Sacrifices of the Siren [Sirens and Sailors 6] (Siren Publishing Allure) (5 page)

In her bare feet she quickly made her way toward the harbor. The whole island was sleeping and the silence closed in on her like a heavy cloak. She climbed aboard
The Refrainian
, the largest and newest of the islander’s sailing vessels, and the sailors’ pride and joy. It was a marvellous ship, with every modern appliance they could hope for, including an onboard computer. It smelled strongly of the white flowers which were unique to the island. They had been loaded up ready to be taken to Eastland to be sold. The flowers provided a booming industry to the island and their heady scent penetrated the whole ship. Melantho’s petite frame lithely swept down to the holding area below decks. A cool store stood to one end, which kept the flowers fresh until they could be transported to the mainland, but at the other end of the lower deck there was a cabin with a couple of beds and piles of blankets. Melantho took a soft blanket and wrapped it around her. The fluffy feel of it next to her trembling skin offered some warmth and comfort and she wiped her tear-filled eyes as she began to feel a little better. Wedging her small body between the hull of the ship and a pile of warm blankets, she settled, secure and hidden. Leaning her head against the cushion of the woollen comforters she relaxed as the gentle lapping of the waves against the vessel, and the slight rocking of the ship lulled her back to sleep.

* * * *

“Let’s get this party started.” Aitan’s cheery voice shouted from outside the door, startling Melantho. She realized he would have been checking over the ship before they set sail and wondered whether he had looked into the cabin.

“You got it, bro,” Rechavia called down as the engine purred into action.

She heard Aitan’s footsteps head back up to the top deck and the two sailors’ lively banter as they settled into their routine. Having obviously checked the cargo, Aitan didn’t appear to return below decks, and Melantho took the opportunity to doze as they headed across the ocean. She couldn’t help feeling guilty that she was stowing away without their permission, and leaving all her friends without saying good-bye, but she would never be able to answer the myriad questions which were bound to be asked if she spoke to anyone.

It was a comfortable crossing on a calm sea, and Melantho managed to sleep most of the way. The hum of the engine and the shushing of the waves were comforting and she managed to calm her thoughts somewhat.

The sounds of shouts and heavy machinery woke her as they arrived in Eastland’s busy harbor and she cringed. The screeching of those dreadful animals—
are they called birds?—
made her shudder. The sound of the ship’s engine changed slightly as Rechavia manoeuvred the vast vessel, and Aitan’s voice could be heard shouting instructions to him. Then the sound of strange voices and heavy footsteps thundered down to the lower deck. She squeezed herself into a tight ball as she heard men’s voices laughing and chatting as they helped empty the hold of its cargo. When the voices dissipated, and she was certain the men had all gone, she slowly ventured from her cosy hiding place and put her ear to the door.

“Time to stretch our legs, bro.” She recognized Rechavia’s deep voice.

“Thank God. I’m starving!” Aitan’s cheerful voice replied.

Rechavia laughed. “After all that breakfast your wife packed you? I’m amazed you can eat anything else for the rest of the day!”

“Watch me.” Aitan laughed as their footsteps could be heard leaving the ship.

Melantho slowly crept out of the cabin and listened at the bottom of the hatch just to be sure she was alone. Satisfied that she was, she crept up to the top deck. The dockyard was a bustling mass of men climbing on and off the various vessels, large machinery lifting containers from massive cargo ships, and trucks driving to and from the harbor’s edge. People were everywhere, shouting and laughing as they loaded and unloaded the ships and trucks, and auctions were taking place in various points around the yard. She couldn’t see Aitan or Rechavia, so assumed they had already gone to find a café. Stealthily she crept down from the ship, pulling on a shawl. It wasn’t as warm as the blanket had been, but the sun was shining brightly now so she really only needed it for comfort.

