Work Text:
"Don’t Walk Away"
(The Sirens’ Song)
His songs have been sung for years.
It had become a sort of legend in your family, passed down for years and years. There is only one night when the siren sings. The bay that held the lonesome creature is not far from your small home. It’s just you, Grandma, and yourself now. Life had come and gone, taking your parents and your grandfather in one night of tragedy.
You didn’t go into town much, and not many people came out this way. The forests were dangerous enough, not to mention the tale of the man-eating Siren that lived in the huge, beautiful lagoon. You suppose you didn’t mind much; you liked your grandma’s company. She knew all the stories and all the songs. At least it felt that way.
Just like the story of the siren.
She says that he’s unlike any other siren that will sing their song to anyone unfortunate enough to be close enough to hear it. But this one, no one has ever seen. But he has sung his song for years, harrowing, lonely, and sorrowful, on one night of the year.
She tells you every year. A reminder to stay away from the water.
Sleep with cotton in your ears. No matter what, never ever go outside on that night.
You listened; of course you did. You did everything your grandmother wanted you to. She took care of you, made sure you were fed, and was as happy as you could be in your little cabin out in the woods next to the haunted bay where no man goes... It got a little lonely sometimes, you’d have to admit.
And maybe that’s what possessed you on this night to find yourself on the edge of your property, wearing your scratchy cloth nightgown, stark white against the darkness outside. How many nights have you been around to hear his cry?
It seemed endless. Each year, you would edge a little closer, and this year was no different. There was something so lonesome about that howling song that it struck your heart in a way that had your face twisting in anguish and your mind conjuring ideas of what could cause such an eerie yet bewitching sound.
And in doing so, the warnings your grandmother would so often give you began to fall on deaf ears. You didn’t mean it. It started with you staying up through the night with cotton out of your ears so you could hear him echoing so far away.
Close enough that you could feel his pain, but never close enough to offer any help. You wondered if he somehow knew you were awake enough to listen to him.
The following year, you listened from the safety of your living room. And the next? You sat on the porch step, listening to his song with the nighttime crickets as background singers.
Each year, you seemed to get a little closer. And now? You were right on the edge of your property. The water was only a few minutes’ walk through the dark, speaking forest. You could hear the cackling of some sort of nighttime creature to prove your point.
Your grandmother would have cotton in her ears by now. Even if her hearing wasn’t what it used to be, she followed tradition every year. She had no idea you were secretly staring through the whistling trees right now, wondering and waiting to hear him.
It would start soon. It always did, at the very same time, every year.
It didn’t matter that you were expecting it. The moment his sorrow began to carry across the same wind that whistled through the treetops, your skin came alive with goosebumps. Your heart leapt to your throat and beat persistently there rather than in your chest, where it was meant to be.
You could feel the caress of his voice even now, far away, where you were not listening to it directly. You could feel the pull it had, as if a string had wrapped itself around your heart and began tugging you over. The song was in a language you couldn’t understand, but to be fair, no other human being could either.
Well, your grandmother mentioned old sailors who could speak the language. But you had never met any, and you wondered if it had any truth to it.
And when your bare feet began to take you over crunching leaves and dewy grass, your bare soles touched against the soft dirt that smudged into your skin the further your legs took you through the forest.
The air smelled fresh, drifting with the scent of wild berries and spices. The rain that had fallen before would occasionally send cold droplets on your face, dripping from the treetops above. The air itself was cool, wrapping around your skin like a tight blanket.
The closer you got to the water, the smell would change. Murky water, but clean and fresh. Probably good enough to drink directly from. You looked over the still water, barely rippling from the blowing breezes.
The song would change too. Turning from echoes and far away to touching your ears fully the closer you came to the deep, so blue it was nearly black water, The moon hangs in the sky, and you could see it in the reflection. Though you could hear the voice, you couldn’t see where it came from.
But the song called to you either way. You weren’t sure if you were falling for the siren’s trick or if your own legs were what brought you to the water’s edge. The water was chilling on your toes. They wiggled deeper into the sandy bank, warming them only slightly.
You knew this water connected somewhere to a river that led to the sea beyond. The brackish water clung first to your toes, and then soon enough, you were ankle-deep.
You wondered why the siren never left. While you had thought of the water before as a lagoon, you could see the natural border of rocks far off in the distance that opened. It was a small opening, but well enough that a boat could squeeze through it if it wasn’t too big.
The murky water was the color of the sweet tea your mother used to make for you. And even though your mother used your grandmother's recipe, you found that you missed it the most when your mom used to make it.
The opaque body of water was turbid with a fine mist that was just thick enough that you had to squint to see through it. The color seemed to shift from the tea-like hue you mentioned to a sea-green when it got closer to the barrier. You wondered if the water would feel different if you swam across where they met.
The longer your ears were exposed to the siren’s potent song, the less you found your mind wandering to these questions and instead only focused on the melody playing for your ears.
