resist the siren's call

20

I shook my head.

"Well, marriage is when two people come together and tell everyone that they want to spend the rest of their life with one person. It's an extremely romantic commitment most of the time."

"What do you commit to?"

She looked up and sighed, "Not lusting after another person outside of the marriage. Starting a family together, living with one another. A bunch of things." She smiled at me.

I nodded contemplatively.

"Back to what I was saying. Propriety." She tapped her finger to her palm.

I reached forward quickly and grabbed her hands, "Perhaps later," I looked to the vendor, "It's our turn."

She smiled and walked up to the man running the stall, "Please tell me you still have apples left."

He gave a deep chuckle and pulled a fresh crate from beneath the stand, "How many'd you like?"

"I'd like half a dozen," Calliste pointed to me, "and she'd like two please."

The vendor bagged the orders and we payed separately for our apples.

I grabbed one of my red treats from the bag, "If I could plant an apple tree in the ocean, I would." I took a bite from the apple and leaned forward so the juice didn't dribble down my chin.

Calliste smiled and pulled me over to the fountain in the center of the market.

I finished my apple as we say and watched the people in the market rush around between vendors.

I threw the core into the street to be eaten by dogs or other animals before I ran my hands under the fountain.

"Where to next?"

Calliste suddenly broke out into a grin before she stood, "Nixie!" She waved her hand above her head, "Nixie!"

I followed her eyes to where she was looking and found Nixie standing in front of a fabric vendor.

I pointed to the person standing next to Nixie, "Who's that next to her? The guy she's talking to?"

Calliste pursed her lips, "I'm not sure." She grabbed her basket and my wrist and started leading me over to the fabric shop.

I stopped walking, "Hold on!" I laughed and pulled her behind a carriage, "We can watch her and see what she is doing."

Calliste's eyebrows came together, "What do you mean? Why don't we just ask her?" She tried to pull me but I pulled her back.

"Because, she's been so busy lately. What's she been doing?"

Calliste gave me a dry look, "I'm sure it's nothing, come on!"

I sighed, "You're taking all the fun out of it."

She groaned, "Fine. We'll watch her for a few minutes, but when all is normal and you're proven wrong, we're going to talk to her like real people."

I beamed.

We looked around the carriage and saw Nixie laughing at something the guy said.

The guy looked around Calliste's age, dark hair, casually dressed.

"Why is she talking to this guy?" I asked Calliste.

She shrugged, "Maybe she's interested in him."

A sour taste filled my mouth, "Absolutely not. Nixie is a siren. And sirens don't 'like' people."

"But you like me don't you? And Caspian."