Crystal looked back. She could see the black hole on the horizon, and staring down at her hands, she saw that she was trembling. And it was not just from her exertions with the oars. This was her dream, and somehow, she knew what that thing was. Or what it represented anyway.
Empusa was watching her. She knew what it was, too. But she never said a word. Instead she turned and looked ahead to the brighter horizon. "Come. Brace yourselves. That danger is behind us now, and we must row on. Let's keep going."
"Yeah, thanks for your help with that, you just sit there and work on your suntan," John said from the back.
They all flexed their hands and stretched their limbs. Then, through a chorus of groans, they took up their oars, and rowed on.
Not long after they left the Soul Well behind them, Crystal could see water breaking in the distance. Rocks. The sirens would be close now, she imagined. She wished she had a loose handkerchief or something she could tear and plug both ears with. But Empusa had been right. There was only the fabric on her dress. She lowered her oars, and tore a small strip from around the hem, ready to use. The shopkeeper will never miss it. I can always say it was ripped when I got it. That's assuming any of us live to see her again. She then took up her oars and focused on rowing.
Empusa stood up slowly and peered even more intensely at the water. She looked like she had something to say, so Crystal cautiously removed one of the plugs. "Yup. This is it. There are rocks under the surface. Raise your oars, the current will take us from here. Get ready to plug your ears. You'll be very sorry if you don't."
The others did more or less what Crystal had done, ripping small bits of fabric from their clothing to stuff into their ears, while the boat drifted on. Crystal was suddenly conscious of the movement of the boat beneath them. She clung tightly to the sides, praying none of these rocks would tear a hole in their hull and sink them.
"Will this be enough?" she asked, staring at the small piece of fabric caught in her fingers.
"I'll wager," Empusa said.
"What about you?" Stu asked. "Are you going to plug your ears?"
"Oh, I don't need too. What can the sirens do to me? I'm dead already."
"You have a point," Stu said.
"So what's with you and Lily?" Crystal asked. "Why won't she do to you what she does to everyone else?"
"We have an unbreakable bond.” Empusa had a rare, if enigmatic smile on her face.
"What kind of bond?"
"A blood one. I was on board a ship that crashed on the rocks. She came for me, and I bit her. Totally severed her vocal cords. She is now my blood slave, but she doesn't mind her enslavement. We have a symbiotic relationship."
"What do you mean?" Crystal asked.
Empusa looked over the edge and nodded, as if something she was expecting had happened. "The siren presence on the bay is well known, so for a long time, not many ships would sail this way. I changed that and lured unsuspecting boats to their rocks. In return, she lets me have first blood. Like I said, our relationship is mutually beneficial."
"Too bad for the ships who fell for that old one," John said.
Crystal's bowels turned to liquid as she realized Empusa had done this very thing to them. Had she deliberately brought them to their doom? She vowed that before any siren took her, she would plunge her dagger into Empusa's cold heart to repay her for her betrayal.
Empusa tilted her head to one side as if her vampire ears had heard something they could not. "Put those plugs in now. We have reached the Siren's Graveyard."
Empusa leaned over the boat and reached down as far as she could. As she straightened, Crystal saw a wet, white hand, clasped in the vampire's long-nailed one, and a moment later, in a rush of water, a second female was on board their craft. The newcomer was draped in the sheerest fabric, which was barely enough to protect her modesty. Though she was formed as a woman, her arms and legs were lightly scaled, and even out of the water, her hair flowed like anemones. While the others wondered what was going on, the two girls embraced affectionately. Once they pulled away, the new arrival turned to take in the souls on board, and she smiled beautifully from ear to ear. She turned to Empusa, and using her hands, signed something.
Crystal noticed the scars on the siren's throat. Odd that they were now such friends, she thought. That blood bond must be really strong. She could just make out Empusa's muffled reply.
"No Lily, my love, not this time. I hunger for quite a different feast, now. No, these are otherworlders, and they have something I want. They have promised to give it to me if we can get them past your sisters without them drowning on the rocks. Can you help us?"
