Submission of the Siren

by Bella Settarra

  “That’s hardly the fucking point!” Rechavia yelled in her face, making her jump.

  She grabbed her bikini and hauled it on.

  “It’s a bit late for that now, isn’t it?” he sniped.

  “Now look here. This really is none of your business, you know,” Durango interjected as he climbed to his feet. “The young lady and I were just having some fun, that’s all. You really have no right shouting at her like that. She is a woman, after all.”

  “You’re fucking right! She’s my woman.” Rechavia took a step toward Durango, causing him to back off.

  “You don’t own her, do you?” Durango was shaking with anger as well as fear now.

  “No, he doesn’t,” Kalliope shouted pointedly.

  “You’re not from ’round here are you, Durango?” Rechavia sounded menacing now.

  “Certainly not. I hail from Eastland.” The older man’s smugness was getting on Rechavia’s last nerve.

  “Then I suggest you haul your sorry fucking ass back there and never come back. D’you hear me?” Rechavia’s fists were clenched, begging for the man to throw him a punch so he could finish him off.

  Durango hastily turned and gathered up his belongings.

  “You won’t get away with this, you know,” Durango insisted, from a safe distance. “You are a bully, sir, and you won’t win. Not against me. You don’t know who I am, do you? Well you will, let me tell you. And you’ll live to regret treating me and this beautiful creature in this way. You mark my words.”

  “I’ll mark something else if you don’t get your tiny fucking dick off my island now!” Rechavia hollered after him, as he scurried up the beach.

  As soon as he was out of sight, Rechavia turned his attention back to Kalliope, his eyes burning with anger.

  “Just what the hell were you doing?” he demanded.

  “Well, I’d have thought that was pretty obvious,” Kalliope retorted with a sneer.

  Before Rechavia had time to retaliate, a shout interrupted them.

  “Come on you two, Ligia says dinner’s ready,” Aitan called, running down the beach toward them. He whistled. “Tell me that guy with the bloody nose was nothing to do with you?” The easygoing guy with the impish grin looked warily between Rechavia and Kalliope. Their angry expressions told him all he needed to know.

  “Nothing to do with me,” Kalliope replied, giving their friend a big smug smile.

  “Everything to do with you,” Rechavia corrected.

  “We’ve got fresh fish for dinner,” Aitan garbled on, trying to ignore the icy atmosphere, as they made their way up toward the huts.

  “Great. The boat was OK then?” Kalliope asked, politely.

  “Yep, we did a great job on her, didn’t we, bro?” Aitan put an arm around Rechavia’s shoulder in an attempt to lighten the tension. He failed. “Ligia’s cooked loads tonight, so I hope you’re both hungry,” he continued.

  “Starving,” Kalliope concurred.

  “Yes, I’ll bet you’ve worked up quite an appetite today, haven’t you, my dear?” Rechavia’s sarcasm was lost on Aitan, but not on Kalliope.

  “Yes, actually. It’s been ages since I had such a busy day,” she replied with a smirk. “It reminds me how things used to be before it all got ruined.”

  “Well let’s hurry before dinner gets ruined,” Aitan interjected, sensing Rechavia’s tension ratcheting up yet another notch.

  “About time,” Ligia said with mock annoyance. “I thought you’d all got lost. I was about to start without you.”

  “You just try it, darlin’.” Aitan winked at her as she began dishing up their meal.

  They sat around the fire to eat. It was getting dark, but it was still lighter outside than in their huts.

  “We need to see about getting some electric mains wired over from the mainland soon,” Rechavia commented as they tucked in.

  “Can’t we run lights off batteries like we do with the torches and the computer?” Ligia queried.

  “No, pretty maid. We need more power than that to run lights all around the island,” Rechavia explained with a strained smile.

  “Oh,” Ligia said, disappointed.

  “Who said we want lights all around the island?” sniped Kalliope.

  “Oh but Kally, just think, we’d be able to do things in the evenings as well as during the day,” Ligia enthused. “We had to finish choir practice early tonight as it was getting so dark. If we’d left it much later we wouldn’t have had enough light to cook dinner or anything.”

