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I gasped. “Wait, what? Selina was, is, Katherine?”
He nodded.
“She’s a witch?”
He pulled his lips into a thin line. “Was.”
“I remember you saying now that she’s not human. What is she?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “That was a slip of the tongue I shouldn’t have let happen. I was hoping you’d forgotten about that.”
I grinned. “Sorry to disappoint.”
He opened his eyes, his sapphire blue depths alive with tenderness. “My sweet Caitlyn, you never disappoint.”
My heart skipped a beat. “So what is she?”
“If I tell you this, you must not, under any circumstances, reveal to anyone that you know. I am merely telling you so you can put closure to your dream. Do you understand?”
I motioned a zip being pulled close across my lips.
“Selina is a siren.”
“No! Really?”
He nodded. “The bottle of wine that she sent to me that night at Jolene’s wasn’t one she took from me.”
“Ok...”
“After she fell into the sea, I thought nothing more of her. As far as I was concerned, she was just another witch who had plummeted to her death. It was when I was at that vineyard that I discovered Katherine had in fact survived and become something else. She renamed herself because she considers this life a rebirth.”
“Are there a lot of them—sirens?”
“Depends what you consider a lot. There’s at least one that permanently resides in every coastal town or city across the globe.”
I couldn’t quite process this, it seemed so surreal. “That’s...wow. But how come she can walk on land? Sirens live in the sea.”
“Sirens can’t lure sailors to their deaths like the old days. Modern ships and fisherman’s tales have ruined that somewhat for them. Instead they come on land, seduce their prey, and entice them into the sea.”
“That is so cool.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Tempting someone to their death is cool? Should I be worried about you?”
I giggled. “Just the way it works is fascinating. I have to ask though, what do sirens, you know, eat? Or do they drink the blood?”
He cleared his throat. “They don’t drink blood, no. They eat the heart and the liver and discard the rest.”
A violent shiver ran down my spine. Something about the way he said ‘discard’ really bothered me. It was almost as if he were talking about a dead animal.
I gasped.
“Are you ok?” he asked, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand.
“I...you basically treat humans like we treat animals for slaughter...” I shivered again “...it’s rather chilling.”
“Unfortunately, yes. But just like with animals, nothing gets wasted.”
“That doesn’t make it better, Marcus,” I said, shaking my head. I frowned. “What do you mean nothing gets wasted?”
“Well there are fish in the sea, Caitlyn. Fish aren’t too fussy about what goes in their mouths you know. If it fits, it goes in.”
Something didn’t quite sit right with me there. I couldn’t imagine a mutilated body floating in the sea for days on end whilst random fish happened upon it and pecked away at it. It would take weeks for it to be completely gone.
I shook my head. “No. I’ve seen umpteen murder documentaries about bodies disposed of at sea. Even taking into account decomposition and other factors like rough seas and sea birds picking at it, you’re looking at a minimum of two weeks before it’s nothing but bones. That’s two weeks of possible ships going past and sighting it, no control over where the current takes it, it’s too high risk.”
He gave a light chuckle. “You’re either too obsessed with murder documentaries or too clever for your own good.”
I grinned. “My vote is both.”
He laughed. “I’m inclined to agree.”
“Are you going to tell me what really happens to the bodies?”
He pulled his lips into a thin line and sighed. “Sirens have what you might call pets.”
“Pets. You mean like tuna? Or maybe a seahorse?”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “Not quite. More like giant squid.”
My jaw dropped. “They’re an actual thing?”
“I’m afraid so. Whatever the sirens don’t eat they give to their squid.”
“Well, I guess that explains the food source for giant sea monsters.”
Marcus laughed. “Like I said, nothing gets wasted.”
“Clearly,” I replied, raising an eyebrow. “If they come on land to find their...meals, how does that work with having to live in the water?”
“Their water dwelling times are dictated by the moon. On a full moon they need to be in the sea for the duration of it. The other phases, as the moon becomes more of a crescent, they get more time on land. I don’t know the full ins and outs of it.”
“That’s quite cool. Speaking of the full moon—”
Marcus’ phone rang, cutting through the conversation. He took it out of his pocket, glanced at the screen, and sighed.
“Gordon.”
My heart dropped like a stone through water. I couldn’t hear what exactly he was saying and Marcus’ poker face gave nothing away either.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Marcus said. “I think you’ve done enough damage.”
Then after a pause, “You’ve never wanted to apologise in your life. What are you after you slimy weasel?”
Marcus glanced at me and then said, “I will ask her and let you know.”
With that, he ended the call.
“It would seem that Gordon wishes to apologise to you in person, for upsetting you last night.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh. Ok.”
Marcus shook his head. “Don’t fall for it, Caitlyn. He’s a rotten toad who does absolutely nothing without a reason. He’s up to something.”
“It’s an apology,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “What harm can an apology do?”
He snorted. “With him, a lot. It won’t just be an apology. That man has never apologised for anything in his entire miserable existence. He’s a scheming, narcissistic, manipulative b—”
“I get it,” I said, smirking. “You don’t like him.”
“No, you’re right. I absolutely despise him. He’s a wretched creature that should have been killed at birth. Or better yet, not even conceived.”
I rolled my eyes. “Marcus, he’s your family.”
“Just because I’m tied to him by blood, doesn’t mean I have to like him.”
I thought about that for a moment. “That’s a fair point. I’ll give you that.”
“You’re not going to accept, surely?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Why not?”
Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Well because of all the reasons I just gave.”
I laughed. “They’re your opinions on his personality. Not reasons as to why I shouldn’t accept an apology.”
“Those reasons are your reasons.”
“I think the least he could do is squirm as he says sorry to my face for all the trouble he’s caused.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Ok, fine, if that’s what you want, so it shall be.”
“Oh, stop sounding so doom and gloom. He’ll come over, say sorry, and that’s that. It’ll be all of a two-minute chat.”
“Whoa,” he said, lifting his hands. “What do you mean ‘he’ll come over’?”
“If he wants to apologise to my face, Marcus, he needs to come round.”
He shook his head. “No way. I’m not having him know where you live.”
“Do you really think he doesn’t know that already?”
“That’s not the point.”
“It’s not like I’m going to invite him in. He can stand outside and say it.”
“Born vampires don’t need invitations into places, Caitlyn.”
A spear of fright lodged itself in my heart. “I didn’t know that...”
“Are you going to listen to me now?”
“I still want him to say sorry to my face.”
Marcus sighed. “Fine. Then we can meet at mine. I’ll sort it out with him.”
“Thank you,” I said. “My bubbles are shrinking; I think it’s time for you to leave.”
He chuckled, leaned down and pecked my lips, then left the room.
I pondered over the situation with Gordon. When I thought back to how smug and sly he’d been when he spoke to me, enjoying the little riddles he spoke in, I realised that what Marcus said about him was more than likely true.
Realistically though, what harm could accepting an apology do?