The Harvest: Call of the Sirens Book One

by KB Benson

  He looks nothing like Iris. His blonde hair bright against his dark skin, his eyes so blue they almost glow. His face is set in a stern and angry expression to complement the muscles bulging across his biceps and torso. I totally understand why the other sirens seek his approval. Sucking up is a much better option than getting on his bad side. Pride swells within my chest for Iris. She stood up to Damion despite his obvious power.

  “Why do you come here, Jace Jacobsen?” Damion’s voice thunders through the cavern, deeper than I would have expected.

  I keep my answers short and to the point. The last thing I need is to bore him to death. My death. Any moment he could decide I’d make a better feast than an offer. “To make a deal with you.”

  “Regarding my daughter, I presume.”

  I nod, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. Why do I suddenly feel like this was a very bad idea? “Your daughter is dying.”

  Damion meets my words with a deep laugh from his belly. The water around me bubbles with the laughter of the other sirens watching just below the surface. I shouldn’t have assumed they’d actually left.

  “My daughter? Of course she is dying.” Damion chuckles again, a cynical, malicious expression residing on his face. “That’s what happens when you betray your clan: you are cast out, forgotten. My daughter? She is a traitor and deserves this fate.” Damion chuckles again, but I interrupt him before his laughter consumes him.

  “She doesn’t deserve to die,” I say boldly.

  Damion’s chuckles stop abruptly. “Is that so? And why do you say that?”

  “Do you know how much she has done for your clan already even after you exiled her to land?”

  Anger replaces the amusement on Damion’s face as he rushes toward me. “And what do you know of what a siren is expected to do for her clan?” he growls sounding more animal than man. “She failed. She turned on us and now we’ve turned on her.” Damion turns, locking his hands behind his back, and glides away from me.

  My legs continue to tread the water, the rhythmic beating getting slower and sloppier, tiring out. “She didn’t turn on you until you had already given her up as a lost cause.”

  Damion peeks at me over his shoulder. “You love her.” It’s not a question.

  I remain silent, unsure whether that will get her into more trouble or not since a siren isn’t supposed to love.

  A sly smile spreads across Damion’s face, his eyebrows touching the corners of his hairline. He doesn’t need me to answer.

  “I have a deal for you,” I say, trying to control the direction of our conversation. “A trade for two lives: Iris’ and mine.”

  If Iris is right, Jaxon’s connection to her and her song should wear off soon because so many who heard his song died. He’s already safe. Damion wants me. And Iris is condemned because of how many humans heard her song—Jaxon’s song—and lived.

  Damion’s laugh shakes the water again. “I wouldn’t accept a hundred lives in place of your own. There is nothing you have that would ever make me consider sparing your lives.”

  “Are you sure?” I dangle the locket out of the water.

  Damion’s eyes flash as they rest on his dead wife’s hidden treasure. “Where did you get that?” he hisses.

  “Does it matter? I have it. You know what it is, I presume.” I hold my voice steady, feigning confidence. He could kill me with a single word and take the locket, if he wanted.

  “Give it to me!” Damion charges but before he’s within arm’s reach, Asthen’s flaming hair appears next to him. She touches Damion’s arm, the gentle caress halting his rampage. Anger flashes in Damion’s eyes as Asthen’s reflect the locket and sparkle with desire. She tugs on Damion’s arm until he lowers to her level and hisses in his ear. Within seconds, his contorted scowl twists into a jovial smile.

  “I like you, boy,” he says, too cheerful as Asthen slips below the inky water. “I will make this deal with you, Jace Jacobsen: The locket alone is why you are still alive. If you give me the locket… and your own soul, I will tell you how to save my daughter.”

  I didn’t expect his counteroffer to include taking my life, but I was already willing to die for Iris. Damion waits, the smug expression on his face already knowing what my answer will be. “Do we have a deal?”

  If I say no, there’s nothing stopping Damion from taking my soul this very moment. Iris would wake up, never know what happened to me, and still die herself.

  “How do I save Iris?” I ask, ignoring my own fate.

