The Siren's Mistress (Water Brides 1)

Chapter IV: Fish Guts

The smell of fish immediately hits my nostrils as I near the boat, never a pleasant smell at such a close distance, unless being cooked. I look at my father, who comes off his boat, his clothes wet from the splash of the sea waters, as he carries two large buckets and a satisfied expression. It seems today has been a good day for fishing.

Perusing his features, I understand why others spoke how we shared no blood. I look nothing like him. With dark hair, stormy blue eyes, and tan skin, he stands tall while in comparison, I am completely the opposite, short and voluptuous, just like my mother. Rumor has it that mother's pregnancy had been mysterious, where a sea witch helped her conceive. Hence a likely reason why I am often called that.

I pull my thin shawl tightly around my shoulders, shivering in the cold breeze from the sea, the chill of it climbing up my spine going as far as to numb my fingers and toes. My father clicks his tongue when he spots me, and moving forward, places the buckets at my feet. "I told you to start wearing heavier clothing during this season," he grumbles.

"I know, but you do know I am an adult, and I can wear whatever I want." I am just being bratty with him today, no idea why.

"And pay the consequences for being a daft adult who does not know how to dress herself..." he continues before pushing one of the buckets over to the empty shop by the docks, a place where housewives often come to purchase food without having to go directly to the village itself.

"I would have said your husband will teach you to wear warmer clothes..." shaking his head ruefully, "but your husband is a stranger to human ways, and it will actually be you teaching him to wear them." He lays out some of the fish on the bench.

"About that... You don't seem so upset as you were when you first found out." I begin helping him arrange the assortment of fish he had caught.

"Why should I be upset?" he questions me. "My daughter was selected to be a bride to one of our many Gods...if anything, you honor our family."

"Well, mother doesn't seem to think so..." I say, remembering how she acted with me recently.

He sighs heavily. "She is just upset to see you leave her so suddenly like I was at first. She will get over it. All children eventually have to move away to start their own families. I needed time to clear my head just like she should be doing now..."

"I hope she will get over it... I don't want to leave while having to ignore her like this... It feels wrong," I mutter, the slimy scales slipping through my fingers, not bothering me now. I remember being squeamish when I first started helping my father as a teenager.

"Believe me, things will be back to normal soon, probably by the next celebration," he says, smiling at me. "That way, all three of us can spend some time together before you leave with him."

I nod, pondering the words. The next celebration will be focused on him, the Siren, meaning he will be forced to come to land, and to me, and that will be where I would gift him something. A necklace or perhaps a ring, something to signify the joining of our souls.

I often find myself imagining what he would look like out of the water, more handsome and more human, I presume. I wonder if he would be short or tall, lean or well-built, so many things pass through my mind about the said celebration and how things might unfold.

It is hard to picture him as a human, as all the times I have seen him thus far have been when he was in the water, half man and half of the very things I am currently holding and will be eating later for dinner.

"Speaking of your mother, I must go to check on her," he says. "Think you can handle the rest?"

"Why else do you think I came here this early?"

He smirks slightly, wiping his hands on his clothing and walking away from me. "Good. Now be nice and make sure no one tries to lowball us out of our money. I've had enough of it, especially from that damn old geezer."

He then walks further down the docks until he disappears out of my view, probably happy he doesn't have to attempt to sell anything after being out at sea fishing since the crack of dawn. He probably is going home to snuggle up to mother if I am to guess, the thought sickening me slightly.

I then slip behind the stand, the sunlight bothering my eyes from the lack of sleep, and as I sit down in the chair, I know today is going to be a long day of selling fish and smelling like them.

...

...

After seeing many of the same faces throughout the day, Gus, the old geezer, the one whom father spoke of, makes his appearance, always the last of our customers, and of course, he is a handful as usual.

"Two pearls or stay here for the rest of the day, trying to sell some of the smallest fish I have seen for such a high price," he grumbles with a whistle in his voice, eyes narrowing at me with each word, warning he would go no higher for the remaining fish at the stand.

I narrow my eyes back, annoyed, and sigh heavily, giving in to him even though my father told me not to. "Fine, take what is left if you give me the two pearls," I warn in a stern tone, "they better be decent ones."

He then reaches into his pocket, grumbling before handing me exactly two pearls of average quality. I can hear him cursing, saying something about me being a haggling sea witch and how it would be good riddance once I am gone.

I snatch the pearls from his hands quickly, opening my bag to place them inside, satisfied with the money I've made from the day.

After he is done, collecting his bargained fish, I stand up, stretching, happy to finally go back to my hut and catch some of the sleep I lost from last night, but before I can get too relaxed, I see Laki getting off a boat with his father, laughing and smiling, as if he hadn't tried to kill me the night before.

I immediately feel the hot lava of anger coursing through my veins as the image of being submerged in water falls in front of my eyes. I come out from behind the stand, my fingers wrapping themselves around the handle of one of the buckets containing bait for the next morning. In other words, it is full of fish skin, blood, and guts.

I then walk toward him, and when his eyes glide from his father to me, he seems shocked, his eyes widening as if not knowing what to think or do. He stops abruptly, even taking a step back as I approach him.

Without saying anything, I raise the bucket and dump the contents all over him before throwing it away and letting it bounce against the wooden pier.

"That is for pushing me off the dock and trying to drown me, you asshole!" I hiss, and he wipes the guts from his eyes, making a disgusted face rather than a shocked one.

I scoff, and even Laki's father seems shaken by my behavior, and before he can ask me questions, I turn around, feeling satisfied with my little revenge.

It is nothing compared to what he has done to me, but at least it is something.

88 Days until winter and another 88 days, I will have to tolerate the sight of his face.