A Song of Death and Desire (The Sirens of Witches Cove)

23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

H ere I was thinking that I was starting to regain my sanity and then I go and do something like this. What was I thinking when those words flew out of my mouth? Clearly, I wasn’t thinking at all. And now she’s coming home with me. Good one, Eagan, invite the murderer and soul eater into your apartment. What a fantastic idea.

What a fucking disaster. My body still trembles with fury at what I just prevented from happening. I heard the disgusting things the man was saying to her and was surprised at the ferocity she gave back. But when he put his hands on her I saw red. I acted without thinking, my instincts pushing me to protect. It was fortunate that my gut feeling about the guy was right and I didn’t go home like I intended. The thought of this vile man preying on and assaulting females he deems to be vulnerable sickens me. I can’t help but think what would happen if someone tried to do something like this to Sienna. I can guarantee a couple of knocks to the face would not be all they receive.

Protecting her from this asshole happened subconsciously, but when I heard that she was sleeping on the beach, alone and with no protection from predators like the man bleeding on the ground beside us, I was overcome with the urge to keep her close. I look at her standing in front of me, shivering despite the balmy summer air, wearing a pale, mint green sundress with one strap sliding off her shoulder. One thought takes root in my mind as I take her in.

Mine.

It is only a matter of time before something bad happens to her out on the beach and after tonight I don’t want to feel responsible for stepping back and allowing it to happen. At least this way I can keep her safe while also keeping everyone else protected from her.

Kairi still looks at me warily as she processes my offer. “You want me to come with you? Back to your place? I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I’ve been doing okay on my own so far. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble.”

“Don’t argue, you’re coming. Just lead me to where you have been sleeping so we can get home before someone finds this guy.”

“Are you just going to leave him here?”

The man has started to groan and moan and some of my anger returns making me want to punch him all over again. Absolute dick stain of a human being. I nod at Kairi’s question and take her hand in my bloody one. She doesn’t flinch at the sight of blood, but I notice her quiver when we touch.

Kairi leads me to her alcove on the beach and for some reason I am unable to pull my hand from hers. I can’t help but focus on the softness of her skin. It’s warm and smooth. This siren is difficult for me to understand. She seems nervous around me but I have also seen glimmers of confidence and sass that indicate that she is not the timid girl that she may appear to some. She’s a contradiction—vulnerable but fierce. Sweet but deadly. I don’t know how to feel or act around her.

I realize that she didn’t answer my question the first time so ask again, “are you okay, Kairi?” She looks over at me and I feel like I’m falling under her spell again just by gazing into her emerald green eyes.

She bobs her head. “Yes, he didn’t do anything other than call me names and grab my wrist. You got there just in time though. Thank you.”

“How were you going to fight him?” I ask curiously. She looked like she was ready to unleash on him.

She shrugs her shoulders. “No idea. But I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. I may not have my sharp claws and teeth, but I was willing to find out what these human ones can do.” With that, she gives me a grin and I see a peek of that viciousness come to the surface.

“Okay, vicious one, show me where this cave you’ve been sleeping in is.” Not sure where that pet name comes from, but at this point, I’m just rolling with the chaos that is my life.

She shows me the little secluded rock cave that she created as a home for herself, and I have to give it to her; it’s not the worst place she could have stayed. It looks like it would have kept her semi-protected from the elements and I don’t think anyone would have seen her unless they knew she was there. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t stop someone from following her here.

My stomach churns thinking about a young woman sleeping alone here on the beach with only a small blanket for comfort. It must have been uncomfortable.

“I like the sound of the waves. It reminds me of home,” she says softly. I don’t think I really appreciated until now what she gave up for me. She must be missing her home, her friends, her family. I don’t even know if there are other sirens like her—who venture to land and interact with humans.

As quickly as my sympathy for her comes, as do the other thoughts of her true nature. Thoughts of her ripping apart Don, Steve and Brenton, sucking their souls right out of their bodies. I remember that although she looks like a pretty girl right now—okay I admit it, a beautiful girl—there is still a monster that lurks within. I can’t forgive her for these things that easily.

My body tenses at the thoughts and Kairi notices, pulling away and resuming her shy mask. She is very good at hiding her ferocity. No one would ever expect how she had spent her life so far, a creature of the ocean only ever thought of as a myth. I have to remember though; I won’t let her suck me in again.

Strengthening my resolve, I wait back while Kairi collects her belongings. Everything she has fits into one medium size shoulder bag.

“Is that everything?” I ask.

“Yep,” she responds, popping the p sound.

“Well, okay then. Let’s head off and get you somewhere safe for the night”

We walk back to my apartment in an uncomfortable silence while I scan the environment to make sure that there is no one following us. I worry that if I try to start a conversation it will just increase the pull I feel towards her.

“You don’t have to do this,” she says quietly.

I huff. “Yes, I do; you’re going to get yourself killed otherwise.” She doesn’t reply but I find myself glancing at her wishing she would have taken the bait and shown me some more of that feistiness. She looks slightly annoyed with me but isn’t fighting me, I’m not sure why I’m disappointed by that.

When we arrive back at my apartment Kairi takes a moment to take in everything around her. “Where would you like me to go?” she asks.

“There’s a spare bedroom here.” I show her to the room across the hall from mine. It’s small but it has a bed and is a hell of a lot better than lying on the sand. Without hesitating, she flops herself face first on the bed and groans.

“Ummff…This is soooo comfortable,” she says, her voice muffled by the pillow she has her face pressed into. A short bark of laughter escapes me, surprising her and also myself.

“I want to lay here on this heavenly pillow of comfort forever,” she says dreamily, her eyes already closing as she snuggles beneath the blanket.

I cough. “So, yeah, you can stay in this room. There’s food and water in the kitchen, and the bathroom is the next door down from this room. Anything else you need?” I stop talking when a soft snore reaches my ears. She has already fallen asleep.

Like a creep, I watch her for a few minutes. I take in the way she sleeps folded into herself, trying to make herself as small as possible. From here, I can see the smatter of freckles that dust her nose and cheekbones, small marks on her creamy, white skin. The same beautiful spots freckle her shoulders. Her long hair fans around her, some long strands falling over to cover her face. I resist the urge to reach over and push those strands behind her ear. The last time I saw her, her hair was soaking wet from the ocean and the rain. It then dried into clumps from the sand and the salt. Now, it shimmers, shines, and has such a depth of color. God, I want to run my hands through it.

I shake myself out of my trance and walk out of the room, shutting the door behind me. I know I thought this earlier but I am even more certain now that bringing her here was a mistake.

I can’t deny that I am attracted to her. I am entranced by her beauty in the same way that her song bewitched me. I wonder if this desire is a remnant of her song and the madness it caused. If it takes a while to fade. Or if it never will. The thought unnerves me.

In these few interactions I have had with her, I also can’t help but find her interesting. She has a spark that I can't describe but am drawn to. But that’s okay right? I can be attracted to someone without having to act on it. Yes, that’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to ignore these jumbled-up feelings until they go away.

It’s not even that late at night, but I feel weird being up while Kairi sleeps, and once again, I’ve got too much running through my mind. I go to my room and get ready for bed. I'm hyper-aware of Kairi in the room across the hall. I toss and turn, trying to find a comfortable position before lying on my back and staring at the ceiling. I can’t get her off my mind and I’m furious about it.