Page 107 of Wicked Tides
The woman studied me again “And you live in warmer waters. What are you doing here?”
“We came to return the girls home.”
“Men took them. Men like the ones you are here with.”
“Different men. My sisters and I killed those men.”
“You and your sisters. I see only two of you.”
“The others were killed.”
“Southern sirens and men have been killing each other for a long time. We may stick to the cold, but we know the ways of the world. Why are you with them?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Nothing is complicated.”
I swallowed, taking a deep breath. “We had common interests and we chose to work together for them.”
“The common interest being the girls.”
I nodded. Slowly, the woman took a step forward, her eyes roaming across my body like she didn’t think I was a siren under all the clothes.
“Why would men and sirens care about those girls enough to work together?”
“Does it matter?”
“It matters if you’ve brought notice to our home. We do not want conflict here.”
“Would you rather we didn’t bring them?”
She paused, her black eyes telling me nothing. And like the frozen waters she lived in, her expression was cold.
“We care about the people here. We rely on them.” She inclined her head. “I thank you. But we know far too much about Kroan zealots and their violent delights.”
“I am not associated with a clan. I was cast out a long time ago.”
“For the best.”
“What about you? Humans fear us, but these people talk about you as if you are gods.”
“And it has kept them content.”
“So, you live here? Alongside them?”
“Not exactly.”
“They do not fear you so you must not eat them.”
“These people believe they came from the sea long ago. They believe when they die, they return to it and are reborn. They age, we visit them, and we take them. And we take the sick. The disturbed.”
“You take them… and feed on them.”
“We get what we need and they believe their loved ones have passed on to the form from which they came.”
“But it’s a lie.”
“The world is built on lies. Ours keep people satisfied and functional and they keep us fed without war. Happiness, after all, lasts as long as the veil remains over one’s eyes.”
