---Orion's POV---

The crew remained quiet around me, almost reverently so. They shot awed gazes my way, eyes dodging my own whenever I glanced at them, wondering what they were thinking.

Most of their eyes where still hazy, affected by the allure of my song which was unique for each Siren. I sighed and shivered, glancing at the ocean surrounding us and for once, I didn't feel safe even at home.

The merfolk had stopped tracking us, undoubtedly still devouring the feast we had guided them to. My stomach soured at the thought of those men left at the mercy of those vile creatures but it had been the only way.

Not only were they shooting at Cain's crew, the blood and corpses in the water had already started to spread. If I was able to smell the bodies from where I had been sitting in our cabin, then the merfolk nearby were already fast approaching.

They would've attacked sooner or later and knowing their very nature, they would've tried to make their feast that much bigger.

I had acted, knowing that I needed to end the fight or risk the merfolk ending it for us, and then no-one would like, or survive, the consequences.

My fingers drummed on the wooden banisters, ignoring the soft murmurs of the crew as they gave me a wide berth, even though I was distracted and vulnerable out in the open.

That one Mer that had climbed the boat... His entire aura spelled trouble. The way he had leered down at me, ignoring all the potential threats of the crew aiming their guns directly at its vital organs, chest and head...

He had ignored it all, eyes set on his prey as he inhaled the air. No doubt he had memorized my scent and would track me down if he got a whiff of it. But, something had seemed off from the few moments he had been onboard the ship.

He's no ordinary Merman...

I blinked as fingers gently curled over my own, stilling their movement against the wood. I shot a glance at Cain, who was staring down at me with a troubled frown. Cain too sensed something was off but human instinct was weak, with a poor reaction time to boot.

My eyes flickered to Cain's, frowning as I could still see the haze threatening to glaze over his awareness. A Siren's song was a very powerful weapon after all and they all took the full brunt of the lyrics that soothed and disarmed their opponents.

Hell, I had aimed the song purely at the other pirate ship, yet some of Cain's crew had laid down their arms as well, standing there in a patient haze, entranced by whatever visions they received. A Siren couldn't get affected by another Siren's song, so we never fully understood what the humans felt and saw when they got enraptured by our calls.

Averting my eyes, I looked back over the ocean, the sun slowly rising further and further, turning the sea into a brilliant golden surface. It reminded me of long ago, when I was barely old enough to care for my own.

The moon had been full that night, shining down on the ocean and turning it in a perfect mirror. Even better, the bioluminescent algae that floated on the surface had added blue sparks and shimmers whenever I moved.

It had been a night where I had darted and leapt out of the water, feeling as if I was leaping into the sky above. It had been the beginning of my love to be free, to dance and sway on the music only I could hear.

A finger brushed against my jaw, snapping me out of my memory and back into Cain's view. His eyes were focused on the faint smile still on my lips, curiosity sparking in his expression though he didn't ask.

"Just memories of when I was a fry.... My childhood memories." I amended at his confused frown. His gaze brightened with understanding before he smirked slightly, shaking his head. "Couldn't imagine what you were like as a kid. Fry. Whatever the term."

I grinned slightly, biting my lip at the memories that came forth. "A bit of a prankster really. I'd tie fish hook together and have fishermen wonder how their gear got so tangled. Open their lobster pots and hear them argue over whom of them didn't tie the pot closed." I shrugged, pleased to hear Cain snort in amusement.

"What about you?"

He stilled, a deep frown marring his face before he sighed. "My memories mostly consist of getting barked at by slavers and masters, the taste of the whip on our skin whenever we stepped out of line. The only true fond memories I had was when mother and my siblings were in the slave quarters for the night."

Cain rested his arms on the banister, eyes fixed on the horizon. "Whenever mom cooked, she would try and make a little bit extra and sneak it out of the kitchen to us. Doing so could deserve her a lashing but she didn't care and neither did the masters, for she was a brilliant cook."

His eyes were distant as Cain dwelled on his past before sighing. "I miss her. I truly do. But the past isn't going to change in any shape or form." He pushed off the banister and glanced at the waves once more, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"About those merfolk..." He shivered slightly, the haze returning to his eyes as no doubt, his memories flashed back to my song. "Do you think they lost us?"

I hummed, tapping my nails on the banister as I thought about it. There was a small chance that the feast was enough of a distraction and so far there hadn't been a fin in sight. "The only way to know for sure is to go down in the water and have a look. Even then, if I don't find any sign, that doesn't mean they're gone. For all I know, they're lying in ambush, just waiting."

Cain growled at that, glaring at the water as if he could find the Merfolk and kill em on the spot. "Why are they so persistent? After Vernon's crew, they'd be stuffed..."

"For any of the merfolk, a Siren is the ultimate prey. It isn't just about food. It's about rank, breeding rights, territory. To be able to catch a Siren, to claim them as their prey, that is their true goal." I grimaced, "The feast afterwards is considered a bonus."

Eyes rested heavily on my face as I kept my own gaze on the water, knowing Cain's next question before he finished asking it. "How do you know so much of the Merfolk? I mean, if they are your mortal enemy..."

A sigh escaped my lips, sadness clouding my mind as I turned to rest my hip on the wooden rail and crossed my arms. "I watched my mother and siblings get torn apart by a Merfolk pod. They had roamed way past their usual territories, no doubt in search of prey and breeding opportunities."

The wind chilled my spine as I thought back to that fateful day. "Mother was teaching us how to catch fish on our own. Between keeping an eye on the prey she selected for us and just, us being kids and spooking the fish, there was no chance in hell that she saw them coming."

I remembered it all too well. While I had been trying to catch up with a school of sardines, grabbing handful to feast upon while my siblings were dipping in and out of the bait ball, the Merfolk had struck swiftly and silently.

The only warning we got was the sudden spooking of the fish as they darted past us, knowing which predator they needed to fear most. In the middle of the confusion, one of the Merfolk's teeth was already tearing out my mother's throat and my siblings were scurrying for cover.

It was pure luck that I managed to hide in the crevasses of the coral reef where the Merfolk couldn't reach. But that didn't stop me from hearing my family's screeches as they were devoured alive. Blood had sullied the water in thick clouds as I heard the terrified chirps of my siblings and the bloodcurdling roars of the Merfolk before silence followed.

At that was left in their wake was bits and pieces of flesh twirling to the depths and the fish eagerly diving in to pick apart what the Merfolk had left them.

I had waited days and nights, huddled up in the rocky outcrop, hoping that the Merfolk were gone before even daring to call out to mother. When hunger overtook, I went out to hunt and darted straight for the shallows, stumbling on land as a small child for the first time.

And then I had cried. I had sobbed and screamed on the abandoned beach in a full on temper tantrum, tiny legs and arms flailing against the damp soil as I wept my heart out. And ever since, I've been alone.

Fingers brushed against my jaw, a thumb flicking away the lone tear that betrayed my sorrows. Cain's expression was stern, serious even but I knew it was mainly due to the crew watching on. Yet his eyes told me a different story, full of worry and compassion.

I sighed and closed my eyes, resting against his hold as I felt more tired and alone than ever. The merfolk weren't going to give up any time soon, though most of their hunting party might be swayed to stop the hunt simply because they were fed properly.

But that one Merman... I shivered, knowing that he wasn't in it for the feast. He wanted me, for rank, territory or breeding... and I dreaded the moment I would find out why.