  “I take it we have a deal, then?” Damion asks.

  I nod. What other choice do I have?

  Damion’s deep laugh echoes through the cavern. “You should never make a siren fall in love, young man,” Damion scolds. “The song that kills Iris is your song. Either you die or Iris will.”

  My mind blanks at those words. Iris is dying because of me. Not because others heard Jaxon’s song and lived.

  I can’t stifle my curiosity—I have to be sure. “You mean she’s not dying because all those other people heard her song and lived?”

  Damion’s eyebrows raise in amusement. “Oh, she didn’t tell you? That is rich!”

  The water bubbles with laughter again as I resist the urge to shrink back in humiliation.

  “Each song a siren sings is different, uniquely created for a specific person. Iris’ song was made for you; and although she did not sing it directly to you, you still heard it. You are bound by her song.”

  “What about…” I gulp, “Jaxon Paylor? He heard her song and still lives.”

  “Well,” Damion brushes imaginary dust from his shoulder, “I don’t care much about that oaf. Besides, he brought hundreds of others to the feast with him... I have more important things to focus on.” Damion looks me up and down.

  “And Stewart?” I ask. Iris supposedly killed him in my place.

  “One of the sacrifices to replace you? Meaningless. Without the death of a second, Iris and I have no deal.”

  Involuntarily, I gulp again. All the deaths at the massacre paid Jaxon’s penance… not mine. I’m killing Iris.

  I think for a moment. “And you promise if I give you the locket… and my soul… you’ll save Iris’ life? You are able to do that, right?” I’m tired of the sirens playing their little game with me. This is my life, and they’re toying with me as though I’m just another pawn in this game they call an existence.

  “You question my power?” Damion roars, fire lighting behind his eyes.

  I shake my head. “Just making sure…”

  “I have the power of a thousand sirens!” Damion raises a sculpted arm as the water vibrates with the approval of the other sirens. “I have the ability to alter anything and everything within my clan!” The vibrations grow into roiling bubbles.

  Damion drops his arm into the water and it stills. Silence fills the cavern before being replaced by a whisper.

  “In return for what I ask,” he says, “I will provide you with the means to save your dear traitor.”

  “Fine.” I agree without thinking it over. “We have a deal. Now how do I save Iris?”

  The amusement falters slightly from Damion’s face, as though he didn’t expect me to accept his offer. A small amount of pride fills my chest—he isn’t in complete control.

  “Very well then.” Damion snaps his fingers and a number of heads emerge from the water, hair radiating from their heads and spreading across the surface like a net, including Asthen’s. Their heads glide along the water toward Damion. As they approach him, they bow their heads in servitude and cup their hands together, offering a small satchel. Damion takes the satchel and peeks inside before tightening the drawstring and handing it to me.

  “Iris must drink this elixir combined with a tablespoon of your own blood.” Damion looks at me hungrily as though he wishes he were the one to combine my blood with his potion. “Beware of not holding your end of the bargain, boy. The blood links Iris’ life to yours. If she drinks the cure it will do nothin
g until I have that locket and your life in my hands.”

  I nod.

  Damion’s eyes bear into mine, the evil seeping from them like ink from an exploded ballpoint pen.

  “Asthen,” he calls soothingly as Asthen’s head rises from the water. “Take the boy back to the surface.”

  Asthen dips her head toward Damion before locking her tail around my ankle again. She begins her ascent, but just before my head dips below the surface of the water, Damion whispers a final threat, his voice easily carrying across the cavern.

  “Dear boy, when your life is mine as I suspect it soon will be, you will learn to lose your insubordinate nature. Do not worry, we can be very… convincing.”

  Asthen releases me at the bottom of the shelf, the sun shining through the diffraction caused by the ocean’s surface. A part of me feels invigorated with power. I survived entering the epicenter of a siren’s clan. The victory is small since I know I’ll soon give my life up again, but for now that small victory is all I need.

  As I near the surface, I hope Iris hasn’t awakened yet. I doubt she’ll see this as a victory. Especially if she knows what Damion is taking in place of this cure, I know she’ll never drink it.

