The Dark Siren's Unexpected Mate

I press my lips against his, feeling the rough stubble of his chin graze my saltwater-kissed skin. My tongue glides against his as our breath mingles, and our chests are pressed so tightly together that I can feel his heart racing. He grabs my waist with his rough, calloused hands, leaning forward to press my body against the rocky earth. He moans against my kiss, and I inhale deeply as the air escapes his lungs. I fill myself with his breath. His energy. I smile against his lips as our kiss deepens, because I know he’s powerless to resist me. I know what’s coming. I bring my hands to his face, holding his lips harder against mine as I suck in another breath. You see, I’m not just consuming his air, I’m consuming his soul. I take a little more with every kiss, every exhale. Soon I can feel his body growing weaker under my grasp, but I’m not going to stop.  Slowly, the poor sailor realizes what’s happening to him. Panic fills his face and he starts to struggle against my hold, but it’s futile. I’m too strong, and he’s too far gone. I take one last, long gasp of air before finally letting go of his lifeless body and letting it collapse to the ground. I look down at the heap of flesh. A few moments ago he was a strong, rugged man with rippling muscles and a devilish grin. Now he’s little more than a skeleton wrapped in leathery, grey skin. A dark smile creeps across my lips as I look upon my prey.. I push his body over the rocky cliff and watch in amusement as it lands with a splash in the ocean below. A powerful laugh starts to rumble in my chest, ringing out over the waves as they crash onto the shore. I’m renewed. Invigorated. Then, a tingling sensation spreads from my lips and down to my chest as the sailor’s life force courses through my body. The feeling grows stronger as it crawls down to my tail, growing so intense that I throw my head back to let out a moan of ecstasy. When I open my eyes again, my tail has been transformed. I’m human again. For now. I stand up slowly, steadying myself on the freshly-made feet. I take in a lungful of salty sea air as the ocean breeze caresses my naked body. The magical transformation will last a day or so, then my tail will return and I’ll have to kill again. Not that I mind of course, these lusty bastards are quite fun to play with. I find my way back down the craggy hillside toward the shore where several other mermaids are lounging in the sand. A few are in the process of rolling bodies into the waves. Their tails are transforming as well. What can I say? It was a very handsome crew. “Queen Calliope,” one of them greets me as I approach. She looks me up and down with a devious smile. “Did you have an enjoyable little tryst?” “Quite,” I answer with a smirk. “Thank you for asking, Leucosia.” She hands me a gown of soft blue linen, so finely woven that it’s practically sheer. It’s my favorite for occasions like this. “Shall we head to the mainland for the day, then?” Leucosia asks.  I nod. “I think we are due for a vacation from the… pressures of the deep. Don’t you?” “Of course, your highness,” She says, bowing slightly. I pull the gown over my head and secure a golden cord around my waist. My evil horde begins to climb aboard the abandoned ship, and I follow, taking my place at the helm.  Sirens. Mermaids. Muses. Water sprites. We’ve been feared and admired, lusted after and hunted for centuries. The world has yearned to know our mysteries for ages. But we are too cunning, too strong to ever be captured or tamed.  Under my rule we are unstoppable. We sail across the seas, and I hear my mermaid sisters giggling with excitement as we get closer to shore. I can’t help but feel excited too. After all, it has been a while since our last excursion on land. But as we approach the mainland, I notice a strange sight. A man standing atop the cliff, staring at the ocean below.  He’s undeniably beautiful, his blond hair whipping about in the ocean breeze. His white shirt is untied, exposing a little of his beautifully sculpted chest.  There’s something about this stranger… he makes me… curious.  I shake my head. No human can intrigue me. Not those those filthy, lusty animals. But somehow my eyes are drawn back to the mysterious man. I narrow my eyes to get a better look at him. And then, he jumps.