by Nas Magkasi
“But how will you live if - ”
“Domenico, we don’t have much time left. I’m going to die.”
Domenico felt helpless. Zannan was bleeding too much no matter how much he pressed on the wound with his balled up shirt.
“You have to find Mistico. She’s been turned into a siren, but the potion hasn’t taken effect yet. You have until sundown to concoct the cure. Luckily, it’s one of the spells I’ve memorized, the Reverse Cure. It’s quite simple, so memorize this. Take a grated dragon’s foot, ginger root, a dash of curcuma and mix it with a vial of the blood of whatever they’ve been turned into. In this case, you need the blood of one of the beasts. She’s alone in Adriana’s house now. I have all the ingredients in my house except for the blood, so take her there.”
“Okay,” Domenico replied. “And don’t worry. I have the ingredients memorized. I’ll tell Mistico everything. You’re a brave wizard. I’ve always thought so. We owe our lives to you.”
Zannan grasped onto Domenico’s arm. Tears rolled down his wrinkled cheeks.
“Tell her that her father loves her, and that I’m sorry. If I hadn’t been so set against magic I would still be alive and be with her. You have to take care of her now. Can you promise me you’ll do that?”
“Yes,” Domenico replied softly. “Of course I will.”
“Thank you, son. I’m sorry that I can’t be more help.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing more than I can do?”
Zannan’s eyes have already closed. With a bloodied hand, Domenico checked for a heartbeat. Zannan was definitely dead. He carried him up farther away from the battle, and then ran back to join the men in their fight.
He still had the knife that he pulled from Zannan’s back.
While there were fewer sirens and fewer villagers in this battle, it wasn’t long for blood to be shed.
Uncle Gio was high up on one of the monster’s legs, cutting deep into the leg, trying to handicap the beast as a beast did to him ten years ago.
Domenico never got to learn how to climb mountains, or monsters for that matter, but Uncle Gio had stepped in as his father figure and taught himself how to climb trees after his father’s death. His plan was the same as his father’s had been: climb one of them, blind them, slit their throats, stab their hearts – whatever he could do to hit them where it hurt and kill them without mercy. He would die trying.
All the pent up rage and frustration from ten years of hatred was unleashed as he charged for the attack. He didn’t know which one had been the one pretending to be Adriana as they both looked identical, but it didn’t matter because he wanted to kill them both.
He climbed up one of the skinny furry legs, where most men managed to climb without too much trouble, and then proceeded onto the body, where it was much more difficult to grasp because of the slippery skin. He did what his father did in the first battle: slicing open thick flaps of skin and clinging on. Slowly, he made his way up the beast. While the beast’s hands flapped, Domenico had to duck several times and jump down from one skin flap to another, then make his way back up again.
The monster had unsteady control of its body while Domenico was fast and agile. His anger fueled him. How much he hated sirens even more now. They destroyed everybody he loved, and one had made him a lovesick fool, playing his devotion to Adriana against him. He felt so stupid, but he would make sure it was the sirens who ended up feeling the pain in the end. The rage poured out of him like molten lava. To think he almost got married to the thing he most hated in the world!
In no time, he reached the beast’s shoulder. For a brief second, he felt as if he was standing on the shoulder of a giant, which he was, and he had a great view of the hill of houses. Mistico was up there, at the very top, and the sooner he finished the job, the sooner he could save her. He climbed up to the monster’s head and gouged one of the giant black pupils with a knife. He kept stabbing. Gooey liquid poured out.
He moved to the other eye and did the same. A claw came up and he jumped to the earhole. For good measure, he stabbed into the eardrum a few times as well.
The monster’s roar almost sent Domenico tumbling back, but he held on and slid down to the neck. As thick as its hide was, he would keep stabbing until the monster fell. His sore arms persisted with his will to kill.
Finally, it happened. The monster roared for the last time, then began to crash down onto the sand.
“Everybody back away!” Domenico yelled.
Unfortunately one of the men didn’t run fast enough and the monster crushed him. He joined the other dead bloodied and mangled men on the shore. It was the same old story.
The monster fell forward and Domenico had to run to its back to avoid falling himself. When the thing was down, sand blasted from all sides. He jumped down the monster’s corpse with his mouth covered.
With no time to lose, Domenico ran toward the other monster to finish the job.
How Maj detested the humans. Wizards too. Maybe even demons. Everyone except sirens, really. Sirens were the only species she could trust.
Mer was gone, and who else was there now? That dull wizard’s daughter who didn’t even want to be one of them?
She’d seen the human, Domenico, the man she was supposed to wed just moments ago. She’d watched with horror as he slayed her sister dead and now he was coming for her too. At least the wizard was dead. One less thing to worry about.
She had already killed many men and she wanted to stick around and taste them. She was long overdue for some Tetro human flesh, and deserved it too. If only she could kill Domenico, but it was difficult when she transformed into a monster. Even after nearly a week’s practice of being on two legs, being a monster proved to be tougher still. The legs were much too skinny to navigate and the body was bloated. She had eyes that stared from each side of the head and her hands were useless.