It was long, drawn out, and mournful. You could feel it in the way your blood swam through your veins. The sorrow this poor creature held within its voice was enough to make your nose twitch with the tall-tale signs of oncoming tears.
A sudden splash broke you from your reverie. The splash could have sent an icy wave over you with the same amount of chilling trembling that danced over your exposed skin. You wished you had thrown on a shawl before leaving.
Your hands clutched your biceps, and your arms crossed along your chest. You were trembling, and the wind howled slow and lazy with the siren, but with a jolt, you realized his song had stopped.
It had never stopped before. No matter how close you got. Then again, your nightgown was now touching the water, reaching up to your middle leg. You'd never been this close.
"Hello?" You spoke, your words being swallowed up easily by the expanse of water. It was so big, and so deep, that you felt like you were just a pebble at the bottom of a deep well.
Nothing talked back to you. You felt yourself frowning faster than you could feel the muscles in your face pulling your lips downward.
Now, with the siren’s song gone and the wind being the only voice you heard, you felt as if you had imagined it. But obviously, that wasn’t the case. You had heard his song before. And even if you hadn’t, your grandmother certainly believed he lived beneath the waves here. And she never lies.
You sighed deeply. You weren’t sure what you expected when you wound up down here with muddy feet being washed by chilling water and a half drenched nightgown, feeling like a fool.
At least your grandmother would never find out. You could only imagine the way she would screech and wag a finger in your face for ignoring her very simple rules.
Turning around after scanning through the misty water once more, you felt your shoulders droop. Honestly, it was for the best. Who knows what the Siren would do to you if he found you so close?
"Wait." You heard the softest voice of a whisper and felt your body freeze at the pleading command.
Your eyes were wide, and your back was against whoever had spoken the word. Your heart had again taken up residence in your throat, and you swallowed around it. Your veins buzzed, thrumming in your body. While the rest of you were cold, your blood was near boiling. You felt it in your limbs and face when you slowly turned back.
Your eyes stretched a fraction wider, if possible, as they landed upon the man half submerged in the dark pools. He looked at you with suspicious eyes. They were as bright as the clear water beyond the bay—ocean blue with a sort of iciness that made you stand a little straighter when they danced over your form quickly.
"Who are you?" He asked. His voice was low and gravelly, but it struck you with how raw it sounded. As if he hadn’t spoken in years, using his voice only for the songs he let loose into the night.
His hair was dark, probably black, though it was hard to tell with the low light and the mist that surrounded him. His chest was bare; there were scars that decorated the pale flesh there, probably once red and angry, but now silver lines that caught against the moonlight as if they were ripples in the water he resided in.
"I live over there." You spoke dumbly once you found your voice. You lifted your hand and pointed through the trees. His eyes snapped to the movement, and his shoulders were tense. He looked like he would dash at any movement that was too quick. You found it funny for a moment when you thought he appeared as if he might be a little scared of you.
"I listen to your song; I have for a... for a few years now." Your voice stammered, blushing softly when you realized how strange that may sound.
His blue eyes blinked, losing their suspension for a moment rather than showing surprise. His face looked softer then, and you could see how handsome the man was with a strong jaw, leading to a strong neck and shoulders. His torso was lean and muscular. But it only lasted for a moment before his face returned to the stony misgiving.
"You’re a fool to follow a siren’s song, girl." He muttered. A splash caught your attention, and your heart leapt when you saw what caused it.
His tail. Feathered fins at the end, leading up to scales that were raven black and shown with an iridescent blue against the moonlight.
Your throat felt tight. Not only to hear him speak the words, but to see the proof in the same instance had you feeling a strange mixture. Somewhat giddy at seeing a creature that most would believe had died out, and fearful at seeing a creature most would be happy to see die out.
You had listened to your grandmother's stories. You had heard his song. But seeing him in the flesh, so close to you, was different. Seeing a story come to life before your eyes.
You wondered if the other stories your grandmother had been feeding you since you were a small child were also true. Dragons? Fairies? Vampires and werewolves? There are so many fantasy stories for your young ears. Were they all true?
"Are you here to try to kill me, girl?" His eyes drifted over you again, and you bit your bottom lip when a smirk appeared on his face. You could see his teeth. Sharp. Very sharp. "You are not prepared. I see no weapons. No armor. Do you think me easy prey?"
"Why would I want to kill you?" You asked.
His brow creased. Fury flashed in his bright blue eyes, and you flinched. They nearly glowed in the darkness. "Why?" He laughed, a dry and joyless sound. "I asked the same when mankind came here and murdered my family."
You looked at him in shock. You had heard mermaids remain in pods with their families. You had heard that sirens were evil, wicked creatures that lived lonely lives just for themselves, luring sailors to rocky islands and eating them for their dinners. Aren’t his teeth proof enough of that? Made for chomping through flesh.
"Maybe they didn’t want to be eaten first." You offered. The siren’s brow rose, and you could see his arms move through the water. Finned fingers glided, keeping him easily above. "My grandmother says you are evil."
