Page 140 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

“Alright, let’s find shelter,” he said, looking over her shoulder, her body stiffening.

“Oh, my—!”

He jumped forward, muffling her mouth with his hand to silence her.

“Shh,” he said into her ear. Elijah slowly dropped his hand. “You might want to raise that bow,” he said. “They’re here.”

Nola turned slowly when two red eyes looked back at her between the trees. She raised the bow, watching the creature move slowly out of the shadows. Its skin looked rough, almost grainy. The grotesque contorted features and its bony hairless limbs made Nola’s hairs stand straight. The creature raised its hand, revealing dirty, unkempt nails sharp as blades. Much like the wendigo but not as pale. Not as lean. Despite the being’s terrifying features, its form was more humanlike than monster.

The arrow sprang from the bow, but Nola missed. Her hands would not stop shaking.

This is how I’m going to die,the siren thought.

A sudden chill crept up Nola’s spine as she tried to settle her breaths.

I have to sing,she said to herself. It is the only weapon I’ve got left.

She opened her mouth and sang, but when the creature kept moving, she stepped back. Panic clutched her throat.

“It’s not working, Elijah. It’s—”

“Are you doing it right?!” he shouted, the two of them backing up into a tree.

“Yes, I’m doing it right!”

“Get ready to run,” the prince said. “Now!”

Nola felt Elijah’s hand on her shoulder, yanking her away as the creature pounced across the grass, its claws missing her by an inch. The two darted through the forest, stumbling over every rock or twig on their path, but kept their pace.

“Use your magic, dammit!” Nola shouted.

Elijah gripped hold of Nola’s hand to help her keep up, as he was running much faster than her.

He whipped around as they heard the growl from the creature coming closer to them. The prince held his hands out, and Nola watched as his black smoke left his fingers and enveloped the beast. It screamed and cried, but it did not stop.

“It would be much easier if you could summon it to your will,” he said, turning to her. “I can’t use my powers to possess them, only slow it down. It isn’t human.”

“Elijah, I’m trying,” she said. Nola sang again, louder that time, but the creature stomped towards them, its red eyes enraged. The creature’s hand came out and slammed hard against Elijah’s cheek, tossing him to the side as if he were weightless.

Nola stopped and stumbled back. She tried singing again, even louder, yet the savage beast would not stop.

The monster leapt towards her, straddling over her body, pinning her down and pressing its rough, dried-out legs against her thighs and its hand pressed into her chest. The other hand tried to gouge her eyes with its nails, but Nola shifted her body, the creature’s hand landing into the dirt instead.

The siren cupped her hands over her ears to block out the piercing sound as Elijah used the jagged point of an arrow to stab the creature through the chest.

The lifeless beast collapsed against the siren’s body. Nola rushed to push it off her.

No! Nola thought in her mind. It cannot be.

“Elijah,” she said, looking up. “I know why it wouldn’t succumb to my power.”

“Care to share your theory,” he called out, still catching his breath while stepping quickly to her aid.

Nola jumped to her feet on her own. “Look above its navel,” she said. His eyes darted to the creature, whose birthmark looked just like Nola’s.

“You see it?” she said. “They are sirens, Elijah. I cannot control my own kind.”

His eyes went wide. “Well,” he said. “I did not see that coming.”

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