The Flame and the Arrow

by Emigh Cannaday

  Chapter 33

  sirens

  Land was finally in sight, if it could be called that. Menacing, jagged rocks poked out of the water that threw itself in suicidal torrents against them. Wrecked ships lie stranded in the shallow waters further ahead, victims of the perilous sea. Talvi was sitting alone at the platform on the end of the deck, watching the approaching black rocks astutely. Annika looked down into the water, which had transformed from a deep dark abyss to an entrancing shade of greenish-blue. She stared at the water, hearing it call to her again. It was stronger than the other night when she’d woken up to its call. It was singing a low tune over the water, so enchanting that she wanted to dunk her head underneath the surface and listen closer.

  “Do you hear that?” she asked Talvi, but he was ignoring her. She rolled her eyes a little and walked next to Nikola, where he was hearing it too. His eyes were closed and his head tilted from side to side, letting the sweet notes caress his ears. He looked to be in ecstasy.

  “It’s calling us again. You can hear it louder than before, can’t you?” he trembled. Unlike his typical state of being, this time his voice was laden with emotion.

  “Where’s it coming from?” she asked.

  “It’s in the water. Look,” sighed Hilda, who’d appeared by her side. Annika looked down and was startled to see a group of faces underneath the surface of the clear aqua water. The most beautiful women were singing under the waves, with teal and turquoise hair billowing out around them. Their skin glittered in what had to be the smallest scales, and fins replaced what might have been their outer ears. Their bodies moved in slow motion, twisting and turning with beguiling movements. They held out their finned arms towards Annika, Hilda, and Nikola, beckoning to them as they sang their eerie, yet captivating song. It washed over Annika’s ears as though the very notes were making love to her eardrums, falling in cascading echoes that mesmerized her to the point that she couldn’t move. She couldn’t look away from the faces, or turn her head away from the song.

  “Cover your ears!” Captain Kovachev yelled in the background. “Get below deck!” But the three of them didn’t budge even though the undead sailors rushed frantically about the deck, trying to steer the ship between the rocks and shipwrecks on either side of them. The eerie melodies were in everyone’s head.

  “Nikola, get below deck!” Finn yelled as he grabbed Annika and Hilda firmly around their waists. He managed to drag them away from the edge of the ship even though they struggled to escape from his strong arms. Justinian and Sariel were close at his heels along with Zaven, who was carrying Runa over his shoulder while she fought a glimpse at the source of the enchanting music. Annika tried to look in the direction of the seductive song, but Finn was forcing them down the stairs and into the kitchen where Yuri and the others were waiting for them. Konstantin and Justinian stood with their backs to the door, blocking the others from trying to escape. Zaven held Runa tightly as she squirmed, afraid to let her go. Finn’s eyes darted around quickly, counting the heads.

  “Where’s Talvi? And Nikola?” he asked nervously. He ran to the door but Justinian and Konstantin wouldn’t let him pass.

  “It is too dangerous out there. You know this, Finn.”

  “Konstantin, you have to let me out! They’ve gone after the sirens! They’ll drown themselves trying to swim after them!” Finn yelled. The vampire didn’t budge. Finn grabbed a handful of his curls in each fist and screamed in frustration, before clawing at the door like a madman. It made Annika nervous to see Finn so hysterical; it was so unlike him, but the siren song was so alluring, so enticing that she only wandered over to the tiny porthole, looking for a way to open it. Even Konstantin was having a difficult time remaining composed as Finn fought against him, but luckily the door had been locked from the other side by Kovachev’s crew. The sailors were shouting and dashing around overhead as Silef shouted instructions. It sounded like someone had gone overboard. Yuri and Runa started to cry and there was a distinct feeling of dread in Annika’s stomach as she stood on her toes to look out the small window. She would have crawled out of it, if it hadn’t been impossible to open.

  An eternity seemed to pass as they crept nearer to the land and out of the range of the infatuating song. Silef opened the door and everyone ran out; Finn and Yuri frantic to find their brother, and Justinian equally as desperate to locate his own. They were relieved to see the two young men safe on deck, sitting near the main mast in a large puddle. Talvi looked sullen as ever, with his wet hair clinging to his face. Nikola wore almost the same expression. Justinian knelt down in front of both of them.

  “What happened, lads? Couldn’t resist those aquatic charms, could you?” he teased. Nikola buried his face in his arms in shame.

  “He couldn’t,” said Talvi contemptuously, shifting in his wet clothes.

  “The daft fool dove right in,” one of the wraiths called out.

  “He’s lucky to have such a good friend looking out for him,” another added as he knotted a thick rope.

  “No, he’s just lucky,” Talvi muttered bitterly. For saving someone’s life, he didn’t look pleased with himself at all. He stood up with his natural feline grace and took off his shirt, twisting the water out of it before disappearing down the steps to change.

  “Nik, are you okay?” his brother asked. But Nikola wasn’t okay. He was mad at himself for succumbing to the sirens. And even worse, he couldn’t believe that the person whom he disliked the most had been the one to save him from drowning.

  “Leave me alone, Justinian,” he grumbled with his face still hidden. “Just go away.”