Page 18 of Lured By the Siren

“I—Gods, I don’t know what you are doing to me. I’ve never done anything like this before. Usually, I would have taken you on several dates before I allowed that to happen between us.” I laugh awkwardly, trying to use humor to chase away the embarrassment creeping up my spine. “I’ve never been this bold with a woman this fast.”

“You don’t have to apologize for something I wanted just as much as you. I don’t know what this connection between us is either, but I don’t want it to go away.” Her cheeks turn a light lavender, and I wonder if that is the color of her blushing. “But if we are being honest with one another, I think you might be who I’ve been searching for most of my life.”

The breath escapes my lungs, and I stare at her, unsure what to say. There is a foreign fluttering in my chest, and I try to ignore it, but then I find myself wondering what her life is like here. How has it taken her one hundred and twenty-seven years to find someone?

“Come on. I want to help you find your brother. I hope he is here for your sake. There are several sailors at camp from years of shipwrecks, maybe he’s one of them.”

She begins walking again, and I decide to use the opportunity to learn more about this place and these sirens who were supposed to be brutal killers, but if Evelyn is like the others, then I can’t see them hurting a soul, unless sex with a siren can kill. The very thought has all the blood in my body rushing south. I quickly push the thought away.

“What are the storms that surround your island?” I remember just before they hit, both the sea and sky were clear. There were no dark clouds, no white capped waves. There wasn’t even an island. One moment we were sailing with the sun beating down on our backs, the next, rain, raging winds, and waves higher than the ship crashed down on us.

“I’m not sure. They’ve been there my entire life. They have been a part of this place for centuries.” There is a waiver of trepidation in her voice. It makes me wonder if she is hiding something from me or if she truly doesn’t know the answer.

“My people do not know about this island. It’s not on any map or in any history books.” I try to see her reaction to that news, but she's in front of me, and there is no change in her demeanor, making me think she already knows this.

“What is your home like?” She asks suddenly, slowing down until I catch up to her.

I raise a brow at the question, “It’s—well, it’s less of a jungle like this and more of a city. Actually, now that I think of it, there aren’t many plants at all in the major city where I live. I probably have most of them locked up in my greenhouse.”

She tilts her head and we continue our slow walk, “What’s a greenhouse?”

I smile at her wide eyes, amused by the keen interest she has for my homeland. “It’s a glass building where you can growplants like all of these.” I motion to the lush wildlife around us, noticing a specific flower I haven’t yet seen on our walk.

“What is this flower called?” I ask, bending down to a bright blue bud with several long orange stems shooting up from its center and reaching out towards it. “It’s so unique.”

“Don’t touch that!” She yells, grabbing my hand and pulling it back. “That plant is toxic. It has venom in the orange spines that will make you feel like your entire body is on fire.”

“Interesting,” I muse, and she pins me with an amused look.

“You are a strange man, aren’t you?”

I snort, “Most people where I come from would say so.”

“Tell me more about your home, please. I’ve heard so little about the other lands outside the storms.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say my home is the most fascinating. It’s actually a rather harsh place to live. The entirety of Halvendor has been at war for—well, since our elven king left almost two hundred years ago. Wars were fought, and they still are over land. My own province has a wall around the city, housed with hundreds of soldiers in case of an attack.”

“What are provinces?”

“Sections of land that have been claimed and taken over by those with the power or means to do so. Several centuries ago, our kingdom was thriving and at peace. Some have even said it was a time of great magic, full of the mythical creatures in our story books.” I shake my head and chuckle, “I didn’t believe that before, but maybe there is some truth to it, seeing as I’m standing in the presence of one of those mythical creatures right now.”

Evelyn doesn’t say anything, just studies me intently, hanging on my every word.

“Anyway,” I continue, running a hand through my tangled locks, “a few centuries ago, the elven royal family suddenly disappeared, and whatever magic or creatures, if there wereany, vanished with them, leaving the land vulnerable and weak. Those who were once powerful found themselves depleted and unable to defend their homes. Many took advantage of the feeble state of Halvendor, killing populations and stealing land for their own.” I stop, shaking my head at the world I live in.

Part of me has always gone to my plants as a way to escape the cruelty that surrounds me. Even my own father has been a part of the cruelty of war, securing the rulership of the province I am trying to get away from inheriting. I don’t want all that blood on my hands.

“No one has been able to sit the throne and hold it since the ruling family left. It’s a big part of why there is so much war and unrest in Halvendor. Everyone wants control, but no one can keep it for long.” With a heavy sigh, I continue, “Now we have set borders between areas of land, heavily guarded. My father is the head of our province and he isn’t doing well.” I clear my throat, rubbing a hand along the tightness that has begun to twist in my chest. “If I can’t find my brother, I'm next in line to take over the province, and I… don’t want to.”

“So you could be the next ruler of your people?” Her brows shoot up in surprise.

I huff out a laugh, “Not like a King or anything, just our small city. There are only about six hundred people living there, and we work mostly in shipping. I just have no interest in any of it. I don’t want to have to worry about the company or trying to make sure peace remains in the province. Maybe that makes me weak or selfish.”

I rub at my chest, the tightness there growing, because it is weakandselfish. It’s the entire reason I am even in this situation. I don’t want responsibility. I look around at where I am, at the woman leading me through the jungle, and shake my head. Just look at where my selfishness has landed me, strandedon an island, but at least it’s full of beautiful women, even if they are sirens.

“I understand,” Evelyn says, pulling me from my thoughts. “I want nothing more than to leave this cursed island and see the world. This place is all we sirens know. We’ve been here for centuries.”

“Well, if we find my brother and get off this island, you are more than welcome to come with us back to our province. Maybe we can finally put the myth of the bloodthirsty sirens to rest.” I smile softly.

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