Page 38 of Lured By the Siren

“I have no idea who you are, okay?”

The blossom in my heart shrivels and dies.

He pushes himself up with a grumble and turns from me, walking back into the Elder's hut. As soon as he disappears beyond the door alight with party cheer, I let the tears fall as the loss clings to me.

My brother is gone. And I don’t think I’ll ever get him back.

17

Evelyn

The thrum of a low siren’s song reverberates across the beach as I make my way through the party. Weaving between the sweaty, writhing bodies of my sisters and their conquests, I can’t look at them as anything else now.

They are shells of their former selves, and the urge to help each of them begins to overwhelm me. I must figure out what else Florence and Yvette are hiding and find a way to save all these men from the same imprisoned fate I was born into.

Searching, I look for Kai in the fray but can’t see him anywhere. Maybe he found Mathius and was able to convince him to forgo the Elixir this evening. I can’t imagine all thememories locked behind the walls of his mind, but why has he never told me about these daydreams trying to break through in all our years together?

I know he’s different from the others, from the sheer size of him, not to mention his eyes, the elongated ears, and the aura that radiates from him. He never seemed fully human, always more cunning, more powerful, more observant, but he never mentioned these dreams to me. I wish he had. It might have knocked me from my ignorance and made me realize something wasn’t right sooner. I shake my head at the thought, continuing through the maze of limbs.

Even though he’s not my father, he has been a resounding presence in my life and someone I can always turn to when I need a shoulder to cry on. We were close, and I just wish he had trusted me enough to confide in me.

Distracted by my thoughts, I accidentally bump into a figure beside me, only to realize it’s Florence. The emotions of our earlier conversation swirl deep in my gut, and the urge to scream, cry, and run away all come rushing to the surface. But I know I need to speak with her, I tamp down my frustration and smile, preparing myself for the conversation ahead. There are so many things Florence is keeping from me, and I need to find out exactly what they are.

“E, where is that man of yours? I’m dying to see him again.” She smiles at me, so genuine and open, I almost feel like the conversation I heard between her and Yvette was a dream—or a nightmare.

“That’s a great question, Flo. I was just looking for him,” I glanced around the hut, realizing that there are far too many listening ears in the space. I don’t want our conversation to be overheard. “He’s got to be around here somewhere. But first, can we step outside? I want to speak with you.”

“Of course, my child. What is it?” She links her arm with mine, and we head out into the quiet night.

My child. Those words, which used to mean everything to me, now feel tainted by this island and its secrets. A resounding fracture splinters across my heart.

Trying to keep a handle on the emotions that slither their way up my throat, I continue on, “I overheard you and Yvette talking earlier today, right before I ran into you.”

Flo has never been able to keep what she is feeling from her face, and I watch as her gaze shifts quickly, looking left and right, anywhere but at my face. She presses her lips into a firm line.

“What happened to my mother?” I ask, keeping my voice even and calm. And how do I get Kai off this island? I know you have the answers, I heard you speaking with Yvette earlier, so it's no use lying to me.”

Florence looks back up at me with terror in her eyes. She grabs my arm and drags me farther away from the hut, closer to the edge of the beach. The waves crest up the sand, and the familiar sounds steady my breath as we walk down the shoreline.

“Eve, I don’t know what to say.” She says, her voice thick with emotion.

“You can start with the truth for one,” I say through clenched teeth, anger spreading through me at a rapid rate.

“It’s a long and sad story, and I can’t tell you. I would be breaking a sacred oath,” She says with a dejected look in her eye. “I swore on the Elder creed to never tell a soul.”

“Oh, the Elder creed,” I scoff. “That means more to you than the daughter you took in and raised after my mother died. More than the siren you taught the songs to, shared your entire life with. You’re my mother, Florence, how could you keep so much from me?”

She audibly flinches at my words, looking away from me again, but I don’t back down. “What happened to my mother, Flo?”

Her whole body seems to sag, and she looks back up at me, unshed tears filling her eyes. “I need you to know that I kept this all from you to protect you, child. I’ve only ever wanted to protect you.”

“From what?” I frown, “What is going on?”

“Your mother was a powerful Elder, and she loved you and your sister more than anything.” Florence begins, with a shaky voice, “But she didn’t die in childbirth.”

My mouth falls open, and I try to say something, but no words come out.

“She was murdered.”

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