His eyes rolled in his skull, a sneer on his face. "I am evil?" He rumbled the question. His voice, though he was speaking, still held somewhat of a melody. Or perhaps that is just how he always sounds. "What distinguishes between evil and nature? Animals kill humans all the time. Yet when another human does this, this is considered evil. Is it the awareness of right and wrong that enables one to be evil?" He smirked, showing off his shark-like teeth. You stayed perfectly still; if you were to run, he would pounce the moment your back was on him again.
"I am not evil. I do what comes naturally to me. I must eat, and should a human morsel come with intent to harm me, I will eat it. Are you to be my meal, little one?"
You took a step back, and he watched, his smirk softening into a knowing smile. But there was more than that. There was a certain loneliness in his eyes. So similar to your own when you looked upon yourself in the mirror, and it had you pausing. Your ankles were still in the water. He was close enough that he could have lashed out for you at any moment, just like his ‘nature’ told him to do so. Yet he didn’t. He simply looked at you now.
The smile that was on his face vanished slowly, and his eyes remained on you. His face was harrowing. The sadness there. You weren’t surprised his song was so hauntingly, sadly, beautiful.
"What’s your name?" You asked him instead. His brows creased again, and he looked stunned. He blinked once, twice, and then shook his head with a gravelly chuckle that made you bite the tip of your tongue.
"Castiel." He murmured it softly, but you heard. You found the name fitting for him. "What are you called, girl?"
You told him your name, and he hummed once he heard it. "You are familiar to me." He said next, and you tilted your head, confused.
"What do you mean?"
He hummed again, drifting a little closer. It was enough to send tremors up your spine. Something primal inside you screamed at you to run away and save your hide. Your legs twitched in desire to take off, but you steeled yourself and remained. Something about the siren named Castiel called to you. And you could no longer ignore its pull every time the creature’s song filled the nighttime air.
"You listen to me. You have been the one I can hear on this night for the last few years. I can feel you."
Your face turned warm at the admission. You were surprised; you had no idea he could sense you listening to him. You had wondered, sure, but how could he?
"Why do you only sing once a year? Grandma says sirens sing whenever they get hungry." You asked him to distract yourself from the warmth blossoming on your cheeks.
Castiel was still in the water. His eyes, which had seemed brighter a moment ago, were darkened by your question. He sighed, deep and true. "I sing not to bring me my meals." His tail splashed through the water, and you could see it rolling with little waving ripples. "I sing for those who were taken from me. I sing to them, to keep them alive." When he said this, he placed his webbed hand over his chest. Delicate black scales decorated parts of it—his fingers and back of his palm, down to his wrist, and up some.
"How long have you been here without them?" You asked. Part of you wanted to sit in the shallows and have him tell you stories, as your grandmother so often did. Yet, the carnal desire to survive beat this out, and you stayed standing, still as a board aside from the random cold shiver.
His eyes, so sadly, landed on yours. He frowned deeply. He hid none of his sorrow and pain when he mumbled, "A long time."
"Why not leave?"
"Where will I go? Where will I be?" He asked the question to you like you had answers for it. You frowned when you found nothing to give.
"Maybe you’ll find the answer when you’re gone." You told him, wanting to ease the furrow on the handsome man... siren’s brow.
"Everything I have ever known has ended, and I am all alone. How in the world will I go on?"
His words sent painful pangs through your heart. You imagined for a moment what this place might have looked like so long ago. Before humankind came here and killed the rest of Castiel’s family, You wondered if he was younger then, happier. You wondered what his song sounded like then.
"I’m sorry." You murmured, though it did nothing to right the wrongs committed by people who are long dead and have nothing to do with you. Castiel stared at you sadly; any of the frightening aura he had before was gone. So was his suspicion. He looked very human-like, possibly quite like you, when you learned what had happened to your parents and grandfather.
Losing everything was hard. He had lost it all, and you had a home and a grandmother who loved you. You wondered if you were just making things worse for the poor siren. He seemed fine enough to just sing his song and sleep away most of the year aside.
"I… I should go." You say. You want to turn, but find it hard to do so. You’re looking into his eyes, and he looks back. You see yourself in them, a lost little girl with nothing to offer him to ease his sorrows. But you want to.
Just as you are able to turn your back on the siren, there is a moment where you’re at a standstill. You can feel his eyes on your back. You take the first steps forward, homeward bound.
"Don’t turn around." He said that, and you froze. "Don’t walk away."
His voice was pleading. soft; it barely reached you. But you heard it and felt it touch somewhere deep in your chest. You turned your head and saw him closer now. He sat on the sandy bank, his long tail stretched out. Half-way in the water, but you could see it clearly.
It was beautiful. The scales on his tail were decorated with a sharp-looking fin. The black scales shimmered in the moonlight, and you could see where they stretched up his back, though your eyes were only teased with the idea of it. You could see dark lines on his neck, where you assumed they were gills. Yet he seemed to be able to breathe the air outside the water just fine.