Humans, as puny as they were, had control of their limbs and they had the capability of running fast and striking with strength. She was already bleeding from several places. She had at least grabbed a hold of that Gio and bit off his other leg, before tossing him into her beak and swallowing him for good.
Yes, he had been quite the feast, but then she remembered that the demon had wanted his soul too, and now he was dead. Rats. That meant Gio would go to heaven.
The demon was going to kill her! What was she going to do? How would she face him, and worst of all, Persephone?
And there was no way that Domenico was going to marry her now.
She wobbled to the waters, Domenico hot on her trail, then transformed back into the lovely siren that she was most comfortable being.
She swam away. When she was at a good distance, she turned to look back at him.
At first it seemed as if he wanted to jump in and swim after her, but realization crossed his face: no matter how fast he swam, he would never catch up with her. They both knew that.
She cackled, making backstrokes, flipping her tail happily.
“Goodbye, my love!” She blew him a kiss. “Too bad our marriage couldn’t work out. I was so looking forward to having you as my husband. We would’ve made the most lovely couple”
“You ugly, evil beast!” His entire body shook with rage and his knife dripped with siren blood. “I killed your sister and I’ll kill you if that’s the last thing I do!”
“How are you ever going to find me?” she taunted. “If you want to kill a siren, how about that other girlfriend of yours. What’s her name?”
She cackled again.
Domenico kicked the sand, and she ducked in the water.
As fun as that was, she had to face the demon soon. She’d have to explain them her failure and everything that happened. Who knew what kind of price she would have to pay for not getting some measly human souls?
Chapter Nine
Domenico watched the raven-haired siren swim away. He didn’t know whom he hated more – her or himself. He had let her get away. He had almost married her - the sir
en who had killed his father. He was to blame, for being too stupid.
Tetro was in tatters. Half the men were dead. Wives husbandless and children fatherless once more. Domenico didn’t know whether the town would ever recover. So many women were crying over the bodies of their beloved. Some of the men were unrecognizable from being crushed or partly eaten. Blood and guts were everywhere and Domenico had a déjà vu from ten years ago. How long would the sand be stained with blood again?
If only he’d killed both of the sirens. At least then, he would have peace.
Nobody could help him now. Zannan was dead. It was true what the siren had said. How would he ever find her?
Some women had died as well. Adriana’s mother was too drunk to get away fast enough, and she was flattened, along with a few elderly woman who came to the wedding.
Gio was dead too, his only living relative. But Domenico didn’t have time to shed tears for them. He had to save Mistico.
He searched the bodies and found a water bottle that he immediately emptied. Running back to the slain siren he filled the bottle with the dark thick blood leaking from one of its wounds. He closed the bottle and shoved it in his pant pocket.
He sprang to the top of the hill to Adriana’s house, running past the villagers who were going the opposite way – down the hill with supplies to help the injured, to separate the living from the dead.
Domenico was tired from the fighting, and running up the steep hill to the very top left him breathless. Perhaps he was afraid too of what he would find. Would Mistico have a tail and a new evil personality? Then he would have no choice but to kill her.
Tears welled up in his eyes again. What was meant to be the happiest day of his life turned into the worst, and he never thought that was possible after the first siren battle.
He pulled the front door open without knocking. Broken dishes were everywhere and cobwebs were on every corner of the ceiling. The house had taken on a dark, lonely energy. It used to have such a loving atmosphere. He and Adriana would play in the gardens, or play checkers by the fireplace when it was raining. His mother used to be kind, the complete opposite of the raging alcoholic she had become in the years to come. She often brought out cookies or other desserts for the children. Sometimes, she even played checkers with them. Adriana had loved her so much.
When he thought of Adriana now, his memory of her was now tainted by the new ones from the imposter. How wretched they were.
He had to cure Mistico.
“Hello?” he called out. “Mistico? Are you here?”
No one answered. He checked all the rooms and came to the one at the end of the hall. Adriana’s bedroom. Mistico was in a rocking chair, muttering to herself.
“Mistico!” Domenico kneeled at her feet. “What did they do to you?”
She looked up at him, her eyes blank of any recognition.
“It’s me,” he said. “Domenico.”
“Domenico,” she repeated. Her lips curled into a dreamy smile, and a shine came back into her eyes after a few seconds. “Oh, yes, Domenico. I know you. I often dream of you”
Encouraged, he asked again. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m sitting in a chair,” she said slowly. “But I’m so thirsty. I need water. I need the sea. Take me to the sea.”
He looked down at her legs. He had to lift up her dress to see. There was no tail, but her skin was starting to have a green tint.
She was definitely turning. He began to lift her so he could take her to Zannan’s house
“They took me to her,” she said.
“Who?”
“The most beautiful woman. Eyes like diamonds. Her whole being shining.”
“Was she a siren?” he asked.