  My head breaks through the water, a wave immediately crashing over me; and I squint toward the shore. A dark smudge rests on the sand—Iris—but I can’t be positive whether she’s awake or still asleep. I pull myself with long strokes back to shore. The morning sun reflects brightly off the waves, forcing my eyes shut. At times, I keep them closed and continue to pull at the water, hoping I still swim in the same direction. Before too long, my feet dig into the mud and seaweed on the shelf and I climb out of the water, trying to splash as little as possible.

  I walk down the beach to where the dark silhouette lies on the sand and see Iris still curled up on her side just as I’d left her. She is shriveling away to nothing, like a starfish baking in the sand. I can’t help but think how easy her bones would snap if she tried to put any weight on them. The picture in my mind is grotesque. Water drips from my body and pools at my feet. Iris can’t know where I’ve been; I can’t tell her what’s happened otherwise she’ll stop me.

  I hesitate leaving Iris alone but another few minutes won’t hurt. I sneak along the edge of the beach and slip behind a large tree. Damion said I need blood. I lift up my shirt, a stinging sensation rippling down my side from the cut where the siren fed my blood to her clan. I pick at the raw, puckered skin until the wound widens. Blood streams down my side and I place the satchel at my hip to catch it as it drips from my body. I add what I think is a tablespoon’s worth then cinch the satchel up and shake it. I press my wet shirt against the wound again, blood absorbing into the cotton.

  Staring at the blue sky, I take a deep breath. I’m going to miss this. I’m going to miss free will. I’m going to miss my mom. A pit sinks in my stomach. My mom.

  I dig my cell out of my pocket and dial her number. I can’t leave without saying goodbye.

  “Hello?” my mom’s tired voice cracks through the phone.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Oh, sweetheart! Are you alright?”

  “Oh yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to call and check in. Where are you guys?”

  “We’re almost home—maybe another six hours.”

  “Cool.” Not cool. In six hours, my life will be over. The urge to hug my mom blindsides me. I briefly remember past hugs: when I scraped my knee falling off my bike as a kid, her hugs and kisses healed it; when Peter stormed out of the house the first time after they were married, my hugs held her together; when my dad died and neither of us could’ve gone on without the other. I’m going to miss her…

  “I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, too, sweetie. I’ll see you soon.”

  I click the phone off and drop it next to the tree. This is it.

  I step out from my hiding place, Iris not having moved an inch. I try not to think how each step I take toward saving Iris is a step I take toward ending my own life. Questions race through my mind—if Damion owns my soul, will I go to an afterlife? Or will I just cease to exist?

  When I reach Iris, I kneel next to her head, setting the cure in a divot of sand. I gently scoop her head off the ground and rest it in my lap. Her body is as light as a feather. She feels so empty, so fragile, like a dried autumn leaf. Her eyelids crack with withered flakes of skin.

  “Iris,” I whisper, her eyelashes barely fluttering. That’s enough for me to know there’s still a breath of life in her somewhere. “Iris, I have something to help you. I need you to sit up, though.”

  As gently as I can, I pull Iris’ wilting body up onto mine so her back rests against my chest, her head lolling to one side. I press the edge of the satchel against Iris’ bottom lip and tip it up just enough for the cure to cool the thin skin. Within a second Iris’ lips part, a small intake of breath and then she drinks.

  Maybe deep down she knows what this is, her body knows this will help her survive. I tip the satchel further, her tongue leaving her mouth guide more of the cure into her body. I can feel the energy course through her fragile frame as more of the elixir enters her system. It takes Iris less than five minutes to drink the entire cure. When she finishes, her body collapses back into mine and she licks her lips softly; but her eyes never open.

  Keeping her close against my chest, I stroke the side of her cheek. I stare at her face, her frame, her body curled against mine. This will be the last time I see Iris. I wish she’d open her eyes for me, but I remember Damion’s threat if I don’t keep my end of the bargain. Iris’ blood is linked to mine. As long as mine still belongs to me, Iris will continue to die. I press a tender kiss against her forehead and slide out from underneath her, wrapping my arms behind her back and under her knees. I lay her gently back on the sand in our little alcove of trees, her head resting on a patch of grass.