His arms were decorated with the same scales, both at his hands and at his shoulders. He was right before you. You only had to walk a few steps back. He looked at you with beseeching eyes to match the words before.
He appeared somewhat bashful. As if asking a human to remain with him a little longer was something to be ashamed of. And maybe it was; it was your kind that killed his family.
But there was something about you that made him want you closer. He didn’t want to watch you vanish into the trees, never to be seen again. He had been here for so long. Only by himself. Only his voice can fill his ears and his mind. When he heard your voice before, he felt his heart seize. His heart, which he thought was long dead, came to life. It thudded painfully in his chest now, and it was like waking up and realizing your worst fears had come true.
Because to him, it had. He had shut his brain off from the pain of everything. Living on his own for so long, he had dissociated to the point where he no longer knew how long it had been.
And when you spoke. It was as if he lost it all over again. But this time, he would be forced to live with the pain until he could trick his brain into believing that nothing was wrong. That his family had simply gone for a swim and would return with smiles and welcoming arms. They would eat and sing together, and things would be fine.
Before, he only felt this pain one night of the year. Where his mind would ‘wake up’ long enough to realize what he had lost.
But he knows now. He knows that’s not true and that they won't be coming back. It was you who woke him up to it, and in that moment, he found himself hating you and wanting you closer. Not to harm you, though he could. He wanted you to sit with him. To speak with him. Just so that he wasn’t alone. If only for a night.
"Stay." He asked. "For a little while." He tacked on this when he saw your hesitance. You sighed and cursed your bleeding heart when you gingerly took a seat next to him. Your nightgown would be ruined, probably. You’d have to get rid of it or hide it from your grandmother until you could wash away the mud and smell of the water. It wasn’t a bad smell, actually. It was comforting to you. But you had zero desire for your grandma to know you were talking to the siren.
He looked at you with eyes that held thunder. There was pain, but they also seemed to shimmer when you sat beside him. A smile glowed on his face, showing off those teeth that could turn you into mincemeat.
"You trust me." He murmured then, his nose twitching, as if he were breathing you in. Maybe he was, because he spoke the truth. Though your body told you to do otherwise, your mind trusted him, for whatever reason, not to turn you into his next meal.
And maybe you could use the company as well. You loved your grandma. But it was different. You hadn’t spoken to anyone else aside from her except for a few words to a random person in town when you went to do your monthly shopping.
You were lonely. He was there. So were you, and so you nodded, "I do." You paused. "Is that a mistake?"
Castiel smirked, though this time it didn’t look like he was trying to scare you with the flash of his teeth, but rather, it was like he was laughing at a joke you didn’t tell. "That remains to be seen."
You nodded once, tucking your knees up to your chest. Your feet burrowed slightly into the sand. It felt nice and warm against the cool wind tonight. You were thankful that the siren chose to sing on the warmest night of the year.
And so, together, you sat. You weren’t sure what to talk about. But Castiel seemed content to simply exist beside you with an odd splash of his feathered, finny tail. It would ripple the water and splash against your nightgown.
Perhaps because he had been on his own for so long, he didn’t know what to say either. But weirdly enough, you weren’t upset with the silence. It was comforting. Like being in the room with a good friend and enjoying one another’s company while the both of you do your own things.
But it could not last. Your eyes looked up to the sky, which had steadily been growing from a cool, dark color to a lighter, morning color. Orange hues stretched over the water while the sun began to wake.
"I have to go soon." You muttered, though you did not want to, even though you were cold and tired and only sitting around. To be fair, sitting around right next to a creature that you’ve been told your whole life would swallow you up, given the chance.
Castiel’s eyes turned away from the rising sun. He had a peaceful look on his face, and a gentle smile had been there for the last hour or so. You wondered if he noticed. When you spoke your words, the smile vanished. He was not frowning; he showed little emotion while his icy blue eyes studied you.
You found yourself hating when the smile left his handsome features. His ethereal blue eyes blinked slowly, and his shoulders lowered with a sigh. "Will you come back?"
The question surprised you, your head tilting. Your messy hair followed, stringy from the ocean air. "Next year?"
Castiel’s eyes met your own, and his lips quivered. The look on his face was painful, like you only went and reminded him of his solitary life. Guilt struck your heart, and you ducked your head to not have to see the suffering on his face.
"Tomorrow." He said that then, and your startled head turned up to look at him with wide eyes. "Tomorrow?" You squeaked.
He nodded, turning his head skyward. The sun was much too high now, but you could see him as clearly as ever. The way his tail is shown not only with a blue iridescent sheen but also with purples and bright greens. Like you were holding a raven’s feather up to the sun.
"When the sun goes down, Come to me, little one. I wish to see you again."
You swallowed. To him, the request seemed so easy. But for you, with your grandmother watching over you, nightly visits away from home would become quickly suspicious.
The way his eyes peered into your own was bright blue, even brighter now with the sun's light. They looked like he was asking to give you the world rather than you giving your own to his. You relented and nodded. "I’ll come back."
