Hovering over the blue, crystal-like waters, it
seemed to bathe the oceans in a swarth of oranges, reds, and muted yellows. A
slow feeling of peacefulness started to settle over him as he stared out at the
water. A sight almost too beautiful to disturb, and for once, Jason was glad he
hadn’t had any intentions on doing so.
“Beautiful sunset, isn’t it?”
Jason stopped his trek along the beach and swiped a
weary hand across his face. So much for his peace.
“What are you doing here, Candace?”
“I miss you, Jason. I can’t stop thinking about
you.”
Turning around, he found his ex-fiancée regarding
him with a wide smile on her face. He remembered the days when that smile meant
everything. Now it did nothing for him. Just a subtle reminder from Bell Biv
Devoe, who once said, “Never trust a big butt and a smile.”
“Look, Candace, I realize this isn’t easy for either
of us, but I’m not going to change my mind. Our trust is broken and from the
way I feel, it can’t be repaired. I don’t wish you any bad luck or heartache,
but you need to let me go. You need to move on.”
“Why is it so easy for you to say that? We have
years invested in each other. History.”
“But, Candace, the years and the history were not
enough for you to honor. Now I’m far from perfect, but you’re the one who
decided to go outside of our relationship. You have to live with that, just as
I do.”
A tear slipped down her cheek, and she came closer
to him, grabbing his arms.
“But don’t you remember how good we were together?
What a power couple we made?”
The remaining sunlight had her brown eyes shimmering
and, for a moment, she looked the part of a siren. Jason quickly banished that
thought. A siren Candace would never be. No longer for him, anyway.
“It’s not good to dwell on something that will never
be again,” he calmly explained.
“But it could be, if you weren’t so stubborn.”
Before he reacted, Candace kissed him.
“Ooh, ooh.”
Quickly, Jason pushed his insane ex away, and
looked towards the ocean. The surface was calm, but he wasn’t fooled.
“Ooh, ooh.”
“Candace, you need to leave now.”
“No. You responded to that kiss. There’s something
still there between us. I knew it!”
“Candace, please. If you’re smart, you will leave
now for your own safety.”
“You can stop the tough guy act, Jason. I’m not
falling for it.”
Out to sea, a head broke the surface, and then like
a torpedo, a massive wave rushed towards the surface.
“Jason, what in the hell is that?”
Fear colored Candace’s voice and Jason swallowed his
own slowly rising fear.
Jason.
It was her.
“Get away from the water,” he told Candace, urging
her back.
The wave continued moving towards them and then,
Aariyaa emerged, those amethyst eyes locked on Candace.
“She is the one who stands between me and mine
Let her be gone from my sight.”
Aariyaa raised her hand and Jason stood rooted to
the spot as Candace began to levitate from the ground. Higher and higher into
the air she rose until her feet were level with his head.
“Jason! Help me! Do something!”
He reached for her legs, but she only lifted higher
and higher into the air, floating further away from him. At the water’s edge,
Aariyaa’s mouth glittered with malice as she held Candace in the thrall of her
magic.
“Aariyaa, please. Just let her go. This isn’t like
you,” he said softly.
Her dark eyes turned towards him and narrowed
briefly. Then, she shifted her gaze back to Candace. When he made a move
towards Aariyaa he was held in place by an invisible force and could only watch
as a bed of sand swirled to form a giant pile before Candace fell from the sky
with a thud. Jason didn’t dare make a move towards her as she gasped and
staggered to her feet.
“Monster! Monster!”
She ran as fast as she could back to the parking
lot. He was pretty sure that after this, he wouldn’t have to worry about her showing
up unexpectedly for a while. If ever again. Turning to look at Aariyaa, he
swallowed against the lump in his throat as a wave of water reached up to grab
him, pulling him from the shore.
Siren's Song is available for pre-order exclusively at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3s73iVV