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

41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

E agan gets us out in the water with ease, but his behavior is in stark contrast to my own. While my excitement has me unable to keep still, bouncing and pacing the short length of the boat, Eagan is pale and withdrawn. I will have to find a way to show him how much this means to me because he is struggling being back on the ocean.

Eagan and I have both put in earplugs that have blocked out all external noise. I am uncertain whether the song of my sisters will affect either of us. I am technically human now so it is possible that I will be influenced. And who knows what Vala did to Eagan when she removed the initial effects of the song from his mind. My plan is for us to keep the earplugs in until we locate Raidne, and she convinces my sisters not to use their song on us. I would like to think that the bond between us is strong enough to overcome the differences in our current biology, but I also think it depends on how hungry they are. I’m also concerned that they may see the permanence of my current form as an act of betrayal. I’m not sure how they could respond to that. At the very least, I am sure that Raidne would never cause me or anyone I care about harm. And I do care about Eagan. I care about him so much and in a way that’s different from anyone else in my life.

Eagan drives the boat following the directions I gave him prior to us putting in the earplugs. I don’t know exactly where they will be, but I know how to ensure that they will find us. Eagan stares at the expanse of the ocean in front of him, his jaw tense, and his back stiff. I move behind him, slip my hands around his waist, and rest my head on his back, offering comfort without words. He moves one of his hands down to my own and softly moves his thumb back and forth over the skin.

I take some time to be fully present in the moment, opening my senses to everything around me. The rough touch of his thumb brushing the back of my hand, the feel of his stomach moving with each breath, the kiss of the hot sun on my skin, softened by the cool breeze as it tousles our hair. And the smell of the ocean, so familiar and comforting but more foreign than ever before. I close my eyes and enjoy the peace that washes over me. I’m entirely aware that Eagan doesn’t share these feelings but as I breathe in the fresh air around us, I feel some of the tension leave his body, almost as if he’s absorbing my calm.

The boat stops when Eagan reaches the place I suggested would be a good spot to wait. I eagerly scan the ocean that surrounds us, looking for any sign of my sisters. Eagan doesn’t make any motion to move from where he has sat but as the minutes drag, my excitement doesn’t wane.

And then I see it. A flash of familiar dark brown hair that breaches the surface for a moment. My breath catches and I gesture to Eagan to let him know that they are here. His skin pales even more but he pushes his shoulders back and appears to steel himself for what comes next.

I wait a few more moments and then I see it again. This time closer. I catch another glimpse, and I think it’s Raidne. She is in front of the others leading the group to what they imagine will be a hunt. My heart is racing, partly with excitement and partly with fear of the unknown. I’m hoping that this plan is a good idea, that Eagan and I will be able to avoid the influence of their song and their appetite for humans.

I can sense them moving closer, so I cup my hands around my mouth and call out to them. “Raidne. Raidne. It’s me, Kairi. Please don’t sing.” They are close enough now that I can see the shadows beneath the water, moving swiftly.

“Raidne, it’s Kairi. Please don’t hurt us,” I call again. This time they stop. I hold my breath as I wait to see what will happen next. Did they hear me? They must be confused to hear my human heart beating along with Eagan’s. They won’t understand.

I finally exhale when the siren at the head of the group breaks off and continues towards the boat, leaving the others behind. I’m even more certain now that it is my best friend. I lean over the railing of the boat as far as I can to see the water lapping below. I gasp when she breaks the surface, her caramel eyes more familiar to me than my own.

“Raidne,” I cry, overwhelmed with the need to be with her, to hug her.

“Kairi?” I can’t hear her, but I can read my name on her lips, recognition in her eyes but also confusion.

“I’ll explain everything but at the moment I’m wearing ear plugs because I don’t know how your song might affect me. Can I take them out? Can you let everyone else know not to sing?” She nods in response before submerging herself once more and swimming back to the others. I wait for her to return. This takes longer than expected and that doesn’t seem like a good sign. Would they really act against me? After all I’ve done for them? When she finally returns and gestures that I’m safe, I remove my ear plugs.

“Oh, my goddess Kairi, I can’t believe it’s you! I thought you were dead. We all did. You just disappeared. I’ve been so worried and upset. I’ve missed you like crazy.”

Tears fall down my cheeks at the grief that tinges her voice. “I am so sorry Raidne, so much has happened, and I don’t even know how to explain it all.”

“Start at the beginning,” she encourages. And so, I do. I go right back to the beginning. She knows about my choice not to kill Eagan when I had the opportunity initially, but I explain the impact that this had on his life and his mental state. She gasps when I tell her about finding him throwing himself off the boat in the middle of the storm in pure desperation and then my decision to find the witch from our stories.