He smiled. A real, big smile. You could see his teeth again. But you could also see the joy the simple statement gave him, and you couldn’t help but smile back.
He watched you stand. He made no movement until you waved goodbye and reached the forest edge. You could hear the splash, and when you turned your head, he was gone.
You breathed deeply, hardly able to believe what just happened.
Your body was sore from your fatigue, but you couldn’t care. The rest of you felt light. Maybe even a little dizzy. Though that might be because you hadn’t slept in two days. The previous night, you were awake with excitement for the night that had just passed.
This morning, you left the water behind you. Making sure to hide your nightgown and dress quickly, preparing Grandmother’s breakfast. She looked at you with narrowed eyes when she woke, noting the sleep in your face. Not to mention, breakfast was always something she did because you slept most mornings.
You smiled bashfully and gave her her toast, eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice. She hummed but said nothing when she chewed on her toast. It was an awkward breakfast. Grandma always seemed to notice when you were hiding something, and the way her careful, milky eyes studied you made you squirm.
Thankfully, she didn’t ask about anything, and you were able to eat while mumbling about your daily chores that you promised to get done as soon as breakfast was over.
And so you did. Half-asleep and dead on your feet, you leaned against the broom, resting for a moment. The sun was bright today, and you were surprised it was so cold just hours before. It beat down on your back, and you found yourself longing for a dip in the water that held your siren.
You flushed. Not your siren.
Yet you couldn’t stop thinking about his blue eyes and pale skin, so bright in the moonlight. You wondered how he got those scars. Was it from sharks? Maybe he got them while trying to defend his family. Your mind traveled then to how water had clung to his muscles, dripping down to where his tail met at his hips.
A bright blush burned your face when the thought of how sirens reproduce crossed your mind. You shook your head at yourself, puffing hot air. If you were any more obvious, your grandma might sit you down and choke the answer from you. Or at least, think you were sick with how red you had become.
After your chores were done, you fed your chickens. Their coop wasn’t too far from the forest edge you had traveled through the night before. You stared through them, feeling your heart thump in your chest.
Almost. Almost you could feel him in those waters. So close, yet so far away.
You broke yourself from whatever enchantment came over you when a cold chill went over your skin. You figured it must have been from too much heat and headed indoors. Your grandmother met you sitting before an old record player that was made of brass and that she never really used.
"When I came to this place, I did not know music like your grandfather." She spoke before you even said hello. You were used to this and knew what was to follow, so you wandered over and sat on the pillows set up beside the brass turntable. The platter stretched over to appear flower-like. Gentle music, with horns and big bands played through it, was turned down enough that you could easily hear her speak.
"Your grandfather gifted me this." She looked at the phonograph, and her wrinkled lips smiled fondly. "It was when I knew I could love him, even though I did not know the land he came from. Because he shared with me his songs, and I would share my own from where I come from."
Her eyes took you in, and then her smile was straining. Her eyes were careful, and she looked at you as if she were solving a problem. It made you shift uncomfortably under her gaze. Her gray eyes always felt like they could look into your soul if she so desired.
"When the night came that your grandfather was taken from us, not only him but my child and her husband? He may have very well been my son. I thought I would not be able to go on."
You felt a pang in your chest, sorrowful and painful, when her voice shook with her words. Concern also bubbled within you, and while your grandmother often spoke of your late parents and grandfather, she always did so with a smile. She would never appear sad. Or talk about their passing. There would always be talk of happy memories.
"Music from where I am from," she murmured, and you had to strain to listen when her voice almost became as low as the music. "It is not so nice. It is beautiful, but we did not see it that way."
Your head tilted, but you didn’t interrupt her. You had enough of her annoyed eyes on you through childhood to know not to anymore.
"That old bay has a name. No one calls it that any longer. It has been much too long; far too much blood has stained those waters red."
This caught your attention. You sat up straight, and even though you sat upon piles of pillows, you suddenly felt as if you were very uncomfortable.
"Blue Poseidon’s Lake." A smile turned her fragile lips upward. "In my tongue, it was Bmai putiofup't leli."
"It’s not a lake, though." You say, and your grandmother turns knowing eyes upon you. "Names do not always match. Nor will you find Poseidon in those blue waves."
You nodded; it did make sense, you supposed.
"I met your grandfather on those waters." She told you. You perked up with a smile; she had told you the story before. "You were going for a swim, and Grandpa had been there to go fishing."
"That is the story you know, yes." She dipped her head, crossing her wrinkled hands onto her lap. Her skin told her age, nearly seeming translucent in the sun that showed through the opened window. "I lived in those waters."
Your eyebrows lifted. "What do you mean?"
Her eyes crinkled. They held secrets, but she also appeared nervous. It was strange to see that on her face. So often did you see her as a pillar. As strong as a rock.
"My true name is Lorelei. And I was—I am one in the same as the man in the waters. Sosip. Siren, in the man’s tongue."
