Page 46 of A Song of Death and Desire

She laughs again, this time it’s tinged with cruelty. “Pretty siren, I told you before that you have no idea what I’m capable of.”

The candles flash and I scream as a beautiful young woman appears directly in front of me. Her hair is long and midnight black, the color matching the darkness of her eyes. There is no differentiating between her irises and pupils, they are wholly black. She’s draped in strips of gauzy material that wrap around her slim body, her flesh visible beneath. She smiles a wicked smile and my body chills.

“Sirens are so very powerful. And your unique talents offer me more than I could ever achieve with my magic alone. Let me show you, pretty siren.”

No, no, no. This feels wrong. So deeply, horrifyingly wrong. She turns to walk to a dark corner of her cave, her hips swaying and the material of dress swishing along with them. She begins to hum softly at first but I sense the power building. The hum turns into a melody and terror fills me at the recognition of my song. I don’t know why I didn’t hear her use it before like my sisters had but I can definitely hear it now. I can tell that it is not directed at me, so I can’t feel the song's effects but that doesn’t stop the music wrapping around me in a terrifying caress.

My attention is drawn to a deep blue marking that wraps around her upper arm. I wouldn’t have noticed it if it weren’t for the way the swirling design seems to glow and move with her song.

Vala senses my fear and smirks at me, pausing her tune. With its absence, the mark stops glowing and stills. “Don’t worry, pretty siren. You won’t be affected by the song. It did belong to you after all. This man, however, isn’t so lucky.” I gasp as she reaches out her long fingers, latching onto a wrist as she pulls a man into my sight. Horror overwhelms me as I recognize him immediately. It’s Sam, the cute guy I went home with before any of this nightmare began. His blond hair is shaggy and windswept just like the day I met him, but his warm brown eyes showa complete lack of awareness. He is fully entranced by Vala, completely under her spell. And I’m sure, soon to be dead.

“What are you doing to him? Let him go!” I cry and Sam gives no indication that he even hears my words.

“You see, I don’t need souls to survive like sirens, honestly that seems like hard work for you all. But the human souls provide me with something else. Something better.”

She resumes her song, and the mark begins to move again. Is this strange marking on her skin somehow linked to the song?

I both hear and feel the change of the melody Vala sings. She’s taking his soul. I feel frozen to the spot, helpless to do anything to stop her. It’s over in seconds and I stare in shock as Vala’s skin begins to glow from within. She throws her head back and moans in ecstasy as she absorbs the soul. And then she changes. It’s barely perceptible but her skin becomes smoother, any blemishes disappearing completely, her hair grows longer and thicker until it flows around her in luscious waves and the glow beneath her skin continues.

“What are you doing?” I breathe.

“This is not my true appearance, pretty siren. I have been alive a long time and the look of my true body does not match my soul or my mind. Human souls provide me with youth and beauty and most importantly power. It's exhilarating. And totally worth it don’t you think?” she asks, gesturing to her body and twirling.

I feel sick. I can’t breathe. I don’t know if I’m going to vomit or pass out, or both. This is such an abomination of the natural order of things.

“You’re taking and killing humans simply to become more beautiful?” I ask incredulously.

“Oh, don’t forget the power, pretty siren. I have been confined to this cave for far too long. It’s my own curse that I can’t seem to break. But if I can consume enough souls, then perhaps I can increase my power enough to finally break free. And whata delight that would be. You sirens won’t get to be the only beautiful, powerful creatures anymore.”

I can’t keep listening to her twisted ways of justifying her choices. I have to do what I came here for. “I’d like to make another bargain.”

Vala stills, turning her predatory gaze to me once more. “Now why on earth would you want to do that, pretty siren?”

“I can’t keep letting you use the song you took from me to hurt innocent people. What can I offer you to make you stop?”

I stand rooted to the spot as Vala laughs and laughs, every one of my survival instincts telling me to escape. “You have nothing that I want anymore, pretty siren. I took what I needed from you. You’re stupid to have come back here.”

“Please,” I beg, “what would make you stop?”

“Nothing at all,” she replies and my stomach drops. I’ve failed. She’s not willing to negotiate now that she has what she has been coveting. Despair threatens to drown me, and I question if she will let me leave here alive.

“Pretty, pretty siren. You’ve got yourself into a bit of trouble, haven’t you? Trespassing into my cave to try and get me to make another bargain. That’s not how this works. You’re not a siren anymore. You’re a useless human and one I can’t even sing to at that.”

This is it. She’s not going to let me live. I don’t know why I thought this would even work.

“You’re lucky I’m feeling particularly merciful today. There’s really no benefit to killing you if I can’t take your soul. If you want to live my pretty siren… you better run!”

The candles lighting the space around us are extinguished and I’m pitched into complete darkness. My legs move involuntarily as I obey, needing to get out of this fucking cave. Vala’s maniacal laughter bounces off the cave walls and I scream at the sting of talons and beaks as they rip at my skin. It becomes clear thateven though she’s allowing me to leave her cave, I won’t be leaving unscathed.

A strangled cry escapes my lungs as I pump my legs harder and use my arms to try and swipe the ravens away. The ravens are relentless, pecking and clawing at any available skin. Tears fall down my cheeks as the pain lashes through me.

I scramble in the darkness, trying to escape and avoid the attacking birds. I bang into the cave walls, scratching and cutting myself on sharp rocks. The wings of the ravens flap in my face and the trickle of blood warms my cheek as it drips down from where one of them has pecked my eyebrow. My foot catches a rock, and I tumble to the ground, sobs leaving me. I curl into a ball with my arms over my head, trying my best to protect my face as the ravens peck and cut and scratch, drawing blood with every strike. I whimper, helplessness threatening to overcome me as I hope desperately for their assault to stop. But it doesn’t.

I rally all my remaining physical strength and mental willpower to push myself up. This is not how my life ends. I will not be torn to shreds by the vicious pets of a witch.

A light appears before me as I near the exit of the cave. I’m so close. I’m gasping for breath through my sobs and blood drips into my eyes, blurring my vision but I’m almost out. With a last burst of adrenaline, I launch myself out of the cave and fortunately the ravens cease their attack the moment I escape.

My body screams in protest, my muscles aching and the dozens of cuts marking my skin burning like I’m on fire. But I’m out. I’m out and I’m alive.

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