I wasn't supposed to kiss the men I killed.

It couldn't be helped. He was pretty, and he had been the one to approach me. Desperate for a closer look, he had leaned out of his rowboat, those green eyes fixated on my mouth. He'd fallen into the water. And I had let him kiss me.

Yet when my lips touched his, his eyes bulged, bubbles exploding from his mouth as he thrashed. His tanned skin slowly turned pale under my claws, and I ran a hand through his silky brown hair, unable to turn away from that look in his eyes. Even as he drowned, his eyes never left mine.

When I finally mustered the courage to feed from his soul, the sailor had already drowned. I titled his head back, and pressed my lips harder onto his, inhaling deeply. But no soul came forth, and I sighed, letting go of the body.

If my sister, Daphne, were here, she'd offer to remove the man's head for me and preserve it as a keepsake in my room. If there was anyone who loved pretty things more than I, it was Daphne. I didn't want to see any of my sisters today, though I knew it was only a matter of time before one of them came for me. My tail swept through the water languidly as I swam to the ocean floor, and deposited the sailors body on top of a particularly voracious species of anemones. Perhaps I'd have time to hunt down another meal, before one of my sisters found me and dragged me back to the celebrations.

"You let him drown prematurely again, didn't you, Lilith?"

I paused, turning to face the scathing voice behind me. Ianthe floated just a few paces above me, her arms crossed over her chest. I tilt my head up just enough to catch her lip curl, revealing sharp teeth, iridescent purple scales shimmering under the dim sunlight filtering through the water.

When I didn't respond, she scowled, and tossed me a jar. I swam up to her level, then caught the jar, eyeing the bright strands of light, twisting and squirming within the jar, with distaste.

"I caught the soul this morning, sister. It's fresh," Ianthe said, her fin whipping back and forth irritability. I handed her the jar back.

"I don't need your handouts," I said. "I can feed myself." Ianthe just shrugged, and took the soul back without protest. She opened it, then sucked it down in a single inhale.

"If you don't return to Anthemoessa, Queen Nephthys will have all of our heads. You've wasted enough time out here already." Despite her harsh words, I knew Ianthe was looking out for me in her own way. She wasn't going to force me to attend the party. Unlike my other sisters, Ianthe could somewhat understand my hatred for the gleaming palace walls of Anthemoessa.

As much as I wanted to turn from my sister, and keep swimming in the opposite direction, I knew I couldn't. It was my nineteenth birthday, and the last day I had with my family. Tomorrow, my fate would spiral out of my hands, and into the clutches of a man. It didn't matter where I hid, or how far I swam. Fate wasn't something you could outrun.

Seeing the resignation in my eyes, Ianthe wrapped her hand around mine, pushing a few strands of loose hair out of my face. She was only a day older than me, but on some days, the gap between us felt insurmountable. Ianthe gave the dead sailor below us one last dirty look, before leading me back to the palace.

When we arrived, the palace halls were empty, and everyone had already poured into the ballroom. Cool sea glass encased the dance floor, and all manner of tropical fish weaved among the hundreds of sirens, taking refuge in their hair, or tickling their cheeks. Angler fish stood unmoving by the walls, filling the room with a dim, but enchanting glow. And at the center of it all, sitting at the very back of the room, was Nephthys. The crown of coral on her head sat heavy, and she watched Ianthe and I enter, her lips pressing into a thin line. Beside her, my sisters sat in their respective thrones. They were smaller, but not any less ornate. My seat, directly to the left of Nephthys, was empty. So was Ianthes, but she quickly swam up to rest upon hers.

She leaned forward, resting her chin onto her fist as she waited for Nephthys ire to fall upon me. The rest of my sisters, Daphne, Ophelia, Calliope, Thetis, and Iaera, looked equally displeased at my late entrance. All around, conversation became hushed, and burning eyes turned to look at me. No one came up to greet me, or wish me a happy nineteenth birthday. Because this wasn't truely a birthday party, but a funeral. My funeral.

I saw it in their hesitation, and in the white shell dresses they wore. Even the queen had dawned a white mourning chiffon. Daphne, the eldest of my six sisters, came down to greet me first, a strained smile on her face as she congratulated me on 19 human years lived. She kissed my cheek, and my other sisters, save for Ianthe, who had already greeted me, swam down as well. They fussed over me, running their hands through my coral hair, and smoothing over the skin of my face.

"Return to us whole," Calliope said to me, her nails digging into the flesh of my arm. "If you turn into seafoam, we'll never forgive you."

At the age of nineteen, the siren heir apparent had one god-given tribulation to face, before she ascended into immorality. Make a human man fall in love with her, then kill the man. Simple enough, but it had destroyed Nephthys, who upon returning, never wished to sing, or even speak, again. After Nephthys, there had been Princess Cora, who had failed to kill the port-boy she had fallen for, and been reduced to seafoam.

Both Nephthys and Cora had been much stronger than I was now. No one here really expected me to survive my tribulation. Not weak, ill-bodied Lilith, who spent her time daydreaming in the seagrass, humming love ballads and reciting poems. Not Lilith, who struggled to hunt her own meals, whose claws were noticeably smaller, and sickened at the sight of carnage.

