As Asni stared longingly at the water, I screamed. I had looked outside the window for just a moment, only to see a huge, pearl-like fish-tail inside the water. The tail came closer to the surface, as if it heard my scream, only to be followed by the upper body of a woman. She was beautiful, with long hair that flowed with the waves. Her eyes pierced through my soul, as if she knew exactly who I was and why I was coming to her island.

After this encounter with Asni’s mother, we soon reached the shore without too much trouble. I had to make haste to get dressed, commanded by Asni, for I was still in my nightgown. I was told to put on the same clothes as yesterday, for sirens tended to have a more extravagant taste. After this was over, we ran up the stairs, passing guards. They had an even more vacant expression than usual, was it because of the song?

Captain Lionel, the servants and the lures were all waiting for us upstairs, also dressed in the clothes they had worn during the festivities of the previous evening. Some of them reeked of alcohol. Especially a certain vendor in red, who took notice of my presence with a sly smile, then continued to talk to another decoy. Aro, who was joined by Asni, looked like he wanted to crawl back into his bed.

“Miss Jane, I had no chance of complimenting you on your performance yesterday,” said the captain kindly.

I thanked him for it, trying not to look to occupied by my fear of the mythical beings I was about to set eyes upon. When the fossilized wooden doors were opened by the guards, I felt as if I was going to faint at any moment.

To my relief, there were no bones lying around the sand when we walked out of the ship. The island was surrounded by sharp rocks and cliffs . A large, ivory tower, which ended into a sharp roof, looked out over the sea. Water from the sea itself streamed into a smaller river , which continued into the forest behind. Around the trees hung some decorations; tapestries with banners and fairy-tale like depictions. There were several other hangings as well, some of them even made out of gold-thread.

It was still summer, and it was even more humid here than it had been at home, as if the island was deliberately trying to suffocate us.

An older man came down the tower, and was met downstairs by the guards, who looked at him expectantly. He had a bald head which looked like it had been sunburned multiple times. His beard was kept together into a large braid. He was wearing a very expensive-looking robe with blue embroidery, but plain wooden sandals underneath. Some of his fingers were covered in iron, and I discovered several earrings in both of his ears. Ignoring the guards, who were presumably waiting for his instructions, he grinned at Verdi, and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Marcin!” he yelled.

“Did you bring a great catch, this time? Agueda is getting agitated, which is part of the reason I suddenly felt the need to go the tower earlier today.”

“I have brought several people Agueda will be quite pleased with,” was his response.

Marcin looked at the ship, as if in expectance of seeing all the prisoners, but was disappointed when he found none, at least, until his eye fell on me.

“I do see that Asni had a lot of fun with you!” he shouted.

Captain Lionel cringed at the volume of Marcin’s voice.

“We do not have time for these useless endeavours, Marcin. We need you to decide what to do with the prisoners.”

The captain strode closer to the older man, and I saw his hands shift to the sword on his belt.

“And I remind you, Agueda is our queen. Therefore you will call her ‘your majesty’.”

A slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth. He did not look scared. In fact, he seemed quite happy with the attention he was given.

“Ah! The usual friendly reminder. If I am not mistaken, you just called her Agueda yourself.”

Verdi looked alarmed at this, especially when captain Lionel was about to draw his sword. He quickly came between the two.

“Lionel, let us go ahead to the quarters of our queen. There is no need for you to concern yourself with trifle matters.”

Captain Lionel did not seem to agree with that, but nevertheless nodded at Verdi, and followed him inside the woods. The others, except the guards, walked behind them. I stayed at the very end of the row, to be as far from Verdi –and as close to my friends- as possible.

There was a path through the forest with bronze oil lamps bound to the trees. To light the forest in the dark, presumably. The trees were placed very close to the narrow path, and it was impossible to walk it with more than two people. It felt suffocating, even more so than the hold in which I had spent a few days.

The threatening atmosphere didn’t seem to hit the others as much. Then again, they had all been here before. Marcin was currently talking loud together with Verdi.

“Of course, the girl must be introduced to Agueda!” he said, loud enough for all of us to hear.

“He is talking about you,” Asni said, frowning as she patted my shoulder.

“He is being terribly loud!” she continued, sounding just as loud in the process.

Marcin turned around and winked at her. Asni made an obscene looking hand gesture in return.

