23. In which there are two skeletons and a bargain
IN WHICH THERE ARE TWO SKELETONS AND A BARGAIN
The footprints led into the mouth of an ice tunnel. Hester hesitated at the entrance.
“You should stay here,” she said to the others. “I’ll go in and get her back.”
“You’re not going alone,” Septimus said with a firm shake of his head.
“I won’t risk the rest of you. I can deal with it.
” She looked at him pointedly, hoping he’d take the hint and she wouldn’t have to explain her magic to the others.
At least she hoped she could deal with it.
Had never used her magic to fight another magical being.
It was a good thing she still had magic, replenished after her visit to the Underworld.
Mei, Arnold, Betty and Valerie were all shaking their heads.
“We cannot let you go in alone, Captain,” Mei said, stepping forwards. “I’m going with you.”
“Exactly,” Septimus said. “It’s a ludicrous idea. I’m coming too.”
“You cannot go in there—into a siren’s den? She already killed two of your crew. You and Arnold are definitely staying out here.”
“We’re going with you, then,” Betty said, Valerie nodding grimly next to her.
Hester looked to Septimus. She needed his help with this. “Just Mei. I cannot protect you all.”
Septimus folded his arms. “Just Hester and Mei. Everyone else guards the entrance. If you do not return, we’ll come after you.”
Betty and Valerie scowled but hung back.
Thank God he’d backed her up. “Come,” Hester said to Mei. They drew their pistols and, with a last glance back at Septimus, Hester entered the tunnel of ice.
She and Mei followed the tunnel downwards. The temperature dropped further, Hester’s breath misting before her.
She toyed with the edges of the magic in her chest, thinking of ways to fight with it inside such a place. She could summon ice—could freeze the siren in place? But what magic would the siren wield against her? All she knew was that sirens lured men to their deaths with their voices.
“We should block our ears,” Hester whispered as they crept further, the ice slippery under foot. Away in the distance she could hear voices.
“With what?” Mei hissed.
Hester rummaged in her pockets. Bits of rope, her spyglass, a compass. Nothing useful for blocking ears. “Just pull your hat down and use your hands.”
“And what about holding the gun?”
“Er. Use a shoulder and a hand.”
Mei nodded, eyes forward as they crept silently towards the sound of voices, and sobbing. Hester stiffened. Charlotte. No one took her crew, her friends. The siren would die for this.
Breathless, she raced forwards, the tunnel opening into a glittering hall.
A red-headed woman knelt next to Charlotte, crouched on the floor, stroking her hair.
The siren looked over when they entered, and stood tall, smiling wide, locks of blood-red hair spilling down to her waist, a kelp dress swaying as if moved by an unseen current.
She had a figure that Hester would have killed for, a perfect hourglass, bow-shaped lips, one dark eye, the other covered by an eyepatch.
And there were two skeletons slumped against the base of an icy throne.
Hester tasted bile. She raised her gun, Mei doing the same next to her.
The siren spoke, “Captain Orn and Mei Lam. What a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.” She pressed a hand to her buxom chest. “I’m Odette.”
Hester blocked her ears. The siren’s voice was like nothing she had heard before. It was a mother singing a lullaby, the crash of the hull through the waves, the sigh of a lover, all rolled into one. Her cheeks flushed with heat, her body coming alive, every nerve ending alight.
“We’re all friends here, no need for the guns. Drop them,” Odette said with a wave of her hand.
Hester’s hand released the gun, as did Mei’s. The weapons clattered to the ice.
“Come, my loves,” Odette said, beckoning them forward.
Hester’s feet obeyed, but she snarled and pulled at the magic in her chest. She shot ice along the ground, freezing Odette in place, the ice working its way up the curves of her legs.
Mei turned to her, the only sign of shock on her face a slightly raised brow. “You might have mentioned you could do things like that, Captain.”
“I’ll explain later.” She kept the ice flowing, building to Odette’s thighs.
“Oh, you want to play?” Odette smiled wide, and before Hester could work out what was happening, the woman was changing—morphing before her eyes, the ice she’d encased her legs in shattering.
The siren grew larger, monstrously large, her skin turning deep red, the same blood-red colour as her hair.
Her limbs elongated into writhing tentacles.
Her body thickened, crashing to the ice, and instead of a woman, there was an enormous red squid, with one small dark eye and one huge blue one.
It was horrifying. Truly. Hester staggered backwards.