  “Shame.” Kalliope didn’t even try to sound sincere.

  “We could open a bar with music if we had electricity,” Aitan mused.

  “Wow.” Kalliope was as sarcastic as ever.

  “What’s got into you today?” Ligia asked, exasperated.

  “I can answer that one,” Rechavia offered, throwing Kalliope a “dare me” look.

  “Well it certainly wasn’t you, was it?” she retaliated.

  “No. That’s rather the point, actually.” Rechavia could be sarcastic, too.

  “Lovely meal, Ligia,” Aitan interjected before their game of ‘tantrum tennis’ got out of hand. He leaned over and kissed his girlfriend on the head as he stood to gather the plates.

  “Hmm, really nice, pretty maid,” Rechavia agreed, suddenly remembering his manners.

  “Glad you all enjoyed it.” Ligia flushed. “I’ve made griddle scones too.” She got up and handed round a plate of warm scones, which had been waiting by the fire. They tasted delicious, and seemed to lighten everyone’s mood.

  “Well, I think we’d better be going. You’ve got to be up early in the morning to take the flowers over to Eastland, haven’t you?” Rechavia nodded to his friend as he stood.

  “’Fraid so,” Aitan said, grinning. He loved sailing. It was just the early starts he wasn’t so keen on.

  “Looks like we’re in for some rain tonight, too.” Rechavia looked up at the sky, shaking his head. “You’ll have to go careful, bro.”

  “Don’t I always?” Aitan grinned.

  They bid each other goodnight and the girls had a quick hug before Rechavia and Kalliope went next door.

  The moment Kalliope had been dreading had arrived. She closed the door behind them and jutted out her chin in defiance before turning to face him.

  His face was as black as thunder as he stared at her.

  “What happened to your shawl and flip-flops?”

  His question threw her for a moment. That was the last thing she expected him to be concerned with.

  “I left them here.”

  “Why?”

  “I wasn’t expecting to be out for long.”

  “How long were you out for?”

  “Most of the afternoon.”

  He nodded, as though satisfied that he had made his point.

  She tensed a little more, unnerved at how easy that had seemed. There has to be more to come.

  She watched warily as Rechavia made his way to the bedroom. There was a low roll of thunder as she followed him into the room. Looks like the bedroom’s not the only place where there’s a storm brewing tonight!

  The atmosphere could have been cut with a knife, as they silently undressed and washed. Rechavia climbed into bed first, taking his usual position on his back. Kalliope hesitated as she climbed in beside him. It was very rare that they didn’t make love at night, and she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. She decided, in the circumstances, that the best thing was to just lie on her side facing him, and wait for him to make the first move. Did he still want her? The thought suddenly flashed through her mind. She had never considered him not wanting her. Ever since they met they had felt a connection, they hadn’t really talked about it. It just happened. She wanted him and he wanted her. Simple. But did they still feel the same?

  His heavy breathing told her that he wasn’t going to make a move on her tonight. He had fallen asleep. Already. Without even a word goodnight. Damn him! Rolling over heavily, she slumped a
ngrily beneath the massive elmwood leaves that served as blankets, and closed her eyes tight. The sleep, which eventually followed, was far from restful.

  * * * *

  Rechavia woke just before the sun rose next morning. He yawned. He had had a fitful sleep. He hated going to bed angry, but really didn’t want a big row with Kalliope last night. He wanted to think about it first, decide what to do. He pulled on his clothes in the dark and cleaned his teeth. A quick splash of cold water on his face made him feel a bit more alive, and he made his way out of the room. Kalliope was fast asleep, he knew she had had a bad night, too.

  He quickly scoured the kitchen for something to eat, but couldn’t find anything. They always had their meals with Ligia and Aitan, as Kalliope refused to learn to cook, and had never had to fend for herself. He sighed. Kalliope also refused to do any housework, so the stone hut was always dusty. Occasionally Ligia would pop over and clean for them, on the pretence that she was helping her friend, but she had her own house to look after.

