to it.” It
was his turn to blush, he couldn’t believe what he was about to ask
her.
“If I could put my hand
here,” he reached forward tentatively and places his hand just
above her breasts.
“If I put my hand here
while you sing, I can feel your voice.” He smiled at her
shyly.
She clasped her hand over
his and began a low, deep ballad of lost ships and men buried in
the sea. Her chest swelled and rumbled beneath his hand. He felt so
much more than just the vibrations from her voice; he felt the
emotions the song brought out of her. Sorrow and pain flowed from
her and into his heart. They looked at each other, tears brimming
in both their eyes.
It was then Aiden noticed
the other men, dead eyed and swaying in their seats, awoken by her
newest song.
“What are you?” He
asked.
Esilee looked away,
ashamed for the first time in her life for what she was.
“I’m a siren. I survive
off the souls and flesh of men that are lured here and entranced by
my voice.” She dropped her hand from his, waiting for the shriek of
terror, for the utter rejection.
“Well you caught me.”
Aiden replied.
She smiled at him through
her tears.
“But I don’t want
you.”
“Too small a catch?” He
smiled back, winking at her.
Caught off guard by his
innuendo she laughed out loud, causing the men in the room to laugh
along with her.
“No, I could never destroy
you, you found beauty in me without magic or tricks, and how could
I ever destroy that?”
“Are you going to kill all
of these men? Do you know them? One of them is my best friend; I’ll
beg you for his life if it would help.” He slowly slides one finger
across her collarbone then up to her chin, bringing her eyes to
his.
“I only need one; I would
never take your friend from you.”
“How do you decide?” He
looked out over the crowd. How did one choose which life was less
valuable than another? Nothing about any of the men there stood
out. None looked like bad men that would deserve a good soul
eating.
“I don’t think about it
really. I sing and at the end of the night I call to one of them to
stay, one that came alone, or looks like he’s at the end of his
rope. Sometimes old crab boat captains and alligator hunters wander
in from the swamp. No one thinks anything of it if they go missing,
it’s a hazardous job fishing these swamps, and sometimes men
disappear.”
“That must be horrible for
you. Surviving off the souls of others.”
She smiled at his concern,
and without thinking she leaned forward and covered his lips with
her own. A shock ran through him. His entire body began to hum as
her tongue tickled his.
“I must be drunk.” He
replied when she pulled away.
“How else could I explain
being in a bar in the middle of a swamp being kissed by a soul
eating siren? I’m drunk, maybe I passed out at the table and Jared
is driving us home right now.” He began looking around the bar,
realization settled into his blue eyes bringing fear with
it.
Her heartbeat tripled,
stopped and then pounded inside of her chest. She felt like she was
dying. Never in her long life had Esilee ever felt this way. She’d
desired men before but only for their flesh and their soul. This
one made her want things she didn’t understand. Right then what she
wanted most was for him to stop looking at her like she was a soul
devouring monster, even though she was.
The panic began to build
in Aiden’s chest as he looked past her, searching the sea of glazed
eyes for Jared. When he looked back at her tears welled in her
green eyes threatening to drag her smoky eye liner down her
cheeks.
“I am sorry, please do not
cry.” He signed at her without thinking. Esilee took his hands into
hers.
“That was beautiful, what
was it?”
“I said, I’m sorry and I
don’t want you to cry.”
She was astonished there
could be so much power and feeling in words that were not spoken
aloud. All her life the power of her voice had been everything, now
this man, this
was his turn to blush, he couldn’t believe what he was about to ask
her.
“If I could put my hand
here,” he reached forward tentatively and places his hand just
above her breasts.
“If I put my hand here
while you sing, I can feel your voice.” He smiled at her
shyly.
She clasped her hand over
his and began a low, deep ballad of lost ships and men buried in
the sea. Her chest swelled and rumbled beneath his hand. He felt so
much more than just the vibrations from her voice; he felt the
emotions the song brought out of her. Sorrow and pain flowed from
her and into his heart. They looked at each other, tears brimming
in both their eyes.
It was then Aiden noticed
the other men, dead eyed and swaying in their seats, awoken by her
newest song.
“What are you?” He
asked.
Esilee looked away,
ashamed for the first time in her life for what she was.
“I’m a siren. I survive
off the souls and flesh of men that are lured here and entranced by
my voice.” She dropped her hand from his, waiting for the shriek of
terror, for the utter rejection.
“Well you caught me.”
Aiden replied.
She smiled at him through
her tears.
“But I don’t want
you.”
“Too small a catch?” He
smiled back, winking at her.
Caught off guard by his
innuendo she laughed out loud, causing the men in the room to laugh
along with her.
“No, I could never destroy
you, you found beauty in me without magic or tricks, and how could
I ever destroy that?”
“Are you going to kill all
of these men? Do you know them? One of them is my best friend; I’ll
beg you for his life if it would help.” He slowly slides one finger
across her collarbone then up to her chin, bringing her eyes to
his.
“I only need one; I would
never take your friend from you.”
“How do you decide?” He
looked out over the crowd. How did one choose which life was less
valuable than another? Nothing about any of the men there stood
out. None looked like bad men that would deserve a good soul
eating.
“I don’t think about it
really. I sing and at the end of the night I call to one of them to
stay, one that came alone, or looks like he’s at the end of his
rope. Sometimes old crab boat captains and alligator hunters wander
in from the swamp. No one thinks anything of it if they go missing,
it’s a hazardous job fishing these swamps, and sometimes men
disappear.”
“That must be horrible for
you. Surviving off the souls of others.”
She smiled at his concern,
and without thinking she leaned forward and covered his lips with
her own. A shock ran through him. His entire body began to hum as
her tongue tickled his.
“I must be drunk.” He
replied when she pulled away.
“How else could I explain
being in a bar in the middle of a swamp being kissed by a soul
eating siren? I’m drunk, maybe I passed out at the table and Jared
is driving us home right now.” He began looking around the bar,
realization settled into his blue eyes bringing fear with
it.
Her heartbeat tripled,
stopped and then pounded inside of her chest. She felt like she was
dying. Never in her long life had Esilee ever felt this way. She’d
desired men before but only for their flesh and their soul. This
one made her want things she didn’t understand. Right then what she
wanted most was for him to stop looking at her like she was a soul
devouring monster, even though she was.
The panic began to build
in Aiden’s chest as he looked past her, searching the sea of glazed
eyes for Jared. When he looked back at her tears welled in her
green eyes threatening to drag her smoky eye liner down her
cheeks.
“I am sorry, please do not
cry.” He signed at her without thinking. Esilee took his hands into
hers.
“That was beautiful, what
was it?”
“I said, I’m sorry and I
don’t want you to cry.”
She was astonished there
could be so much power and feeling in words that were not spoken
aloud. All her life the power of her voice had been everything, now
this man, this
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