the siren's call | felix lee

vii.

The interruption, although it only lasted half a second, was enough to break the even melody of his siren song, and you immediately clapped your palms over your ears, tears gathering in your eyes at the betrayal. "Go to hell, you monster!" you shout at him, watching his own purple eyes fill with tears as he reaches for you once more. You scramble back in the sand, slipping a little as the loose grains fall from beneath your feet. You don't wait around to see what he would do, and instead run away as fast as your legs can carry you.

Running in the loose sand proves to be slightly difficult, and you stumble a few times as the toes of your shoes catch on the uneven ground. But you refuse to look behind you or slow down, even with the knowledge that Felix cannot follow you onto land. Your hands stay covering your ears, and you run in complete silence, up the dirt path, which is now nearly clear of branches from your past visits to the shore, desperately trying to stay quiet as your heart shatters. Once the castle comes into your line of sight, you take your hands off of your ears, hearing your heavy breathing and breathless sobs, the reality of it only making you more emotional. "Damn it!" you shouted to the cloudless sky, your tears flowing freely down your cold cheeks, "You idiot!" You started moving again, this time only walking as the adrenaline had run out. Your feet dragged against the path as you walked, and you sniffled, rubbing your cold, runny nose on your thin nightgown sleeve. You felt stupid. Everyone was right about sirens, and you were foolish to believe that you were different, that he was different. Of course he had an ultimate goal: to kill you and eat you. He even showed you his teeth, just perfect for tearing your flesh from your bones. Different diets, indeed.

The sleepy guards barely glanced at you as you trudged through the front gates, and no one bothered to talk to you as you climbed the long staircase to your tower. You kicked off your shoes and fell into your bed, wincing as your head made contact with something hard under your pillow. You groaned softly as you pulled out your favorite siren book, and you merely scowled at it before hurling it across the room, wincing as it collided with the wall and made a loud thudding noise as it fell to the floor.
You curled up into a ball under the covers, tears leaking onto your sheets and making them cold and damp. Your hair still smelled salty, and it only made you sadder. Closing your eyes, you drifted into a fitful sleep, haunted by nightmares of pretty sirens and pointy teeth.

---

When you awoke, your heart leapt as you thought about visiting Felix again, the events from late last night having escaped your brain momentarily. But they soon returned, leaving your heart heavier than ever. You almost got back into bed, wanting nothing more than to forget Felix even existed, but a knock on your door convinced you to open it.

"Breakfast time, your highness," a young maid said, bowing at you as you opened the door.

"Thank you," you said, unsure. Your family never had a set 'breakfast time', let alone make someone come get you to make sure you attended.

The maid scurried away, and you quickly got dressed in a simple tunic and loose pants, something you were sure your mother would turn her nose up at.
The dining hall was much less grand than it had been last night, and you were relived to see it back in its normal state. The fancy decorations had made you uncomfortable, and they reminded you of your odd exchange with Prince Hyunjin, whom you still disliked, even though he had revealed his mother's tampering with his actions. You wordlessly settled into your seat and piled food onto your plate, although you did not feel hungry. You picked up a fork and poked at it half-heartedly, the idea of going back to bed seeming more and more tempting by the minute.

"Good morning, (Y/N)," your mother said, making eye contact with you. You quickly straightened your posture.

"Good morning, mother," you replied, even more confused now. Not only were you wanted at the dining table, you were now being greeted pleasantly, by the woman who had disliked you ever since the day you were born.