The music was still playing right beside your head, but it was as if you couldn’t hear it. You couldn’t hear anything but the ringing in your ears.
Grandma never lies.
You stared up at her with wide eyes, your mouth opening in an "O."
Her face looked twisted with both relief and anguish. "I swore to your mother I would never tell you of our origin. She, too, was half sosip."
Your heart was racing in your chest. You could hear her words. Rather, it was almost like they floated out of her mouth and wrapped around your head in a dizzy, silky scarf. "There are not many of us left. When I abandoned the waters to live with your grandfather, I left my family behind me. They were killed." Her face grew sullen, looking older with each word. "I never forgave myself for leaving. I loved your grandfather, but I loved the water. My people."
Her eyes looked you over. You still didn’t say a word. How could you? Your whole world is currently upside down. You felt lighter, but it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. It was almost like you were floating, with no means of getting down, but your stomach twisted and the breakfast you had sat heavy in your gut.
"My closest friend and his mate had a child before I left." She murmured. Gently, she reached down and took your hand in hers. Her skin was cool to the touch. You didn’t grasp her back, but you also didn’t pull away. "He was born as Castiel."
Your heart stopped in your chest. It didn’t make sense. None of it made any sense.
"I know he remains. I can feel the presence of my friends in him, in those waters. And that is why I tell you to stay away. He may be the last of my original pod. I knew if you spoke with him, if you entered the water, you would learn the truth."
"I – I didn’t know. I had—how would I know?" Your words were jumbled. Confused, just as much as you were.
"Bmai putiofup't leli – Blue Poseidon’s Lake is not your average water. It is blessed. Many mermaids, sirens, and other beings were born there. Gifted with our God’s aquatic blessings. Did you fully submerge yourself in the water?"
You slowly shook your head. You still couldn’t quite wrap your head around it. If your grandmother was truly a siren, it meant your mother was half. And what did that make you? Full, quarter?
And so you asked. Your grandmother smiled and shook her head. "It matters not the strength of the Siren blood swimming within your veins. I tell you this because you are of age now and your mother is dead; she can no longer choose your destiny for you. I leave this to you, my sweet child. Should you fully submerge yourself within those waters, you will gain your siren powers."
A smile twitched on your face at the absurdity of it all. You shook your head and asked, "Is this a joke? Did you find out I visited Castiel and are doing this to scare me off?"
Your grandmother frowned, though she seemed unsurprised. She shook her head and said, "I no longer have my powers. I have been too long out of the ocean. I am not brave enough to return to the water. As much as I want to, this is my life now. I will remain here until I pass and return to your grandfather. But you, love, can choose. Remain here as a human, but never return to the lake. Or go into the lake and take on the powers waiting for you there." She then smiled faintly, her knowing eyes looking into your own. "And be with him. You are connected. Though I no longer have my powers, even I can see that."
She then gently stood and brought you up with her. Her hand rested over your own, and she squeezed tight enough that it hurt. You were surprised she could summon the strength. "But know this. You cannot return. It is no longer safe for Siren to walk among mankind." Her eyes held yours, and her words were sad. Like she knew the call of the water would be too strong for you now that you knew everything.
Part of you already wanted to sprint through the forest on your last run on human legs. The other part didn’t want to leave your grandmother alone. She had lost her daughter and her husband, and now she would be losing her only family left. You looked at her from eye to eye, searching for anything that signaled she didn’t want you to go.
As if knowing this, she chuckled and let go of your hands to instead wrap her bony arms around you in a tight embrace. "Go, child. I will be okay; I promise you this. I’ve not much time left; I can feel it in my bones. Soon I will be gone, but I will be with my family again."
Your heart broke in your chest when she pulled you back, resting her palms on your biceps. Her gray eyes took you in with a sort of sparkling pride that almost helped your wounded heart. She knew she was going to die soon. But she seemed fine! But maybe it was something leftover from her siren life.
You still couldn’t believe it.
You took nothing with you when you stood on the porch of your home. Your grandmother had retired to her room, mumbling as usual about an aching back. As if nothing was different. Like you would go to sleep tonight in your bed and wake up tomorrow to feed the chickens and wait for Grandma’s breakfast.
But that wasn’t the case anymore, was it?
You were standing on the ledge of a metaphorical mountain, deciding whether to take the step or remain safe above the waters below.
Before you knew it, you had made your way through the forest. It was colder in there without the sun beating down beyond the dense treetops. But you came through to the other side, and your eyes landed on the sparkling water, rippling with the sun's rays. It was beautiful. There were sunning rocks that you took a seat on, looking over the water and pondering your next move.
Castiel made no appearance. He must be sleeping. You hadn’t even touched the water with your toes. Just think what might have happened the night before if Castiel had drugged you under the water or if you yourself were braver and joined the Siren for a swim. You think you would have been unimaginably frightened.
To be honest, you sort of still were. To join Castiel in the ocean blue would mean leaving behind everything you had ever known. And who is to say he would even want you with him for longer than a few nights?
