Chapter One
“Run, Sera,” Mom shouted from behind me. I started to turn my head to look back at her, but she added, “Keep your eyes forward or else you’ll lose your footing. Get to the water and don’t stop because they’ll follow you in.”
My heart thundered to match my pounding steps. Mom was right. I had to stay focused or else they’d catch us. The roaring of adrenaline deafened everything besides my mom’s encouraging yells, but even those were starting to become muffled.
The icy water was more than welcomed as I plunged into the ocean. Now that I could make a swim for it, I took a second to look back. The sirens, who were supposed to be family to us, had Mom in their grasp. She writhed and fought against their hold but they didn’t budge. Mom was half-human and not as strong as the full-blooded sirens.
“Mom,” I breathed and her eyes met mine.
One of the sirens, a male with long raven hair, pulled a dagger from its sheath that rested around his waist. Mom and I both knew what was going to happen next.
“No,” I screamed the same time Mom mouthed, “I love you.”
The male brought the knife down and plunged it into Mom’s chest—straight through her heart. They released her and she fell to the sand lifelessly. The group turned their emotionless gaze to me and if I didn’t hurry, I would suffer the same fate as my mom and dad. At least, I assumed they killed my Dad when he was distracting them to give Mom and me a head start.
The biting chill of the water was nothing compared to the pain triggered by watching my mom draw her last breath. I took as deep of a breath of fresh air as I could and dove deeper into the ocean. Sirens could breathe underwater like mermaids because of our two small gills located behind each ear. They were usually hidden by our hair so weren’t typically seen by the untrained eye.
My legs kicked as hard as they could as I pressed deeper into the water. The farther I went, the darker it became, but it only took a second for my eyes to adjust. Night vision sure came in handy. It was given to us by the gods—most likely Poseidon—to see through the depths of the ocean, but I utilized it mostly for the nighttime while on land.
I kept pushing for as long as I could and drifted closer to the surface once again. A reef stood out ahead of me and it would be the perfect place to hide for now. Nobody was behind me at the moment, but that didn’t mean they’d stop looking. It only proved that I’d avoided them for now.
The coral was rough, but it would have to do. I drew my legs into my chest and allowed myself to release a large sob. Tonight would be for mourning my parents. When the sun rose, I needed to search for a better hiding place.
It was hard to believe the sirens found us on that island. My parents had chosen it for its seclusion and the distance between it and the siren castle named Siren’s Call. The Siren’s Call was located in an underwater cave and was named by those who thirst for the death of humans. I’d never been there since I’d been in hiding since birth, but I would love to see it one day before I die. Hopefully, my death would be a long time from now even though I could feel its hot breath on my neck.
My tears mixed with the water until there were none left within me. My body shook from the energy the crying zapped. What was I going to do without my parents? They were my life and this would be the first time being on my own, even though I’d been alive for nineteen years.
Where could I go? I didn’t know anyone and humans hunted sirens on land, so I couldn’t just disappear on another island without risking my life first.
What would Dad do if he were here?
Dad had been the leader of our family and would know exactly what to do next. He had been a full-blooded siren and knew every inch of the ocean including each dark crevice, especially the perfect places to hide. Since I only knew the island, the ocean was unknown territory. I didn’t even know the way to Siren’s Call, which made for a terrible siren. Then again, I was only part-siren so maybe it wasn’t so unbelievable.
I curled into myself and closed my eyes. My heart clenched with loneliness and drifting off to sleep was almost impossible.
Almost.
Exhaustion won out in the end.
* * *
The sunlight beamed through the water and my eyes peeked open in response. They felt heavy and swollen from all of the crying last night, but at least I made it to see the next morning. I was correct with my assumption that the other sirens wouldn’t think to look for me in a reef closer to the surface.
I poked my head around the coral but didn’t see any threats. Only blue water and fish. A little parrotfish swam around my head and its vibrant yellow, blue, and orange colors distracted me. It was adorable and looked like it wanted to play or have a conversation. Unfortunately, sirens couldn’t communicate with sea creatures like mermaids could. So, I smiled and nodded my head at it in return.
My dad knew the name of every sea creature in existence. It amazed me when he used to point out each different type of fish when I was younger. He and I would venture out to the coral reefs whenever he felt it was safe enough. It was another reason the coral reef was my go-to. The reef reminded me of the comfort Dad provided.
