Page 27 of Lured By the Siren

The siren’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes, and I only then realize her eyes are black, just like the aura that surrounds her. I shiver at the way she seems to look through me, and I have the sudden urge to turn and run from her.

“The new man,” Yvette nods toward me, and I force myself not to take a step backward. “You said he was injured. Might I take a look?”

“I'm fine,” I say, and her cold eyes narrow on me.

“Are you sure?” Evie asks, a frown of concern on her features, and I nod, grabbing hold of her around the waist, suddenly feeling like I should protect her from this woman. Whatever this Elixir has done, it’s made me see this particular Elder in a new light, and I didn’t like what I was seeing.

“You will join us for tonight’s celebration,” she says pointedly at me, a demand, not a question. “We should have celebrated your arrival the first night you were here, but our dearest Evie hid you away from us.”

“It wouldn’t have been safe for him to move, mistress.” Evie says quickly, “He was not conscious the first night. I did as any siren would have and saved his life.”

“Yes, how very noble of you, Evelyn.” Her eyes flicked to Evie for a split second before narrowing in on me once more. “Might you join me alone for a time, sailor?” Yvette’s voice drips with her eagerness, and she walks closer to me.

The Elixir has filled my body with lust, raw and uncaged, but the instant Yvette suggests the two of us being alone together, that overflow of sheer desire turns to a waterfall of disgust. I will not go near this woman, but I need to get this bottled-up feeling out. It itches through me with a fever that calls to the most primal parts of me.

Reaching past the lust and the haze of yearning, I remind myself that I only want one woman on this island and she’s the one captured in my arms. My hand brushes down Evie’s waist, and I squeeze her side teasingly as I kiss lightly at her ear and whisper, “I need you. Now.”

I feel her quiver in my grip, and she leans into me further, feeling my hardening length pressing to the small of her back, before sputtering out, “I–I’m just going to show Kai something really fast, and then we will come back and join you.”

Yvette narrows her eyes at us, but then waves us off and says, “Very well. I would like to inspect the newcomer more…closely, when you get back.”

I force myself not to scrunch my nose up at the thought of this poisonous woman touching me, but before I have the chance, Evie pulls me into the jungle, and all thoughts of Yvette slip from my mind completely.

We climb, hiking up through the trees, along the island's coast, and I watch as the beach below grows further and further away from us. I don’t care how high we are, all that I can think of is how this entire place looks like a rainbow. A kaleidoscope of color is spread out before me, and I can’t pull my gaze away.

“We’re here,” Evie stops and plucks a flower in front of her, spinning to hand it to me.

“You’re right,” I say, taking the large bloom. It is the size of both my hands put together, and it looks just like the island down below, a kaleidoscope of color. “It’s exceptional.”

Not wanting to leave it here, I pluck the petals from the flower and put them in my pocket.

Evie smirks at me, “Saving them for later?”

“If they taste as good as that drink did, I want to eat one every day.”

She walks closer to me and wraps her arms around my waist. “Would you care for a morning swim?”

“Does this swim require both of us to be naked?” I query, feeling emboldened after our evening last night.

“You can be as naked as you want, I, on the other hand, will always have my scales and my tail to cover me.”

I raise my brows, “I want nothing more than to see that.”

“Come on, I want to take you to my spot. Not many of the sirens care to come up this high on the mountain, so they don’t all know about the caves.”

She pulls me to a spot at the crest of the hill, the highest flat area of the mountain. It’s covered in lush, blooming flowers and tall grass.

“Do you trust me?” She asks, her cheeks flushed from the hike and her eyes sparkling with excitement. She literally takes my breath away, and I can’t say a word, so again I only nod.

“Then jump with me. One, two, three…” She jumps forward, and I instinctively follow her lead. Suddenly, I realize there is a chasm below us, but it’s too late. We plunge into the void, air rushing past us as the pitch black swallows us whole.

I hold my breath at the sensation of falling, it’s terrifying, yet exhilarating, and my heart picks up its pace at the thrill. Our feet hit warm water, stinging with the impact, and we are both engulfed beneath the surface. I open my eyes, bubbles clouding my vision, but as soon as they dissipate, brilliant glowing blue light emerges, clinging to the rock formations beneath the water, illuminating an artistry of colorful coral and shimmering schools of fish gliding around us.

I can see everything so clearly, as if it were daylight beneath the water in this dark cave. My eyes catch a glimpse of a purpletail, and I spin, taking in the full view of Evie, my little Dahlia. I suck in sharply, water filling my lungs at the pure majesty of her in this form. Cursing myself for trying to breathe beneath the water, I swim, trying to get to the surface, but then stop suddenly, realizing that I’m not choking, nor do I feel like I am suffocating. I breathe in again, and the wonder of it hits me.

I can breathe underwater.

Swimming to Evie, I grab her and push us both up to the surface.

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