“So did she, you know, grow wings and kill my father?” Amaranda asked tentatively.
Pallas shook her head, smiling. “No, dear. Your mother was a little hesitant about the physical aspects, and your father was drawn to her by her beauty, not just her voice. He was a kind man, and they fell in love instantly. They made love just as you did with Eban. And because it was love and not lust her body remained as a gorgeous woman. Following the other Sirens, your mother sang to your father afterward, her sweet voice lulling him to sleep. Then it all went wrong.”
The elderly lady took a long drink from her wooden cup, as Amaranda stared at her expectantly.
“When your mother saw the other women materialize into golden birds and attack their men, she was horrified, as you were.”
Amaranda nodded, visualizing the terror she had seen.
“Your mother was afraid that she was about to turn into one of them, and she ran away before it could happen. She was in love with this man, she couldn’t bear to kill him!”
Tears trickled down Amaranda’s face. “Like me and Eban,” she said, sobbing quietly.
“Yes, my dear, I’m afraid it was. But your mother left Destiny Rock and ran back to this island. She was too upset to tell anyone what had happened. While she was gone, the other women killed your father in their frenzied attack, and threw his body into the sea with the others.”
“Oh no! They can’t do that to Eban. They can’t,” wailed Amaranda.
Pallas put her hand up to quiet her, and shook her head.
“Eban is waiting in a cave for us elders to decide his fate. I have no intention of seeing the same thing happen to him,” she assured the young girl.
“But what happened to my mother? How did she ever get over it?”
Pallas continued her recollection, “I’m afraid she was never the same after that. She became very melancholy, spending hours by the shore, just staring out to sea. She hated the other women for what they had done, and hated life here on the island. The poor woman became ill, and then she discovered that she was with child. We had hoped that having you would turn her back into the carefree soul she once was. She said at first it was a comfort that you reminded her of your father, then it all became too much. She threw herself into the sea in desperation, one awful night. It was so sad.”
The old lady put a comforting arm around Amaranda’s shoulder as they both wept.
“Do you think that will happen to me?” the young girl asked at last.
“No, dear,” Pallas said firmly. “Poseidon, the God of the Sea, was so furious when he found out that he sent an earthquake, and a tsunami swept across the island which nearly wiped us out. He was angry with us all for allowing this tragedy. That was when we set up the committee of elders to oversee the island. We managed to persuade Poseidon to give us another chance. He put you into our care. You should know, my dear, that this is why Eban has been spared this far.”
“Wh–what are they planning to do with him?” Amaranda stammered.
“It is undecided, but we need to determine his fate soon. We cannot keep him captive forever.”
“Can I see him?”
“Not yet. First I must attempt to persuade Hermandine to retract her order for you to join the Sirens today. They will be reporting for duty soon, and we need time to think.”
Amaranda sniffed loudly and stared at her friend. “You mean you think there is a way out of this?”
She hardly dared hope.
“Let’s not give up hope just yet,” Pallas said, and left.
Chapter 9
Eban’s strong fist throbbed from being continually beaten against the rock walls of the cave. He didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was Amaranda. He was more than furious! He knew there was no way she would willingly go to the Rock and join the Sirens. His woman could never be a whore! But what if they forced her? What if they…? It was unthinkable, what they could do. He had seen for himself just how cruel and barbaric these people could be! Sweet, beautiful Amaranda did not belong here. He was beginning to realize just how much this woman meant to him. He loved her.
The stone floor of the cave was uneven as he explored his meager surroundings. His eyes soon became accustomed to the dark, and he managed to feel his way around the craggy walls. The rugged, uneven floor tripped him up a few times, causing him to lose his bearings for a short while, but the cave wasn’t big enough to get lost in. Toward the back of it he pushed at some loose rubble, hoping to find a way out, but it only gave way to sturdier rocks behind.
“Damn it!”