You could stay. Even if your grandmother would be passing away ‘soon’, you knew how to keep up the house. You could find a way to make money and keep yourself fed with the land and whatever you got from the nearby town.
Nothing would have to change. But you would still be lonely. You would still have this pull trying to get you beneath the depths. And your heart was doing its best to remind you how, since landing your eyes on the siren, it had been beating faster every time you thought of his bright blue eyes.
You weren’t keeping track of how long passed before you got up from the rock and walked instead to the sandy bank you were sitting on the night before. The water would lazily loll up against the sand in small waves. Your toes sat above the sand, not close enough to be touched.
A wave reached for you, and you didn’t step back. It still didn’t reach you, but this time you walked with it, and when the water swung back into place, it came to your ankles.
The familiar calmness from the night before washed over you, and you breathed in the briny scent. You supposed it made sense to you now why you liked swimming so much.
It always made you so upset whenever your mother, and then your grandmother, would forbid you from swimming in the waters here. When you found out the "terrifying" siren lived here, you avoided it yourself. And yet, here you were. On the precipice.
The water curled around your legs the deeper you strode in. You could feel it heavy around your middle, standing midway in the cool water. Your skin felt alive, like the water was sending the smallest bits of electricity through you; goosebumps erupted over your exposed skin. The dress you wore floated through the water, the pale yellow cloth staining with the murky blue.
Another half-way in, and you’d be submerged. You couldn’t move another step, not yet. Your heart was wildly pulsing, you almost felt lightheaded.
"You came." His voice sent trembles down your spine. The water somehow felt warmer when you could feel his presence gliding up to your side. You turned to look at him and first saw his deep blue eyes, crisp in the sun that was still showing. "Early. You awoke me from my slumber, little one."
"I’m sorry for waking you. Was I loud?" You asked, tilting your head.
He shook his head. He floated above the water, his hands gliding over him. Half of his chest showed, and you could sometimes see when his tail rose above the water line. "Not loud with your sound. But with yourself. I could feel you as soon as you stepped into the waves."
"I wanted to see you." You told him the half-truth and watched as surprise rippled over his face, which then turned into a pleasant smile that curled his pretty lips upwards. He looked so innocent with his smile, despite the row of sharp fangs.
"And see me you have." He murmured this, and you watched but didn’t move when he swam around you in a slow circle. You could feel the water move around you with him, and you swallowed when the feathers of his tail caressed your legs. "What happens next?"
Your mind searched for the words to say to even begin to describe what you had learned. Would he even believe you? Or would he assume that you were making cruel jokes?
There was one sure-fire way of showing him, you supposed. But something held you back. You thought of your grandmother alone in her room back home and felt heavier. She wanted you to go, though, and told you to go.
It was then that you nearly jolted out of the water completely when you felt the touch of webbed fingers move up along your leg. You twisted your body to catch Castiel’s face, who was looking down into the water where his hand touched. He then looked up at you and caught your expression. Your face was red and mortified. No one had ever touched you there, beside yourself, and you guessed maybe when you were a kid and your dad would heft you up on his shoulders and carry you around.
"Forgive my curiosity, little one. I have not seen ‘legs’ up close. Not without the one to whom they belong screaming in terror or attempting to kill me."
"It’s okay," you squeaked. Castiel continued his lazy swim, and his tail lifted above the water. It caught the sun, and again, you could see the beautiful colors it was made up of. You reached a hand out and caressed the scales.
You could feel a tremble move through the muscles. His scales felt surprisingly dry; you thought you expected the sliminess of a fish but found nothing of the sort. You bit your bottom lip when his tail dipped back into the water. He was watching you with slightly narrowed eyes, and he relaxed when he saw it was a simple curiosity he too shared.
So he brought his tail back; this time, the feathers came from the water, and your fingers danced over them. It reminded you of touching silk or satin. Softer than you imagined, smooth. It had a nice texture. You were smiling before you realized it, and Castiel felt his cold heart warm at the expression.
He smiled mirthfully, his eyes sparkling with mischief, when he splashed water up into your face. You squeaked in surprise but then laughed when you wiped it away. "You’re sneaky."
Castiel chuckled, and you could feel his tail when it vanished beneath the water to curl halfway around your legs. You could feel that he borrowed some of your weight to balance himself out of the water, now without bobbing around. He looked into your face, standing just slightly shorter than you. It struck you that if he was able to stand, he would be impressively tall.
It was odd how you could stand here with him halfway wrapped around you, doing nothing but looking into each other's faces, and feel completely fine. Like it was a normal thing to do.
Your brain was less than calm, though, and you asked him, "Did you know a siren named Lorelei?"
Castiel’s face seemed to break. Before, he wore a smile and inquisitive eyes that wandered over your face. He had been learning about the curve of your jaw, the shape of your cute nose, and how your eyes were so bright beneath the sun. But now it has crashed into pain. Realization shimmered over his features, or memories, because he looked, simply put, tragic.