    "Our little Lily is the most precious and loveable of us all," said Ophelia, cupping my face. "You'll make us proud."

    Ophelia was wearing white. Her words closed around my throat like bramble. Not bloodthirsty, like Daphne, or vicious, like Ianthe. I wasn't headstrong like Calliope, or as beautiful as Thetis. No, I was precious and lovable. And still, the tribulation had fallen onto me, because I was the youngest princess. The Fates had chosen me, knowing I'd fail.

    Nephthys watched us from her throne, and the water around her rippled, but not with anger. My sisters looked up too, and they parted, when the queen rose from her throne. She didn't say anything, but that was to be expected. Nephthys spoke not with her tongue, but with the gentle water around us.

    I'd expected her to be angry at my crude dismissal over the party she'd organized for me, but Nephthys just kissed my forehead, her eyes distant. No doubt, she was thinking about her own nineteenth birthday, centuries before my sisters and I'd been formed of seafoam. Then the wistful look in her eyes was gone, and she let go of me.

    I couldn't stand the pity party any longer. Other sirens began to surround us, in the arms, baskets of flowers and other gifts. The sight made me sick. It was like they were gathering to place flowers on my death-bed, though I still floated here, alive.

    "I'm tired," I declared, pushing out of my sister's grasp. "I'll need rest if I'm to leave for the human settlements tomorrow. Continue the festivities without me." I couldn't stand being in the ballroom for another second longer. Daphne snatched my wrist, but I yanked it out of her grip before she could pull me back. "Goodnight, sisters." I turned my back, and fled the room. If there was one thing I was better at than my sisters, it was fleeing.

The heavy door of my chamber slammed shut, and I pressed my back against the cool glass, closing my eyes and breathing in deeply, inhaling the intoxicating taste of seawater and salt.

    Tomorrow, the countdown on my life would start. I had one year to entice a human man into falling in love with me, and sacrifice his body and soul to the ocean. And if I failed, I'd melt back into the seafoam in which I'd been born, and my people would die. Nephthys was immortal, but even she had a limit to how long she was willing to stay queen. Nephthys would find peace, and no new princesses would be born.

    The siren race would end with me.

    That night, I fell into a dreamless sleep, and when I awoke, the waters outside my window were still dark. My hands hesitated over the knobs of my window, and for a second, I almost turned back to say a final goodbye to my sisters before leaving. But it was dark, and they were likely still sleeping. And I couldn't bear to see their grief again.

    I squared my shoulders, then pulled my window doors open, letting crisp, cold currents rush into my room. Reaching out, I pushed through the water swimming for the surface. The pitch black waters surrounding me made my heart race, and I picked up my pace, not slowing until my head broke the surface.

Soft waves lapped at my chin as I gasped, sucking in a lungful of oxygen. My hair stuck to my face, and it was cold, outside of the water. Stars covered the sky, like speckles of bioluminescence in the sand. They lit the stormy gray waters, and bathed my face in warmth. Miles of vast emptiness stretched in every possible direction. No island, rock, or ship in sight. I shivered, and picked a direction at random, sinking back into the waters and swimming in that direction. I had no idea where the humans lived, but that wouldn't be an issue. They were like invasive snails, popping up everywhere and impossible to quash.

By the time the sun began to emerge, painting the sky in warm tones of red and yellow salmon roe, my tail ached with exhaustion. I had half a mind to turn back, change directions, or just sink into a bed of algae and wait for the next day. My stomach ached, and I pressed a finger to my dry throat, reminded that I still had to eat. I wasn't starving, but I wasn't smiling and sated either.

Then, as if the universe had heard my call, I spotted a ship in the distance. It was large, billowing white sails swelling against the wind. As I neared, I overheard the clink of glasses and booming laughter of pirates. Smoke drifted up from the deck, along with the aroma of freshly cooked cod.

The main deck towered above me, and I lifted out of the water, trying to spot a glimpse of the crew above. It was useless, however, and I sunk back into the waters with a sigh. Where there was one ship, there were others. I'd find a smaller ship to feed from. Yet, just as I was about to turn away, I spotted movement at the bow of the ship. I narrowed my eyes, swimming closer to the figure I saw, standing on the small, wooden platform above the water.

He was dressed in a simple white tunic and brown breeches, his brown locks whipping in the wind as he read from a small and worn leather notebook in his hand. A monocle hung from his left eye, despite the fact that he didn't look much older than I. The pages of his notebook were textured and wavy, as if he had dropped it into the water one too many times. One look at his sun kissed skin, and deep set ocean eyes, and I knew his soul would be sweet.

I wanted him.

*Authors Note*

I'm finally returning to my happy place, fantasy! It's been a good, long, while since I've written a book about magic and monsters. I've always wanted to write a pirate and siren story, ever since I saw Pirates of the Caribbean. I have no doubt this will help clear my head.

Originally, I was going to draft this book for the possibility querying, but I'm pretty sure theres an over saturation of pirate books in the industry right now lol.

As always, please don't hesitate with feedback! Thank you so much for reading <3.