Page 37 of Of Song and Darkness

He tried to drag me forward, but I planted my feet, halting his attempt. His face pinched with anger, and he pressed the blade tip further into my throat. A wet substance dripped down my breastbone, indicating he’d punctured the skin.

“Don’t play coy. I don’t want to mess up that pretty face until after we’ve had some fun,” Flynt grunted.

A wicked smile brushed across my lips as I looked up at him. “Foolish human. It’s not the captain you need to be concerned about.”

Before he could comprehend the gravity of his mistake, I parted my lips, and my siren song wafted through the air, its gentle melody ensnaring his thoughts like a seaweed in a tide. His pupils dilated, and the hand clutching the dagger went limp, causing the knife to tumble to the deck.

I circled him like a shark, tracing his movements with predatory precision. “I should make you jump overboard and drown yourself.” I cursed in his face. “But that would make too much noise and would foil my plans. Instead, you’ll return to the helm and keep your mouth shut.”

He nodded his head, wholly dumbfounded under the enchantment of my song. My eyes traveled down to the sword that hung on his hips. I grabbed the hilt, pulling the sword from its scabbard. I might need this if my song fails to work against Medusa.

I closed my lips, and my song died in the air. Flynt blinked a few times and then headed back toward the helm.

I quickly glanced around to ensure no one else was on deck and then bounded over the railing into the small wooden boat below. It took me longer than planned to figure out how to use the oars. I had never steered a rowboat before. The men made it look so easy, but it was not, especially with my injured back. Finally, I found my rhythm, and the boat glided across the water’s surface toward the shoreline.

Moonlight danced across the ripples of the deep lagoon, bringing me some measure of peace in the tense moment. I glanced back at Kai’s ship, unease settling in my stomach. Kai would probably be furious when he awoke to realize that I had snuck out in the night, but I had come this far, and I refused to let my people down now. A surprising realization halted my efforts. In that moment, I found myself shocked to realize that I wanted the dreaded Blackheart Kai by my side.

Anxiety crawled up my throat, threatening to cut off my air supply as my feet touched the shoreline. I gathered up my fleeting courage and stepped into the dense forest. Everything within me beckoned me to return to the safety and warmth of Kai’s bed, but I stomped that overwhelming feeling down and continued deeper.

Moon-dappled leaves created flickering shadows on the ground, causing my heart to falter in my chest with each step. I turned around, my shoulders tight with tension as the wind rustled through the leaves, my mind conjuring up nonexistent monsters. Inhaling deeply, I willed myself to calm down. I would never make it if I died of a panic attack before I reached my intended target.

My gaze snagged upon a small footpath that cut a nearly invisible trail up the hillside. I bent down, my hands brushing against a massive, slithered pattern etched through the sandy sod. Clear evidence that Medusa’s serpent body used this area as a pathway to the lagoon. Had she witnessed our fight with the sirens? The thought had my leg muscles tightening as my body prepared for flight or fight, but I forced them to loosen as I continued up the trail.

The walk felt like an eternity, or maybe my trepidation made it feel that way. I paused as the path gave way to a small clearing with a cave entrance jutting out the side of the hill.

As I stepped out of the shadows of the forest, I expected something to pounce on me. I stood unmoving at the entrance of the cave, my grip tightening on the hilt of the sword.

I glanced back only once, taking comfort in the fluorescent moon that hung above me before stepping into the shadowy cave.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the cave’s darkness, but when they did, I focused on the bumpy stone walls with fingerlings of tree roots pushing through. With each hesitant step I took, my legs quivered, but I willed them to carry me deeper into the cave.

Something wet dripped on my face, brushing down my cheek, and I stifled a gasp. I glanced up, only to find water trickling from cracks in the ceiling, and exhaled. It could have been much worse, like Medusa’s venom dripping on me. The moonlight at the entrance waned as I ventured further inside, gradually extinguishing what little light there was until I was enveloped in inky darkness.

Kai’s words rang in my ears. I needed to use my other senses. I shuffled my feet through the darkness and extended my arm, sword in hand, as I picked my way through the dark. My ears pricked at the slightest sounds, and I paused until I was certain it was nothing more than a small creature skittering away.

My blood ran cold when I saw a light shining up ahead. I gripped the sword before me, protecting my upper body just as Kai had instructed while I slowly maneuvered around the bend in the cave. It opened up to a sizable cavern nestled deep in the hillside. My eyes absorbed everything at once, and I calmed somewhat when I did not see Medusa within. I quickly glanced back toward the cave’s entrance, my skin tingling at the thought of her coming up behind me. Her blocking my escape route stirred greater anxiety within me than the thought of confronting her directly.

I kept my back to the cavern wall as I ventured deeper into the darkness. The pools of water within seemed ablaze, casting a fiery light. Curious, I dipped my fingertips into the water and rubbed them together. They glistened with an oily substance, offering an explanation for the remarkable fire. I raised my fingers to my nose and inhaled, a distinct chemical scent filling my nostrils. I wiped the grease on my pant leg before taking another cautious step forward.

Hissing resounded through the cave, and I spun around. The echo made it seem like the noise was coming from all directions. It was her. I felt it in my gut.

Her large body slithered and her wicked laugh echoed off the cold, damp walls. “Well, well. What do we have here?”

My body flinched at her voice. It was melodious and sweet, yet held a promise of death.

“A female warrior? How unusual. It is normally a man who comes for the head of Medusa.”

My sweaty palms tightened around the hilt of the sword. “I don’t want your head…”

My attempt at reasoning with her took a quick leap out of the cave as her tail struck from the shadows, knocking the sword from my grip. The clang of the metal striking the rocky ground reverberated in my ears. I threw my back flush against a boulder that protruded from the cavern floor. The lesions on my back screamed in protest, but they were the least of my worries. My eyes desperately searched the ground, any hope sinking when I saw the sword was more than ten feet away.

Her muscles coiled just like Kai said they would. I knew she was lying in wait for me to go for the weapon.

I parted my lips, preparing to use my siren song, when I spotted a pile of bones in the corner of the cavern. How had I not noticed it before? I tried to swallow past my parched throat. I gripped the boulder tighter, the rocky surface biting into my fingertips when I realized the bones belonged to sirens. The unmistakable features of a human torso fused with the skeletal remains of a fish’s lower half met my gaze, and I couldn’t overlook the telltale signs of teeth marks marring the ivory bones. Apparently, sirens were her dining preference. Something broke inside of me at that moment. I was utterly alone, with no defenses against this monster.

A shiver worked its way down my spine as her hisses echoed throughout the cavern. A single tear of desperation slipped down my cheek as my gaze shifted toward the cave entrance. What I wouldn’t give to see Kai storming through the opening right now.

Defeated, I leaned my head against the rough surface of the boulder and started singing. I was positive that my song would have no effect on her, but it brought me comfort. It was low, sorrowful, melodious. Filled with defeat of letting my people down.

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