The Siren Read Online Free Page A

people because you will have had time to perfect yourself. It’s almost like an extra gift. Your character will be outstanding, though how it came to be that way may be a mystery. For instance, I am much braver than I used to be. When I leave this life, I may not remember the experiences that made me that way, but it won’t change that characteristic; it’s just part of who I am now.
    “But until that time comes, you must never do anything that might expose our secret. This means that, in general, you cannot form close bonds with humans. Besides the fact that they will all grow old while you remain so young, you won’t be able to speak to them. Your voice will call them into water and make them want to drown themselves. It’s the essence of who we are. Even if you’re far away from water, they might do something as simple as stick their heads in a sink. You can speak to us, and you can always commune with the Ocean, but you are deadly to humans. You are, essentially, a weapon. A very beautiful weapon.
    “I won’t lie to you, it can be a lonely existence, but once you are done, you get to live . Whatever you grow into now becomes ingrained into your very being; your passion stays with you. All you have to give, for now, is obedience and time,” Marilyn concluded.
    Miaka had listened intently to all of this. I respected her cool head. She had just practically experienced death, been separated from her family, and been told she was lethal. Still, she was rational. The tears that glistened in her eyes didn’t affect the thinking behind them.
    She was braver than I was; she was actually considering if it were better to let the Ocean have her. Each second that passed, I worried that the reasoning in her head would tell her that anything, even death, would be better than this. I tried to mentally will her into staying. She looked at Marilyn and braced herself for the answer to one of the most essential questions.
    “How long?” she asked.
    “One-hundred years,” Marilyn replied.
    She fell back into thought. I wondered what she was debating. I had been too emotional to think that much. It was silent for a long time. Even the Ocean was patient while she decided. Miaka bit her lip for a moment. Finally, she looked up at us.
    “I am not afraid to die. I don’t want to hurt other people. But I do want another life. A different one than I had.” She stood. “I’ll stay. I’ll join you.”
    Aisling did nothing. Marilyn sighed in relief. And I closed the gap between us so I could hug Miaka. She accepted me easily.
    “Welcome to the sisterhood of sirens,” I whispered in her ear.

  CHAPTER 2
    I held Miaka, swaying from side to side in our hug. She laughed. It sounded faint, as if it hadn’t ever really been used.
    “I’ve never had a sister before,” she remarked.
    “I hadn’t either,” I told her.
    What an extraordinary day. Though the life I lived was sometimes cruel beyond reason, this moment of holding a new sister in my arms felt good. It was simplicity in the middle of chaos. I had someone else to love! I had never been so grateful to the Ocean.
    But the celebration was cut short by the Ocean’s labored instructions. We were to act now. Looking at the water surrounding Aisling’s form, I could see the signs. The waves should flow silkily, but they seemed like syrup, dragging themselves up the shore. The incoming crests were heavy and shallow. She could survive like this briefly— and the people depending upon her could survive slightly longer— but if we didn’t do something, She would fail.
    “Did you hear Her just then?” I asked Miaka.
    “I did hear something. What was that?”
    “That was the Ocean. I know it sounds like mumbles now, but it gets clearer with time.”
    “Were there words just then?” she asked.
    “Yes,” Marilyn answered her curtly. She was undoubtedly our leader in this, and she had gone into business mode. “There’s no time to discuss it. I’m sorry it has to be this