He growled and yelled again at the massive boulder blocking his way. His hands were bleeding from the scraping and shoving he had done in his attempts to free himself. It was no use. The rock was solid. Through it he could just about hear the roar of the waves and the high-pitched screeching of the young maidens practicing the Siren Song. He wished that Amaranda was still young enough to be joining them. She would have been safe then. He knew the sun must be high in the sky by now. Soon they would be taking her to Destiny Rock.
Above the sounds of flat notes and croaky voices, Eban suddenly heard some beautiful voices. Some of the experienced Sirens must have joined the chorus, as the melody was pure and the notes were perfect. The ethereal sound was muffled, yet beautiful, and seemed to be getting nearer. Curiosity momentarily allayed his anger, and he put his ear to the massive rock, feeling his cock twitch as the mysterious singing became clearer.
Kalliope and Ligia crooned through the boulder. The young sailor felt himself flush as the heat in his stomach turned to a raging fire within seconds. His cock was enlarging.
“Help me out,” he pleaded, trying yet again to heave at the solid mass in front of him.
“We will,” Kalliope promised seductively, as Ligia continued to sing.
His mood rapidly became lighter. There was hope. Determination and desperation mixed with brute force. The confusion in his brain became coated by a carefree elatedness.
“Push hard,” Kalliope urged, between her melodic harmonies.
The fire was roaring in his belly, and his strong frame tensed in ardor as he heaved with all his superior strength against the offending boulder. A sudden rush of adrenaline caused his muscles to hurl the rock outward, as the beautiful singing rose to a crescendo.
“Oomph!”
Light streamed into his weakened eyes and he squinted hard against the water that flooded them. The singing continued, smothering his thoughts. He felt soft fingers on his arms as he was led, panting, from his prison.
As Eban’s eyes adjusted to the midday sunlight he looked around, enchanted by the beautiful women whose serenade captivated his mind. His lethargic body felt light as air as they drifted over the causeway toward Destiny Rock. His breathing continued to pant, but now for a different reason!
Ligia slithered away to join the rest of the Sirens, as a hoard of soaking sailors crawled out of the sea, as another wreck rapidly sank.
Kalliope flirtatiously pushed Eban back onto a warm, flat boulder, smiling broadly, her azure eyes gleaming as she leaned over him in her skimpy, golden bikini. Her slender frame and her lithe legs silhouetted against the sun as he looked up at her full, pouting lips and long, straight, black hair, which flowed provocatively over her shoulders and down to her pert, inviting breasts.
“Do you like these?” She laughed, gleefully.
Eban nodded as he could see her erect nipples protruding through the thin fabric of her bra, and his wet mouth bucked as he tried to grasp one to suckle.
She giggled teasingly, and slid away slightly to add to his torment, before briefly offering the lush bosom to his slavering, eager lips. Eban licked at her through the bikini, and used a finger and thumb to roll her hard nipples. They felt like exquisite tiny pebbles in his massive hands.
“Ah!” she gasped and ran her long fingers though his tousled blond hair.
Completely under her spell, he suckled at one nipple through the soft fabric, taking it in his
mouth and blowing hot breath onto it. Sensing Kalliope shudder in enjoyment, he chuckled deep in his throat. He tried to pull the fabric from her small, though heaving breasts, but she pulled away from him, shaking her head.
“Later,” she promised in a husky voice, smiling cheekily.
She took a step backward and watched him alluringly as she stroked her own body as well as his.
Eban’s ears were constantly ringing with the angelic melody of the other Sirens who were already on the Rock, and he revered in their symphony as the luscious beauty before him stroked tantalizingly at his strong arms, and ran her soft hands over his straining erection.
Kalliope hauled at his cotton shirt and slid it from his shoulders, sucking delectably at his tight nipples and fondling the fair hairs of his masculine chest. It feels so good!
“Oh my God!” he gasped.
His breathing was deep and heavy as he gazed in rapture at the mesmeric woman, relaxing into her beguiling attentions and reveling in her touch. With his mind in a pleasurable trance, his body took over his thoughts as he drifted upward to a cloud of ecstasy. He had no cares, no worries, and no thoughts other than the alluring angel pleasuring his incited body.
