Page 14 of Cursed By a Siren's Kiss

I held my arms over my chest, wrinkling my brow as I dropped my gaze, staring up at him between my long, dark lashes. I shook my head, worrying my lip between my teeth. I knew I could lure him with my song, but I needed to be wary with my waning powers. Until I completed my ritual, I would be at risk of burning completely out, and then I’d find myself atthe mercy of mortals. That would be a fate far crueler than my childhood under Poseidon’s care.

“Here,” the man said, lifting the blood red fabric of his t-shirt over his head and holding it out to me. “You should put this on.”

My nose wanted to wrinkle, but I kept my disgust to myself as I took the shirt that smelled like him. Tugging it over my head, I thanked him. Those closest us no longer looked at me as if I carried a plague.

“Want to find somewhere… a little more private?” he asked, puffing his chest out as if his hair dusted, pale skin would make him irresistible.

I knew his intent. I could smell it on him. My ritual called for the heart of a mortal in love, but this male wouldn’t know love if I slapped him upside the head with it. He only knew of lust, of want, of obnoxious greed. He expected to take what he wanted from me. He viewed me an easy target, and I held my sneer at bay as the feeling was definitely mutual.

A slow, innocent smile quirked the corners of my mouth as I nodded, letting him loop my arm around his own as he led me down the beach to a secluded spot where a small, stony cave lay. He guided me inside, his hold around my upper arm tightening as we ducked out of sight as if he thought I’d be afraid and attempt to escape his hold. Little did he know, I had a lot of pent-up rage to dispel.

He pressed my back into the wall hard as the sound of people faded, the only sound the constant crash of waves along the shore not too far off, which echoed around the rocky cave and drowned out whatever noise we made. As my back hit the wall, a look flashed behind his yearning gaze that let me know he’d done this before, probably in this very cave.

Before his glistening lips could press into my own, my claws flicked into existence, and I tore out his throat with little effort. He took two steps backward, his fingers loosening their hold ofme as they flew to his blood-slicked throat, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror as he crumpled to his knees. I sighed and stepped over his body, my claws already retracted as I adjusted my new shirt over my hips.

I still needed to find myself a target, preferably one who had the potential to love. I followed the drifting music to the cove, his still warm body immediately forgotten behind me. A ship docked along a pier, and mortals crowded the beach and ship alike. A large, flickering flame danced on the beach and men and women danced around it as the scent of food I couldn’t name cooked over grills that dotted the sandy shore.

The scent of something fruity filled the air, and as I lifted my nose to track it, I realized it belonged to the cups within nearly every hand. They drank the frothy, golden liquid as if they hadn’t had a drink in days, and the more they chugged, the happier they seemed.

My hope faded as I realized everyone I saw appeared in great spirits, most of them already paired off. None of these mortals seemed to be easy targets. My bare feet stepped off the sand and onto the wooden pier. I made my way to the end, sitting on the edge as I swung my feet just above the water’s surface. My shoulders sagging as my task seemed out of reach. I couldn’t fail, but my mother had died before she could teach me the ways of the siren, and Poseidon hadn’t made anything in my life easier, including this.

I twisted my attention to the ship, the cool, salty breeze lifting my hair and sending it in soft waves around my shoulders. My attention froze, my breath catching as I found the first inkling of hope. There, on the ship, a tall man stood alone. He leaned over the railing, his hands clasped as he gazed out at the beach to where the mortals danced and partied. There was a darkness that lurked within him, a heaviness to his gaze as he watched the action on the beach.

A slow smile curved my lips.

The hunt was on.

Chapter 10

The Perfect Target

The Siren

Ifollowed the man from the ship several hours later, through a quaint little village off the coast of the sea. Cobblestone streets cut paths through buildings of various sizes. His steps carried him down a street, each building with large windows of glass and trinkets of all kinds held within their windows. He turned a corner, and I hurried to follow, worried I’d lose him, but my body slammed into his hard chest as I came around the edge of the building. His hands caught my shoulders as he glared down at me.

“Why are you following me?” he demanded, holding me at arm’s length. His gaze trailed down my form and concern creased the corners of his intense blue eyes. “What happened to you?”

With a shrug, I wrenched myself from his hold and took an indignant step backward. My dark hair fell over my shoulder as I peered down at myself, noticing for the first time the splotches of blood dotting my stolen shirt. For a moment, panic caught mybreath as I glanced up, my eyes wide as I open my mouth and close it again.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his hand lifted as if he wanted to offer support but were afraid to cause me further distress.

“I’m not quite sure,” I replied, deciding to mix a bit of truth in with my response. “I was on a ship, and then I woke on the beach.” I pressed my fingers into my hair, prodding at my scalp to sell the lie. “I think I must have hit my head.”

“Shipwrecked?” He gasped. “Oh, you poor thing! What is the last thing you remember?”

He’d jumped to a conclusion that would work in my favor, a conclusion for which I’d already set plans in motion. Perhaps his pity would help me with this task. He appeared to be a well-off gentleman. His attire form fitting, his sandy blond hair combed proper, and a pleasant scent that enveloped him. A golden chain looped from his pocket, and another band of gold circled his wrist.

“I’m…” I swallowed, looking up at him from my lashes. “I’m not sure.”

My siren heritage gave me plenty with which to work. My body, most of which stood on complete display for this man, held an allure meant to draw in my victims. My siren senses let me feel the desire within my prey. The beating of their hearts and the heat of their blood. I feasted on that desire, but in order to awaken my full siren potential, I needed to feed on a heart not only filled with desire, but consumed by love and lust for me.

The man looked down at the golden band around his wrist and straightened. “You know what, I am late to a party I am supposed to be hosting. Why don’t you come along with me? I wouldn’t feel right leaving you alone in this state. I’d like to help you find where you belong, but perhaps we can do that in the morning?”

I chewed my lip, my fingers twisting lengths of my hair in what I hoped came across as someone lost to doubt. “I wouldn’t want to impose myself on you,” I said, my voice soft. “Besides, I could hardly show up to a party disheveled as I am.”

He glanced down the street and then offered me a hand. “Come with me. I have just the thing you need.”

I took a step backward, my attention flicking from his offered palm back to the glittering green of his eyes. I worried my lip between my teeth, really selling this demure act. His attraction to me was clear in the beat of his heart, the hunger in his eye. I’d seen him on the beach and had painted him the perfect target, and as I stood before him now, him practically eating out of the palm of my hand, I knew I had been right.

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