Obsidian (Mystic Stones Series #1) (22 page)

“My mother was not a siren,” I insisted. “She would have told me. There’s no way she could have been one of those things that lure sailors to their death on rocky shores. There’s no way. It’s something else, you have to be wrong.”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense, Ava. Sirens aren’t what you think, most of them are kindest women you’ll ever meet and do not use their powers for evil things such as luring sailors to their death. That’s just an old myth created by jealous women who hated sirens because they could have any man they wanted. It was created so men would stay away from them,” he explained.

“That still doesn’t explain my mother never telling me anything about us being sirens,” I retaliated as I glared slightly at Jesse.

“It’s possible she didn’t know but more possible she did and she was waiting to tell you until you got the siren fever,” he reasoned.

I fell silent. Words tried to form but died before I could get them out. I was confused. Even more confused than I had been in the last month after everything I’ve been through. I stared downward, trying not to make eye contact with Jesse.

“I know it’s hard to accept,” Jesse said apologetically, “I think your mother was going to tell you the day she died. Are you sure she died in a car crash?”

“Yes, she was flung from the vehicle. They say the rock she landed on killed her. It smashed her heart and she died instantly.”

“What kind of rock?” Jesse asked.

“It was olivine. It’s common on Hawaii.”

Jesse’s expression turned grave as he tried to explain the rest of his theory to me, “Olivine is one of the only things that can kill a siren. I think your mother was murdered before she could tell you what you are, and I think the vampires did it. They didn’t want her to warn you not to join them. A vampire siren is potentially the most powerful magical being that could ever exist. If you were ever changed, you would become an important weapon or an incredible threat to the vampires. You see, if a siren is changed against her will, then the vampire who changed her has no control of her. However, if you are changed voluntarily, the vampire who bit you will have a certain degree of control over you.”

A weapon or a threat? Of course they wanted me under their control, then. One other fact bothered me.

“What about my dad? He was killed that day too,” I countered.

“He must have known too. Or he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time; a casualty,” Jesse tried to say gently, but I still took it harshly.

“So, Tom wanted me to change voluntarily so he could control me as a vampire siren?” When I said it out loud, it made sense. Everything made sense.

“That’s what I think is going on,” Jesse assured me. His hand tentatively rested on my shoulder. I allowed it. Deep down I knew he was right. Jesse had been walking the earth for so long, I had to believe his knowledge of the supernatural world.

I tried to take it all in, but I still wasn’t convinced I was a siren. Wouldn’t I have known something like that? Wouldn’t I have felt it?

“Is there any way to know for sure if I’m a siren or not?”

“You have to use your voice. Different sirens have varying powers, but all of them can control a man with their ancient songs. They can make men come to them, make them leave and never return. They can make them forget about everything else but the siren herself. There are many ways a siren can control a man. It won’t work on me, or on vampires, but I believe you can also call to animals in the sea. I do know that when you’re close to the ocean you’ll be at your strongest. You will be even stronger if you touch the waters.”

“So what do we do?”

“I can take you to a beach and you can try out your powers. Try singing some of the songs your mother used to sing,” Jesse said. “I know a secluded place.”

I nodded.

Jesse drove with determination. He wanted to know the truth as badly as I did. I wondered if he was right about me, and about the vampire’s intentions with me. I wondered what part Tom had played in the whole situation. I needed to find out the truth about everything; my heritage, my parents’ deaths, and Tom’s true intentions.

Finally, we reached the beach. The digital clock in the car read 5:03. No one walked the beach. No one swam the waters.

I got out of the car and made my way toward the beach, Jesse got out too, but he didn’t follow. I turned to see if he was coming.

“I think this is something you may want to do on your own. I’ll be right here if you need me,” he said as he leaned against the side of the Hummer.

I nodded and turned back toward the beach. The sun warmed my face. I walked until I stood just a few feet from the water, then took off my shoes and stepped in. It felt cold at first, but the familiar feeling of the sand under my feet and the waves crashing against my legs calmed me. I tried to remember one of the songs my mother sang with me so long ago. Finally, one came to me and I began to sing.

Oh sacred sea, now hear this call,

Oh swells that rise and tides that fall,

You know not seasons, years nor time,

You know not conscience, reason nor rhyme

Obey me now, for we are one

I am your moon, I am your sun

Obey me now for we are one,

Heed my words, my ancient song

Now stay so calm that ships lie still,

Please bring no vessel or sailor ill,

Hold your power, dampen your pride,

Let all your swirling torrents subside

Obey me now, for we are one

I am your moon, I am your sun

Obey me now for we are one,

Heed my words, my ancient song

Do know that soon you’ll rise once more,

You’ll grow again, the moon will call,

Your currents will push and pull anew

Your undertows, eternal blue

The waves stopped, and the sea fell quiet. The water lay placid as far as I could see. My heart soared and the air in my lungs swelled. I’d done this. I calmed the sea. I felt a strange, almost electric, reaction pass through my body as I sang. I decided to try another one.

Oh creatures who swim amongst the deep,

Please come to me, please hear me speak,

Wind your way towards the shore,

Rise from the bed, towards my call

Animals of the ocean, I summon you here

Animals of the ocean, do not worry nor fear

Dear whales and dolphins, come as one

Bring your old and bring your young,

Oh porpoise, crab, and manatee,

Please make your way so rapidly

Animals of the ocean, I summon you here

Animals of the ocean, do not worry nor fear

Ride across the waves to silver sand,

Aim for the shore, this golden land,

Push your majestic forms through the shimmering brine,

This is your moment, this is your time

I caught sight of the fins of dolphins racing toward me. I waded out to them. The water pushed and pulled against my hips and the dolphins circled me. There must have been about ten of them, but it was hard to keep track of the racing creatures. I called to Jesse. I wanted him to see this.

