Page 18 of Cursed By a Siren's Kiss

She wrapped her arm around that of a tall man who joined her, both of them talking and laughing as they walked through the town together. I walked a safe distance behind them, shadowing the siren I’d been hunting for longer than I cared to admit.

The man at her side had no idea that his life dwindled, had no idea the danger he was in. She’d found her target, and he looked like putty within her fingertips as she dragged them over his wide shoulders. She paused, her footsteps halting on the cobblestones as if she knew the thoughts within my mind. She peered over her shoulder as the man looked at her curiously. Her gaze locked with mine like a predator assessing another predator. She smirked, her plump ruby lips lifting as if she’d already won, and then she turned from me, dismissing me as if I weren’t worthy of this chase.

I almost laughed. The darkness growing inside of me as I watched her walk down the street. She wouldn’t be dismissing me for long. Soon, she’d be mine.

The Siren

Another predator lurked in these streets, and he’d recognized me as one as well. I tightened my hold around Marcus’ arm, letting him guide me through the bustling market. I’d spent weeks with him, weeks in this town, and I’d learned that the evening hours always seemed busier. Marcus told me it was to avoid the burning heat of the sun. The temperatures far too high in the earlier hours of day.

I couldn’t resist another look at the man I knew trailed us. As our eyes met, a sizzling energy passed between us, sending a heat throughout my body that was unexpected. I ogled his muscular, well-defined form, admiring the confidence and strength he exuded as he stood in a sea of people who moved around him like a stone in a current. He smirked at me, and I returned it. I wasn’t afraid of him.

A red cloth held back his hair, revealing a gold hoop piercing in his right ear. His sun-kissed dark skin held an air of rugged masculinity as his piercing gaze connected with my own, causing my breath to hitch momentarily within my chest as Marcus watched me curiously. This man’s eyes were so dark, they were almost completely black. There was a darkness held within him, one I couldn’t quite explain but that felt similar to the one within my own heart.

“Precious?” Marcus spoke, breaking the spell this predator held over me and snapping my attention back to his adoring stare. His gaze flicked behind us to where I had been looking and, in the seconds my gaze had left, the man had disappeared. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. I thought I saw someone I knew,” I mumbled, slumping my shoulders and letting my face fall with disappointment.

Marcus turned toward me, taking my chin into his hands as he brought his gaze close to mine. “Worry not, my dear. My men are still searching for any survivors of the shipwreck thatbeached you here. I know it has been weeks since you arrived, and I’d hoped we would have found something by now, but I can assure you that we haven’t given up.”

He spoke with such kindness, his blue eyes sparking with concern for me as he held me delicately within his hold. My heart fluttered in response, but I pushed those feelings down. I couldn’t allow it. I wouldn’t. Emotions were a weakness that would get him killed, but I would never succumb to such a weakness.

The lingering feeling of being watched followed me as I kept pace with Marcus. His arm was a comforting anchor as I trailed alongside him, taking in the sights and sounds of the vendors vying for our attention in their last hour of business of the night. Everyone recognized Marcus, the wealthy merchant lord who’d made his own wealth in life, and eagerly called out their wares in hopes of earning some of that wealth for themselves.

In the time I’d spent with him, I’d learned that he liked to know the people in the village and knew most of them by name. This had become a routine for us, visiting the market every few days so that he could give back to the community he had claimed as his own, supporting local businesses with his attention and his money as he made purchases he didn’t even need.

The community held him in high regard. As far as I could tell, he had an unblemished reputation, which made him perfect for my plans. He rarely left my side, but when he did, he did so with secrecy flashing behind his brilliant eyes that reminded me of shallow waters. I knew he kept something from me, and part of me didn’t care. I was just determined to capture his heart, and then guide him to the sea.

The other part of me…

Marcus ran several shops in town, but I knew there was more to it than just that. Secret conversations held out of earshot, strange glances my way everywhere we went, visits held underthe deepest hours of night. My curiosity piqued, I knew tonight I would get my answers. He planned to meet with one of the captains of his ships, his business partner, tonight, giving me the perfect opportunity to eavesdrop and gather more information.

I didn’t have to justify choosing him as my target, but a persistent voice in my mind fueled by my godly emotions seemed to grow in strength the longer I spent away from the sea. It needed a reason to kill him. I knew I would kill him either way, but it didn’t hurt to have all the information.

There was lust behind Marcus’ gaze when he looked at me, and I suspected those feelings were beginning to develop into something deeper. I needed to be sure he loved me though because if I took him to the sea and he didn’t love me, I risked losing potential power, and I needed to be powerful if I wanted to secure my throne. Nagging guilt writhed in the back of my mind at the thought of letting my mother down. I swallowed it down, giving my head a shake. Humanity threatened my existence, but I relented.

“Dear,” Marcus said, pausing in front of a table. “Would you like a new comb?”

He lifted an elegantly crafted comb with a siren carved into the handle, her tail stretching around the metal with her hands cupping a shell that she blew into. Red gems lay twinkling around the siren, glittering like ruby stars. He passed it to me, and I gasped at the beauty and the lightness of it. I ran my fingers over the tail as a pang of loss rippled through me. I missed the ocean, the feel of the water kissing my skin and scales as I raced through the depths of the sea.

Marcus watched me as I admired the craftsmanship, turning the comb over in my hands as I thought of home. He’d asked me something, but I no longer remembered the words as longing for home held me in its grip. I blinked up at him, afraid to say thewrong thing. I needed his love, and any misstep threatened my mission.

His fingertips brushed against my cheek, wiping away a tear I hadn’t realized I’d released. I looked at his damp fingers with shock before I remembered to school my features. “It… It is lovely,” I said to the merchant, flicking a glance toward Marcus who peered at me adoringly. My cheeks heated with embarrassment. “However, I am unable to purchase it.”

With a gentle laugh, Marcus spoke to the merchant, “The lady loves it. I will take it.”

I held up a hand, taking a step back. “That isn’t necessary, Marcus. It looks terribly expensive. You’ve already done so much. You don’t need to do this.”

“Nonsense,” he said, and then he began talking costs with the merchant.

My stomach dropped at what I was about to do. That misstep I had been so afraid of. I reached out and pulled Marcus from the table, an apologetic look to the merchant hopeful of a sale. “No, Marcus. I can’t let you do this. Please, let us go.”

He listened to me, reluctantly, and soon, we continued wandering through the market. It still felt like eyes watched me wherever we traveled. He made several other purchases along the way, for his home and things his cook had asked for. We carried the items to the awaiting carriage.

As his driver guided the carriage through the streets toward the manor, Marcus studied me closely. It made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t allow myself to flinch or fidget. He shifted, pulling the curtain closed and hiding the passing streets from view.

“You know,” he said, reaching for my hands and holding them within his own. “I would have happily gotten the comb for you.”

I smiled at him. “I know,” I said, in a voice that held sweetness in its lyrical tones. “I am not sure what it was about it, but it reminded me of something I can’t quite place.” I dropped his gaze, letting my lip wobble with my sadness. It was an emotion I faked, but it felt too real even to me. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to think of that right now.”

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