She was dying; Matthew could see it in the ashen color of her skin. The waves barely disturbed her still form as they lapped against the shore. Feathers covered the beach, shed from what had been a pair of glorious wings upon her back now only skeletal bones and tattered flesh. Matthew didn't know what had befallen her, but he recognized her from artistic renderings. She was a Siren.
Kneeling down beside her, he wrapped her in his cloak, cradling her in his strong arms. Her green eyes flickered open for a moment, and in that instant, her hand lashed out. Long fingers, curled like the claws of a bird, seized around his throat and a warm glow spread outward from her hand. As quickly as it had begun, it was over. Her eyes closed, and she went limp, her arm falling away from his throat.
Matthew didn't know what had happened, but when he opened his mouth to speak to her, his voice came out in musical notes more wondrous and alien than he had ever heard before, and he realized she'd given him her voice.
Deciding to use this gift in the best possible way, Matthew began to sing to her still form. It was both a song of thankfulness and farewell to the Siren he'd never known. While he sang, he noticed the color of her skin returning to a more human shade. Matthew went silent.
The Siren opened her eyes again. Pulling back the cloak wrapped around her, she revealed her wings healed and restored. She touched his throat again, retrieving her voice.
"Thank you," she said before placing a gentle kiss upon his lips.
Author's Note: One of five winners for the TalesoftheDeep prompt. The others can be found here:
https://www.wattpad.com/715594097-writer%27s-lagoon-writing-prompts-1-winners
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Fantasy and Myth
FantasyShort stories and chapters written for challenges of a magical or mythical nature.
