Lost at Sea

“I’m starving,” Lizbeth declared, draping herself across the carved stone chair she enjoyed resting on. Her tail flicked with impatience when no one acknowledged her. Eleanor remained silent, though she could feel the hunger just as urgently as the rest of the girls. “Well? Where is the hunting party?”

“I will sound the call, Lizbeth,” one of the sirens stated blankly, her eyes cast to the floor. Lizbeth smiled widely as if to show off all of her razor sharp teeth in one go.

“Excellent. We will await them at the rocks. Those of you with me, come.”

Eleanor trailed behind the party sluggishly. Her every movement was a struggle as her body felt as heavy and limp as a dead fish out of water. Probably just as slimy, as well. She kept up reasonably well despite the emptiness in her chest, but a part of her wanted to slip away and go back to her cove.

The air was dry, the wind was harsh. It bit into Eleanor’s eyes with a vengeance that declared its hatred for her. Her skin was itchy and she absently scratched as the girls watched the horizon for a ship that they could devour. An incessant rumble in her stomach told her she was just as ravenous as the rest of the sirens, even if she didn’t feel it.

“There,” a woman murmured. Eleanor swore she’d seen those very sails before. And the maiden on the bow was definitely familiar. All at once it dawned on her; she had seen that ship before.

It was the one Jasper was on.

“That one looks pretty sturdy,” Eleanor complained, her heart pounding. “I’m not sure we could take that one.”

“Nonsense,” Lizbeth snapped, glaring at the younger siren. “When have you ever known our storms to fail?”

“I’m just saying that maybe times are changing,” Eleanor explained, holding her hands up with her palms facing Lizbeth. She kept her eyes respectfully on the water beneath them.

“I don’t think you understand what I’m saying to you,” she growled. Her tail slapped against the rock, producing a sharp slapping sound that made Eleanor flinch. “I’m hungry. I would eat every last man on that ship if I didn’t have to provide for you mindless dingbats, as well.”

Her violet eyes flashed when Eleanor opened her mouth as if to argue more. She closed her mouth, clicking her teeth with an audible snap. In a flash of glittering blond hair, Lizbeth lunged for Eleanor and tackled her into the water. There, she slammed her against the rocks. Eleanor whimpered as she felt it cut into her skin.

“You’ve been acting out of character lately,” Lizbeth muttered, flashing her teeth in a sign of aggression. Her eyes glinted with a maniacal power that Eleanor could no longer ignore. She had no choice.

“My apologies,” she whispered, baring her throat as if to allow Lizbeth to tear it out if she so pleased. The elder siren smiled.

“There, you go. That’s a good girl,” she said, reaching up to ruffle auburn hair. “Now, how about we get back to the hunting party, and you can stop questioning my authority.”

“Yes,” Eleanor said simply, waiting for Lizbeth to make it to the surface before she started after her. As she pulled herself back onto her perch, she rubbed at the skin at her throat.

“Sing,” Lizbeth ordered, and as one the song began. Eleanor did not sing.

Instead, she watched as a horrendous storm began churning over her head. It twisted into darkness, expanding and folding in on itself in an inky take over. It collected clouds from around itself and stretched its lazy arms out.

She swore she could see the yawning eye of the storm wink at her.