Page 64 of Cursed By a Siren's Kiss

I hopped out of the boat when we were close enough to the shore, pulling it the rest of the way until Talia could step out onto the sand. Then I dragged it further so that we wouldn’t risk it disappearing out to sea while we made our way through the island to where I still remembered the sea witch’s hut to lie.

We crossed the beach in silence, Talia following my lead into the nearby trees. The village stood to our left, seemingly recovered from previous attacks by pirates, and I knew we should evade their attention. It would be a distraction and awaste of time I feared I couldn’t afford as I felt the darkness tighten its hold on me. It was as if it knew my intentions and fought furiously to maintain its claim on my soul.

A twig snapped to our side, and I halted, a pit growing in my stomach as I turned, facing a line of villagers who held various weapons out defensively in front of them. Pitchforks, spears, and arrows all aimed directly at mine and Talia’s chests. My vicious siren’s teeth bared as she snapped at the air, but I held her back, lifting my hands to indicate that we weren’t a threat… at least not to these people.

“Put them down,” a powerful feminine voice called out before the old crone stepped out from behind a thick tree ahead. She didn’t hold the form of the ancient witch though; instead, she held the beautiful shape of the goddess who had transformed before my eyes when I’d originally been cursed. Her silky dark hair cascaded over her shoulders as she sauntered closer.

My spine straightened, and I stepped toward Talia, wanting to shield her from this sea witch. Circe’s gaze lingered on us both, twinkling with delight as they fixated on Talia.

“Hello, Talia,” she crooned, a slow smile lifting her glossed, plump lips. She looked to me again. “I see you have brought me a present.”

With a wave of her hand, everything around us faded from view. Within a single blink, we went from standing within the forest along the edge of the village to confined in Circe’s home, with Talia and I strapped to chairs by thick rope that sunk into our skin with how tight we were bound.

Circe looked at us with a sly grin as she circled where we sat like a frenzied shark in bloodied water. “Well, well, well,” she drawled, clicking her tongue as her eyes glinted mischievously. “Look what we have here. The siren queen, and the black-eyed pirate, come to visit me in my humble abode. How very interesting. I was wondering when you’d show up.”

She stopped at my side, running a long nail along my arm and shoulder. I bared my teeth at her, trying to break free of the ropes that bound me, but these were no ordinary ropes. Gold twined with the rough cord, strengthening its hold and making it impossible to break with force alone.

She continued lazily walking around our chairs. “I have to admit… it took you far longer than I thought it would.”

Circe paused in front of Talia. She clearly enjoyed this game she played. “Though, I must say… you brought me such a prize.”

Talia lunged forward, but even she couldn’t break free of the bindings. She hissed at her, her sharpened teeth snapping as she spat, “Let me go or I will rip out your throat, witch.”

“I bet…” Circe laughed with a disbelieving shake of her head. She placed her hands on either side of Talia, leaning forward until their gazes were leveled. “…that dear old dad would pay a pretty nice price to get you back. I heard a tale on the wind that you are no longer Queen.” She tilted her head. “Or have you come to see if I can help you get it all back?”

Talia glared at Circe as she stood again. When the sea witch stopped in front of me again, I demanded, “Let us go!”

The anger surged inside of me, and I knew the darkness wouldn’t be held back for much longer. I was already close to the edge of losing it.

A knowing glint filled the witch’s gaze. “Have you enjoyed my little gift all these years, Kipp?” she asked, her voice holding the lilting tone of a siren’s song. “You demanded it after all.”

“Not like this,” I growled, feeling my control slip a little more.

“How do I free the sirens?” Talia asked, trying to take the heat off me so that I could get my darkness under control again.

“I can’t tell you exactly,” Circe said, her fingers steepling as if this was nothing more than simple entertainment for her. “…only that it will come at a steep cost.”

“Sacrifice,” Talia announced, and Circe nodded. “All curses require sacrifice.”

“Or love, or an impossible feat.” Circe shrugged. “There are a whole multitude of ways to break a curse.”

“It’s always tied into the curse though,” Talia continued.

“Yes, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to end any curses, my dear.” Circe smirked as she crossed the room, taking a seat in a high-backed chair next to the flickering fireplace. “Oh, do stop trying to fight against those restraints. You’ll never break through them. It’s god rope, made by Hephaestus himself.”

The heat of the shadows raced through my veins and despite the slow breaths I tried to take, I still felt it expand methodically through me. Consuming me as I watched the exchange happen while an urgency to reach Talia and stop whatever sacrifice Circe had planned ignited within my heart. The darkness spread like a virus, infecting every part of me until a void opened within me, pulling me down into its depth with no hope of return.

Chapter 38

The Wild Rush

The Siren

Circe’s gaze burned with sinister pleasure as she watched Kipp’s transformation, her lips curling into a cruel smile as the darkness devoured Kipp. She clucked her tongue and gave her head a shake. “Pity, really,” she murmured as she leaned back into her chair as if this was nothing more than a tea call. “I had hoped for a bit more entertainment from him.”

“Kipp!” I cried out, twisting in my chair as I strained against the binds pinning me in place. “Fight it!”

His body slackened, his shoulders slumping. There was nothing but an endless void of darkness behind his gaze, and tendrils of inky shadows emanated from his pores, coating his form like a second skin. My heart sank to see him like this, consumed by the darkness of his curse that we had come here to break. We couldn’t be too late. We just couldn’t.

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