Chapter 1: The Siren

"Guys? What are you doing?"

The four crewmen standing nearest me had stopped working, faces and arms going slack. I scanned the fog, but nothing stood out except a rocky crag a ways off, too far away to worry about the ship striking it.

"So... so beautiful..." murmured Ninefingers, walking slowly toward the starboard rail. The others began to follow, paying me no heed; even when I grabbed Mackie by the shoulder, he only shook me off and pushed forward. I winced and stuck my finger in my ear; for a second I thought it had done that thing where your hearing cuts out and you just get one long noise like the bosun's whistle. But this one wavered, changing pitch, growing louder until I thought my ear-drum would burst. I barely heard the splash as Ninefingers dove overboard, closely succeeded by most of the crew.

"What the hell?"

I rushed to the rail, watching as they swam toward the dark crag that loomed out of the fog, surrounded by what could only barely be called a beach. The beach was not as empty as I’d first thought it. On it waited Something, a slimy semblance of a sea-drowned maiden, pacing, back and forth, back and forth, its mouth open past the limits of a human jaw, creening in its ghastly voice.

"Shite."

I'd read about them- Sirens, the Fishers of Men, the Loathsome Mer. Some said they were restless spirits, wives and lovers abandoned by sailors for the sea; others called them Devilspawn and had done with it. The latter was closer, my father said. To kill one required esoteric knowledge. Luckily, that had been my father's business, and I'd picked up some tricks from the old man before taking to the sea. I’d left home specifically to avoid getting entangled in his line of work, but I couldn’t exactly let my crewmates get eaten. Even if I hadn’t cared what happened to them, it would be hard to make port on my own.

The crew would be a little while swimming yet; and anyway it couldn't eat them all at once. Probably. I dropped anchor, then hurried down the stairs into the hold.

"Silver bell, rowan wood... salt? No, that wouldn't make sense, it lives by the ocean," I muttered, trying to recall my father's books. "Oh! Fire! Duh."

I kept the first two in the chest beneath my cot, less as reminders and more because I hadn’t owned much to begin with; for the other, I took a lantern and a small cask of oil. I grabbed a few other things, then I ran back toward the deck, ducking under the low beam as I went back up the stairs.

In the middle of the deck stood Alex Kendrick, looking somewhat confused. I stopped short and stared at him. I could still hear the Siren screaming. Why hadn't he been drawn in? I knew why I was immune – people didn't much interest me like they seemed to do everyone else, and that apparently extended to Siren-spell too. But why was Alex unaffected?

"Saffron! What's goin' on?" He seemed panicked. And yeah, my name's Saffron. Saffron Blue, actually. Take it up with my father.

No, really, please take it up with my father. He's ridiculous.

"That thing-" I pointed to the Siren with my free hand- "has bewitched our crewmates. Every one of them, including the captain. They're swimming for its island as we speak. I'm going to take the dinghy and kill it before it eats them all." I walked toward the dinghy as I spoke. "Help me with it. And while we're at it, you can tell me why you aren't affected. Siren-spells work on practically any man who hears them, and a lot of women; I wouldn’t be surprised if our crewmates think they’re rescuing a beautiful lady."

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Alex unfurled the rope ladder over the side as I prepared to lower the dinghy. "What about you? You seem fine."

"Asked you first," I grunted, dumping my armful into the craft. "Come on."

He joined me in the dinghy, and we lowered it to the sea. We started rowing, and finally he sighed. "Alright. Look. Alex an't short for Alexander. It's short for Alexandra. And ladies never exactly did much for me."

"Huh. That'll do it." It also explained some things.

We passed the first in the horde of swimming crewmen. "Careful, Alex. You almost hit Pete in the head."

"Whoops." She watched her paddle more carefully as we neared the crag. The Siren's screams and shrills were louder, now; I dug a bit of wax out of my pocket, and we quickly plugged our ears before rowing the last ten yards. The dinghy beached; I jumped out and pulled us up the shore. Ninefingers was staggering out of the surf to our right, nearer the Siren.

"Alex! Catch!" I tossed the pile of rowan wood to her, then tucked the oil and lantern under my arm. It occurred to me later that holding a lit lantern next to a cask of oil was probably a poor life choice, but thankfully I managed not to light myself on fire. I held up the bell with my other hand, and rang it once, sharp and clear.

The Siren froze, stock-still. Silent. Oh, blessed silence. Never again would I take my hearing for granted.

It drew in a breath through sharp rotting teeth, preparing to start again. I rang the bell, stepping closer, closer, with each toll, Alex close behind me; the Siren beginning to shudder as we approached, as the pure sound of silver drew nearer. Away from us, off in the water and just on the shore, I could hear the beginnings of confusion; the Siren-spell upon the crew had begun to wear off.

I rang the bell again, right in the Siren's face. It dropped to the ground, seizing up, twitching, flailing, the wet slapping sound of soft blubbery flesh on hard pebble beach.

"Now, Alex!"

She threw the wood atop the writhing form, and I dropped the bell to open the casket, pouring oil atop the Siren and the rowan. Already it had begun to recover from the effects of the bell. I raised the lantern over my head and hurled it, as forcefully as I could muster, jumping back from the ensuing explosion of flame. The Siren shrieked again, shrill and desperate, over the sound of sizzling blubber and the smell of searing oil. Then it lay still.

I clapped my hands together. "Well, there's that sorted." I turned away, to where the entire crew stood huddled and confused, shivering from their long swim in chill waters. They likely wouldn’t remember much of what happened, so I gave a cheeky grin to cheer them up. "Now, who's riding with Alex and me, and who's swimming back to the ship?"

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