Crystal sighed with relief. Whatever her reasons, Empusa was trying to help them after all.
Lily signed again, and though Crystal didn't understand sign, she was sure Lily was asking more questions.
Empusa nodded to Stu. "That one has the blue dagger. All we have to do is get them around the city walls."
Lily smiled, revealing two perfectly formed fangs. Crystal took out her earplugs.
"So, you turned Lily into a vampire too? I thought she was just a siren?"
"You don't have mixed breeds in your world?" Empusa asked. "How disappointing."
"Yes, yes we do," Crystal said. "I just wasn't expecting.... Is she deaf?"
"No, she's mute. She can hear you perfectly well.”
"I didn't mean to cause offense...," Crystal said.
"You didn't. But put your plugs back in or you'll be sorry." Empusa turned to Lily. "So. Can you help us?"
Lily nodded quickly and pointed a little further south.
"You want us to go that way?"
She nodded again and then signed a little more.
"It seems her sisters have moved further along the rocks," Empusa shouted, so Crystal could hear her. "If we head southbound, we shall come in close, but should be far enough away to resist the singing. Lily will guide us from here."
Lily signed again.
"She says make sure your plugs are as tight as they can be, otherwise their song will drive you mad and you'll jump overboard and perish on the rocks."
"Great." Crystal pushed her earplugs in as deep as they would go, and the others did the same. She looked over to Stu, who had been watchful from the bow of the ship. Their eyes locked, and she read in his a mixture of hope and skepticism. She could relate, she felt exactly the same, and nodded ever so slightly. He returned her nod, and they both fixed on the two vampires. She suspected he was just as mistrusting of their strange helpers as she was, but then she could hardly ask him what he was thinking now.
They drifted along on the current. Every now and then Lily would raise her hand and point, and Empusa would make a microscopic adjustment to the tiller, guiding them further south.
The world around her was absolutely silent, and Crystal thought how perverse it was to strain so hard to hear something that might kill her.
And then Empusa smiled, and though Crystal herself heard nothing, she felt a melody vibrate in the very timbers of their craft. It was so soothing and pulled on some unseen string around her navel. Like a mother crying for its child, Crystal felt a strange impulse to run toward the sound. She covered her ears with her hands, as did the others, but she was overwhelmed by a longing, and it took every ounce of her strength to stay seated and not dive into the surrounding waters.
The boat rocked from side to side, bouncing along the steady current and colliding with some of the shallower rocks. Looking up, she saw Nic had jumped to her feet, and appeared to want to jump overboard. There were rocks all around, and if Nic jumped now, she would probably perish. Has she taken her earplugs out?
Quick as a flash, John was beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and kept her inside the boat. Like a cornered cat she fought and kicked, but he would not let go his grip, securing her in his tight embrace.
They all heard her cry out, even over their plugs. "Please let me go-o-o-o." The sound was muffled, as if shouted from far away, and
the echo had carried along an empty tunnel.
And all the while Empusa and Lily looked on, never interfering, leaving the two to their fate.
"Set me free, please! Let go of me. I must go to them. Pleeease." But cry and struggle as she might, John would not release her. Instead he held on tighter still, his face twisted with anguish while tears streamed down his cheeks, but he would not give her up to the sea.
Crystal dug her nails into the rim of the boat, and as she did so, she saw them. The five sirens singing on the rocks were the spitting image of Lily. They looked quite at home in the middle of nowhere, lounging on the rocks like fair-haired seals, basking in the sun. They seemed no more interested in the travelers than they would sea spray. Yet their song was hypnotic, and Crystal prayed they would pass quickly, and before Nic got the better of John and jumped from the ship.
"Let me go, get off me, damn it. I must go to my sisters...."
The boat drifted slowly on by, and Crystal wondered why neither Empusa nor Lily did nothing to help. Then it occurred to her. They were a pair of fortune hunters who didn't give a hoot about anyone but themselves. Empusa would get her dagger and Lily and her sisters would feast––either way.