The squid speared its tentacles towards her, wrapping her in thick, undulating muscle. Next to her, Mei struggled, captured too. The squid rose higher, dragging them towards its open beak, gleaming white and sharp. Charlotte screamed and ran forwards, trying to pull the tentacles from Hester.
“Weather magic. How useless, cousin. If only you were as powerful as I. Imagine, being able to seduce anyone you desire, being able to make them feel the most wonderful things.”
The squid-siren was talking into her head, just like the orca.
Hester shook her head, trying to dislodge the voice.
Her whole body flushed, desire coursing through her veins, throbbing at her core.
She tried to claw her way out of the ever-tightening grip of the tentacles, suckers stroking along her cheeks, her neck.
She must save Mei. Save Charlotte. Couldn’t let the beast squeeze them to death.
She flung out her magic again, so much of it that her chest hurt.
Ice shot along the tentacles, encasing them, working up to the squid’s body.
But it lasted for mere moments. The tentacles undulated, throwing off the ice before it had chance to take hold.
And then Hester’s magic faded and died. Spent in that massive burst of power.
“Let them go!” Charlotte was still pulling at the tentacles. “You cannot eat my friends!”
The tentacles stopped tightening. Hester’s feet touched the ice, set down beside Mei, and the tentacles unwound, retreated, the squid coiling up on itself until it reformed the shape of a woman.
She dusted herself down, flicking her red hair over her shoulder.
“Apologies, my loves. I got a bit carried away.” Odette turned to Charlotte.
“Where did you get this notion that I’ll eat you?
I only eat men. I don’t eat women. Well, not in that way, anyway.
” She laughed sweetly and patted Charlotte’s arm.
Mei huffed a laugh and cocked her head, eyes fixed on the siren.
Hester raised a brow, chest heaving. A bit carried away? Good Lord. “What do you want? Why did you take Charlotte?”
“I wanted you, my love,” Odette said, slinking over to Hester and running a hand down her cheek. “You are fascinating.”
Hester stuck out her chin, the effects of Odette’s magic still coursing through her. If Odette wanted her, then the others could go free. She would carry on fighting. “Then let Mei and Charlotte leave. We can finish this between ourselves.”
Mei moved to stand on Hester’s left side, Charlotte on her right. Mei said, “We’re not leaving your side.”
“You see—this—this is what I want,” Odette said, gesturing at the three of them. “I’ve been watching you all for some time now.” She turned and walked to the ice-carved throne, sitting in it and then turning so her legs draped over the arm. She beckoned, “Come closer, my loves.”
Hester couldn’t stop her feet from moving. It was a compulsion.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like? Being feared, living all alone?
” Odette sighed dramatically. “You, though. Everyone loves you, worships you, idolises the great Hester Orn.” Odette fixed her with that single dark eye, her eye patch firmly back in place over the other.
“I want you to teach me how you do it. How do you get them to love you? I have never felt love. Only desire.”
It was true. Hester was gifted in that area. Found making friends as easy as breathing. Her eyes landed on the skeletons of James and Victor. She shuddered and dragged her focus back to Odette. It wouldn’t do to take her eyes off this insane squid-woman.
Odette continued, legs swinging over the edge of the throne, “And so I’ll strike a bargain with you.”
A bargain? This was dangerous territory. “Why should I make a bargain with you?”
“So that I do not eat any more of your men.” Odette waved a delicate hand over the skeletons beside her. “The second one was terrible. Hardly knew where to put it. And yet, I could tell you had bedded him. You must have regretted that decision? I thought if I killed him, it would please you.”
Hester stared at Odette. She could only let out a strangled choking sound. The siren was absolutely insane. Charlotte grasped her hand, fingers trembling. She squeezed and leant into the Boss’s side.
Odette licked her full lips. “But that one waiting outside. The tall, dark and handsome lord. Oh, he’d be delicious.
And I imagine he’d be wonderful in bed. And he saved you—so romantic.
I was about to intervene that day you fell in the water, but he jumped in after you.
At least our Lord of the Underworld scarpered when he realised I was there watching.
” She smirked. “He doesn’t like to meddle with me after a certain night we spent together.
He won’t bother you here.” She held a hand to her mouth and stage-whispered, “He didn’t like that my tentacles were bigger than his manhood.
” She winked and lowered her hand. “Now, back to Lord Septimus…”
Hester saw red. Over her dead body would Odette lay a single finger, a single tentacle on Septimus. She snarled, “You do as much as think about him, or any of our men and I’ll fry you up for supper.”