by KB Benson
“Okay, so mermaids are like you. On your days off, do you bask in the sun and sing nonstop under the water?” I have no idea where my lightheartedness has come from, but Iris’ expression relaxes as she realizes I’m not grabbing the burning torches and pitchforks yet.
Iris cocks an eyebrow at me. “Not even close. At least not in my clan. We all have a role, even the clan leader’s daughter. Even me.” My mouth drops before Iris continues. “That’s why I’m stationed here, to lure the prey into the water.”
“So, you’re basically a princess?” I can’t help myself.
“Hardly,” Iris says. “Damion would never offer me any type of claim to his throne. Damion’s my father. Whatever you’d like to imagine as a siren, if they’re monsters, then you’re probably right.” Disgust fills Iris’ voice. “With each death, I’m ripped apart a little bit further. It shouldn’t be that way; I’m supposed to be fearless, but I’m not. Something is wrong with me.”
I gently pull her hands into mine. “Iris, nothing is wrong with you—not because you choose to have a heart.”
We sit in silence for a few minutes soaking in the conversation.
“How could you sit so still in Mythology never saying anything about your own history?” I ask, unable to halt my curiosity.
“I did. Remember, I didn’t want to do sirens for that stupid project.”
“Ah, yeah that makes sense now.”
“The myth reminds me of who I am and why I do what I do. It was because of a foolish man my mother was killed by her own husband.” Iris fumes.
“Odysseus?” I mutter.
Iris’ eyes flash black at the sound of his name and once again the danger of her nature peaks within her. “I’ve always done what has been expected of me because I wanted to make my mother proud, make her see I could fit in with the clan. And now not only am I an outcast as the seeker, but the entire clan is abandoning me. They’re pilfering the supply on the coast, moving on, and leaving me here to rot. Well, to hell with them. They’re abandoning me? Me? After all I’ve done for them? I’d like to see them try.”
“What would you do?” I hesitate. I’ve never seen Iris this angry before; and while a part of me is frozen in fear, the other part encourages this dark rage to turn against this evil she calls her clan.
Iris’ eyes darken again. “It’s not over yet, Jace. This is so far from over.”
“What do you mean? There’s already been a massacre; what more could there be?”
“Damion wants you. Not even hundreds of other souls will satisfy his thirst for your blood to run deep in his ocean. This massacre alone has proved that.”
I swallow heavily. “Me? Why me?”
“You’re the only person to ever have control over one of his sirens. You’re the only person I’ve ever loved.”
Despite everything, my chest swells. Iris loves me. “Couldn’t you just stop? Stop… killing people?” I ask, hopeful.
“How?” Her anger subsides into defeat. “Was I supposed to choose humans over my family? How could I make that choice? I’ve been chosen as the seeker to find food for my clan. If I disappeared, so would their supply. They can’t come on land like I can,” she whispers.
“Can’t they eat fish? That’s protein.”
“They can survive on it, but it’s like eating a cardboard box. Besides, it rarely lasts long enough. It usually only satisfies them for a day or so. A big catch of fish might last one siren for a month, but that’s hardly enough. I’m all they have. If I stop, they’d die out or send a more ruthless seeker to replace me.”
I know Iris is upset with the clan, after all, they just massacred hundreds at the beach and tried to kill her; but it’s clear how her heart breaks with each word that passes through her lips. They may be monsters but they are her monsters, and I think deep down she knows she doesn’t belong with them anymore.
“Iris?” I look into her bloodshot eyes and pause. The fear of saying what I want out loud lingers heavy on my tongue.
“Yes?”
“Is it true? Are you dying?”
Silence.
My heart sinks to my stomach. Iris’ silence is answer enough.
“What can I do?”
Iris presses her thinning lips together, wrinkles pulling at the tight skin. “You can do nothing.”
