Page 7 of Seducing Scylla
I give a gladiator-like scream and heave myself up, crawling forward with my arms until my stomach breaches the lip, and then a knee, which I use to push me deeper into the hole. My fingers are torn and bleeding as I lay on my stomach on the damp sandy rock, panting. I did it.
6
Morgan
The cave is deeper than I first thought, the entrance narrow and damp before widening out further in. I don’t venture into the darkness, too afraid of what I might find. I’ve had enough adventure for a lifetime, if that’s what you could call this. I’m inclined to call it a nightmare. Instead, I huddle just inside the mouth of the cave on the sandy rock floor, my arms wrapped tight around my knees as I watch the ocean rise.
My breaths even out as I sit and stare into the blue-green expanse of water that feels like it’s desperately trying to reach me, its watery tendrils reaching out to drag me back and swallow me whole. The tide has risen so high, it sits a hand span below the edge. I close my eyes, sending my gratitude out into the ether, to any god that will listen, thankful that I found this hidey-hole in the nick of time.
A single tear fights its way free and carves a path down my worn and tired face. It’s like the crack in the wall before the dam bursts and before I know it, I can’t breathe from the heaving, racking sobs that engulf me. The enormity of the situation suddenly hits home, my emotions slamming into me hard and fast.
I was kidnapped. Freaking kidnapped! Are you kidding me? I could curse myself for being so naive. Look at what happened! Tied up inside a container on the way to who knows where, and now this. Stuck on an island, no help to be found, no people at all, I don’t think, and no way off. No way home.
I let out another loud wail. Thereareother people. The other women... The ones I left to fend for themselves. Guilt floods me. Where was the woman who attempted to scare off the creep at the library? I thought I was braver than that. But I’m not. I’m just a coward who ran away at the first sign of trouble.
I don’t know what those red creatures were. Maybe the local fauna? But they seemed too intelligent, too purposeful to be animals. I hope not. That wouldn’t bode well for anyone. They probably think we’re a tasty meal that’s been dropped right on their doorstep. I shudder at the thought, hiccupping through my sobs. Tears streamsteadily down my cheeks, and I wipe my snotty nose on my cold damp skin, grimacing at the feel of the salty sea residue.
The shadows lengthen, the sky blending from light blue to pinks and oranges as the sun begins to set. With it, the warmth seeps away, replaced by a light breeze and a coolness that’s not quite like the bite of a winter chill, but more like spring. It would be pleasant if I wasn’t sitting in soggy and sand-smeared clothes in a damp and sandy cave. Instead, I shiver, my teeth rattling, and snot drips from my nose faster than I can wipe it away.
Sniffling, I lay down, pulling my knees into my chest and tugging my soaked dress over them for as much warmth as I can muster. I rest my head on my hands and stare into the darkness of the cave, a constant trickle of tears escaping my eyes. The numbness isn’t just seeping into my fingers and toes, but also my insides. My tummy lets out an angry gurgle. Okay, maybe not all of my insides. Hunger gnaws at me now that I have a moment of reprieve.
The hopelessness feels overwhelming. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of here. I don’t know how to hunt or fish, or if there’s any food I can pick. I don’t know how to start a fire to keep myself warm in the night. I don’t know how I’m going to get off this beachand home again. I don’t know anything at all. I am utterly useless. I can’t help myself let alone any of the others out there. If they’re still alive. I shudder, closing my eyes against the darkness pushing in at me. I try not to think about how cold or hungry I am. I try not to think about my warm, cozy bed drowning in cushions. I try not to think about the women I abandoned on the beach. I definitely try not to think about any creepy crawlies that might be lurking in the dark, waiting for me to drift off to sleep before crawling inside my ears and laying eggs in my brain. That would be the icing on the cake. Please don’t let there be spiders in here.
7
Scylla
There is an intruder in my cave. From the darkness, I stare at the lump blocking the entrance to my home. It is not moving. Perhaps it is expired, yet it does not smell that way. I inhale deeply at the salty brine of the ocean. I edge closer, my slick tentacles undulating against the stone surface of the entrance, worn smooth over millennia. The thing is damp; covered in a dress the color of oranges, darkened from the sand and water. I reach out with an arm, careful not to get too close, and prod it.