Her heart pounded as she quickly made her way through the noisy crowd and found herself at the edge of a main street. She pulled out her flip-flops, remembering how sharp the sidewalks and roads were on the mainland, and looked around. Cars and trucks whizzed by and people jostled all around her. She could smell food cooking somewhere nearby, and the air smelled stale. Her stomach lurched as she wished she was back on Refrainia.

Her mouth went dry when she realized she was going to have to ask a complete stranger for directions. She wracked her brain to remember the address on the letter, which, she now realized she had forgotten to bring with her.
Damn!

“Excuse me.” She took a deep breath and spoke to a smart-looking lady who was walking past her.

“Hello, dear,” the lady replied with a smile.

Relieved, Melantho continued. “Could you tell me how to get to number 12,
Harbor
Grove, please?”

“Of course. It’s just down that alley and then turn left. It’s not far.”

She thanked the lady and set off. The main street had been full of shops and offices, but as she walked further from the harbor she found herself in a residential area. Tall houses were welded to each other, and tower blocks loomed over the horizon. Melantho felt claustrophobic and took deep breaths to quell the feeling of panic which was rising from her stomach.
Harbor
Grove was a narrow, U-shaped street with houses on both sides. Far from the quirky shapes and
pearlescent
colors
of the stone huts of Refrainia, these were like square boxes, all squashed together. They all looked the same, red brick with square windows. There was no grass or flowers in the street, it was all hard, gray concrete. Melantho sighed sadly as she read the numbers which were placed on neat little signs next to each house. Number 12 was written next to a dreary gray front door. Her heart sank as she clenched her fist and knocked hard.

* * * *

Sapphire’s long dark hair trailed down her back as she sucked greedily at the thick, wet cock in front of her. She was riding Delmer’s long dick manically and moaned as he tugged at her pert breasts. Her slim, tanned body shuddered as a million sensations burst through her and she began to gasp as she rode higher on her wave of ecstasy.

“Faster, sweetie pie,” Delmer urged as he thrust up into her weeping hole.

Sapphire obliged, eliciting a loud groan from Marinos, who threw his head back as his body stiffened.

“That’s it, sweetie, keep going!” Delmer’s voice was rasping as he fought to control his climax.

Sapphire felt the fire rip through her body. Delmer’s dick was so long it reached right up inside her, alighting all her sensitive nerve endings and sending tremors through her overheated body. The cock in her mouth was thick and meaty and she opened her throat to welcome it in. As her orgasm enveloped her she screamed around the massive dick, just before the thick cream poured down her throat. She felt Delmer spurt inside her as he roared his release. Marinos just groaned deep in his throat while she sucked and licked him clean.

Marinos’s strong arms wrapped around her torso, lifting her from Delmer as he slid off the bed and went to clean himself.

Sapphire’s languid body flopped into Marinos’s side as he pulled her down onto the bed with him. A few minutes later Delmer snuggled into her other side, panting loudly.

All three smiled through their gasps and gulps as they lay, sated on the warm bed. The early morning sun was streaming through the open window, wrapping their bodies in a warm, golden glow.

“Someone’s outside,” Marinos murmured, a few minutes later.

Sapphire’s eyes were closed as she snuggled into the warmth of her lovers. She moaned but couldn’t manage much more.

A click alerted them that someone had come in their front door.

“It’ll be Blandon for Mel,” Delmer said with a yawn.

They had just settled again when there was a knock at their bedroom door. Sapphire yelped and pulled the large Elmwood leaf over them. “Mel?” she called, expecting her housemate.

“No, it’s me, I’m looking for her,” Blandon replied.

Frowning, Sapphire sat up. “Isn’t she in her room?” She was out of bed now, looking for a clean bikini.

“No. I’ve looked around and she’s not outside or at the big house. Do you know where she went?” Blandon sounded concerned.

Obviously realizing something was wrong the other two men climbed out of bed and pulled on their shorts, just as Sapphire opened the door.