“Why must I be introduced to your queen? I did not expect her to be quite interested in servants?”

“Your disinterest in their past does not apply to everyone.”

“It has nothing to do with that!” I replied, a bit embarrassed.

Asni just smiled, knowing very well she was right. The trees started to be less prominent, and soon we reached an open space with tents, embroidered with fish. These tents were inhabited by the guards, it seemed, for some of them were cooking food in the fires, and others were working on fruits and vegetables, which I had seen on our walk. Wild flowers were blooming around them.

We moved on, neither Marcin nor Verdi greeted the guards. Soon, we came past some bigger tents, presumably for those who had better positions among the guards. Behind the tents, I saw very large river. 

My heart started beating incredibly loud in my chest when we reached a most fantastic building. It looked like something better than the most beautiful dream. The white marble building was about five stories high, and its form – which included about three towers, with just a hint of gold on the roofs- resembled the outline of half a circle. The building, as well as the other half of the circle, was supported by pillars, which were overgrown by ivy. In front of these pillars lied a lake, which consisted out of several sections. It was so fixed that it had to be built by men. The lake was outlined by rose bushes. The lake and the bushes themselves where covered by the sharp, glass, palace-like constructions over it, which enhanced the sunlight.

I was surprised at the sight of the outline of a glass palace, why had they made so peculiar a construction? Why had they made two buildings, instead of one?

Of course, guards in their usual bronze, scale like armour, were stationed all around the palace. After they saw Marcin, they let us walk through two immense glass doors. I found this again very strange. Why would we have to go to the lake? Asni saw my amazement, and just rolled her eyes at it.

After we went up a large stairs, we finally had a full outlook over the lake, which was, now that I had a closer look, made into the form of a flower. Each individual petal was connected to the other, and therefore to the heart of the lake.

But all of this was terribly insignificant considering what was waiting inside the water.

There were but three of them, one was sitting at the centre of the flower, on a throne which was partially inside the water, but rose higher above us than the other points in the lake. The other two were inside another part of the flower, but close to their mistress. The sirens stared at us with pale, calculating eyes, like piranhas ready to strike once one of us would fall inside the lake. Or maybe that didn’t even have to take place for them to attack us. What I found remarkable about it all –aside from the confirmation of the actual existence of multiple sirens- was the fact that each one of them looked different.

The one closest to the queen was the siren I recognised from earlier, when we were still on the boat. Oh, how I preferred that familiar ship infinitely more to this strange island of which I did not even understand the name anymore.

Asni’s mother was unbelievably beautiful, and I instantly recognised her green eyes, which lit up when she saw her children. Contrary to theirs, Niobe’s skin was almost porcelain white, and it transitioned into a pearl white fishtail, which moved somewhat tensely inside the water. Her hair had a silver colour, and waved inside the water. She wore a very fine looking gown. At least I assumed it had once been a gown, for it was cut off halfway down, as if not to touch the water. She wore all kinds of trinkets around her neck, but mostly pearls.

The second siren was stationed a bit farther away from the throne. I was, I believe, most in awe when I saw her, and I confused her for an angel, for two wings stuck out of her gown. Both her hair and her wings looked like they were golden, but when she moved her hands to remove a few strands of golden hair from her face, I saw the flippers between her fingers.

A hand with the longest fingernails I had ever seen rose above the throne.

“Eileen, leave us. Niobe, take your children with you,” said a deep woman’s voice.

Niobe, at this, suddenly jumped out of the water. To my surprise, her fish-tail was gone and replaced by legs. She briefly looked at me, before smiling at Verdi, and then leading Asni and Aro out of the palace.

Eileen seemed rather vexed at her queen’s orders, before she elegantly rose high above us, and opened a door which seemingly was only there for her, although I was certain she was able to swim as well.

“Verdi, how many did you bring this time.”

“More than last time, your majesty,” said Verdi, his voice echoing through the building.

A silence followed.

“Did you bring me the promised amount?”

“Not entirely. One of them was more useful as a servant.”

“Did I not tell you that it is not in your power to assign prisoners to their new positions?” said the voice sharply, as if merely listening to it would cut you.

“I supposed I would be at liberty to do so in case of this prisoner.”

“Why did you take this liberty when it can easily mean your death?”

“I did this, because I did not lure Jane Aminta Steffons by Niobe’s song. I did it with yours.”