Chapter 11 – Celaeno
CELAENO
It’s still morning when we leave camp. We fly along the coast, and I find myself missing my wings more and more.
Being a shifter, a bird, it’s in my soul.
There have been times in my life—dark times—when I was a bird more than I was a human.
And right now, I’m missing that part of myself like an aching in my heart.
But I’m also not alone.
Glancing at Ender, who carries me as we fly, I notice that his gaze is on the horizon.
Because he doesn’t notice my stare, I greedily drink him in.
Right now, his skin has the grey tint that always comes when he takes on his gargoyle-form.
His hair is even messier than usual, and the wind plays with it in a way my fingers itch to replicate.
His green eyes are distant, lost in thought.
And for some reason, seeing him without his usual merriment adds a depth to the man that I didn’t expect.
Or perhaps I’m just reading into him.
Because it’s true, as much as I miss being a bird, I love having the company of the gargoyles.
And I know that what I’m thinking might make me absolutely insane, but I also like knowing their angle.
They’ve made it clear they want to hunt and kill me.
They’re keeping me alive because they need my help.
When was the last time that anyone I associated with was so translucent?
Everyone who’s ever hurt me, who has ever tried to take my life, I considered them my friends. My family. I trusted them.
Thinking of my sister brings a familiar pang deep inside me.
All semi-immortals age differently, in a sense, because experience shapes us more than years.
Aello is just… so young. It still hurts that she betrayed me, sleeping with the man I loved behind my back, but I don’t blame her anymore.
We were all looking for a light in that dark place, and Hades was the light we needed.
I just wish she knew that she was strong enough to leave. And that she trusted me enough to let me help her.
My gaze slips back to Ender. I am glad to not have to help her right now.
Because I’m enjoying my kidnapping in the most ridiculous way imaginable.
I shift slightly, and I’m intimately aware of every hard inch of Ender.
He has the most delicious muscles. Big strong arms. A narrow, muscled stomach.
And a chest that feels rock hard. I wonder if I could take just a little nibble of him without him noticing.
Probably not. I almost sigh aloud.
It should be enough that I’m being carried by this big, hot man, but apparently I’m a greedy shifter who wants more. Bad, greedy shifter. Wondering if you can rip his shirt open and lick every inch of him. This time, I do sigh aloud. That would be so nice.
Ender tenses beneath my touch, and my instincts sharpen.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” His gaze slips to me. “They’re pointing up ahead, just saying we can land and rest for a little while.”
Oh, good! For some reason, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next big disaster in my life. Which I have a feeling has more to do with my anxiety than any kind of pessimism.
We fly lower until we land on a white sandy beach devoid of all human-life.
Ender holds me as I slide my legs from around his waist. When my feet touch the ground, it takes another long minute before my legs stop shaking enough for me to feel steady.
“You good?” he asks.
I smile. “Yes.”
He releases me and steps back.
I watch him turn and stride to where the other gargoyles have landed. They talk amongst themselves, and I’m so happy I don’t even mind. Down here, I can smell the salty sea. I can even taste it on the breeze. And hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.
This is the kind of place I wish I could live forever. If only.
Knowing that the future isn’t a guarantee, I decide the hell with it.
I’m going to enjoy today. This moment. In a way I haven’t in a long time.
Pulling off my shoes, I walk across the sand.
When my feet press into the wet, sandy shore, I’m overwhelmed for a moment.
How many times in my semi-immortal life have I stood upon a beautiful beach?
Or walked through a busy city? Or lay alone awake at night?
So many times. So many times that the days have blended together.
Which means it’s absolutely foolish that today feels different. But it does. And that’s kind of nice.
Out in the water I see something. A flash of color.
I freeze. What was that?
The thing rises out of the water again, but this time my eyes pick out what it is. A siren.
Uh oh. I have no beef with sirens, but I can only imagine that if the gargoyles and sirens cross paths, there’s going to be trouble.
Stripping off my shirt and pants, I toss them on the sand. Glancing back at the shore, I see that the gargoyles are still engaged in a deep conversation. I better stop this before it becomes a real problem. Taking a deep breath, I dive into the water.
I swim about halfway to where I saw the siren, when I nearly run straight into her.
Breathing hard, I surface. As her eyes meet mine, I nearly gasp.
I know this siren, because she’s like no other.
She’s someone I care deeply for. Aglaope is a hybrid.
