There had to be a way out of this, and it certainly was not hidden in sea scrolls or with beautiful sirens who had the luxury of living on land for as long as their cold hearts desired. I climbed the crew stairs two at a time, glancing at the watch in the galley before I left the Iara. I had an hour to get to Tres Sirenas and back before the first of the crew woke. I would return the canister and maybe even have enough time to dive into the water and transition. I had not switched back in two days and—on this matter—Tiki was right.
I was losing my calm.
I made the slight jump to the dock, landing on my feet before the dock pitched me forward onto my hands and hissing at the bite the wood deck took at my palms. If my heart was not in my throat from the jump, it was when I saw a light flick on in one of the crew’s portholes. My stomach rolled. I was pretty certain that porthole belonged to Tiki’s room.
Just as quickly as it turned on, the porthole darkened, and I pushed off my hands and knees and headed for Tres Sirenas.
When I could no longer see the Iara, I slowed down, checking to see if I was followed only every other block instead of ever other breath. Vieques was still fast asleep. I wove in and out of the multicolored pastel buildings, staying off the straight path to the hotel. In all the books I had read, all the stories my father had told about sailing on the seven seas, it was a punishable act to leave without permission. While the Iara did not technically have a traditional captain, Tiki was as close to in charge as we could humanly get. Tiki also was growing wildly impatient with me and my lack of consumption. He loved being under the water and had not been able to transition since I had yanked on his gills good and hard. That lack of transitioning and being landlocked made for one angry minch. I stamped down a giggle as a cool breeze, rich with salt in the air, gusted down an alleyway. I am sure it was wrong to laugh at Tiki’s expense, but I really did not care.
I turned to cut back to the street, double-checking to make sure I was not being followed again. I could not shake the uneasy feeling that I was being stalked. Under the water, the things that stalked a siren were usually sharks, dolphins, and in the rare occurrence, battle seahorses from an Atlantis patrol. We knew where the lost city of Atlantis was; we were just banished from entering its gates. Banished until we found the key to the secret entrance. The key that Rick had one half of … and I had the other half. I swallowed hard around the knot of guilt and all the events tied to that guilt.
I gasped as something pulled me into the next alleyway. A cold hand slapped down over the scream in my mouth. I wrapped my hand around the wrist, trying to pull it away, but that was not what made me still. Blue eyes bore into mine, while a sinister grin revealed sharpened teeth.
“What’s up, sis?” Monica pressed her palm harder against my mouth. “Human got your tongue?” She pushed her free finger to her mouth. “I’m going to let go, and you’re not going to scream, yes?”
I nodded.
“Keep saying yes, and you’ll make my life delicious.”
My sister pulled her hand from my mouth and then crossed her arms, giving me a chance to take her in. Her skin was moist and still held the scent of deep water. Her jet-black hair hung in loose curls down to her waist, cascading over bare shoulders and a blood-red tank top dress that sparkled when she moved. The dress clung to every curve and stopped just above her human female part. Long legs spilled out from the short dress. I definitely missed out on the extra-long-leg option when I transitioned. Where I had white deck shoes on, Monica had silver shoes that shoved her up on her toes.
She followed my gaze, twisting her shoes so the early light caught on the sparkles. “They’re called stilettos and they’re magic.”
My eyes snapped to hers.
“Not really magic. For fuck’s sake, you really may be the most gullible siren ever born.” Monica shifted on her shoes, her look following suit. She was hiding something.
“What?” I pushed when she did not unleash her secret.
“Nothing.”
“Say what you need to. You and I both know that look.” I pointed to her face.
“What look?” She feigned offense.
“The one you always wear the moment before you shake my world and take pleasure in seeing me pulled into the vortex of chaos you have created.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Monica stepped forward and ran her finger down the side of my face, wrinkling her nose at my dry skin. “You look terrible, Sirena. When was the last time you”—she wobbled her head on her shoulders like I knew what that meant—“you know, went for a swim.”
“You tortured me below the water. I will not stand here and let you do it to me above the water.”
Monica grabbed my arm as I started to push past her. “I tortured you?”
“You know you do.” I hated the way her eyes gleamed with delight.
“I’d hoped, but to know I actually succeeded…” She shook out her hair like it was a victory dress she was trying on. “Well, thank you, Sirena. This makes what I’m about to tell you all the more delightful.”
My heart sank.
When I did not answer again, she pushed harder. “You’ve gotten good at being still, haven’t you? Well, little sister, no amount of playing dead will save you from this, but first, Critias wants to see you tonight. He wants the key and the soul. No, no.” She pushed her finger against my lips, and it took everything in me not to bite her. “He doesn’t want an update that you’re working on it.”
“What else.” I pushed past the deadline, not entirely sure I wanted to know what else there was. The fact that I had to deliver the key and Rick’s soul that night … there was no way.
Monica grabbed my chin. “Pay attention, because I’ve waited for years to tell you this. When Mom found out about your little stunt in the dining room and then the deal you made with Critias, she finally gave me the nod to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“Tell you that all those squirmy feelings that you don’t belong, that you’re not like the rest of us, they’re all true. You’re not a real siren. You weren’t a consequence of consumption.” Monica pulled back, letting the impact of her statement hit me in my gut.
