- - -
My brother and I had been asked to dispose of a mermaid seducing the swimmers at Hermosa Beach. It was a freelance job, so we didn’t have to arrest or kill her. We just had to convince her to leave.
The problem was that she wanted to take me with her.
I was standing on the rocks of the beach across from her, my arms folded over my chest. Liam was standing a healthy distance at my back, watching carefully. A few weeks ago he’d been seduced by a succubus and attacked me, so I decided to handle this myself and have him as backup. He’d complained, but my brother was helpless against pretty women.
“Please understand, I do find you beautiful. But I have duties here on land. I can’t come with you,” I said, as delicately as possible. This one was a mermaid-siren hybrid. Offending her would go very badly for me.
She pulled herself up out of the water to tease me. She really was beautiful. Her skin was a flawless pale green with a hint of shimmering scales starting around her belly button. Her dripping hair was navy blue and twisted with kelp, draping over her breasts and barely hiding her nipples. Her eyes were a stunning aquamarine, her lips pouty and just as sinful as her body.
It was easy to see how so many swimmers had drowned giving themselves to her.
“Come with me, Ares,” she sang, using her siren-powers to try and draw me in. I dug my nails into my biceps. “It’s so lonely in the sea.”
I felt dizzy. She was strong. If I couldn’t convince her soon, I was going to fall into her spell and drown myself.
“No,” I said, sharper than I intended.
The mermaid-siren’s temper was shorter than I thought. Her beautiful face twisted into a scowl and she started to sing. The song was beautiful at first, pulling me closer to the water. I heard Liam yelling my name, but I couldn’t stop myself from walking towards her.
I was kneeling on the rocks a foot away from her when she screamed.
The sound of nails scraping down a chalkboard pierced my ears. I cried out and grabbed them, clenching my teeth as they started to bleed. My head exploded with pain. Cold, clammy fingers grabbed my wrist and start to pull.
The scream suddenly stopped, the fingers jerking away. I took a deep breath, dropping my hands. My ears were still ringing, but I didn’t feel like my brain was going to liquify.
I looked up. Liam was standing next to me, soulfire filling his hands. He stared fiercely into the water. The mermaid-siren was gone. I slowly pushed myself up.
“I told you to stay back.”
He gave me a sharp look. “I told you to be careful.”
“Fair enough,” I admitted.
Liam glanced at the sea, then back at me with a lopsided grin. “At least now we’re even.”
- - -
I was a little torn between keeping the mermaid aspect and making the mermaid a siren, so I did both. There was no rule that said I couldn't! I also thought it would be fun to do a little throw back to Looks Can Kill, the 500 Word Challenge where Liam was seduced by a succubus. That little idea hadn't been in the original plan, but once I considered the possibility, I couldn't say no!
Amy
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