“I didn’t hear her. I assumed she was in bed.” Sapphire went out into the main room and looked around. It was dark. “She usually opens the shutters in here when gets up.”

The lithe dark-haired girl went through to Melantho’s room. It was meticulously tidy as usual, and the window was open. “She must have gone for a walk or something,” she surmised with a puzzled frown.

“But she knew I was coming to walk her to the big house this morning. Was she OK last night?” Blandon was clearly becoming more worried.

Sapphire blushed. With the noise she and her men were making last night and again this morning they wouldn’t have heard anything of Melantho. “I think she just went straight to sleep. I didn’t hear her get up at all,” she admitted.

“Come on, we’ll find her,” Marinos headed for the front door and the men prepared to set off.

“Wait here in case she comes back. We’ll each meet back here when we’ve covered a part of the island,” Delmer instructed Sapphire, in a deep voice.

Sapphire felt her pussy clench as he and Marinos kissed her before leaving, and she set about lighting the fire to take her mind off her ardor.

* * * *

It didn’t take long for the rest of the islanders to realize that something was amiss and they all searched the island and the nearby water for their friend.

“All the boats are accounted for,” Farris told Blandon. “No one’s gone out yet except Rech and Aitan and they would have reported back if they’d noticed anything.”

Blandon was gazing out to sea.

“She won’t have drowned,” Farris assured him, evidently reading the young man’s mind.

“She wasn’t a Siren. Maybe she didn’t learn like the rest of them.” Blandon sounded desperate.

“She was a good swimmer, though. You’ve seen her. She swims like a fish. Besides, didn’t I hear somewhere that she
was
a Siren until Hermandine stuck her claws into her?”

Blandon gulped. “I thought she was a…I mean, I was
sure
she’d never…she didn’t talk about it.”

“I know. I might have got it wrong. I was probably just listening to gossip,” Farris relented. “Let’s get back up to the hut. She might have even turned up by now.”

Sapphire had already made tea and fresh flatbread when the sailors began meandering back up the path to her tiny hut. They were all walking slowly, looking miserable.

“Any sign?” Blandon called over.

She sighed at the hopeful expression on his handsome face, and shook her head.

As the sailors sat around on the grass outside the hut, Sapphire handed out breakfast and cups of tea.

“She must be here
somewhere
,” Blandon said with a sigh. “We know she hasn’t taken one of the boats.”

“Well, me, Ademia, and Kally swam around by the wrecks off Destiny Rock but there was no sign there,” Ligia said.

“Yeah, I thought she might have gone to sit on Destiny like we used to,” Ademia chirped. “It’s where I like to go when I want to be on my own.”

“I’ll remember that, little lady,” Farris said with a smirk.

“We’d know if she was in any of the huts, so she must be on the island somewhere.” Kalliope pouted.

“Why would she just take off without speaking to anyone? I know she was upset yesterday, but…” Dr. Jay began.

“Hang on. What about that note?” Marinos stared as he stood up. “I gave her a note last night from that old crone on the ship.”

“Did you read it?” Farris asked hopefully.

“No. It was sealed. The woman insisted I gave it to Mel personally. Said it was important. I gave it her last night when she was going to bed.”

“Did she take anything?” Blandon asked, quickly putting down his cup.

“I–I didn’t check,” Sapphire said, looking a little guilty. She got up and led Blandon back into the house. They went into Melantho’s tiny bedroom. The bed was made and the floor was neatly swept as always. Blandon walked over to the bed and picked up the hair clasp which lay on the nightstand.

“This is her most treasured possession and she didn’t take it,” he said, frowning. He walked around to the other side of the bed by the window. A gentle breeze wafted in and he suddenly noticed something moving on the floor. Bending down he picked up a small piece of paper.

“Shit!” he shouted when he read it, and headed back outside. “What hold has that old bitch got on Mel? What can she blackmail her with?” Blandon demanded as he handed the note to Dr. Jay. He was looking around at the women.