  “I love you, Iris,” I whisper. “Be safe and feel better soon.” I press another kiss against her lips before turning away from her for forever.

  Chapter 37

  IRIS

  My neck is sore, cricked in all the wrong places. I want so badly to move it, as I have for days, to give it relief; but no matter how many times my mind orders my body to roll over or to lift it up, my body doesn’t respond. Jace gave me something to drink, something my body craved. I couldn’t stop myself from drinking it.

  I hear Jace talking to me, telling me he loves me. He fingers a piece of hair near my face, his knuckles rest against my cheek. “Be safe,” he says. “And feel better soon.” And then Jace’s presence is gone.

  Where is he going? Before the thought fully forms, I want to throw up as an awful realization hits me. He didn’t just offer me any drink—he found a cure. And just like a siren, I selfishly drank the entire thing.

  Open your eyes, I command my body. Nothing happens. Jace is going somewhere and I’m just lying here motionless, unable to do anything. No, that’s not fair. Jace is leaving. Open your eyes, I command again. This time they flutter open to Jace who stands a few steps away from me.

  “Jace.” I call out to him, my voice not much louder than a raspy whisper. I’m not sure if he can hear me. I call his name again, a little stronger, “Jace!”

  This time he turns around to see me with my eyes open. He looks like he’s about to run back into my arms, but he doesn’t.

  “Where are you going?” I rasp, the sound grating along my throat.

  “Shh.” He firmly plants his feet in the sand. “I’m going to get you help. Don’t worry, you’ll feel better soon.” He tries to smile, but it falters, the edges turning down. My mother’s locket dangles from his fist. Instinctively I reach for my neck, but it’s gone.

  “No,” I breathe. He turns away from me and takes another few steps toward the ocean.

  “Jace, stop!” I say even stronger, fear encapsulating me. The farther Jace walks from me, the closer he walks to the ocean, the more energy courses through my body and the stronger I feel. Jace
has made a deal with the devil. He is going to visit Damion. “Jace, please don’t,” I cry after him, begging.

  He continues to trudge through the sand. I use the trunk of a nearby tree to hoist myself to my knees. I crawl across the sand’s uneven peaks, stumbling and falling to my face every few feet.

  “Jace, come back. Don’t do this, please don’t do this. Don’t leave me alone!” Tears stream down my cheeks. I don’t care I’m not acting like a siren anymore—I’m not a siren anymore.

  Pain ripples through my body as I force it to move across the sand. My legs have turned a metallic blue hue, the color of my scales. Jace is getting too close to the water. I drag myself with even more effort to the edge of the ocean where the waves lap up onto the shore.

  Jace stands unmoving at the edge, no doubt taking in his last few breaths of life.

  “Jace!” I cry out again, grabbing clumps of sand to pull myself toward him. With a great amount of effort, I push myself to my feet. The closer Jace gets to the ocean, the stronger I become. The closer Damion is to taking Jace’s life, the closer I am to keeping mine. I stumble a few more steps until I’m almost close enough to touch Jace’s shoulder. Just as my hand hovers above his skin, Jace takes another step away from me and into the ocean’s cool restraints.

  “Jace, no!” I reach out to grab his arm; but I lose my balance and fall, crashing into the water. The refreshing comfort that usually follows the ocean doesn’t come for me this time. I’m only filled with fear for the boy I love. He doesn’t dare look at me as he continues to pull himself deeper into the ocean. I splutter water out of my mouth as waves crash into my body. I try to pull myself deeper, too, but Damion uses the waves to force me back.

  He wants Jace.

  I sit on the brink of the ocean and watch as Jace floats even farther out. I refuse to let him die. My body courses with energy, with power as Jace’s life, his soul, is so close to belonging to Damion. I stand and throw myself into the ocean, the waves crashing into me with an immense force. I don’t let myself fall back, though. I have to reach Jace. The water ripples with the promise of the clan’s arrival.