Scarlet Song

Chapter 4

Without thinking, we resurfaced and stayed there at the surface for a while, a siren and a vampire. After a while, we swam back to the ship, me looking back occasionally to check on the progress he was making beccause of how frequently I forgot that I swam much faster than he did. I stopped him abruptly when we neared the ship though, recognizing the smell wafting from on board. Without thinking, I grabbed him and swam for shore, rolling onto the shore and tumbling until we laid there in the sand and I was back in my human form. My eyes went back to normal except the entire iris was black and I growled under my breath. "You have to stay on shore for me, love. My sisters, they're here on my ship and it will cause problems if they know I'm--with you." I was already standing and heading for the tavern to grab Arlemis as I heard him stumble to walk with me. "W-why does that matter? And, no, you're not venturing far from me, LaRue." I was honestly startled to hear him to use my actual name so casually but with the pain in his voice. Leave it to me, to break a vampire's heart. I couldn't stop to look back at him and swallowed back the crack creeping into my voice. "I'm not arguing about this with you, Voltair. You can sneak onboard but it will have to very, very discreet. I will explain later but, for now you have to listen to me and not question me." I felt the gentle touch of his hand on my sleeve before it drops and he just follows silently. I storm into the tavern and find Arlemis. He can see the panic in my eyes when he comes over. "Captain? What is it?" I look at him and point to the docks. "I need a favor from you. My sister's have boarded our boat. They cannot know about Voltair. He is going to make his way onto the ship carefully but, I need you as a front.They will be able to smell Voltair on me and there may alreadyme rumors of me having a companion. As far as they are concerned, You are Voltair for now. Unfortunately, to make it believable I have to ask something of you and this only because you're the only other man I trust enough on my ship." He places his hand ony my upper arm and nods. "Anything, Captain." I nod and groan under my breath. "I'm going to have to use my abilities on you. They have to believe that you are under my control and are just--food. It will be like a light hypnosis that you will take back seat in your own mind." He stands silent for a moment before nodding and shaking my hand. "Right, let head out and do this. I trust you, Captain. You're doing this for a good reason." I nod and we wander towards the docks Voltair close behind. He'd only spoken with Arlemis lightly enough to agree that they would swap some clothes to help with the smell that clung to me as it was. They traded some of their clothes and wandered over to a small bucket of water and dipped my fingers into it and sighed as I crouched there. The water crept up my arm and along my body and my clothes shifted to mimick my actual gear that was aboard the ship. I had to at least give the impression I was ready to stand up against them even though none of my mimics would have the durability of the real ones. We wandered a bit further before I heard Voltair duck behind some of the crates along the dock and I walked ahead of Arlemis, touching his shoulder and watching his shoulders drop as the glamour takes over and we walk aboard. There stood my eldest sister, Vera. Her silky, black pulled back and put up loosely and her golden eyes staring into me as she seen me. "LaRue, I thought I smelled your stench, sister. What brings you to my shores?" I chuckle and roll my eyes. "Your shores? Since when do our kind own land?" She walks around Arlemis and I and smirks. "Since I married my late husband. He's the baron of most of this land here. I could tell you were here and I just had to see what my dear, baby sister had gotten herself into. Is this a vampire you're toting around with you or does he just reek of it?" I watch her closely and let a fake smile creep along my lips, letting my sadistic, predatory side show to convice her. "No, he merely reeks of it from the den I found him in. I'd offer a taste but, I know you like your meals--fuller." She giggles and nods, tracing along his chin with her finger. "You're right but, I certainly wouldn't oppose to seeing how you go about feeding on him without killing him. Please, do show me." I growl and phase to the center of my ship away from her before using the link I had with Arlemis to apologize. "I'm sorry for this but, Voltair can heal you afterwards. I have to do this for appearances." If I was quick about getting this wrapped up, he wouldn't bleed out. I took his arm and brough the meat of his lower arm to my lips before biting down, tearing away a good chunk of flesh and feel his slightly tense in my arms as the blood drips down my chin and I lock eyes with Voltair and I hear her giggling. "Impressive little sister." She phases over to me and grabs my chin to make me look at her as she smiles. "Too bad I know this is all a ruse. I know you have a vampire you're protecting. Now, if we can put this lying aside, I would really love if you came to my masquerade. And, maybe, this time, bring the real one?" I tug my head away and nod hesistantly and trying not to cry. "Of course, Vera. I will see you there." Vera licks her lips and phases onto the dock as two of my other sisters join her. Lila was a petite, pixie like girl with a bad attitude and Zaira was was like her scary, counterpart twin. "My home won't be hard to find. The big place at the top of the hill where everyone else is heading." I nod and try to ignore the pang of guilt as Arlemis starts to groan from her taking her time leaving. Once she's gone, Voltair comes wandering up and I whimper under my breath as I release my glamour over Arlemis and look at Voltair. "I need you to heal his wounds for me. Arlemis yanks away from him at first until the glamour is fully gone and he feels his arm finally and offers Voltair his arm. All I could do is watch them as I backed into my quarters and slammed the door, crying as felt my body change as I let out a chilling cry and Voltair came in soon after to me crumpled down on the floor on my hands and knees, my face distorted into it's normal form. My eyes were much bigger and my ears sharpened to points that turned into my fins and gills and pieces of coral stuck out of my hair like a set of horns and my mouth extended back to accomodate to the more teeth that grew in. I very rarely to this form unless I had to with as little effort as I had to put into hunting and surviving but, it was what I really was. Voltair sank down next to me and lifted my chin to look up at him. "What was that all for? I mean are you ashamed of being with me? Why do your sisters suddenly have a say?" I grab his face and tackled him to the ground, covering his mouth, trembling. "Never, ever ask me that again. I'm far from ashamed of you. But, you, LaCrue are part of something that could get you killed now. Sirens set their sights on prey for both consumption and procreation. The purpose of my sisters and I and really any other siren is to compete. We are an ever evolving race and that being because of how we can mix with other species. The stronger that we can make our species, the more rank we have. There used to be more of us but, our sisters die off as a form of survival of the fittest. The sisters to survive have to compete for a rank that I don't even want but, it's set a target on our backs. You just became the best piece on the board and Vera feels the competition for the title of Crone for our kind. I no longer have a choice but to play into this game whether I want the title or not. At this point, it's be better if you left and ran far away from me." My hand slides from his mouth and I sob as my face shifts back and he grabs my hand and gently kisses my knuckles as he shakes his head. "Never going to happen, LaRue. So, you can push that from your mind. Secondly, there's a problem with that. Vampire's can't procreate outside of their own kind, no matter their species. It's part of why I'm the last of the LaCrue name. Unless I choose to marry, I'll be the one to take the LaCrue name to the grave if and when I arrive there and even then I wouldn't have the heart to do that to you, changing you."