And then at last the song weakened, and opening her eyes, she saw Nic fall to the deck in an exhausted slump. But still, John wouldn't let go of her.
"Can we take these out now?" she shouted, pointing to her ears.
Empusa nodded.
Crystal ripped out the earplugs and edged her way along the boat to where Nic and John were both crouched.
"Nic, are you okay?" Crystal asked.
Nic's voice was faint. "Yes. A little drained." She pulled her earplugs from her ears and tossed them overboard. "I should have used more fabric, but I didn't want to ruin the outfit - it's not paid for. Anyway, the sirens sucked the fight out of me. I would have done anything to join them."
John rubbed his own arms up and down, soothing the bruises Nic had caused in her struggles. "I'll say."
Nic looked up and managed a faint smile. "Sorry. Did I hurt you?"
"You should take up kick-boxing," John said. “You can sure pack a punch.”
"I just might," Nic replied, faintly. She raised her hand to him. "Help me up, please."
John reached down and helped her back to her feet. Instead of stepping away, she took everyone by surprise by throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his lips. "Thanks for being my hero."
John's cheeks flushed scarlet. "Anytime."
When everyone was done gawping at the unexpected romantic scene, Crystal turned to Empusa and Lily.
"Why didn't you try to stop her? If she'd have got past John, she'd be dead now."
"I said I'd get you past the sirens, and I have. Be grateful, human, no one gets eaten today." Lily bared her fangs and signed urgently to Empusa, who shook her head, no. Lily looked disappointed.
Crystal was tongue-tied at the last point. Still, they were beyond the sirens now, and somehow had survived with their lives. One way or another, the vampire had kept her promise.
"So now what?" Jake asked.
"We bring you into port beyond the city walls," Empusa replied.
"And where would that be?" Jake asked. "I never heard of any ports near my forest."
Empusa's eyes narrowed, like she was about to say something cutting to Jake, but then she glanced at Crystal and remembered her promise to behave. "We can travel so far up river. At least, as far as this boat will go, anyway. And then you're on foot."
"Okay, but then what?" Jake pressed.
"Not my problem," Empusa said. "The deal was we get you around the city walls, and for that you give me the dagger. The rest is up to you. You get to take them back to the portal. I'm staying here."
Crystal pushed past everyone to join Stu at the bow of the boat. While John fussed over Nic, she put her lips close to his ear.
"I know we made a deal, but I don't like the idea of giving over the dagger," she whispered. "We still don't know what it can do. And she could still use it on us. I don't know what to do for the best."
"I know what you mean," he replied. "But here's the thing - if all she wanted was our deaths, she just passed on the perfect opportunity to get rid of us. So I think we should trust her, at least for now."
Crystal nodded and at that precise moment, her gaze fell on Empusa and Lily. She was too far away to hear their whispers, but Empusa gave them both a curious look. And then a smile––with just a hint of fang. Crystal shuddered and turned away.
Blood Bank
After rowing for what seemed like an age, they turned landward, and Empusa guided them towards a broad estuary, with marshy flatlands all around but where the water was still deep and navigable.
Crystal thought her thumbs would be scarred for life. The skin had peeled, and she could feel the constant sting of the raw, open flesh as it rubbed hard against the wooden oar. Enough! She ripped off a little more from her dress and covered the torn skin.
Lily and Empusa never once offered to take up an oar or relieve one of the others. At the sight of land, Lily grinned happily, reminding Crystal of Jade and the look on her face when they went on their first vacation to Six Flags. Maybe the siren had never been on dry land before? Better not ask, she might bite my head off. Literally. Crystal frowned and focused on rowing, heading up river was much harder than it looked.
Nic swung her oars in and rubbed her tired arms. "Is it much further? I don't think I can row much longer. Between the heat of the sun and these damned oars, I'm about ready to drop."
"You and me both," John said.