He quickly approached the shore, and peered out at me. I laughed and played with the dolphins and motioned for him to come out to me. He nodded before shedding his shoes and wading out.

“This is amazing!” I said to him. “I called them to me, and before that I calmed the waters. You were right,” I said and I gave him a big hug that pushed him back into the water. We fell in and resurfaced together.

“Of course I was. I’m always right,” he teased after he caught his breath. He shook the excess water out of his hair and smiled. Our eyes connected for a moment. We now shared a secret. It amazed me that he figured mine out even before I did.

We stood in the water with the dolphins for another 20 minutes. Then Jesse told me we would have to find somewhere to stay for the night and Hiu would pick us up here in the morning.

I dismissed the dolphins by saying “Goodbye, my friends,” in a singsong voice.

The walk back to the Hummer was short, but I packed twice as many words into the stroll as I normally would. I couldn’t stop talking about what I’d done with my voice and the magical sensation I had while I sang. Jesse seemed happy for me. Although, he looked at me differently than before; almost as if we’d just met for the first time.

Surprisingly, we easily found a motel in Long Beach near the beach we were on and made it to our room with time to spare before sundown. Jesse rented a room with two beds, and I sighed in relief for the “no pressure” situation.

“What’s going to happen to your friend?” I asked.

“I talked to him on the phone, he said he might be able to get something else lined up, I will keep in contact with him to be sure. I’ll call him before Hiu gets here tomorrow, and if he hasn’t found transportation, I may have to go alone,” Jesse said.

I glanced at him. I had so many questions running through my head.

I wanted to know everything he kept in his mind about sirens. The questions started flowing out of me like I was an investigator on the old show, CSI. “You said the only thing that can kill a siren is olivine to the heart, right?”

“That and being kept away from the ocean too long can weaken you to a point where you could die from just about anything else,” Jesse warned.

“What about old age? How does that work?”

“Ava, you won’t be aging, you’re immortal.” He shrugged. “Once a siren reaches the age of 25 or 30 they stop aging. They become frozen in time, I suppose.”

“I always wondered how my mother kept looking so young. I always thought it was her carefree lifestyle.”

This entire time, I had the gift of immortality and I didn’t even realize it. I had fought with Tom about not wanting to be immortal, but as it turned out I already was. The thought scared me. I could potentially live forever.

“So, I’m going to stay like this for the rest of my life?” I gestured to myself.

“Well, you’re almost 25, right?”

I nodded. Mixed feelings crowded my head. Forever was such a strange concept.

“Jesse, I don’t know if I want to live forever. Immortality is not something I’ve ever wanted.”

“It’s not something I ever wanted either, but I’ve come to terms with it I suppose.”

“How have you endured all these years? How can you be happy knowing there is no end for you?” I asked.

“Well, after a while, years seem like months, then weeks. I imagine, after an extended period of time, they may even fade into days. I can tell you, though, the last few days have slowed down. Meeting you has stopped time for me. It’s given me a break from the monotony of my life.”

“So what did you do to stay busy all these years?”

“I’ve increased my knowledge by reading and traveling the world. I’ve had many careers. Most were years and years ago. My savings is what I live off of now. If we ever find a witch powerful enough to take away my curse, maybe she can take away your immortality too . . . if you decide.”

“I suppose that’s something to think about. If we do find a powerful enough witch, do you think removing the curse will also take away your immortality or do you still want that?” I asked.

“I might consider keeping it, but I might give it up. It might be a decision we possibly make together if things progress in that direction, I imagine,” he said as he stared into my eyes.

I smiled and turned away. The thought of spending an eternity with Jesse, or giving up immortality for a normal life with Jesse was pleasant and frightening at the same time. In one case, forever really meant forever. And in the other case, the possibility of a normal life sounded ideal since my life had been turned upside down in the last few weeks.

“How do you know about sirens?” I asked, unsure about whether I wanted to be enlightened or not. I watched as Jesse’s expression changed from happy to troubled.

“The siren I met was a woman I came across while traveling in Northern Ireland many years ago, around the time of World War II. Ireland was neutral in the war, so I had ended up there as a safe haven. I was afraid to be in a war zone in my statue form. She was kind to me. I stayed with her and we revealed to each other our secrets. The whole time I spent with her I watched as she helped the people in her village with everything from catching fish to keeping storms away. She had a talent for controlling the weather. Most sirens can control the weather to a certain degree, but she was more extensive in her abilities.

“One night, an outsider came to the village. He was some sort of religious or political figure. He had been informed of her abilities and considered her a witch. I was in statue form when they took her and loaded her into a police truck. When I came back to human form I asked the villagers where they took her and I borrowed a horse to get to her before they could make her weak enough to kill. I was too late. When I arrived in the small town they took her to, she’d already been burned at the stake. I’d thought practices such as that were outdated, but I was obviously wrong. The war surrounding the area at the time turned people into barbarians. Anything perceived as a threat was taken out.”

I was silent. I never met the woman, but somehow the story had gotten to me. My heart sank for both the siren and Jesse.