The Siren's Mistress (Water Brides 1)

Chapter I: Ghostevil

90 Days Till Winter

I vaguely remember a time before I knew of Sirens and their existence. Those moments of innocence during childhood, where I looked at the sea differently too. I saw fish as fish and man as man. I did not know there existed beings between the two worlds. I was a kid then, and as nature intended, most visions and thoughts of a child fade with the passage of time, leaving behind the eyes of an adult too damaged by the truth.

I had, like the rest, once stared at the sea, witnessing the purity in it that I would never perceive again in my life. Today, knowing what I do, I see a mix of emotions, rage under the mask of cold beauty, the waters gray and chilly, with the underlying cruelty to them. The frigid winds that blow across them, churning these waters, are the ones from different lands, and I could almost taste on my tongue the foreign soil from where they originated. I wish I could breathe in more to bask in it and fantasize about these strange worlds, but I feel discomfited by the way the others now stare at me.

When the people of Gimgar first saw the gift around my neck, it caused quite a stir. The elders were most delighted when they pulled me back to the docks by the rope tied to the boat, it being my only lifeline to land. I knew not how to use oars or maneuver the boat, nor had they given me one, insisting I did not need them, the rope being strong enough to keep me anchored.

But what if it wasn't?

Many thoughts had come to me, much like that one, when I undulated back and forth in the waters long after the Siren had gone, waiting for them to pull me in. I could have tugged on the rope, which was below the dark surface of the water, but fear held me back. What if he had still been lurking or if something else entirely was hanging around to prey on me. So, I waited.

Now everyone back home stares at me and most importantly at his gift that falls just above the crevice between the valley of my breasts. As I walk through the village, it is a heavy reminder of the night before and my future. The red coral, as the elders had explained, is precious to the Gods. The Sirens believe it to be one of the many hearts of the sea, and by giving me such a necklace, he is thought to have shown me not only his heart but also his generosity, large enough to give up one from his home.

To think he would give me something so special during the first ceremony.

I cannot meet the eyes of those who stare at me; instead, I look at my sandaled feet and the path I traverse. All are so curious about me, or perhaps it is the Siren who holds their interest, as not once have they gazed at me like this. I usually tried to blend in with the crowd, my red hair the only thing marking me different. I can hear their gossip; some don't even make an attempt to hide their words.

"She's nothing special... just a fisherman's daughter," an older woman whispers, her voice not hushed enough when I pass by her. "Her hair is her only redeeming quality."

"Perhaps that is why Pamela chose her to be our next bride. But it seems he liked her, and that is all that matters," the person standing next to her replies, a woman seeming to be younger and full of life.

Pamela is the current leader of the elders. A woman well respected.

I frown at their words. My red hair has always been special to the people in the village, especially to the elders. I did not think it was, but my opinion did not matter. I am forced to keep it long, so I have only ever known it as such. It falls below my shoulders, in many waves and curling trestles.

I want to cut it short, but perhaps my reason lies in my memories. As a child, the other girls always pulled it in fits of jealousy while the boys, young and old, liked reaching out and running their fingers through it in awe and fascination. And because of that, I was nicknamed the 'sea witch.' I do not remember who had first deemed me as that, but I do remember the bullying did not end with name-calling or hair tugging. I would get stones pelted at me, though that ended when I became an adult.