Kalliope tantalizingly removed her bikini bra and thrust her tight, pert breasts into his eager flushed face as she stood over him. Her sweet, floral scent mingled with salt and he sank into her delicious flesh. She moaned and growled her appreciation, egging him on as he lapped at her soft skin and nibbled at her dark nipples. She gasped when he nipped her, and threw her head back. He cupped her small, heavy breasts in his hand, while tangling his other through her ebony locks.
“Oh, yes!” she cried with a huff.
Eban’s arousal continued to rise as he pulled the gorgeous, dark-haired Siren toward him and took her mouth in his. They enjoyed a long, lingering kiss, tongues tangling as they salaciously explored each other’s mouth. His huge cock was finally freed when she reached down and unfastened his trousers, and he felt his hard member spring out of its prison.
The Siren kissed and licked her way down his clammy body, then took his eager cock in her luscious mouth. Sucking hard, she licked at his pre-cum, which was thick and overflowing.
“That’s so good!” Eban groaned.
Around him, he could hear the muffled groans and excited shouts of men approaching ecstasy all over the small island. This must be heaven!
His heart pounded in his ears and he could feel his panting matching Kalliope’s. She became more and more aggressive as her eagerness mounted, tearing at his skin wildly. The pain was gorgeous. He reveled in the sting and grabbed at her hair. Desire raged through his body like a tidal wave.
Kalliope slurped at his dripping cock, and he could feel the fire tearing through him. Any second now…
Suddenly a harsh, spine-chilling scream pierced his reverie—Amaranda!
Chapter 10
“But, Hermandine, you must reconsider. This young couple has done nothing wrong. They have fallen in love, as did Amaranda’s mother before her. We cannot afford to have a repeat of that tragedy. Apart from all else, what would our Great God, Poseidon, have to say?”
Hermandine was determined, as she waved a flippant hand toward Pallas. She knew that this particular elder had a warm heart, something she raised in objection when Pallas was voted onto the Committee of Elders. Refrainia was no place for such things, and she dreaded to think how it had come about. Men seemed to be the only ones responsible for such genes, which were nothing but a hindrance to their way of life.
“No, Pallas. My mind is made up. The young man should endure the same fate as any other who enters our waters. The arrangement we have with Poseidon is that anyone who succumbs to the song of the Sirens is ours to deal with as we choose. Our survival depends on the ships which bring us their wares. Without them the whole population of our island will die out, and our traditions with it. Surely you wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“Of course I don’t want Refrainia to die out, but, as I have said before, there must be another way. Some of the men who arrive on these ships are good people. Surely we could make use of them if they wanted to stay? Our buildings are disintegrating as they are so old, and we women do not have the first idea how to repair or rebuild them. Men would be able to do this for us, as they did for our earliest ancestors. We would be upholding our ancient traditions, not foregoing them.”
Hermandine was impatiently tapping her foot on the stone floor of the Great Hall. She had often heard Pallas’s ideas about improving the way they lived on the island, and she never liked the sound of them.
“The Committee of Elders will reconvene shortly. They will help us decide what is to be done with him,” Hermandine snapped, viciously.
“But what about Amaranda? She will need to be here, too. There is no way she can join the Sirens out there today. It would be cruel and heartless to force her to do what they do. You know she is not like them. She never has been. Amaranda is just like her mother, Yalene. She has fallen in love. We can’t let history repeat itself!” Pallas pleaded, almost in tears as she remembered the fate of the beautiful woman.
Hermandine was not to be deterred. “We cannot change the rules of this island to suit one family,” she shouted. “Descendants of Melpomene are destined to have tragic lives! That is not the fault of any of us! That is their misfortune.”
The sun was high in the sky now, and Pallas knew time was running out. She had begged and pleaded with Hermandine for hours and was growing very tired.
“Please, Hermandine, at least allow Amaranda a reprieve for today whilst the elders make their decision.” She sighed.