Chapter 33
IRIS
Clouds cover the night sky, blanketing the stars in a film of white reflecting the sheen of the moon. I snuggle down against the base of my tree, scrunching the blanket Jace went and got for me closer to my chin. How could everything get so completely ruined? For once in my life I have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to do or who I’m supposed to be. I guess when you’re a mythological creature that’s been alive for thousands of years it’s bound to end somewhere.
Jace holds me close to him, my body fitting perfectly into the arc of his. One of his hands gently strokes my bare arm as he drifts to sleep while his other thumb brushes softly against my neck, against my mark.
Any pride I had left disappeared as I’d confessed to Jace—the only human I’d ever told—of my ‘betrayal’ to the clan and the shame of my banishment to land. My mark is proof of Damion’s disgrace and a sign to all others of my disloyalty. He’d forced me to drink a serum of his own making—one that made it possible for me to walk on land with legs and impossible to ever return to the ocean with my full, beautiful tail.
Lying in Jace’s arms, I almost forget that tomorrow I’ll have to deal with what I’ve done. My eyelids grow heavy as though someone stitches them shut each time I blink; but if I fall asleep, then I’ll have to wake in the morning. Jace’s movements slow with each passing minute. His fingers trail across my neck, calming my strained nerves with his touch. Where his skin meets mine, I feel peace. The rest of my body is drying up in every literal sense.
I take a deep breath and the air scrapes its way down my throat and sets my lungs on fire. “Ah,” I gasp, clutching at my throat and trying not to wake Jace. The skin on my neck crinkles and peels at my touch. When I pull my hands away, quarter-sized pieces of dried skin brush off. I try to suck in small wisps of air which spark in my throat but are at least manageable.
I thought dying was supposed to be quicker than this. When Mother was killed it was in a matter of minutes. Perhaps it’s because Jace is still here with me, still a possibility of becoming the feast, I am slowly withering away instead of blinking out of existence. It’s harder this way; I constantly have to remake my decision to keep the terrible truth a secret. Even now, if Jace dies, I’ll live. If he lives, I’ll surely die.
I close my eyes, resigning to drift off to sleep, knowing at any moment I might not wake up. This death, this plague that is my existence, is consuming me; and soon I won’t be able to outrun it.
All too soon light warms the back of my eyelids, promising a restful summer day—a promise I know won’t be fulfilled. I curl deeper into Jace’s side, attempting to ignore the daylight. If I ignore it, it will go away. Blades of dewy grass tickle my cheek as I press my face farther into the ground and farther away from the light. I breathe in the scent of the earth—damp soil mixed with the fresh scent of renewal.
Jace strokes my arm again, picking up exactly where he left off last night. I avoid the day as long as possible, but ultimately I must face the precipice of what I’ve done, of who I am. I roll over and let the beams of sunlight break through my lashes. The light burns my eyes as I push myself into a seated position against the tree and try to focus on Jace.
“Hey, there.”
“Hi,” I croak, my raspy voice drudging up the fire I’d inhaled the night before. Reflexively, my hand goes to my throat, small flecks of flesh dusting away at my touch.
“Iris, are you feeling okay?” Jace brushes my cheek, my aged, crumbling body delicately folding like tissue paper against his touch. Fear ripples in his eyes. “Iris, your skin.”
His hand leaves my cheek and gently lifts a piece of dull, muddy grey hair. A pit
grows in my stomach—I can hardly believe it’s mine and I know what’s happening. I’m transforming, disintegrating in front of my prey.
“This is because of me,” Jace whispers, dropping my hair.
“Of course it’s not,” I say without hesitation.
“You don’t need to lie. Demonas—”
“Demonas was wrong,” I cut him off. This is one part of my existence I’ll always keep secret from him. He can’t know I’m dying because he lives.
“Too many people have heard my song and lived.” The grate of my voice covers up the lie. “They’ve all heard my song—it’s either me or them. Although the connection will hopefully wear off soon, I’m still imprisoned by those humans who heard it.”
