Page 2 of Cursed By a Siren's Kiss

The men who would travel with me had already been selected, and they waited on the rowboat below. I swung over the railing, dropping into the rowboat like a stone into water. Thesmall boat lurched, carrying us through the frothing sea with the sound of crashing waves and creaking wood as my men rowed.

Craggy cliffs loomed ahead, concealing our approach. I couldn’t be sure where the village lay within the trees, but I figured they’d have eyes on the beaches. We chose to approach a rougher terrain instead, where our rowboats could hide below the cliffs and out of sight.

A mammoth wave slammed our boat, nearly swallowing us into its depths as if the very sea fought our approach. I clung to the mast as the sea’s mist needled my skin. The captain’s rowboat floundered nearby, nearly capsizing into the roiling abyss.

“Row, you mangy dogs! Row!” I bellowed; my voice lost to the sea’s roar.

My men battled the frenzied waves with oars and sinew. Our destination sat so near, yet one capricious wave could dash our hopes on the sharpened rocks. At last, our boat scraped ashore.

We collapsed like marionettes with cut strings, the magic of the island broken as the dark sand and rocks was within our grips. We breathed deeply, wiping our brows of the sea as we gathered ourselves. Then, I stood, energy surging through my veins. My goal within tantalizing reach. Success in the salty air.

I gathered my trusted men, my hair hanging drenched like ragged seaweed. The captain’s boat still fought the sea as he steered them toward the eastern side of the island. Again, my lip curled with my delight. It had almost been too easy.

I turned to my men, who stood before me, ringing out their waterlogged clothing and waiting for my command. “The witch lurks on the far side, away from the village. It will be the only home distanced from the rest. While the captain chases for fool’s gold, we shall fulfill our purpose.” I searched their hard faces, my eyes practically glittering with my eagerness. “Are you with me?”

“Always, Black-Eyes,” Willy said.

The others at Willy’s back nodded grimly. All of us spent. The journey hadn’t been an easy one. But so close to my goal, I felt vitalized.

We plunged into the island’s shadowy interior like sharks entering bloodied waters. Toward my destiny. Toward my curse. The trees closed in around us as we moved swiftly. Sinister shadows danced around our small party, playing tricks on our eyes. The men at my back would gasp and jerk out of the way, but then sigh with relief seconds later as they realized what they’d seen hadn’t been real.

The distant calls of strange creatures echoed through these ancient woods. Creatures I’d never heard before. It was as if the island itself watched our progress with baleful eyes, resisting our presence. I glanced back at my men. Their shoulders were tense, hands hovering near weapons.

Only Willy seemed unperturbed, his single eye scanning the trees calmly. It made sense. I had told him more than I’d told the rest.

“Steady, lads,” I said quietly. “The witch’s lair isn’t far now.”

Off to our left, I noticed colors breaking through the greenery. The village. We continued moving through the woods, staying clear of the village as we searched out the witch’s lair. All my research pointed to the witch’s lair sitting on the far end of the village. Another jolt of energy flooded me as I realized just how close we were now.

The thick, snaking tree roots and dense undergrowth made our journey difficult. The mist rose again, cloaking the floor and muffling all sound. Unease settled over me as the air once again became charged with magic.

Through the mist, an ancient tower loomed, crooked and crumbling and festooned with vines. Dark energy radiated from its stones. The tower jutted out from the side of a small, old cottage. Plumes of ashy smoke escaped the chimney, and afew domesticated animals wandered the land nearby. Chickens. Goats. The atmosphere was both creepy and quaint, but I didn’t care about any of that. My gaze landed immediately on the weathered, wooden door that stood ajar. Beyond that lay the answers I sought.

I met each man’s gaze, seeing my own resolve reflected back at me. With a final check of our weapons, we approached the door. Our destiny waited within.

Before we reached our goal, I turned to them and said, “Remember, lads. No matter what happens here today, riches and glory await us. We must stand fast.”

They nodded, a similar eagerness glittering within their gazes.

I turned back to the door, drew in a deep breath, and stepped across the threshold and into the darkness beyond.

The time had come to seize my fate.

Chapter 2

The Weathered Crone

The Pirate

Abell chimed, announcing my arrival, as I cautiously pushed the crooked, wooden door open. The pungent aroma of herbs and incense accosted my senses. Every inch of this room was cluttered with items; exotic fabrics adorned with oddities, jars of eyeballs and claws, ancient tomes, crystals glowing with eldritch light. So many things littered every surface, I didn’t know what to look at first, but then something caught my attention.

A counter stretched along the back of the single room, behind which stood a hunched crone, her mane of white hair tangled with beads of silver, blue, and black. Her face had been weathered by time, dark crevices cutting paths through her skin that told of her age. Her body covered something on the counter as she leaned over it, her long, gnarled fingers toying with an object I couldn’t quite make out.

“I’ve been expecting you, Kipp the Pirate,” she rasped, her milky eyes meeting mine.

I took a step forward, my men standing still at my back. I knew they would be ready to act on the drop of a pin should this turn sour. Until then, I kept my eye on the old woman before me, swallowing as I took another step toward her. “How do you know my name? How did you know that I was coming?”

“That’s not what you really want, is it, Kipp?” she asked, her head tilting to the side as her milky eyes watched me.

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