“The elders will be here very shortly for our meeting,” Hermandine replied obstinately, gazing toward the sea. "As for Amaranda, she will already be on Destiny Rock with the rest of the Sirens. I arranged for Minerva to take her just before midday with Ophelie and Solon. They have been given orders to observe that she is undertaking her duties before returning for our meeting—ah, I see Minerva coming up the hill now.”
* * * *
Without knocking the three old hags burst into Amaranda’s neat little house.
“You’re coming with us!” Ophelie croaked as her bony fingers grabbed the girls shoulder.
Amaranda gasped, “What? I don’t understand!”
“You know what you have to do and we are just going to make sure you do it!” Solon grabbed her other arm, and they pulled her out of her own house and down the narrow path to the causeway.
“Minerva, please!” the girl pleaded, turning to the old woman who was bringing up the rear. “I don’t deserve this, surely?”
“It is not my decision, Amaranda.” Minerva sighed sadly. “You heard Hermandine. But if you undertake your duties on the Rock, it will bode better for the young man, I’m sure.”
“Where is Eban? Does he know about this?” Amaranda squirmed as she tried to face Minerva, but the two crones on either side of her held her firmly, if a little shakily!
“He knows. He is quite safe. We will determine his fate this afternoon,” Minerva said, nodding.
Amaranda let out a loud cry of anguish, which made Solon jump, though Ophelie was completely oblivious to the sound.
“Behave yourself, girl,” Solon snapped.
Ophelie, aware of the sudden jolt, looked around in surprise to see what was happening. Solon had a face like thunder. Nothing new there then! Amaranda was sobbing uncontrollably, shaking more than the two old dears put together!
“Hush, now.” Minerva moved around to stand in front of Amaranda, thus causing the other two to halt abruptly.
Amaranda looked up at her through a curtain of tears.
“I know this is hard for you, dear,” Minerva went on softly, “but you will get used to it. Just do it once and you’ll see—it’s really not so bad. You will get to enjoy it, I promise. It only hurts a bit the first time, but remember we were all virgins once.”
Amaranda sniffed and stared at her in surprise.
“But I’m not a virgin!” she said.
There was a collective gasp from the three old ladies, who looked like they would expire on the spot! Even Ophelie seemed to have heard what she said! This was utterly unthinkable!
“But–but you must be!” Minerva stuttered in astonishment, “How can you not be?”
Hmmm!
“Well…” began Amaranda slowly.
“You’ve been with him!” accused Solon, digging her scrawny fingers even deeper into the poor girl’s flesh.
Amaranda gaped.
Minerva cleared her throat, slowly regaining her composure.
“Did you have sex with that man we found you with?” she asked.
“Yes, we made love,” Amaranda said quietly, feeling her face burn as tears welled in her eyes again.
Minerva sighed. “Then this might not be as bad for you as we thought,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Amaranda sniffed.
“At least it won’t hurt as much, not being your first time,” Minerva explained thoughtfully, “though Hermandine will be furious!”
Amaranda stared at her, horrified, “Will she take it out on Eban?”
“We’ll have to see,” said Minerva, signaling that they should continue walking. “Maybe she won’t find out.”
The thought afforded a glimmer of hope to the distraught girl. She walked with the old ladies, picking her way over the causeway.
The ship was already headed for the rocks by the time they arrived. Amaranda shuddered at the sailors’ impending doom.
“Go on, you need to sing with them,” Solon ordered, pushing Amaranda toward the chorus of Sirens.
The old ladies released her and stood back as the young girl wiped her face with the back of her hand and steeled herself. With a deep breath and heavy heart she joined the other women, who looked around briefly while singing, before facing the oncoming bow.
Her voice was croaky and her throat was tight, but she made some noise as the men got nearer. Some of the Sirens giggled a little, muttering something about ancient bullfrogs, before recommencing their harmonies.
Last of the Sirens [Sirens and Sailors] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 7