When the parrotfish understood that I wasn’t going to play, it swam away as quickly as its fins could carry it. Craving the sky, my feet propelled me forward until I broke the surface of the water. Breathing the free air was much sweeter compared to breathing underwater. I preferred the surface’s breeze that whipped at my face instead of the stale oxygen the water provided.
My eyes landed on a spot in the distance and I realized it was a ship. I hadn’t seen one up close before. Humans were dangerous to me since I wasn’t the killing type. They would probably harm me before I ever attacked them. Fear swirled in my gut. What if they were fisherman hunting sirens?
Indecision flickered within my already troubled thoughts. I couldn’t remain in this water for too much longer because the sirens would find me eventually. Somewhere, deep below the fear, a flash of excitement came. I’d always wanted to see a human up close to see how different they truly were and it wasn’t like I was a reckless person. I would be cautious about it and keep out of sight.
Against my better judgment, I moved towards it. The ship was made of solid wood and way larger up close than I was anticipating. It was massive and it occurred to me that the sirens would never think to look on an intimidating boat like this one. The plan formulated quickly and I knew I could use this vessel to get away without any chance of being caught. Mom and Dad had always wanted to ride on a ship, so I would be doing it for them too.
I crinkled my nose in thought. It wouldn’t be wise to climb onto a ship in broad daylight. I needed to wait until nightfall, when most of the humans were sleeping. I wasn’t good at the whole “entrancing them with my voice” thing since I was out of practice and I’d heard sirens usually attacked in groups with a ship this large.
There was nowhere for me to hide above water without being seen by the humans, so I remained under the ship with my back nearly touching it as I swam. Hopefully, the sirens wouldn’t choose the sailors of this vessel for their next victims. I would be totally screwed if so.
It took the humans forever before they settled down for the night. They stumbled around for the longest time and one came close to tumbling off the side. I wondered if they were ill from seasickness, but that would make for terrible sailors.
As quietly as I could, I slipped onto the ship and went below deck. I thanked the gods for looking out for me as I went unnoticed. Nobody was below deck—which I’d hoped for—and I was able to hide behind a pile of wooden crates. I recognized them from my dad’s adventures while he was out searching for food. He’d returned with boxes like these on multiple occasions.
My stomach growled from the absence of food all day. It was painful and almost forced me to double over. Instead, I kept my mind clear and found a crate opened nearby. It held vegetables that I recognized as zucchini and squash. The joy at my discovery threatened to overwhelm me as I dug in. I shoveled vegetables into my mouth and only wished that I could chew faster to indulge more. Then, I found the fruits underneath the vegetables and ate until I felt sick.
A creak sounded from the entryway and I ducked down. Footsteps of two people clambered down the stairs that led to my hiding place. I peered around the crates to get a view of the humans. They were dressed in ragged clothes and looked fairly similar to male sirens, except they weren’t as pretty. Instead, they were dirty and rough around the edges. Humans… this was my first time seeing one so close and it amazed me that they weren’t that different in shape.
“I can’t believe the captain is hungry this late at night,” the dark-haired human said with a rough voice. It was the complete opposite of what I was used to hearing from my mother and father.
“Rum will do that to ye.” The red-haired guy laughed and I continued to listen to their conversation.
“Captain Steel warned me that if I didn’t decide where I wanted to be soon, he would personally throw me overboard.”
“How did he find out ye were questioning the pirate life?”
“Stan told him.”
“Stan? Why were ye talking to him?”
“Because he’s a good listener and isn’t scared to tell you what’s what.”
“Stan is as treacherous as the ocean during a raging hurricane. Ye know ye shouldn’t ‘ave trusted him.”
“I know, but I just miss my home and my family and he was there after I’d had some rum.”
“Aye, rum will do that to ye too.”
The two of them exited with their basket of fruit and I was amazed at the similarities once more. I couldn’t understand why humans and sirens were at each other’s throats when they looked so alike on the outside.
I understood how the brown-haired human felt. I missed both my home and my family too. This dark, smelly ship wasn’t cutting it, but it was all I had until I could think of a new plan. At least there was food for me to eat here.
As I sat in the dark, my mind wandered to what rum was. I had never heard that word before, but it sounded interesting. From the sound of it, rum made you hungry and that wasn’t something I could afford while stuck here.
I couldn’t find water and wound up falling asleep with a dry, burning throat. Hopefully, the morning would bring something to drink because the juice of fruits wouldn’t cut it for much longer.