I Chose to Die (Siren Suicides, Book 1)

Chapter 10. Douglas Firs

Canosa's hysterical cackle pierces my wounded ears, still hurting from the sonic blast. I watch with horror as she opens her mouth wide and drops her head back, her face to the sky, spit flying from her mouth, her chest heaving up and down in a series of jerky moves. One second she's gorgeous, the next, ugly. Her floor-length hair parts and slides off her shoulders, yet she makes no effort to conceal herself from my stare, nor from anyone else's. Ligeia jumps out of the woods and knocks Hunter off his feet, slapping her hand over his mouth as she pins him to the ground by the neck. I recognize her by her height. Raidne follows her and sits on his ankles. They're both giddy, smiling wildly. Hunter's eyes revolve in his sockets like that of a caught animal. Teles and Pisinoe emerge last and join in on the fun, holding Hunter's arms. How did I miss them? No souls, creaking branches. It was sirens, hopping toward us from tree to tree. This must be their hiding place, just like I always imagined—a flowery meadow where they lure their victims to die. Perfect.

"You sure like to take your time, Ailen Bright. Were you always slow or did your father drop you on that pretty, marble bathroom floor when you were born?"

The sirens giggle. All, except Ligeia, who purses her lips as if she's mad at someone or something, I can't tell, her hand still on Hunter's mouth.

"It's 'cause he kept searching for a little penis, turning her this way and that," Teles says.

"But there was none!" Raidne giggles into her fist, and then they all erupt into laughter, even Pisinoe who has been looking around as if she didn't understand what was going on.

At first I'm at a loss for words. I feel like laughing, then crying. I say the stupidest thing that comes to my mind, "My father what? How did you—" I choke on the rest, because Canosa seizes me by the neck and lifts me off the ground. It hurts, and yet I can breathe through my nose okay.

"Watch this, siren hunter. I'll tear off her head if you fire a single shot, and that would be a pity," Canosa shouts toward the lake.

I strain to look as far to the right as I can and glimpse my father's figure aiming at the sirens. He lowers his sonic gun, putting it on the deck and raising both of his arms. Does it mean he cares? Could it be, for real? Didn't he try shooting me just a few minutes ago? I blink and suppress the urge to become unglued, right then and there. One thought circulates through my mind: He wanted a son, and he got a daughter. Canosa was there when I was born. Did he really get so mad that he dropped me on the floor? I feel tears break through my will and spill over onto my cheeks.

"That's better. Keep it that way," Canosa shouts to the boat, then focuses on me. "Oh, don't be sad, I was only joking. I'm proud of you, silly. Look at what you've done, instead of one siren hunter you managed to wrangle two, and you even almost, almost, disposed of one of them. I'm impressed." She winks at me, as if to tell me that I scored and might be accepted into her siren family after all. "But I remember you wanted something else." She lowers her voice to a whisper, "You have to finish him, if you want to know what happened to your mom. Remember, a favor for a favor. I will let you go and you'll do as I say, okay?" she hisses, and drops me. I fall down like a sack of potatoes with a low thump, and rub my neck.

"Two? Did you say two siren hunters?" I wheeze between each word, turning nervously to look back at what Papa does. He simply observes us, his gun on the deck.

Canosa hunches next to me and circles her cold fingers around my neck but doesn't choke me this time. "Don't tell me your friend didn't let you in on his secret. You really didn't know?" she gasps. I shake my head and slowly understand who she's talking about. "Girls, did you hear that? What a gentleman. He loves her so much, he decided not to burden her with his problems."