It rolls over with a groan, causing me to rear back with a hiss. A human! A dead human? It is deathly pale, its lips purple. No, not dead, it made a noise when it rolled. I cock my head. Dead things make noises too. Curious, I lean forward to get a better look. A blanket of dark ginger hair frames their pale face, matted and full of sand, the color a contrast to the purple of their full lips. A lightsmattering of freckles dusts their nose and cheeks. Its dress clings and tangles around a plump, curvy body. A human woman. I suck in a sharp breath. I have not seen a human in… it has been so long.
The woman’s face is scrunched in a frown, and slight tremors shake her body. It takes me a moment to sort through my long-forgotten memories of humans to realize that she is cold. Not dead, then. I retreat into the shadows to gather my thoughts. It has been centuries since I have seen a human, let alone been around one.
I think back to when the witch, Circe, cursed me into this monstrous form thousands of years ago. Morphing my alluring appearance as a sea nymph intothis… in a jealous fit of rage. All because Glaucus took a liking to me, though I did not return his favor. I was one of his precious sea nymphs, an object of desire. And where was he after I was cursed? He, who said he would love me eternally? I scoff, bitterly. Nowhere. Males. All they do is keep you as a trophy. Wave your beauty in the face of others who cannot have you and then leave you to rot, alone, when you no longer serve their purpose.
I snarl softly in the dark, my grin turning wicked. But how was Glaucus to know that I would rend every ship into pieces and devour every man that crossed the water in my revenge? Who would heshow his precious sea nymphs off to if no one dared visit him? The sea too treacherous; warded by what I would come to be known as—the sea monster. Scylla.
A soft whimper pulls me from my thoughts. Looking back at the woman, I do not know what to do with her. I could push her out the entrance and let my cousin take her. Charybdis would appreciate the meal. I could eat her myself, but I wrinkle my nose at the idea, remembering how gamey humans are. I would rather not.
Something about her draws me in. It has been thousands of years since we had contact with the outside world. It must be the Moirai’s doing, the Fates meddling with destiny. Bringing a human woman to Aeolia is no small feat. She could not be here without reason. Does this mean I should help her? How do I know I can trust her? She could be just like all the other humans I’ve encountered before, selfish and full of hate.
Sighing, and against my better judgment, I move toward her. Reaching out with my tentacles, I brush a tendril of hair away from her face. She is quite a curious creature. Damp and dirty. Are all humans like this? I cannot quite remember. But still, I am drawn to her like a moth to a flame. I cannot stop staring at her face.Uneasiness nips at my mind.It is a trap, it whispers. Before I can dissuade myself, I scoop her up in my arms, two tentacles wrapping around her securely, tucking her in close to my chest like an infant. She is small in my arms, smaller than I realized while looking at her form upon the cave floor.
She burrows her head into the crook of my neck, her arms curling around one of my own as if seeking out every scrap of warmth she can find; ironic since I am cold-blooded. A strangled noise garbles up my throat. I have not been touched like this in so long. I close my eyes for a mere second, enraptured at the touch of skin upon my own, even if it is icy cold, damp, and sandy. The magic of the moment is broken when she shivers, and I steel myself against the emptiness of having been alone for so long. Unwelcome feelings nip at my heart. It has been an age since I have felt anything, let alone sadness.
Looking down upon the human nestled in my arms, I notice her eyelids flutter open. Sea-green eyes stare back at me, reminding me of my favorite place in this universe. An inescapable tether snaps into being and I tense. Lifting one arm, the woman cradles my cheek with one hand. I cannot help myself but lean into it.
“Pree-dee,” she whispers, her hand falling away as her eyes slip closed once again.
I am frozen in place. This woman with sand in her hair, wet clothing, and the prettiest eyes I have ever seen in my life is my… mate.
I do not know this word she—my mate—whispers to me. My brow creases in confusion at the foreign tongue. Her teeth chatter, the clacking sound bringing me back into the moment. Her eyes are now closed; I do not know if it is because she is tired or because she simply does not have the strength to keep them open.
Mate.
My mate.
A surge of protectiveness overwhelms me, urging me to nurse this sleeping human back to health. To smother her in warmth and wash the grime from her fair skin. To never let her go. Now that she is in my arms, I do not think I could let her go even if I wanted to. The soft curves of her body perfectly encased inside my arms feel as if she was made to fit me, and I her.