"How do you know this name?" He asked you with a low, gravelly voice. It shook, and you felt pain in your chest, knowing you caused it. When you didn’t answer right away, you could feel his tail squeezing tighter around you. Coiling around your legs and thighs. You winced with a rush of panic, being reminded of snakes crushing the life out of their prey.
"So you knew her?" You breathed into the question, forcing yourself to remain calm.
Castiel narrowed his icy eyes at you, but he nodded. He seemed to gather that you were in discomfort because his tail lessened its grip without releasing you fully. "I knew her as an infant. She helped my mother and my father raise me, along with the rest of our pod. She vanished one day, and my mother told me to seek her happiness. I did not understand then, and perhaps I do not understand now, but I do know she escaped. If another man has not killed her, she still walks this earth."
You felt your eyes close, and a shiver passed through you. Your grandmother hadn’t been lying. Of course she hadn’t. If it were some ploy to keep you away from the lake, she wouldn’t have allowed you out of her sight after the story.
It meant she wasn’t lying. About who you are. Nor about her dying soon.
Pain twisted your heart, and you were sure it displayed on your face because then you felt hands against your cheeks.
Your eyes opened to see Castiel peering into your face. He looked worried, his brow furrowed. His own expression was pinched: "Did I harm you, little one?"
Your throat felt tight, but you shook your head. "You didn’t hurt me." You murmured and reached up to rest your hands against his chest. There, you could feel his heart beat. His hands dropped from your face to your shoulders. He seemed relieved. His heart slowed slightly with it, but you could feel it beat.
He had a heart. Just like you. He came from the sea. And you supposed, at least part of you did as well. You weren’t so different, and that was even before you knew of your origin.
"I know her," You breathed through a dry mouth. You swallowed when his head canted. A small, teasing smile on his face. "You play a joke on me, little one? Lorelei is long gone." He probably thought you were a little dumb.
You shook your head and pointed again through the trees. "She is my Grandmother."
His brows went up, and then furrowed. His smile was strained now, "This is not a funny joke, vopz txiiv."
You held your breath when he spoke what sounded like the very same tongue your grandmother spoke before. "She called this place ‘Bmai putiofup't leli"—Blue Poseidon's Lake."
When you spoke the words of his language, though broken and not very clear, he knew what you said to be true. He knew the waters, the stories, and the blessings the waves left. His icy blue eyes were wide and surprised. His tail dropped from around you, and he looked at you with darting eyes, looking up and down, and then to where you pointed in the forest.
And then they moved back to you. "You are not joking." You shook your head. A smile broke upon his face, brighter than you had seen before. It flashed against the sun, and he took your hands in his own. You could feel the scales warm against your flesh.
"I knew you were special, little one. Why else would you swim through my mind since I laid my eyes upon you."
Your mouth dropped open at the admission. He showed no embarrassment or hesitation when his tail splashed through the water, and a trill of happiness came from his parted lips. You think he may have spoken his language, but you’d have no idea what it would mean.
"No longer will I be forced to remain on my own. No longer will I curse the moon for what has been taken from me. I will have you, will I not? Is this not why you are here?"
You looked into his face and saw the joy there. The prospect of a long, lonely life fulfilled. You took a deep breath, your shoulders lowering. His hands brought you closer to him, and his wet chest pressed against your own. The water was near it now. "You will have me, won't you, ephimgotj?"
His icy blue eyes implored your own; they were swimming with hope. You wouldn’t be able to say no, even if that was what you wanted. But it wasn’t. No, what you wanted was cradling you to his chest. "I will protect you here. I will keep you fed and happy. I will offer you companionship and a strong mateship. You will be only mine, and I will be only yours."
His promises sounded delectable to your ears. You’d be losing everything you’d ever known, but you would be gaining an entire ocean. And him.
"I will have you." You said. He smiled again, so brightly, and took you into his arms. He wasted no time placing his lips over your own.
You felt your head spin at the connection. Your heart raced in your chest, and his arms wrapped around your waist while your own coiled around his shoulders. You could feel your heart beating against his own, and you let him when he slowly began bringing you deeper into the water.
It seemed he knew how to make the powers activate, but somehow it was the last thing on your mind when the waters wrapped around you. When your head entered the depths, the kiss did not break. He breathed you in, gave your lungs what they needed to not feel crushed as the oxygen began to leave them.
Your body buzzed like a typhoon. You could feel the blessing seep into your pores. You could feel the change as it began, but it was not painful, or frightening when your siren opened his eyes beneath the blue. Beautiful, maybe even more so now, his pale skin painted azure the deeper you crossed into the ocean. He carried you easily, his eyes meeting your own.
You were safe with him. He would never allow anything to harm you, his newfound treasure.
Soon, as your body changed and warped you into the being that you may have meant to have been this entire time, he would never again feel the crushing weight of loneliness.
Soon, you would be his entirely. And he would never let you go again.
Fin?
♥