Drowning in the Siren's Song

Chapter 27

It was truly a sight to behold.

Water flowed as if each wave was reluctant to part. His voice lingered in the air unnaturally long, as if the wind itself wanted to keep the magic there longer. Animals stood painfully still and the usual racket of the forest fell silent.

It was as if the whole world was listening to him.

Naomi could only gape in awe. When she'd heard that Percy enjoyed singing as a hobby, she waved it off, think of it as a childish whim, but seeing his steady eyes and fluttering fingers filled with focus just before starting, she felt ashamed. 

He was sitting an arm length from her her, seeming like his small body was taking up more space than he should've. His shoulders were rolled back and his chest rose and fell with each deliberate breath while his hands danced in the air and knee bounced with the melody. His eyes were squeezed shut, but he looked confident.

His tune carrying far and wide, strong enough to give them shivers and lovely enough to melt their fatigue and stress. His chosen song was a in a lilting language, unfamiliar yet funky and fun. He produced a rich sound, simple and sophisticated. 

His voice, not having matured yet, had a childlike feel to it, but there was nothing childlike in manner in which he sang. Even though she had only the basic knowledge of the art of music, she could gauge out that he had highly polished skills. 

His vocal abilities were better than most of the revered professionals she'd heard of. Even the children of Apollo weren't as good as him. He went high, he went low, making them ride an unexcepted rollercoaster, fascinating and exhilarating with each syllable. 

The melody of the folk song matched the mood, with a light and upbeat way of singing which forced their toes to tap and hand to come together in soft claps, giving him the natural music he didn't really seem to need. 

For quite some time, he was simply singing in the dead silence, with eyes closed and hands clasped in his lap. They were too shocked, too taken aback to react. For the first few moments, their brain just gave them a single message- 'keep listening'. 

Like a lake of sun- kissed water, his singing slithered around them, surrounding them in waves of comfort, pulling them deeper and deeper, like sweet drug, forbitten but so very tempting. Even Artemis had a hand over her mouth, covering her parted lips. 

Even without a reaction, he kept singing, calm and relaxed, keeping himself in the darkness. His chest felt tight and yet he'd never felt lighter. The power which surged within him whenever he sang felt as if it was tearing him up on the inside, and yet, with each word escaping his lips, ecstasy flowed through him. 

Oh, how he'd missed singing. 

He finally opened his eyes, revealing the bright beauty shrouded under his thick lashes. They swirled with repressed power, turning his sea- green stare into something more, something chilling. He became even louder, roaring through the trees, compensating for his silence. 

He was a siren, and sirens were born to sing. 

And with his new passion came a fire. A burning heat which travelled through his audience, lighting them. Feet began to stomp the forest floor and cheers were heard with every line of his. His eyes captured them and held them steady under his spell, seducing them into the pleasure of his voice. 

And it wasn't only the hunters who were roused from their daze. Keria squawked into the night, her shrill voice cheering for him, her own way of adding fuel to the wonderful fire. The wolves joined in, howling in low pitches, adding a ethereal dynamic to his folk song. 

It all melded into a single powerful song, shaking the whole forest to its core. 

Perfect chaos surrounded him, and yet his music cut through it cleanly, too powerful to be subdued. Food was forgotten and blankets were thrown aside as even those who's been hostile towards him grinned wider with every second. Seeing them truly enjoy his singing sent waves of warmth through him, surrounding his heart in innocent comfort. 

This was what he craved. The feeling of togetherness. The feeling of being with people and enjoying time as one. This was what he'd longed for in the darkness of his hell, cowering under tables, praying that Gabe would remain out for just another minute longer.  

A headache pounded through him, and heat gathered behind his eyes, but even though his past horrors stuck to him like a shadow, he was determined to light up his world until it disappeared. 

And with a new resolve formed under soft moonlight, he smiled wide at the sky, relishing the feeling of wind through his hair, and sang like he had never before.