“How?” I whispered.
“You were human, infused with siren toxin after my mom gave you her breath of life. And that man you called father, he was the payment for your life.”
The rough texture of the wall behind me made the cuts on my palms scream as I held on to the building for support, certain my legs would fail me. My thoughts tumbled back over the years, over all the time I thought I caught a hint of disdain in my mother’s sideways glances. The way she let my older sister treat me. The desperate desire my father had to leave. It was not just Critias; it was the ocean floor itself.
“How?”
“I don’t know the details. Mom doesn’t like dwelling on her lone act of kindness. It never did sit well with her. Your father left a bad taste in her mouth.” Monica examined her nails, blocking my need to run with a simple adjustment of her body into my exit. “What she did tell me was you hit the water first, and your father went in after you. Both of you were goners. She should have watched the show; instead, she’d just birthed me and thought I could use a sister.” She cocked her head. “I didn’t. And definitely not a Crossling.”
“A Crossling.”
“Yes. You. Are. A. Crossling.” She jammed her finger into my chest, enunciating each word. “Anyway, Critias wants to see you tonight. So…” She patted my shoulders. “I’d get to consuming. Otherwise, I’ll finish the job, and being one of the most hated creatures in our realm will be the least of your worries.” She turned on her stilettos and strutted out of the alleyway like the cat I had given the bowl of milk to when we landed.
I slid down the wall, cherishing the sting of the stucco on my skin. It was the only reminder that I was still alive. That this was not a horrible nightmare. This was my reality, and I never belonged in either world.
I did not kno
w how long I stayed in the alleyway.
I did not know when it started raining, or how long I stayed on the dirty cement before I walked back to the Iara. But when there was a knock on my door, I snapped out of the stupor, startled by the voice on the other side.
11
Rick
After a night out, Roxanne and her girl squad slept most of the morning. The little sleep I did get was filled with intimate scenarios with Sirena that even had me blushing. I was not a saint, but the things I wanted to do with this girl, to this girl … they made my face heat like I was a schoolboy. There was an innocence about her that both drove me wild and unleashed a fierce need to protect. The more I thought about her on the Iara, alone with Tiki, the more I was convinced the giant man belonged more in a back alley getting ready to rob and mutilate someone than he did a bosun on a yacht.
When I couldn’t take the toss-turn-repeat way of sleep, I got up and found the only open coffee shop on the island of Vieques. My stroke of luck turned into a worst case of bad timing in two seconds when the hostess from last night walked in. Her name was Monica, and she picked up her slither and seduction act right where she left off.
Still, after a crap morning start and a barely tolerable lunch by myself, I found my way onboard the Iara, down into the crew’s quarters, and here I stood, hand hovering over the doorknob, shaking like it was my first dive into unfamiliar waters.
In some ways, I guessed it was.
“Sirena?” I called out as I knocked on the door, praying for something more than just a hello to happen.
She was like no girl, no woman, nothing I’d ever experienced before. Just the thought of her made my pulse spike, my palms sweat, and my need to be next to her increase. I pulled my hand back, swiping it through my hair before assuming the same frozen position, willing the door to open and not really knowing why it seemed like my day hinged on seeing her face. That was it; the need that I couldn’t explain. The need that had me standing here like a mad man.
My breath caught as the doorknob turned without me touching it.
Sirena pulled open the door and made a small little gasp of air. Those big brown eyes. My mouth watered as her gaze followed my tongue as I wet my lips.
“What are you doing down here?” She pulled me into her closet space of a room and then quickly checked out the hallway while I checked out her ass. The firm plump rounds shifted under her skirt, and it took everything inside me not to shut the door and hike up her skirt.
I shook the thought from my head. Like I said, I’d never felt this way or thought this way about a woman. I lowered myself to the tiny bunk she slept in, cherishing the warmth of the sheets and stopping my mind from diving into how hot we could make them together.
“Rick.” Sirena bent down, the close space forced her between my legs. “What are you doing down here?”
“I needed to find you.” The words sounded so stupid, so deranged, when they left my lips, but it was the truth. I shook my head. “I spent all day waiting for you to come back.” The words spilled from my lips. “I needed to find you.” The boat pitched, and she grabbed my thighs for balance. Her simple touch sent waves of pleasure coursing through my body. My thighs clenched, my stomach fell, and my dick … God! I shifted, cursing how tight my shorts felt.
“You can’t be down here. It’s not safe.”
She quickly checked the door, and then looked back at me, releasing a strand of auburn hair from the strict confines of her bun. I swept it off her face, reveling in the fact that she seemed to curl into my touch.
“Why do you wear your hair in a bun?” My fingers seemed to grow a mind of their own and started for the hidden pin I knew kept everything so tight, but Sirena grabbed my wrist, bringing my hand back to my lap.
“You have to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
She hung her head, and an ache panged from of my chest.
“Rick.” She whispered my name. “Let me get you back to the hotel. I am sure Roxy is looking for you.”
“No, she’s not.”
Sirena’s fingers dug into the fabric of my shirt, pulling me up from her bed. “You can not be down here. Not in my room.”