The result of a reckless night a god spent with a siren.
Her hair is pale brown with light blue weaved among the strands. Her skin has only a light dusting of scales, that look more like shimmering glitter, and she has a softness about her that reminds me of the young girl I met many years before.
“Aglaope,” I greet her, a smile in my voice.
Her gaze meets mine, and the innocence there wars with a nervousness I don’t understand. “Celaeno.” My name is a whisper on her lips. “I’ve missed you.”
My smile widens. “I didn’t know if you remembered our days together. You were so young. A girl fascinated by my books and stories.”
She shakes her head. “Your weeks on my tribe’s island were the only good days in my life.”
I feel my smile fade. “I’m so sorry, but Aglaope… you know you don’t have to stay. You’re not a full-siren. You’re different. If you—“
“I only came to you to give a warning.”
The hairs at the back of my neck prickle. “About what?”
“My tribe is angry. They lost gargoyles that they wished to use for breeding, and our queen has become obsessed with finding new ones. She saw you and your gargoyles flying. The whole tribe will be here soon, and they’ll begin their song…”
She doesn’t have to say more. Their song doesn’t work on me. But I can’t protect the gargoyles from it.
“Thank you,” I tell her.
She reaches out a hand and touches the collar at my throat. “Are you a prisoner?”
I hesitate, looking between the shore and her. “In a sense.”
“Keto was a prisoner too.” She looks at me. “Does a person need to have metal shackles to be a prisoner?”
My heart twists. “Anyone who isn’t free, who is scared to leave, can be a prisoner.”
Her brows lower, and her gaze is thoughtful. “Thank you, wise one. Now, you should go. They’re getting closer.”
“Thank you,” I repeat again.
Turning, I swim as fast as I can. When I reach the shore, all three gargoyles are waiting for me.
“Were you swimming?” Grey asks, sounding shocked.
I grab my clothes and start to haul them on, not caring that I’m dripping wet. “We need to leave. Now.”
“We need to rest and eat,” Grey says.
“You don’t understand—“
“You’re the one that doesn’t understand. What you did for me yesterday—saving my life—I appreciate it, but it doesn’t change anything between us. You’re the prisoner! You don’t tell us what to do! You don’t give demands!”
I look to Ender and Journey. Both have their mouths hanging open, staring at my breasts. I yank my shirt over them and both gargoyles seem to snap back to reality, their gazes moving to my face.
“We need to go!”
Grey takes a step forward, and I know he means to appear menacing. “Sit down.”
Anger uncurls inside of me. “Fine. There’ll be a few dozen sirens here soon, who will sing until your ears bleed, and then they’ll drag you off to their island and demand you spend your life fucking them.
And then when they’re done with you, they’ll kill you.
But what does little old me know? Nothing, I guess.
I’ll just stay here and then walk away perfectly free when they have you under their spell. ”
Grey’s eyes are wide. He looks to the sea, then back at me. “How do you know that?”
“I have a friend who’s a siren. She warned me.”
He scoffs. “You can’t trust a siren.”
I raise a brow. “I guess if you’re willing to gamble all your lives on it…”
Ender clears his throat and shifts uneasily. “Actually, a siren once sort of helped me, so it might not be the worst idea to—“
“A siren helped you?” Grey says, sounding incredulous.
Ender shrugs. “Well, she was sort of a hybrid.”
“Aglaope?” I ask.
His eyes widen. “Yeah, how did you know?”
“She’s my friend too.”
Journey clears his throat. “Uh, maybe we can continue this conversation elsewhere? That whole ears bleeding and becoming sex-slaves thing is something I’d rather avoid.”
Grey huffs, which I take as a yes.
Ender grabs me, and we launch into the sky.
“Higher!” I tell them, glancing down.
There’s definitely motion in the water, like a group of dolphins swimming rapidly for shore. If we’re close enough for the gargoyles to hear their song, we’re in trouble.
We fly higher and higher, until I’m sure we’re safe. And then we pause.
“Why don’t we go?” I ask.
After a moment Grey says, “I just want to see how honest your little friend was.”
Seconds later, sirens come pouring onto the shore. They look toward us. I’m sure they’re singing, but we can’t even catch the smallest sound on the wind.
Everything changes at once. There’s a commotion, and then Aglaope is dragged from the water and thrown into the center of the sirens.