  After quietly closing the door he left the hut and caught up with Aitan who was on his way to the ship.

  “I decided to come with you, bro. The weather was pretty bad last night and I know it can get a bit choppy out there. Thought you might use a hand.” Rechavia tried to sound casual.

  Aitan grinned. “Great. I can always use the company if nothing else.”

  Rechavia wasn’t sure he would be very good company today, but anything was better than contending with Kalliope and that awful atmosphere. He needed a bit of time away from it all, time to think.

  The flowers had already been loaded on board so they were good to go as soon as they reached the small ship. It wasn’t long before they were sailing toward the dawn in a sea which was much calmer than Rechavia had intimated. The peace of the water and the gentle sloshing of the waves enveloped the sailors in a quiet tranquillity. Until Rechavia’s tummy rumbled.

  “No breakfast?” Aitan didn’t really need to ask. If Rechavia didn’t eat at his house he would starve. He giggled as he handed the wheel over to his friend and went below deck to rustle up some food. Ligia always packed a good hamper just in case anything went wrong and Aitan should be out longer than expected. She knew her boyfriend had a good appetite.

  “I wish Kally would learn to cook,” Rechavia said with a sigh a few minutes later when Aitan handed him a plateful of sandwiches and a hot cup of green tea. He handed the wheel back to Aitan while he sat and had his breakfast, watching the sun rise.

  “You having problems with Kally, bro?”

  “I don’t know what to do with her,” Rechavia admitted. “She won’t do anything to help on the island. She doesn’t look after the house. She went off with another guy yesterday. It wouldn’t be so bad but she doesn’t seem to think she’s doing anything wrong. Perhaps I’m expecting too much of her.”

  “Does she know what you expect of her?” Aitan asked with a quizzical frown.

  Rechavia thought for a moment. The women of Refrainia were much different to those he was used to on both mainlands. They seemed to have a wild abandon which he loved, but sometimes he couldn’t help thinking some of them, especially Kalliope, could be a bit too wild.

  “I don’t think she’d like it if I started laying down the law, somehow,” he said ruefully. “You know Kally.”

  “But do you know Kally?”

  Aitan’s question surprised him.

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well, have you asked her how she likes being told what to do? I seem to recall those women you met at Door Twenty-Four used to like being ordered around. How do you know Kally wouldn’t respond in the same way?”

  Rechavia’s eyebrows shot up. Door Twenty-Four was a BDSM club which he used to frequent when he was home on Westland. His mind drifted back to the low music which thudded around the dark walls of the main room. A bar was at one end, though no one was allowed to drink alcohol while they were “playing.” A St. Andrew’s Cross filled one of the walls near the darkest corner, and shelves with an array of whips and crops filled another. There were shackles and fastenings at varying heights along the main walls, with some areas sectioned off for specific activities. Fetish wear of all kinds adorned the subs, while some were completely nude. The Doms and Dommes wore mainly leather or PVC. Rechavia always enjoyed the sounds of moans and gasps which emanated from the multitude of scenes, and the smell of sweat and other bodily fluids which filled the warm air. His cock twitched as he pictured a beautiful sub kneeling at his feet awaiting instruction. He was well known there as one of the most powerful Doms and was proud of the fact. He frowned as he thought about the man he used to be and the person he seemed to be turning into. Yesterday’s reaction to finding Kally with that fucker hadn’t exactly been his moment of glory. He had lost it, big-time. The old Rechavia never lost his cool. He was always in complete control. Shame engulfed him and he was glad his friend hadn’t been there to witness his appalling behaviour. He had taken Aitan to Door Twenty-Four a few times as a guest. Although Aitan wasn’t a fully qualified Dom, he had enjoyed “playing” with some of the women there from time to time. That world seemed a million miles away from them now.

  “You might have a point there, bro,” Rechavia replied with a thoughtful nod.

  “Hmm. I must admit I was a bit surprised at what she was saying yesterday about missing being a Siren. Ligia’s only too happy not to have to bother with all that anymore. Says she doesn’t know where she found the stamina!” Aitan giggled.