“No. A goddess. A fallen goddess. More beautiful than anything…Persephone. She sat me down and asked me a few questions. She asked me whether I was happy. I said no. She asked me if I’d like to be someone else. Stupidly, I said yes. I didn’t know why or how I got there, but the castle was so lovely. Everything made out of diamonds. The table and chairs, the chandelier. Diamonds dripped from her hair, her eyes, her neck, her wrists. Everything shimmered with a dazzling light. Even the glass she held in her hand. She offered me a drink. She was so gracious, and of course I was seduced, so I drank it. I thought it was wine. Then I heard them laughing, these two sirens, but I couldn’t see them. They could’ve killed me, but they brought me to her.”
“So that’s how they turned you? They need to go to Persephone?”
“Yes. Without her, they don’t have that much power. It takes seven days for the potion to work. It’s the seventh day and I’m going to transform soon.”
Mistico cried into Domenico’s arms.
“I’ll have to leave you and Father. I’m going to become a monster.”
“No! We’re going to cure you. Your father gave me the cure before he died.”
“My father? He’s dead?”
He sighed. He shouldn’t have told her like that.
“I’m sorry Mistico. They killed him, the two sirens. But one of them is dead and the other escaped. I’m so sorry.”
Mistico cried. Such a hollow sound that filled Domenico with more sorrow than ever before. He lifted her up and told her they were going to Zannan’s house.
“I know exactly where he lives,” she said. “It’s invisible to you, but there’s a trick. Just find the red mushroom and press on it three times. Then you’ll be able to see it. I’ll show you where it is when we get in the forest.”
As he ran down the hill, Mistico told him exactly what had happen to Adriana, the real Adriana.
“The sirens told me to upset me. Adriana had been arguing with her mother one afternoon. Her mother had been drunk again and wanted to beat her. Adriana ran, and before she reached the well, her mother had caught up with her and pushed her. She pushed Adriana down the well by accident, however. She died instantly.
“The mother was the one who closed down the well, saying there was a water contamination that made her sick. Since there’s two other wells in the village, nobody minded. Nobody really liked climbing to the well on the top of the hill anyway. Otherwise we would’ve investigated it. When the siren inhabited the corpse, she had some fun with the mother. She thought she was going crazy to see her dead daughter coming back to haunt her. The mother was so drunk all the time that she questioned whether Adriana died in the first place.”
“Her drinking got her killed too,” Domenico said. “One of the monsters stepped on her.”
“It’s sad,” said Mistico.
“The whole town is in a sad state,” said Domenico, and quickly regretted it. “I’m sorry. I know I should make you feel better right now.”
“Don’t be,” said Mistico. “The world is a cruel place. That’s what Father used to say all the time. The world was a cruel place and he wanted no part in it.”
It felt nice to be in Domenico’s arms, pressed against his hard chest and smelling his warm musk. In her dreamy state, she almost told him how much she loved him. She knew this wasn’t the time or place, but she couldn’t help it. She was madly in love with him and she hoped she could be cured so she wouldn’t have to leave him when he and the town had to suffer through recovering after another siren battle.
“The world doesn’t have to be a cruel place,” Domenico whispered to her. “If we still have one person to love.”
He was staring straight ahead, but she could tell that was his way of saying he cared about her too.
“I’m sorry about everything that happened,” Mistico said.
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “You tried to warn me, but I wouldn’t listen. I was so desperate for Adriana to be alive that I was blind to other love that was around me. I was so foolish. Can you ever forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive. That siren tricked you. She tricked me too. She tricked the whole village. We’re no match for demon tricks. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Domenic
o didn’t answer. He just continued to stare straight ahead.
They reached the forest and Mistico gave him the directions to the red mushroom. She could see the house already, but he pressed on the mushroom three times and it was revealed.
After hurrying inside, Domenico placed Mistico in a chair and began searching for the ingredients. Her father’s house was always clean and organized because he spent all of his time in and around the house. He cleaned when he was bored, and liked to have things neatly arranged on the shelf.
“Dragon’s foot…ginger….curcuma…” Domenico muttered.
Without much trouble he found the ginger and curcuma in the kitchen, but he didn’t know what a grated dragon’s food would look like.
“Try the study,” Mistico suggested. “He still has a bunch of bottles and things he saved for medicinal purposes.”
Sure enough, after scanning the row of bottles above Zannan’s desk, he found one marked “Dragon’s foot”. It was a black powder.
Domenico hurried back in the kitchen and began mixing the ingredients in a bowl and stirred in the blood he poured out of the water bottle.
“I’m sorry that this is so vile,” he said, after sniffing the concoction.
He handed her the bowl. Mistico plugged her nose and swallowed the contents down with two gulps.
“Yuck,” she shuddered as the disgusting mixture went down her throat.
“How do you feel?” Domenico asked her.
Mistico didn’t answer. Her skin was getting hotter and hotter. Sweat ran from her temples.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t feel so good. I –”
Before she could finish her sentence, she hurled and passed out.
Chapter 10
Maj swam across the sea to Greece. She wasn’t as smart as Mer, but she knew that she would have to face Persephone and the demon sometime. If she showed up sooner rather later she might face a lighter punishment.
