Page 13 of Cursed By a Siren's Kiss

“Then do what I told you. Use what I have given to you, and you’ll find the siren.”

She slammed the door in my face as she muttered something about every generation turning dumber and calling me a bone head once more.

I turned to Patton and Camilla, who had followed me despite my orders until they stood outside the cottage. They rushed forward, worry in their gazes as they peered up at me.

“You just disappeared, Captain.” Patton called out with distress.

Camilla nodded in agreement.

I turned and it was then that I saw the cottage was gone, as if it had never existed. The darkness of the cave closed in around us as the frigid air of the mountain bit into my bones with more force.

“You didn’t see the cottage?” I asked, and they both shook their heads.

“No," Camilla added, shrugging. “You just disappeared, like poof. We turned around and you were gone.”

I looked at the velvet bag in my hand, pulling open the drawstring. A gold disk fell into my hand as I dumped its contents, realizing it was a compass. Not just any compass, as it did not point north. No, it pointed south. Which, luckily, was also the direction of our ship.

There was a slip of paper held within the velvet bag as well. The binding she’d encouraged me to perform. I placedeverything back into my pocket before we made our way out of the cave and into the icy wind of the mountain. We were quiet as we made our way down the steep slope. As we finally stepped back onto the dock that led to my ship, I checked the compass. Now, it pointed west.

“Are you all ready for a new adventure?” I asked my crew, my words drifting on the wind as all the sun-tanned faces turned to me.

A collective “Aye Captain,” rose up as we all took our places, and I steered the ship out of the port in the direction of our next conquest.

I looked out across the sea that I loved so much as I thought back to my encounter with the woman, and not for the first time, I wondered if the gods had a stake in this outcome. I felt as if my fate was not entirely my own. A destiny and path that would change the tide I’d been on for so long lost in the darkness.

As the ship cut through the waves, propelled forward by the steady winds, I stood at the helm deep in thought. The old woman's words echoed in my mind, her cryptic advice and the mysterious compass weighing heavily upon me.

I gazed out at the vast expanse of the sea, the sun sinking lower on the horizon and painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange and red. The fiery colors seemed to mirror the tumultuous emotions roiling within me.

In the distance, a pod of dolphins leaped and played, their joyful clicks and whistles carrying across the water. Once, the sight would have filled me with a sense of wonder and freedom, but now, I could barely summon a flicker of interest. It was as if the curse had leached all the color and vibrancy from the world, leaving everything dull and lifeless.

I glanced down at my hands, roughened by years of wielding sword and rope. The knuckles scarred; the skin weathered. But it was the blood that seemed to permanently stain them thathaunted me most. How many lives had these hands taken? How much suffering had they caused?

The thought filled me with a creeping sense of dread. How long before I lost myself entirely? Before Captain Kipp ceased to exist, leaving only Black-Eyes, the soulless demon, in his place? The idea of being a passenger in my own body, helpless to stop the atrocities committed by my hand, was more terrifying than any physical threat I had ever faced.

I tightened my grip on the compass, feeling its warmth pulsing against my palm like a living thing. The needle quivered, pointing steadfastly in one direction as if pulled by an invisible string of fate. I didn't know what lay at the end of its path - an all-consuming abyss or a glimmer of salvation. All I knew was that I had to follow it, and I had to find this siren no matter what.

Chapter 9

The Wooden Pier

The Siren

Iemerged from the sea, my shaky legs beneath me and the gills in my neck faded to pale flesh. Long, narrow fingers replaced my claws, though I knew I could flick them into existence with a thought if necessary. I’d spent the night of my twenty-first birthday lying beneath the stars on the beach Poseidon had thrown me toward, my head cushioned within my folded hands as I watched the moon’s path across the sky. It reminded me of the times I’d spent on Siren Island with Proteus, the friendship we shared when no other eyes strayed our way.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep, because I awoke to the sound of people laughing and squealing as the waves crashed into the beach. I sat up quickly, running my fingers through my long, sand-filled, dark hair as I peered around me. I’d done as I’d always done when gaining my legs and had envisioned a small, form-fitting pair of black shorts around my waist, but I’d kept my upper body bare, trusting in the lengths of my dark hair to provide enough modesty. As my gaze swept the sand nearestme, I realized my choice had baffled those closest to me as they turned their backs to me and ushered their children away from where I now sat.

My lip curled at the stench of them, and I caught the growl before it climbed through my throat. My disgust was almost palpable, but I swallowed it back. My skin burned beneath the sun, the warmth coating my skin like the frigidness of the sea’s embrace. It took me several minutes before my gaze adjusted to the brightness, my sight used to dimmer hues than the harsh light of the day on land.

A loud beat thudded from a nearby cove, and an abundance of people had gathered, their laughter ringing into the day and making me nauseous. Still, it would be a good place to begin my search for a weaker male. I climbed to my feet, my gaze searching the sands as I regained my balance.

“Miss, are you all right?”

I glanced over my shoulder, noticing a tall man with wider set shoulders standing at my back. He had a look of concern on his face as he took in my lack of attire. Many of the women within my sights wore skimpy swimwear, but none had their chests bare as I did. Even though my hair covered my breasts completely, I definitely stood out.

“I think I’m lost,” I stuttered, playing into his concern. “Would you be able to help me?”

“Of course,” he replied, a slow grin lifting his thin lips. I recognized the flash of ill-intent behind his brown gaze and ignored it. “Do you know how you got here?”

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