“Don’t trust me to be a gentleman?”
Her cheeks blushed, and I suddenly didn’t trust myself.
“It is not that.”
“Then you don’t trust yourself?” I slid my hands on top of hers and felt everything that made me a man roar to life. The wave of euphoria was overwhelming, like I was instantly drunk and desperate for more.
“I have to get you some fresh air.” She slipped my arm around her neck and hauled me up, cracking my head on the small bunk space above.
“Ouch, they really expect two of you to live in here?”
Sirena opened the door, sticking her head out before answering me. “Apparently.”
“You say that like you don’t know.”
“This is my first time on the surface.”
I swayed on my feet, nearly pulling us back into the room and onto the bed. “What do you mean on the surface?”
“Sorry. Como se dice…?” She shook her head. “Serving! My first time serving on the boat.”
Her cheeks stained a beautiful crimson color, and I instantly wondered what color they would blush when I made her come. I reared back, whacking my head on the roof of the cabin. “Ouch.”
“You need fresh air.” She yanked me through the door. “You can’t be in such close quarters with me right now,” she muttered.
“What?” I rubbed the back of my head. “Sirena.” I pulled free from her grip and braced myself with the wall. “What the hell is going on?”
She stole a quick look down the hall. “Nothing.” Her furrowed eyebrows told a different story.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“No never.” She waved for me to follow her, and when I didn’t, she bounced on her toes, practically begging me to comply, willing to say anything to get me to leave.
Something inside me snapped.
“Sirena.” My voice finally sounded more like the person Roxy and the girls were warning me I was becoming. “I’m serious. Don’t lie to me.”
“Why do you care?”
I almost preferred her anxious bounce to follow to the still way she stood in the hall. I wanted to take back the tone. Not the words, but the tone.
“Sirena.” I reached for her hand, but she pulled it just out of my reach before folding her arms across her body. “Why do I feel like I’m missing something?”
“You are not missing anything, except the fact that you are not supposed to be down here. Please leave.” She pointed to the stairs.
I stood there, not sure what had happened or why she seemed so afraid. It was an alarm beyond being reprimanded by fuck-face Tiki; her fear was near panic. And that pissed me off.
“Fine.” I grabbed her hand and tugged her into me. I wasn’t surprised when she fit perfectly, filling all those empty spaces I hadn’t known were aching until she was in them. “On one condition.”
She shook her head.
“Then I’m not leaving.”
Sirena’s eyes flared and maybe even wobbled a little when she stopped shaking her head so hard.
“One condition.” I held up my finger and pulled her in closer to me with my other hand. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“Fine.”
I didn’t like how calm her voice was or how easy her agreement came. She huffed out a pained laugh at my expense.
“You’re on charter tonight.” She pushed against my chest, probably urging me up the stairs. “We’re taking you to Mosquito Bay, remember?”
I stood there blinking like a first-class asshole. How could I forget? My blood ran cold. My headstrong little sister was going to get her wish tonight. My hold on Sirena loosened, and she quickly slipped out of my arms, taking a few extra steps back that would have made me wonder about my skills as a master wooer if I wasn’t terrified about my sister and h
er friends diving.
“I’m sorry, Sirena.” I cleared my throat. “I shouldn’t have bothered you at work.” I started up the staircase, pausing only a second when her shoulders seemed to dip. Maybe disappointment, most likely relief.
“I’ll see you tonight. No need for dinner.” The fresh air hit me like a punch in the face. I’d been chasing this poor girl all over the boat, all over town, practically accosting her every chance I could get my hands on her when I should have been focused on the most important thing in my life … keeping my baby sister out of the water.
I walked down the gangplank, giving Luca a nod when I passed him on the dock, and headed back to the Tres Sirenas.
“Stop it, Rick,” Roxy warned one last time.
I knew it was the last time because she held up a finger with the same no-more-bullshit look in her eye Mom used to pull out when we’d pushed her too far. Only problem was Mom wouldn’t have wanted me to stop. She would have wanted me to fight to the bloody end to keep Roxy out of the water.
Roxy dropped her dive gear and walked up into my space, the dock adding an extra bounce in her ticked-off stride. She wrapped her fingers in my t-shirt and gave it a good shake. “I get it. I don’t mean to be a bitch—”
“Yes you do.”
A smile tipped the corner of her lip. “Okay, usually, yes, but not today. Not right now. I need to do this, Rick. I need to be where she was. I don’t know why. And, yes, I know it probably won’t give me the closure I need, but Ricky, haven’t you ever felt the pull of something so strong, so much bigger than anything you could rationally explain?”
I closed my eyes and allowed the flash of Sirena’s face behind my lids. “Yes,” I answered before I could think to say no.
Roxy’s grip on my t-shirt loosened. I knew the look that would be waiting for me when I opened my eyes. Rox and I were close before Mom’s death, after … it was like we shared a brain. It was awesome in the beginning when both of us were drowning and too stubborn to call out for help. Since, it was damn annoying because the girl saw through every bullshit façade and didn’t have the common courtesy to leave it be. Just like I knew she wouldn’t leave this be either.
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