor.
As we hurried back to our men, the coven’s cackling laughter filled the air once more. Shadows whipped around us as if the witches traveled within them on the wind. Dark wisps lashed out at us on all sides, and power hummed through the woods as Veli shot her power back at her sisters as they worked to attack us. Loud whooshing noises filled my ears, but all I could focus on was getting back to my mate.
