Sleeping With Sirens (A Siren's Love, Reimagined)

Seven: Where Darkness Rises

DAY SEVEN

"So what's your name anyway?" I pestered the cranky Siren as she led me further into the depths of the ocean, my eyes as wide as baseballs as I took in everything. Schools of fish passed us by, unworried by our presence, and even a shark, which I struggled with to be honest. It was unnervingly easy for me to communicate with her using my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder if that along with the gills, was part of my half-breed status. One of the many questions that I had thrown at her once I mastered not drowning.

Flipping onto her back to face me, I couldn't stop my eyes from going directly to her navel and counting the impressive six pack she had going on. Damn. Her lips curled slightly and my cheeks heated with embarrassment. I gave her a look that said "Oh whatever, like you don't know you're hot as fuck." I forced myself to focus on her face, reluctantly dragging my gaze away from the sparkling scales shooting rainbows through the water.

"Leukai. But you may call me Luna." Her voice turned husky, and I shivered. My lips formed the words, a pleasant humming filling my chest.

"Well, I can't say it's nice to meet you exactly, but I do owe you a thank you for saving my life." I held out my hand for her to shake, but she just stared at it. My cheeks warmed, of course she wouldn't be adept at humanity's unsanitary customs.

I dropped my hand to my side, willing the awkward away. "Sorry, I forget that you're not adverse to our customs."

She rose a brow. "I am aware of your form of a greeting, but in my city we do this," her hand flew towards me and I jerked back before realizing she was asking for me to grasp her forearm.

After a second of hesitation and warily watching her cool gaze, I lightly wrapped my fingers around her arm, almost up to her elbow, and she returned the favor. Shivers of delight and pleasure prickled down my spine, and not for the first time I chose to ignore that feeling.

"Well met," Her tail brushed my leg and fire shot down my back. I sucked in a deep breath, catching the gleam in her eyes. "Kelsey."

I bit my lip on a smile. "Likewise, Leukai."

She flashed her canines in response and released me, turning into the current. I willed the stars out of my eyes and kicked to follow, still in awe that I was so far beneath the surface, breathing, and in the company of a Siren. All manner of fish passed us by, eyeing me currently but paying Leukai no mind. In fact, to my fascination, sea life seemed to greet her. A dolphin playfully nudged her arm, twirling around us, and then next a large sea lion, it's whiskers twitching as it turned big brown eyes onto me. I glanced at her, unsure of what to do. She laughed lightly and grabbed my hand, placing it on the sea lion's head. A rumbling peel of sound echoed around us and a surprised laugh escaped me.

"She likes you." She nodded in satisfaction.

I was unsure of how much time had passed, but I could see the shadows in the water deepen and knew I would have to get back soon. I watched almost mournfully as the animals departed before turning back. "I need to get back to the surface." I hoped she couldn't hear the sadness in my voice. This was the first time I really felt as if I belonged somewhere.

"I know. We are not far from the cave, I circled us back around about an hour ago." I glanced around, looking for any sight of the rocks through the thick kelp and schools of fish but couldn't find any.

"I didn't even realize." I murmured sheepishly, looking at her from under my lashes. Once more her fingers reached for my face, my thigh burning in response to her touch. This time I didn't stiffen, and her webbed fingers curled under my jaw, her thumb brushing my chin. My brand throbbed in tune with my heartbeat when she curled her other arm around my waist and pulled me close. I didn't hardly breathe, entirely focused on the being before me. A low almost-growl left her mouth and to my shock she leaned forward, burying her face into my neck and hair, small bubbles caressing my skin when she breathed. I felt on fire as she pressed her lips to my skin, molten heat starting where they touched and filling me all the way to my toes.

"So soft." She whispered inside my head, pressing more kisses along the hollow of my throat. "I confess, I have lived this long and never particularly desired a mate. But I cannot imagine letting you go."

And before I could speak, her mouth was on mine, hot and ruthless. I softened like butter into her arms, my fingers coming up to rest along the sides of her face. A toe-curling moan slipped from my chest and she caught it with her lips, her tongue sliding smoothly into my mouth. I couldn't fight my attraction to her as fast as it was roaring through me. My thoughts felt mottled, a fog descending over my brain, as scattered as the fish had been when they saw me. I could feel her tail flick between us, the rough scales brushing my inner thighs, igniting an entirely new heat to build. I could feel my breathing escalate as I clung to her, our chests pressed together and cool ocean water filtering through my gills. It wasn't until I felt the razor sharp hardness of her fangs in her mouth that I found it in me to break away, breathing heavily. She watched me steadily, her lips slightly parted, the gleam of ivory between them sent chilly fear down my spine, reminding me that this wasn't a normal make out session.

"I...um..-" Words failed me the longer I looked at her, and the hundreds of years of secrets and knowledge her eyes held. The arm around my waist tightened, as if she were afraid I was going to leave. It wasn't that I was a prude, it was more to do with the fact that one, she was half fish, and two, I had a secret of my own that she should be aware of before anything progressed between us. I had told her that I didn't sing anymore, I just hadn't told her why other than the effect my voice had on humans. Specifically males.

"I'm not ready for......anything else. And don't read my mind." My words came out fast, nerves gathering in my stomach.

She scanned my face, no doubt noticing the fear there, her eyes darkening. "I can smell your fear, little half-breed, why?" I stuttered, not expecting the question. I looked everywhere but at her before she snatched my jaw, turning my face towards her, her eyes like burning blue ice chips. "Tell me."

My eyes burned. This was becoming too much. I barely knew her, and yet I felt as though she were inside me, looking at me through eyes that knew too much, and how was I to be sure she would still want me? Abruptly she let go of me and I kicked to stay upright, jerking away at at the curl of a snarl on her lips. "Who hurt you?"

"No one!" I rushed out, moving away from her. "I'm not ready to- to talk about it."

Her gaze narrowed to slits, her nostrils flaring, the steady stream of bubbles leaving them reminded me of a dragon. "I will obey your wishes for now, but I will get it out of you sooner or later, Kelsey."

Freezing numbness slid down my back at the dangerous tone in her voice, furthering my resolve to never tell her why we had really left my last school. I kept silent on the way back, fighting my burning eyes all the way until she hauled me up into the cave, and then they turned to tears.  My neck burned and I struggled to breathe the harshness of earth's atmosphere at first as they melted away, somewhere beneath my skin. I quickly shrugged on my clothes, and then turned to face her, feeling inexplainable sadness fill my stomach with stones. I knelt down, and she reached to brushed my cheek, catching a tear on her finger.

Somehow I knew this was goodbye for now.

"When will I see you again?"

She kissed me instead of answering, a sweet lingering kiss that made my lips tingle when she pulled away. "It will be a few days, possibly a week, as you call it. I will not be able to save you from the sea again, little one." She said gently, her laugh sounding like tinkling bells.

I smiled, trying not to lose my shit. "I'll be careful."

I would've promised her anything in that moment.

The steadiness in her eyes held me captive, and I worked to memorize every inch of her before she whispered for me to turn away, and when I looked back over, only a ripple remained, her absence feeling like nails imbedded into my heart.

I blew out a breath, aware that a mere seven days in, I was officially and royally fucked.

Enjoy! ;)

More to come soon!