Chapter 14

Though I'd been the teeth of the predator so often, brining death to men and fish alike, I'd never considered my own end. I was at the top of the food chain in the ocean, in the world, what could stand against a siren of the sugar sea?

As the creature squeezed my middle, my gills constricted and my ribs threatened to break— I had a myriad of thoughts swim by like a school of fish.

Fish number one:the tentacle creature that had been toying with my sisters and me for goddess knew how long was in fact— the thing wrapped around me like a sailor's rope.

Fish number two:as it pulled me deeper into the depths I caught sight at the sheer size of it. The largest of any being I'd ever seen in these waters.

Fish number three:it was a kraken, and it was going to kill me.

Fish number four:as it shot me back out from the ocean, I saw the pirates running about frantically. That was humorous, at least. Brizo held her head in anguish and rage. This was her doing, wasn't it? Maybe that's fish number five.

I'd resigned to death until I saw my sailor girl. Taking a dagger from the red sea captain, she bit it between her teeth and climbed the edge of the ship— and dove off. Swimming near me.

"No!" I shouted, though my breath was thinning. My gorgeous, perfect, sailor girl was on a death swim. If the kraken didn't kill her, Brizo might, or one of the sharks that followed after us. She needed me, and I could not die, would not die unless it was to save her. I sent a quick prayer to the goddesses. I hadn't prayed in a long while, knowing our siren prayers were numbered. Was this the last prayer I was allowed?

Allow a trade, begin a new life.

It was not the most thoughtful nor poetic prayer like the goddess deserved and required— but it would have to do.

The kraken pushed me above the tide, only to slam me back into its mighty waters again. Through the bubbles and chaos and screams, I saw her. My brave sailor girl swimming toward me. Pride swelled in my chest at how she'd heeded my instruction and was swimming stronger than ever. When she reached us, she didn't hesitate. Despite having no gills, she grabbed onto the kraken's suction tube and plunged the blade into its coil. Black, inky blood sprayed and to my surprise, it uncoiled, releasing me.

I grabbed her immediately into my protective hold and shot to the surface to provide her with air. My fragile sailor girl— now so fierce, so courageous.

A wet gasp sucked into her mouth as we broke the surface, and she panted, holding me tight. I rubbed her hair, softly kissing her head as I looked on in horror at the scene before us. Trying to shield my sailor girl to no avail, she turned and clutched me tighter. "It's— it's taking down the ship?" She asked in terror as I moved us a good distance away.

"It is angry with us for denying its feed. The pirates will die as well."

Just then Brizo shot from the water, so camouflaged I had no idea how long she'd been there or been listening. "Help," she hissed. "Cupida is in there!"

"Why is Cupida in there?" I shrieked, instinctually moving my girl to hold on to my back. "You brought it here, didn't you? You sought the great kraken."

Brizo narrowed her gaze at my girl and a hiss the likes of an eel propelled from my fangs.

Brizo answered, "I did what I had to do to remedy the mess you made." She pointed a long, harsh claw. "You brought humans to us and not in death. It is not the way of the ocean."

She was right. It wasn't. I was going against the waves, the goddesses, my lineage of sacred siren.

"She is my mate," I whispered as the ship cracked and men screamed. "I would forfeit the sea for her."

My sister's eyes widened, finally taking me seriously. "Then I will stay with her. You are the fastest swimmer. You retrieve Cupida."

I didn't like that plan. Being away from my sailor girl did not feel right. But Brizo was right, I was the fastest swimmer, and whatever kept Cupida in the thrashes of a kraken devouring a ship must have been something that required my swift attention. Reluctantly, I moved my mate's wrists from my neck and passed her to my sister.

"I'm trusting you, Brizo," I said in silent plea and warning.

With a curt nod, she cradled my girl, and I looked to my mate with uncertainty.

"Go, I'll be okay," she assured, though her expression told a different tale as she watched on as flame erupted from the cracking ship.

I'd made it with lightning speed that rivaled the barracudas I used to race as a child. Wood and rope sank around me as I dodged the heavy poundings of the eight massive tentacles. The kraken's mouth was open, showing twelve rows of teeth as big as I was. A shudder racked through me as I wove between debris. The kraken was taking the ship my girl had been on, as the other pirate ship fought to get away. Smart of them, and I only saw a few bodies of pirate sinking to their new purpose— shark food.

But where was Cupida?

Suddenly, I caught a flash of pink and yellow in my periphery. I'd been searching below waves, but for some reason my sister was above the tide. Narrowly dodging a heavy and jagged beam, I was at her side. She was holding something and crying. "Sister, I can't leave her."

"What— who?—"

Cupida held the body of a woman above the wave, but the human's eyes were closed. "This is the Story Keeper Pirate Captain Calico— and I love her."

Shock and confusion muddled my mind. This must have been what Brizo felt when I announced my mate. "Cupida… she is a human. She has no gills, no fins, no claws?—"

"I know that!" she hissed, frantic as the Kraken thrashed around us. Finally, Edina appeared, and I hoped she would help me to talk sense into our love-struck sister. Edina has always been the intelligent one amongst us.

"Where have you been?" Cupida accused sharply, still holding her red-haired human above the waves.

Edina looked between us, mildly offended at Cupida's tone. "Gathering knowledge that might benefit us, as always, sisters. I see it is quite a mess here."

Cupida sobbed. "I'm sorry, Edina. It's just— I want to be with my pirate. I want nothing more."

"There are ways…" Edina pondered before a tentacle crashed next to us, raising the tide and separating us. "We have to get out of here!" She shouted, swimming away.

We followed her, and I began to hope.

I began to hope until I heard my sailor girl scream.