resist the siren's call

36

"We spend a lot of effort trying to make things look effortless."

I pulled the dress over my shoulders before folding it and setting it to the side.

I climbed on the railing before standing, and then I dove in.

The water clung to me as I fell further in the depths, replacing my legs with my tail.

I heard a muffled yell from above before I breached the surface. Looking up I saw Caspian rip off his shirt before diving in after me.

After he breached the surface he wiped the hair out of his face, "What are you doing?" He looked mad.

I smiled, "Swimming."

He grabbed your arm and started for the ladder, "Not right now you're not."

I scoffed, "Why not? I go swimming every morning and you never stopped me then."

"We weren't sailing through shark infested waters then."

I stopped at the base of the ladder and crossed my arms, "You think I can't take care of myself? In case you forgot, I live in the ocean."

"Sharks don't care where you live. Sharks will kill you no matter what."

Silently I switched my tail, climbed up the ladder, and walked back into the dining hall.

"Oh hey Astrid, I thought you were going to a swim-"

"Give me the book." I held my hand out to Phillip.

He looked at my hand, "You're wet."

I sighed and walked to the counter where a small hand towel sat. I dried my hands off before walking over and extending my hand again. "I'll give it back."

Caspian walked in, "What are you doing?"

"Proving a point."

Phillip placed the book in my hand and I flipped the page open and turned it around for Caspian to read. "Have you read this?"

He shook his head, "I thought it was ridiculous."

"Well it's not. Read that." I pointed to the bottom of question four.

"Siren's have no natural predators, men being the only ones who hunt them." He read aloud. He looked up, "Really?"

"No aquatic animal would dare."

"Has a man ever successfully killed a mermaid?"

"Plenty of times, but they've never lived to say so." I took the book back and tossed it to Phillip. "Now if you'll excuse me, you interrupted my swim."

I walked back out to the deck and passed by Olly, who was playing a card game with some other crew members.

I ran my fingers through my hair and waved to him, "What are you guys playing?"

"Karnöffel. It's an older game, but Heinrich wanted to teach us." Olly smiled as I walked toward the railing.

"Is this what you do to fill time?"

One of the other players shrugged, "Long hours on the boat, leaves lots of time."

I nodded and climbed onto the railing, "You guys enjoy yourselves." I dove back in the water.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

I knocked on Caspian's door, before opening it when he replied, "Come in."

He was behind his desk, writing in a small book. "What's that?" I smiled and sat in one of the chairs across from him.

"It's called a journal. People keep them as a way to record their life for future generations."

"Sharing knowledge with people in the future." I leaned forward, "What are you writing about?"

He smiled, "You, actually. I want my future grandchildren to know I met a Siren."

"I'll probably still be alive when you have grandchildren." I scrunched my nose, "I'll let them know they had a strange grandpa."

He laughed and set the pen down, "I'm the strange one? Says the one with a tail."

I leaned back, "If I had children they'd be much cooler than yours."

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? Princes or princesses versus a few Sirens?"

"Oh yes."

"Come on Astrid, you aren't better than I am, why would your kids be?"

I scoffed, "I could kill you at any time and you think you're superior?"

"Why is your only reason for why you might be better is that you could kill me?"

"Because I know you couldn't kill me."

"Well, why haven't you killed me? You've been given plenty of opportunities."

"Your whole kingdom would come after me."

Caspian smiled and picked his pen back up, he started writing, "Astrid admits that she would not kill me in fear of my whole kingdom coming after her, but she's not afraid to kiss me despite that also making her at risk of people coming after her."

"Killing you is more public, and besides," I stood up and leaned over his desk, "You forget that in a Siren's world, a kiss means nothing." I started walking toward the door, but stopped before fully exiting, "Oh and, by the way, I came to tell you we're close to home."