Siren's Song (Completed)

Chapter 6

YURI

I felt like I had been sliced open with a red hot knife. Immense pain cut through my shoulder.

I can smell blood. It's making me sick. I'm gonna be sick.

I heaved as my eyes flew open.

"Oh good he's awake." Yurio's sarcastic tone had a hint of relief in it as his annoyed face came into view. I could see worry behind his sharp green eyes.

"Are you alright?" Victor's worried gaze met mine.

"I think so." I grunted.

I dared look at my shoulder and saw that the bite wound was wrapped tightly in kelp and seaweed. A clear substance oozed from the edges.

"It's an aloe from the seaweed. It will help heal the wound. It wasn't very deep, but it will likely leave a scar." Victor explained.

Something was off about his voice. His face looked devastated and I couldn't put my finger on why.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He seemed surprised that I would ask him while my shoulder was in such a state.

Yurio made a noise of annoyance and swam to the other end of the small cave giving us some space.

Victor's pointed teeth sank into his lower lip as his chin began to tremble.

"I'm so sorry. You almost died because of me. AGAIN!" He wailed clutching at his silver locks.

"I'm okay Victor. I'm still here. It isn't your fault. How could anyone know a group of sharks would come after us and bite me?" I asked.

It sounded ludicrous to me having this conversation at all. It was all so surreal.

"I think I may have hit my head." I grunted.

"It's from the blood loss." Victor spoke softly.

I accepted that with a short nod.

"Where did the sharks go?" I asked.

A frightened look crossed Victor's handsome face a moment before he sighed and looked away.

"They are gone." He spoke tightly.

D-did they kill them? H-how? How strong can sirens be?

"Two of them lost interest after one of them got injured. The third didn't want to give up. It tasted your blood and wanted more. It almost broke through the crevasse we used to get in here." Victor gestured to the opening that was cracked. The hole did seem a little bigger.

"Finally I knew I had to protect us, so I let the monster out." Victor spoke with a solemn expression.

"Monster?" I asked.

"I am a monster Yuri. Much like a shark sirens can become crazed when they smell blood. We can go into this frenzy when we taste it.

We try to maintain a strong hold of ourselves so that doesn't happen when we have to feed and usually it doesn't because we pray on smaller fish more often than not, but once in a while- anyway it makes us monsters. I- I shouldn't exist." Victor stared at his hands in disgust.

"Don't say that." I hesitantly reached out, but drew my hand back as he moved out of my reach.

"You wouldn't be hurt if I hadn't gone to that dock. None of this would have happened." He growled.

"No, but I also wouldn't have met you." I spoke after several long heartbeats of thick silence. Victor's tortured eyes met mine and softened a degree.

"See he's fine. Now can we get going?" Yurio snapped from his corner.

"He's right. We need to get you changed back and quickly." Victor curled a finger in his hair looking rather sheepish.

"What for?" I asked curious about his sudden rush.

"This one didn't want to tell you, but I will. If a human AKA you, are a siren for more than three moons you can become one permanently. " Yurio jabbed a finger in my face.

"Per-man-ent?" I gaped feeling like I could pass out again at any moment.

"That's why I didn't want to tell him!" Victor wailed throwing his arms up in exasperation creating a blur of bubbles.

"Tch." Yurio crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." I spoke mostly to myself.

I can do this. I have to be strong and do my best. I can't leave Otabek alone and on his own.

"He's right we should get going then. Lead the way." I inclined my chin as I balled my fists at my side. I could do this.

We will make it in time.

Victor seeing the stubborn set of my jaw and the determination in my eyes, flashed a toothy grin and held out his hand. I took it without hesitation.

We continued our journey though I swam at a slower pace due to the pain shooting through my arm.

"Do you need to rest?" Victor asked after a while. I shook my head. I was just lost in thought. I had been a siren for almost a day now. The sun would set soon and I would spend my first night as a siren.

Will I change under a moon?

I sunk my teeth into my lower lip. They seemed sharper to me, but that could have just been my imagination.

"Yuri?" Victor called my name softly.

I glanced to him swimming solemnly beside me. His long silver hair flowed behind him like a royal robe.

"What is it?" I asked.

"If your cousin, Otabek wasn't around would you remain a siren?" He asked hesitantly.

I was taken aback by the question.

If Otabek wasn't around I'm not so sure I would be.

He looked out for me and welcomed me. He kept me from doing stupid things like an older brother would even if I was the older one. He was family.

"I'm not sure." I answered honestly.

He winced at that but nodded in understanding growing silent.

Did I hurt his feelings? What was he really asking?

After several heartbeats Victor finally broke the awkward silence around us.

"Were treading into dangerous waters here. Be wary." He spoke his warning in a low tone.

Nodding I scanned my surroundings noting how the water grew darker. Above the surface the sky was turning purple.

The moon will rise soon. Then what will happen to me?

As we swam farther into the dark depths of the ocean, a feeling of premonition came over me.

"Where are we?" I whispered feeling that any octave above such would bring something terrible our way.

"Siren's Graveyard." Victor's voice was void of emotion.

Ahead of us Yurio had slowed his pace and then altogether stopped until we caught up to him.

"What is it?" Victor asked.

"They're here." Yurio murmured.

Afraid I stayed close to Victor's side scanning my dark surroundings.

"Who's here?" I whispered gripping onto Victor's arm.

"Siren killers." Yurio growled.

Siren killers?

"Pirates." Victor sneered.