“They know she helped us!” I say, horror in my voice.
“How could they know?” Journey asks, but there’s something in his voice that says it doesn’t matter.
More and more sirens surround her. “They’re going to kill her!” I look to the gargoyles.
None of them react.
“If she’s hurt, it’s because she helped us. Doesn’t that matter to you?”
“Is there any way we can go down there without being caught by their song?” Journey asks.
We all know the answer, without it having to be said.
“You don’t even want to try.” I can hear the words in my voice. “Because she’s a monster. Because her life doesn’t have value to you—“
“No,” Ender’s voice is soft. “We’d help if we could.”
I never heard their song, but I do hear Aglaope’s scream, caught on the wind like the cry of a ghost. Tears sting my eyes. The gargoyles could put me down—somewhere where they can’t hear the sirens—and I could run back.
But even I know I won’t make it in time. Sirens have sharp teeth. And sharper claws. They’ll tear her to shreds, like knives cutting apart fish.
One of my birds lands lightly on my shoulder. I look at the seagull. She felt my sorrow. She came to offer her protection.
Suddenly I can feel my seagulls all around me, gathering closer, flying from different directions. Pulled to me by my emotions before I even recognized my turmoil.
And there it is. My chance to save her.
I look to the gargoyles. “I have to do this.”
Journey gives a slow nod, and I can feel it in the air. Seeing my powers will remind them yet again of why I’m a monster. Of why I’m dangerous. I hate that I’m losing any traction we’ve made, but I have to help the young siren.
Closing my eyes, I call to my birds. I picture the scene with the sirens, and I send what I want to happen. The image of them attacking clear in my mind.
The birds switch directions, moving to obey.
I watch with bated breath. I hear another scream rising on the wind, and I swear I smell the scent of blood.
And then, the birds descend. From up here, the battle is strange.
The sirens don’t understand. They throw their hands at my birds.
They move about, clumsy on human legs, trying to stop my birds’ attack.
And I see Aglaope. Forgotten for one brief moment. I want to scream at her to run. But I can’t. Even if she heard me, so would the others.
She drags herself to the water. And my heart races with her weak movements. Each moment that passes seems like a lifetime.
Just keep going. Just keep going.
The sirens don’t see her. But she’s so slow. How injured is she? Even if she makes it to the water, will she survive?
And then she disappears beneath the waves.
A siren catches one of my birds. She tears off his head with her teeth.
I cry out, the bird’s pain radiating through my soul.
Tears slide down my cheeks. The bird’s death was quick. But not painless. It’s rare for death to truly be painless. And I hate that he died at my command.
I see no more signs of Aglaope, but I know she needs as much of a head start as possible. Every second gives her a greater chance at survival.
Minutes tick by. Some of the sirens start to throw rocks at my birds. A rock hits one of my birds, and I feel its pain echo through me. More of the sirens start to pick up rocks. My heart races.
They’re going to get seriously hurt.
Heartbroken, I order them back. They’ve done what I asked them to and more. They distracted the sirens long enough for Aglaope to get free. I can’t ask them to do more.
And yet, did I give the young siren enough time?
My birds fly past me, one of them unsteady with each flap of his wings. I thank them each, sending them my love. Sending healing thoughts to my injured one. They circle around us, one, two, three times, then shoot away.
Down below us, it only takes a few moments for the sirens to realize that they’ve lost their prey. They race for the water, shift, and fade beneath the waves.
“I think she got away,” Ender says, his voice rough.
I look to him. “You don’t understand. Even if she did, by betraying her tribe she’d become an enemy to every siren.
She was already an outsider because of her parentage.
Now, now she won’t be safe anywhere she goes.
And she’ll be alone. She gave up the only type of family and friends she’s ever known to protect us. ”
My words seem to linger between us.
“Why would she do that?” Grey asks, and he truly looks confused.
I stare. “She wanted to save your lives.”
“She’s a siren,” he repeats to me, like I’m slow.
I laugh unkindly. “And you’re an asshole.”
After a minute, his voice comes out quietly. “Maybe I am.”
They begin to fly again, and I’m ashamed to say that I rest my head on Ender’s shoulder and cry. Even when I’m free, I’ll never be able to find one terrified siren beneath the sea. All I can do is hope that she can find a place to be safe. Maybe even loved.
But for some reason, I don’t feel much hope. And that makes me cry even harder.