Page 3 of The Siren & the Sea

"I can still hear you," the siren said. Damn.

Well, if you can hear me, why don't you answer my question? How am I this far beneath the waves safely, and how am I not suffocating? Also, I suppose I may as well introduce myself. My name is Maura.

"Nice to meet you, Maura. You are under my magic's protection. The magic of the sirens is in our song to some extent, but we have other useful abilities. While you are close to me down here, water will be as air to you."

That was…not what Maura was expecting. She wasn't sure what she was expecting.

Why, exactly, are you taking me hostage right now?

"Sirens are…private beings. We do not generally take kindly to humans entering our waters, even by accident. Those other sirens would have slaughtered you without a second thought, and this is the only way I could think of to keep them from harming you."

Maura let his words sink in. She wasn't opposed to avoiding slaughter, but she was basically being kidnapped. Trepidation and anxiety roiled in her chest. Usually she was a decisive person, but she found herself now not knowing quite what to do.

You told them I'm your ‘Chosen’? What is that, some kind of personal pet?

Anatolius laughed, a rich, melodic sound that Maura felt all the way down her spine. His fingers absently stroked her fur, and she shivered at the pleasant feeling.

"No, not a pet. I'm not sure what the word for it would be in human culture, but it means we are to be wed."

WHAT? You told your siren friends we're engaged?! How could that possibly have been the only way to keep them from killing me?

Maura replayed the conversation with the other sirens, and everything made much more sense now.

Wait, they called you a prince…do you think I'm about to be some kind of siren princess just because I slipped and fell off a cliff? No, you need to let me go right now. I can't be stuck in this ocean for the rest of my life!

Maura squirmed in Anatolius' hold, but his fingers ran over her neck gently as he made a soothing noise.

"Don't fret, feisty one, I will get you back to your home as soon as I possibly can. We need to be careful about handling this or I won't be able to protect you from my people."

Maura muscled her panic down and tried to decide if she believed him. She knew nothing about siren culture except the stories of their violence–human heads on pikes and all–so it would be foolish not to take the danger seriously. She felt so horrifically not in control of her situation that she thought for a split second that she would rather Anatolius had not shown her mercy. She just…really didn't want this to be happening.

"I know you don't want this to be happening; I wish there were another way."

Maura grumbled internally and was about to retort when the spires of nearly a hundred buildings slowly materialized from the murky depths. A pearly glow rose from the darkness below, illuminating a city of white stone covered in deep green algae.Coral grew from the buildings in colorful bursts, and patches of bright, bioluminescent plants dotted the landscape.

Above all, though, Maura heard the singing.

She closed her eyes and let the ethereal notes wash over her. It was like nothing she had ever heard before. For a moment she was worried she might be in some danger from hearing the song—but surely nothing so lovely could hurt her.

"You are right; this song is not meant to harm. It's the song of home, of peace."

Maura let herself enjoy the sights and sounds as they made their approach to Vathós. Even she could appreciate that likely no human living had seen this sight. She wanted to go back to her cottage, but she had left Beitar to see the world. What a world it was.

Wait, you never answered my question about the other sirens calling you a prince.

"I am a child of our kings, it's true. I am not their heir, though, thankfully. That job falls to my elder sister."

So when they said we were going to your family's house…

"Yes, we are going to the palace." Anatolius shifted to point at the massive ornate building that sat at the center of the city.

Maura's stomach dropped. She was just a baker, and now she was supposed to pretend to be a siren prince's intended?

"Everything is going to be fine," Anatolius chuckled. "Just follow my lead."

Maura wasn't sure if she could scowl as an otter, but she was certainly giving it a try. Maura didn't follow; she fended for herself.

"I don't mean to question your competence, feisty one, I'm sure you handle yourself. Here, though, I'd just like to keep you alive, and unless you are somehow familiar with all of the customs and rites associated with finding your Chosen, I think you should accept my help."

---