Jace’s resolve disintegrates in front of me. How is he supposed to keep me alive if he thinks that means killing hundreds of others? He isn’t; that’s why I lie. A stabbing pain shoots through my heart or where my heart should be. At this point, I feel like it’s just a gaping black hole, sucking in any sort of life that will pay it any attention and destroying it.
The truth is it’s only him. If Jace dies, I’ll live.
I think of how Damion could save me from the natural laws that cause a siren’s death from her own song, but he won’t. We made a deal, one I couldn’t follow through on. He would never show mercy to a traitor and especially to one so consumed by weakness. And he’d branded me as such the moment I lost my prey to Cadencia’s death. All these years he’s used me and I just let him. And now…
…if Jace lives, then I will die.
A ragged breath escapes my lips, turning into a torturous cough shredding my throat. I turn away from Jace, embarrassed by what I’ve become—a shriveled raisin on the brink of her grave. Soon the dry hacking turns thick as my own silver blood sprays my arm.
“Iris, what can I do?” Panic and fear weave throughout his voice. His eyes widen with my blood, but he doesn’t comment on the fact that my blood looks like hundreds of thousands of stars twinkling in the daylight.
“Water,” I whisper between the hacking coughs. Without a second thought, Jace sweeps me up in his arms and rushes the two of us over to the only drinking fountain sitting at the edge of Derby Park.
He lowers his arms to hold me just above the fountain’s mouthpiece. I raise a withered hand to hold my hair back as Jace presses the metal button. Cool, refreshing water pours from the spout and I slurp it up as fast as inhumanely possible. I try to savor it, but it numbs my aching throat; and I feel like a wild beast attacking my prey. Water sloshes around the drinking fountain. When I’ve had my fill, Jace gently sets me on the lush, green grass, the tips of my hair dripping a watered down red onto the palms of my hands nestled in my lap, blood of the victims.
“Better?” Jace asks softly when I’ve had a moment to compose myself.
“Much,” I whisper, attempting to subdue the burning flame in my throat. “Thank you.”
Jace nods and then fills a cupped hand with water. He gently lifts my arm, now spattered in my own blood, and lets the water run over the glistening smears. He gets another handful of water and softly rubs my arm until the blood has washed away. I watch as he takes care of me—why does he take care of me? He knows what I am, he knows I’m a murderer, and now he knows I couldn’t chase him down if he ran, so why does he stay?
After a few minutes of silence, Jace speaks. “You said your dad is like the king, right?”
I nod. “The leader, but practically the same thing.”
“Well, if he’s all powerful, there’s got to be something he can do to save you. Can’t we work with Damion? You’re his daughter after all.”
“Jace, he’s not like that. Mr. Demonas is more of a father to me than Damion. The only way for me to survive is if Damion chooses to show me mercy, and he won’t.”
“You don’t know that.” Jace’s voice betrays his defeat.
“No, if there is one thing I know to be true, this is it. When he was called as the successor to lead the clan, he was forced into power. And it consumed him. All he has left is power, and he’ll do anything to protect it. Damion wouldn’t even show my mother mercy. He would rather her die, me die, than show a weakness to the clan such as mercy.” I take a deep breath, pulling myself up to the fountain again to swallow another long gulp of water. “Damion summoned me during school a few weeks back. I came to the ocean to meet him—that’s when you saw me jump off the dock.”
“I knew it,” Jace interrupts. At least now he knows he’s not crazy.
“You were right. I’m sorry I had to lie to you; it was just too risky to let you know anything about me and the ocean. Damion told me he wanted you and it was time for me to bring you in. He was shocked I hadn’t sang my song for you yet. I told Damion I would do better, I would bring you to the ocean and finish the job. He didn’t believe me, and I guess he was right not to.
“On my return to shore, I saw my sister, Asthen, pulling away deeper into the depths of the feeding ground with prey in tow. I hadn’t brought anyone to the beach with me, so I swam closer to see who she’d caught on her own. And it was you. I couldn’t let you die, so I pulled you away from her and brought you back to the beach. That’s when I knew I would never be able to bring you back to the ocean because I’d fallen in love with you. I couldn’t do it.”
