Page 43 of Of Song and Darkness

“Something is warring within you. I see it in your eyes.” Her melodious voice broke my concentration.

My attention had been so hyper-focused on her back that I missed that she had turned her head and was observing me. I refused to look her in the eyes or acknowledge that she had so easily read me. There was a war going on inside of me. The almost nonexistent part of me that felt bad for having to kill this siren was arguing with my all-consuming evil that always got what it wanted ahead of anything else. I knew which one would win this war, and it wasn’t mercy. I didn’t get the nickname Blackheart Kai for showing compassion, and at this point, I wasn’t sure I had a heart at all.

Once Rhea must have realized I wouldn’t share anything with her, she turned away, flipping her auburn hair over her shoulder, and I returned to cleaning her cuts. The thought of running my blade through her back leaked into my mind like poison. It would almost seem fitting to end her life while she was submerged in the water. Maybe I was showing a shred of compassion. To make her death quick and as painless as possible. I dropped the cloth in the water as I eased my hand toward the small blade I had tucked into the top of my boot.

Something tightened in my chest as my fingertips brushed against the metal hilt of the blade. My hand stilled when Rhea started to sing. It was low, barely above a whisper, and wove through the air. Her voice reached into my chest, past the evil that resided there, and latched onto my heart. She wasn’t using her siren song. No, this was just her melodic voice, and something about it calmed the raging, vindictive beast that resided within me.

I abandoned my futile attempt to kill her as I knelt before her. Our eyes locked as she continued to sing. She reached out, threading her fingers through my hair. An electric shock, like lightning when it hit the sea, shot through me when she brushed her fingers against my scalp. Her voice, her eyes, her very being, everything about her enchanted me. Rhea had done what no one else had ever been able to do—calm the raging storm that constantly billowed inside of me.

She stopped singing and smiled at me as her hands ventured from my hair and brushed across my beard. “There, that’s better. Your sea-blue eyes are clear again. They darken when you are angry or upset. Did you know that?”

Something inside me snapped at her words, and I shot to my feet. Rhea watched me as I retreated a few steps. I had never been scared of anything in this world, be it beast or man, but this siren frightened the hell out of me. She had the potential to make me a better man, and that was not something I would ever yield to. I flung the door open and bolted out of the cabin before Rhea could transform me into something I wasn’t—a decent human being.

Something was wrong. I could feel it deep within my bones, yet I kept my eyes closed. The nagging feeling continued to pester me until I pried them open. I blinked a few times to adjust my vision to the gentle glow in the room. I glanced at the window. The sun was just peeking above the ocean, pouring rays of warm sunlight through the pane. Then it hit me. The putrid scent of decay curled in the air, lodging in my nose. Fear snaked through my veins as I leaped from the bed, threw open the cabin door, and rushed up to the deck.

A gasp tore from my lungs as my eyes confirmed what my mind had already grasped—Dark Water. Panic seized me as I spun around. The inky evil enveloped us from all directions. My knuckles whitened as I clutched the railing, my knees trembling in fear.

A hand grasped my upper arm, wrenching me toward a solid body. “Rhea, is there a reason you are prancing aboard my deck in nothing but a shirt?” Kai reprimanded.

I glanced down at the white shirt as the wind whipped at the hem, blowing it against my mid-thighs. At that moment, I couldn’t care less about my half-dressed state, but it was evident that Kai did. I could see the muted fury behind his indigo eyes as he used his body as a barricade between prying onlookers and me.

I reached up, gripping Kai’s shirt collar in desperation. “Kai…Dark Water has spread further than I imagined…” Tears leaked from my eyes as I turned and watched the black water dance in victory with the rotting corpses of sea animals riding the waves.

Kai surprised me by wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, hugging me tightly to his chest.

“It will be fine,” he whispered in my ear.

I tugged away from the solidness of his chest. “Fine? How can you possibly say this will be fine? We’re trapped! How are we going to make it to the Dark Hydra? How am I going to save my family?” I was on the brink of a panic attack. My lungs tightened with each syllable I spoke, making inhaling difficult.

Kai cupped my face between his rough palms, forcing me to focus on him. “I need you to breathe.”

“But…”

“Breathe,” he demanded.

I inhaled a shaky breath, and he used his thumbs to wipe away the tears running down my cheeks.

Kai pulled me back toward the railing. “Look down.”

I followed his command, glancing at the water below, and went still.

Dark Water closed in from all directions, yet there remained a small six-foot diameter expanse of crystal-clear ocean surrounding the ship. Dark Water swirled almost angrily, like it was desperate to reach us, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not break through the invisible barrier.

I turned to Kai in awe. “What is this?”

Kai’s gaze traced the V of my shirt. He reached up, running a finger seductively down my throat, venturing lower until his aching, sweet touch finally stopped when he reached the locket. “This.”

Realization dawned on me, dousing the fear that had nearly consumed me. I undid the clasp and slowly removed the locket from around my neck. The metal twinkled in the sunlight as I marveled at its power. I extended my hand over the railing of the ship, the locket dangling over the water. Dark Water made an evil hissing sound as it scurried further away from the locket.

My mouth hung open as I clasped the necklace back around my throat. “It works.”

“I would hope so, after you risked your life for it.” Kai seethed.

Something flashed across his steely face, something dangerous and foreboding. I took a tentative step back, reminding myself that even the most stunning of blades were lethal, and Kai was just as deadly as he was handsome.

Kai stepped toward me in a manner that made me want to shrink away, but I held my ground. “Go below and put some clothes on before I am forced to gouge my own men’s eyes out.”

I swallowed past my dry, scratchy throat as I looked around the ship. Sure enough, all eyes were on me, and they were particularly interested in my bare legs. Without another word, I rushed down the stairs, threw my clothes on, and returned back on deck.

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