Qiaon surfaced into the dark of night.
She gasped as she felt the cool night air, and focused solely on breathing for several moments, letting her lungs filter out the sea water as she began breathing in the air before looking about. The surface was calm tonight, the waves only gently pushing her towards the shore of a small, familiar island only a ways away. She ducked slightly as the light of the lighthouse swept across her from the top of the island, the brightness uncomfortable and hurting her eyes which had adjusted to the night. Her tail swished from side to side, tense and agitated, unsure of the sudden urge that had brought her here.
"Come here, little mermaid..."
Immediately, she went still, her heart stopping for a moment. Her gaze went towards the beach of the island, and saw a winged creature perched atop of the exposed surface of a rock from the dark waters. The creature moved, spreading its wings slightly, before beckoning her again.
"Come to me, little mermaid..."
When she hesitated, the figure straightened itself and began to sing; He sang about safety, comfort, and home, and come, come, come, come, come, come, come...
The siren's voice was enchanted and laced with magic, and feelings of warmth and content filled her and manifested itself inside her chest, and she found herself beginning to drift closer, closer, towards the siren, the feelings projected by the siren's song amplifying and becoming more prominent as she swam closer, closer, closer...
Just as she was within arm's length within the winged creature, sudden clarity hit her, and she was made aware that she was swimming straight towards a killer. She quickly drew back- it was the only natural defense her kind had against these ruthless predators of the sea, who were the top of the food chain within the oceans. Any ordinary human would have been dead long before they realized what had happened, but this last-second clarity that merfolks have against the sirens gave them at least a fighting chance- but the siren saw through her attempt at escape, and bent his body low, towards the water, dipping his wide, wide wings around her, and the shallow water near the shore meant she was trapped, couldn't dive into the depth of the ocean to escape from the siren.
Having stopped her from swimming back into the depths of the ocean, the siren began to step into the waters with her. Qiaon attempted to swim back, in fear, as the large, sharp talons of the Siren's feet drew near her, before slipping into the water, her back hitting the wings encircling her as she moved backwards. Once he was in the water with her- the ocean reaching his waist- he dipped even lower, the royal, blue wings embracing and cupping her, bringing her upwards from the water, the siren pressing her against his board chest, and the mermaid placed her hands against the soft down of his chest to put some distance between them, uncomfortable with the illusion of intimacy.
The siren chuckled low in his chest, before moving back to sit on the rock, but now having Qiaon placed onto his lap, one wing supporting the mermaid's back, the tip of the other brushing gently across her face, and Qiaon tensed as the feathers glided across her skin, instincts screaming at her, warning her of imminent danger, but the siren continued his song;
"Forget the cold of the long, mysterious night;
Forget the gaze of the stars, shinning bright;
Remember the warmth, against the cold, ocean waves;
Remember the home, against the long, lonely days..."
Qiaon's breath hitched as the siren leaned in close, closer, feeling the hot breath on her neck- even the song of the siren couldn't fog her mind from the lurking danger, and her tail curled upwards, trying to tip the delicate balance, but the siren, feeling the shift, just went with the motions, and laid her of her back instead, now looming over her as he continued;
"Forget the fear, the weariness lurking near; "The sea turns against herself, a song of ying and yang,
Forget the unknown, the things that all un-hear;
Remember the safe, against the dawn of dusk;
Remember the love, against the lovers faded to dust..."
of push and pull, of give and take;
Reflecting the world, the trying earth's a sea of tide,
ever, ever, changing, rendering everything fake..."
Qiaon tensed and closed her eyes as the siren kissed the base of her neck. She's dead, she thinks, the siren is going to eat her. It's her own fault; she still remembered the day she was caught up in the storm. The sirens draw humans ships into storms with their songs of desire and love, letting the waves tip over the ships so they can feed on the humans that were rendered adrift. She remembered when the ship tipped over, the royal blue siren was caught up in the sails, and crashed into the ocean along with the wreckage. The creature's wings were soaked with sea water, and even as he emerged above the waves, he was unable to take flight. Along with the harsh waves of the storm, the creature would undoubtedly drown, and Qiaon waited in the distance for its companions to help him, to haul him from the water and perhaps to safety.
But they didn't, and the siren sank below the waves.
Perhaps it was shock, the disbelief that the creature's own kind would abandon one of their own, or pity that the creature should be betrayed so thoroughly by some of its own, she dived after the sinking form and pushed him towards safety, letting him wash up onto the shore of the very island there were on right had left soon before the siren had woken, but sirens were the bloodhounds of the sea, and she was still caught, and she was still going to be eaten...
There was a pause in the song, and the siren nudged her, making Qiaon open her eyes, looking into the stunning blue ones of the winged creature.
"Do you fear me, little mermaid?" The siren asked, genuine interest lacing his voice.
"I do." She answer, voice quivering.
The blue siren seems to draw back at that. He tilted his head, as if in thought, before bowing his head, showing the side of his own neck to the mermaid.
"Take it off."
Qiaon looked at his presented neck, noticing a soft thread around it. With shaking hands, she lifted it, up and over the siren's head, struggling slightly when the siren's long hair became entangled with the lace. When she managed to pull it free of the siren's hair, she saw it was a charm; the pendant was carved into the shape of a pale seashell, and it was glowing softly, with a mysterious, ruby, hue- it was enchanted.
"If you fear," The siren began, "This charm will protect you. It will allow you to see through the haze of the songs of any of my kind."
Qiaon gasped, "Is it true?"
"Aye. It's a charm enchanted by the magic of my ancestors, when they were still exploring the range of their powers. It was used to protect them from other sirens, when they were still unable to fully control the extend of their magic, and though we do not need such charms to shield us from the magics of others of our kind, it was passed down from generations to me. It will now protect you."
"Even from you?"
The siren raised his head, grinning at her, but the smile was tainted with a hint of sadness. "Aye, if that is what you wish. Even my songs will not be able to reach you."
The mermaid just stared at him, wide eyed, as the siren began to lower her back into the water. As she was comfortably set back into the ocean, he lowered himself once again, to her level. He leaned in slightly, and looked, wonderingly, at her when she didn't immediately sink into the water.
"I... thank you." He said, "For saving me."
He dipped his head, and caught her lips in a quick, chaste, kiss, then pulled apart, wings spreading to their full length, giving one, two, powerful down strokes, and he was airborne, riding the currents of the wind to a far away place.
The mermaid touched her lips with the tips of her fingers- she could still feel the faint heat of the siren on her skin- and blushed.
She was playing a dangerous, dangerous game. The Siren could turn against her any moment. Those sharp talons could rip and tear into her flesh. He could kill and eat her. He was dangerous.
But, as she lifted the necklace over her head and placed it around her neck, perhaps, she thinks, he wasn't completely heartless.
She swam back into the ocean.