“Kairi you didn’t,” she whispers, shock lacing her tone, but she doesn’t interrupt any more than that as I continue my story, letting her know about the bargain I struck with Vala and how I’ve been able to have a human life since. I also can’t stop myself from telling her about my relationship with Eagan, or whatever he wants to call it. The weight that leaves my chest at being able to speak about all of this fills me with pure relief. I hadn’t realized how much I needed my best friend.

When I eventually trail off Raidne gapes at me, her eyes wide. "I sure as hell did not expect any of that,” she says, and I let out a strangled laugh. “You’re a human now? Fully human?” she queries.

“Yes,” I reply, “how are you? And the others? Are you all okay?”

“We are fine. Still pretty full from our last hunt so everyone’s rather content.” I wince at the mention of hunting and I’m glad that Eagan still has his ear plugs in, so he doesn’t have to hear it.

“So, Eagan… can I meet him?” she questions, the right side of her mouth lifting in a smirk. “Don’t worry, I’ve sent the others away so he’s safe.”

“Wait a sec,” I tell her as I move over to where Eagan is sitting, a questioning look on his face. I motion to him to take out his ear plugs and after only a brief hesitation he removes them.

“Are you okay?” he asks quickly.

“I’m amazing. Would you like to meet Raidne?” I offer. He looks unsure but agrees after my insistence that she won’t harm him. He joins me at the boat railing and looks down tentatively at Raidne who bobs in the water below.

“Oh, you are gorgeous, aren’t you?” Raidne drawls seductively. “You look positively delicious.” I choke on a laugh at the surprise on Eagan’s face.

“She’s just teasing you; she’s not going to eat you, and I promise she’s not interested in your body for anything else either. Men aren’t her type,” I chuckle, Raidne’s laughter joining my own. I reach down and take Eagan’s hand in my own for reassurance.

“So, you’re the snarky best friend?” Eagan fires back, causing Raidne to howl with laughter.

“You’re damn right I’m the snarky best friend.”

“This still doesn’t feel real,” Eagan mutters to himself as he takes in Raidne’s siren form. To me, she’s beautiful but it’s going to take him some time for him to see her in a positive light although I don’t see the repulsion I expected.

“Are you happy?” Raidne asks me, concern furrowing her eyebrows as she takes in the close proximity of Eagan and me. I pause, running through the question in my mind. Am I happy? I don’t think I ever was truly happy in my siren form and there is a stark comparison between my life in the ocean and my life on land.

“Yeah, I think I am,” I reply as my mouth stretches into a grin. “I miss you though.”

She nods. “It’s not the same without you. You know how much our sisters drive me crazy with their yapping. You’re always the one that distracts them so I can get away.”

“And then I would get stuck with them! You’re lucky I love you so much,” I joke. Goddess, it feels good to be laughing with her again. I love everything about my new life except for Raidne’s absence.

Raidne’s face turns contemplative before she asks, “so you’re not sure if you are able to hear our song anymore?” When I bob my head in agreement, she hmms. “And you can’t sing anymore?”

“No, I gave up my voice to Vala. Why?” I ask as I begin to grow suspicious.

“It’s weird, we have been able to hear a song coming from somewhere close to land but it’s different somehow. It’s familiar, but also… not. Obviously, it’s none of us and you know how rare it is for another siren to venture into our territory.”

She’s right. We always hunt in groups and never venture out on our own. We are also territorial and so it’s highly unusual to hear the song of another of our kind. It’s concerning to think that there may be a lone siren in Witches Cove that Raidne and my sisters haven't been able to locate.

“You don’t think…” Eagan looks at me in confusion as I trail off, unable to voice my suspicions.

“What is it?” he asks.

“Is it possible that when the witch took your siren abilities, she found a way to harness your song and use it herself?” Raidne questions, having reached the same possible conclusion as me.

I run my fingers through my hair and chew on the inside of my cheek. “I don’t know. Is that even possible?”

“Fuck,” Eagan hisses when he realizes what this might mean.

“Do you think she could have been using my song against humans this whole time while I’ve been out enjoying life as a human?” Guilt coils in my stomach. I can’t even begin to comprehend the extent of the damage Vala might be able to cause with a siren’s power. “What would she even be doing with it?”

Eagan turns to me, eyes wide and lips parted in horror. “No,” he whispers.

“What?” Raidne and I both ask.

“The missing people,” he answers, and a lead weight drops in my gut. No, it can’t be. Surely, she isn’t using my song to lure humans to her cave. Why would she do that? What purpose does it serve? She doesn’t need souls to survive. How does she even use it without being in siren form? I’m silent as the questions whirl around my brain as I try to comprehend just how completely I have fucked up. I gave a powerful witch even more power. In trying to save one human, I have condemned others to death.