“Thank you,” Jace whispers. “For protecting me.”
“I have to. I love you.”
Jace raises his hand and cups my cheek. “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, inside and out. I’ve been in love with you since the day I saw you, and it’s not just because you’re a siren or because you wanted me to love you. It’s because I fell in love with the real you.”
I smile at Jace. Today would have been perfect if we were just two humans sitting beneath an oak tree on a sunny day. Just as the thought crosses my mind, a chill seeps through my skin as clouds cover the sun.
“Jace? I need to go back to the beach.”
“You want to go back there? Why?”
“I need to finish this with Damion. After all, this is my fight, not yours, not the humans.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Iris. You aren’t well. Maybe we should wait for you to get some of your strength back,” Jace says.
“I won’t be getting my strength back, Jace. I’m as strong today as I will ever be, and I’m the only one who can fix this. I need to go to the beach—with or without your help.”
Using all my strength, I push myself up from the drinking fountain step. I stumble and almost hit my chin on the fountain, but my dried, withered hand catches me just before I collapse. Taking another tortured breath, I push myself into a crouched, crippled position. I manage to shuffle my foot forward a few inches before resting it back on the dewy grass and testing my balance. Lifting my other foot, I try to set it in front of the first, but my view suddenly tips and turns sideways. I see myself falling more than I feel it. Just before I hit the ground, Jace catches me and helps me back onto my feet.
“You can’t do this on your own, Iris.”
“But I have to do this.”
“Then I’m here to help you. I don’t agree with you going back there, but I’ll help you.”
Chapter 34
JACE
It takes us longer than usual to make it to Davenport Beach. Iris wants to walk so I sling her arm across my shoulders and carry most of her weight as we make our way to the far end of the beach.
We take a lot of breaks along the way. When Iris needs to rest, I sit her down on the curb or help her lean against a window sill. Each time we pass a convenience store, Iris rests and I run inside and get a few water bottles. It’s surprising how fast she goes through them.
The last mile of our trek Iris’ legs completely give out. I carry her as she nestles her face into my neck. As my feet move from pavement to sand, Iris’ body jostles and she slips down from her perch in my arms. Police tape lines the south end of the beach where the massacre happened, not knowing the
culprits are likely watching us from a distance beneath the waves.
When Iris’ feet hit the sand of the barren beach and she can hear the waves of the ocean, energy pours through her body. She stumbles across the sand, unwilling to wait for me. She trips and falls a few times but continues to pull herself toward the ocean on her knees. She can’t get far so I let her go and watch.
This section of the beach is barren, the sand where the waves collide with the shore stained red from blood. The ocean looks normal, but the stench of blood and carnage lingers in the air. When Iris reaches the waves, she sits and lets them crash into her legs.
“Why?” She screams over the rolling waves, tears bursting from her eyes again. I inch my way toward Iris, toward the ocean. The closer I get, the more her body glistens wherever the ocean spray touches her skin. Glittering scales paint her arms and legs. I edge closer for a better view. How have I never noticed this before?
Iris is oblivious to my encroaching presence. My fingers brush the back of her arm, the discreet feathers attached to her scales tickling my skin. Iris whips around.
“Get away,” she hisses, her eyes darkening. “Get away from the water!” She shoves me away from the waves, away from her with a lot more force than I thought she’d be capable of in her weakened state. I stumble backward onto the sand, unable to hide my shock.
Iris mumbles incoherently as though an argument ensues in her mind. She holds her head in her hands. “No! You won’t,” she shouts. “Get out. Get out!”
Is she screaming at me? I’m not in the water; I stand a couple feet away from where its crest peaks on the sand. Iris flips her body harshly around and tries to pull herself from the waves. Her toes dig into the sand and her outstretched hands grasp at clumps in front of her. Rushing to her side, I gently lifting her to her feet. She leans on me and her face falls in exhaustion.