"Please.” Crystal needed to know just as much as the others. "How much further? We're not used to this constant rowing."
"Humans."
"You could always help," Stu suggested.
"I think not," Empusa said. "Physical labor repels me."
"Bully for you," John said.
Empusa stared ahead of the boat, as if she could somehow measure the distance with her eyes. "I would say, another mile or so to make the river, then you can get out any time after that. The longer you stay on the boat, the less walking you have ahead of you."
"Walking I can do," Nic said.
"Easier said than done.” Empusa pointed to the steep rock faces all around them.
"Will you be returning straight back?" Crystal asked. "Back to the village? Like you said?"
"Perhaps. Though perhaps not. Lily and I might enjoy a little vacation in the woods. And it might be fun seeing all the activity and quaint wood people who live there. A little relaxation, a change of cuisine––it would do us both the world of good I think."
Jake looked horror-stricken.
"What? You're worried I might nibble on your wood boyfriends or palace Guardsmen?" Empusa licked her lips.
Jake opened his mouth to retaliate but Crystal looked back and hushed him with a wink. She had an idea.
"She's right, you know. Jake, you shouldn't be so selfish. Don't forget there's a whole company of young Guardsmen at the Outpost, not to mention the ones all by themselves, standing guard at the curtains."
“That is, if they're still there, of course," Jake said.
Crystal's eyes glared wide as she stared back at him. How dumb can a boy be? "Well of course they will be. Queen Ella ordered it. All those strong, virile young men, how will we ever get past them?"
A light bulb magically switched on illuminating Jake's face. "Oh. Yes, right. She would certainly have doubled the guard––at least. Maybe even tripled it."
Empusa's eyes narrowed a little, but Lily licked her lips, and for a moment, Crystal thought she might jump out of the boat and swim upstream to the waiting feast. She signed rapidly, her webbed hands blurring, until Empusa sighed, defeated.
"Very well. But be warned. If you're trying to trick us, we won't hesitate to opt for an easier meal. Do you understand me?"
"Perfectly."
Despite their tiredness, they doubled their rowing efforts, gl
ad that the end of the journey was close. At least the incoming tide was with them, and they made good time through the rising waters. But gradually, the banks of the estuary narrowed, the steep rock faces leveled off, and they reached a point where three rivers opened up before them.
"Which one?" Stu asked.
"The fat one in the middle," Jake said. "The one on the right is too shallow for a boat––that's the one we walked through before. The one on the left brings you out close to the city walls, but it's less... wholesome."
"How so?" Nic asked.
"The city sewage spills into that river."
"Ah," Crystal said. "Yes. I'm familiar with the source. I'm with you. Let's go for the fat option."
And so, on they rowed. If they weren't so dog-tired, they might have enjoyed the scenery, for the banks were lush, and deer, otters, and all sorts of wild life could be seen from the boat.
At long last, the banks became shallow, and Empusa turned to address Crystal and the others. "This would be a good spot to moor the boat. You can tie it in the reeds, and it should go unnoticed. Secure it tight, who knows how low the water will get in low tide, and we don't want the thing drifting away. Lily and I will need it for our return journey, even if you won’t.”
Stu saluted. "Yes boss." After checking how shallow the water was, he and Jake jumped overboard like they couldn't get out fast enough. They tugged on the mooring ropes but weren't getting anywhere fast.
"We're gonna need some help here, guys," shouted Stu. "This boat's a bitch to move."
Crystal and John jumped overboard and helped pull. Between them they got the boat as close to the banks as they could get it.
John and Crystal returned to the boat to help Nic.
"I don't think I'm going to be able to sit down for a week," Nic said.
"Want me to rub it for you?" John laughed.
"Goof." Nic pushed him, and he mocked falling overboard and into the water.
Empusa looked John up and down warily. "I need your help."
"You need my help?"
"Not me, exactly. It's Lily. She can't touch the fresh water. It would burn her skin. Would you carry her ashore?"
Sorcery & Sirens Page 19