  “Yeah, why on Earth would Kally still want to be a Siren?” Rechavia shook his head in disbelief as he put his empty dishes down.

  “She told you.” Aitan’s words were simple but profound.

  Something clicked in his brain, and Rechavia stood up, staring at his friend in realization.

  “Of course. You’re right, she did. What was it she said? They had a purpose, something to do.”

  “Something about doing what they were trained for. They knew what they had to do and they did it.” Aitan nodded.

  Rechavia’s smile told his friend they were definitely on the same wavelength.

  “I know exactly what I need to do,” Rechavia said with a satisfied grin. “Let’s hurry up and get this deal done and get back. I’ve got a woman to train!”

  Chapter 4

  Finding Rechavia gone when she woke up was no surprise to Kalliope. She quickly washed and put on her bikini before going next door to have breakfast with Ligia.

  “He went with Aitan.” Ligia yawned. “I saw them meet up while I was watching him go down to the ship.”

  “You were up?” Kalliope was shocked.

  “Of course. I had to say good-bye and give him some food.”

  “You wouldn’t catch me getting up before the sun,” Kalliope grumbled as she reached for more flatbread.

  “Don’t you like looking after Rech?”

  “It’s his place to look after me. He’s the man.” Kalliope snorted.

  “Yes but we have to look after them, too.” Ligia was horrified. She knew her friend was a bit lazy but she hadn’t realized just how bad her attitude was.

  “I don’t see why.” Kalliope couldn’t see anything wrong.

  “Don’t you love him? Don’t you want to be with him?” Ligia frowned as she scrutinized her friend’s face.

  “Of course.” Kalliope shrugged unconvincingly.

  “You’ve got a funny way of showing it.” Ligia didn’t often speak her mind, but when she did she could be quite brutal.

  Kalliope stared at her in surprise. She quickly drank the last of her green tea and got up to go, in a huff.

  “Don’t be like that.” Ligia knew her too well.

  “I’m not. I’ve just got things to do, that’s all.” Her tight-lipped expression belied her words.

  “What things?” Ligia nonchalantly gathered up the pots and tidied away the breakfast things.

  “I thought I’d go down on the beach.”

  “That’s what we do
every day, it’s not something you need to schedule in,” Ligia replied with a giggle. “What are you going to do about Rech? You’ve obviously upset him. What did you do to make him so mad?”

  Kalliope shrugged again.

  “Give me a minute and I’ll come with you. We need to talk.” Ligia’s mind was made up.

  If Kalliope thought she was disguising the fact that she was looking for someone on the beach today, she was wrong. Ligia had known her all her life, and could read the Siren like a book.

  “You’d better tell me what’s going on,” the redhead told her friend as they strolled through the shallow water.

  “Oh, Rechavia got a bit—”

  “Kalliope, my dear!”

  Both girls jumped round as a man strolled up behind them.

  “Zigor, I didn’t expect to see you today.” Kalliope beamed.

  Ligia snorted.

  “I see you have a beautiful friend with you,” Zigor gushed, eyeing up Ligia with a salacious grin.

  “Zigor this is Ligia,” Kalliope informed him politely.

  “How lovely to meet you, Ligia.” Zigor took Ligia’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. Ligia stared at him in disbelief.

  “I, too, have a friend with me today,” Zigor continued, gesturing up to the field. A couple of flashes told them someone was taking photographs, though it was too far to see who it was.

  “A reporter?” Ligia asked in disgust. The press had caused them all sorts of problems a few months ago when it became public knowledge that there were Sirens murdering sailors on Refrainia. Luckily, they had managed to brush it off with some good luck and bad acting, but it had left the islanders very wary.

  Zigor Durango noted her tone and rushed to reassure the beautiful redhead. “Reporter? On no, my dear, what would I want with a reporter? Benat is a farmer. He takes an interest in how other people farm wherever he goes.”

  Ligia sighed with relief.

  “Zigor comes from Eastland.” Kalliope was eager to change the subject.

  “I do, indeed, my dears, and I’ve brought more of that beer you like so much. I do hope you will join me for some shortly?”