Beyond the Tower

"Kill her?" someone shrieks. It takes a moment to realize that it's me. My brain is spinning. I knew that this siren wasn't good news, and this only confirms it. Knew we should have ran away at first sight, but no, Snow said we had to insist and look where we are now. Stuck on a beach with some sort of crazy deranged half-fish killer.

"That's right," says Aysela, smiling in a way that I'm sure is meant to be comforting, but I can't help but see as predatory, especially when her sharp teeth peek out. "See, you're really quite intelligent. Killing her shouldn't be a problem."

"For the skies, what is your problem?" I demand. "Is that why you were crying? You couldn't find anyone to do your dirty work until we came along? Are you trying to lure us in the way you lure sailors? I thought you just said that you don't kill girls."

"Oh, I don't. You see, this girl, isn't actually a girl. She's like me, a siren. She's my older sister, actually. But she's a traitor to our race, a traitor to our family, a traitor to our sisters, and she wants me dead. So I have an easy fix: kill her before she kills me."

"Why are you really here?" asks Snow, far more on edge than she was a few moments ago. No more does she look so eager to help the siren. It's good to know that wondrous Snow won't consider murder. Keeps me sane. 

Aysela doesn't reply for a moment, instead scrutinizing Snow. She looks her up and down with an intense expression, lip curling slightly. I don't like it; she reminds me of a wild animal looking at it's prey before going in for the kill. And her dilated, cat-like eyes certainly don't help. When she speaks again, her tone is different, less snide.

"You wouldn't happen to be the Snow, Princess Snow White, would you? The crown prince's sister? The girl whom has a huge reward from the queen for her safe return?

"And what if I am?" Snow retorts. I can see in her eyes though, maybe... doubt? If the queen who tried to have her killed is offering a reward, it can't be good.

"Just curious," Aysela says. "I mean, it would likely make it much easier to get into the palace. Although just between the two of us, three of us, I've seen the queen and it really doesn't seem like she had the most amiable feelings towards you. Could be dangerous to go in, but then again, isn't everything here dangerous? It's a scary thing, being a royal. Ha! Trust me, I know. Anyhow, we now have a great excuse to get into the palace, and while you're distracting the queen, Ivy can kill-"

"No," I snap, narrowing my eyes. "Come on Snow. We're done with this mermaid."

"Oh, you've done it," says Aysela, gritting her teeth which looks seriously dangerous considering the sharp points. "Did you do that on purpose? Call me a mermaid? I guess people expect us to just be pretty faces, lounging around on rocks combing our hair all sky-darned day? Well news flash, we don't."

"Why are you even here?" I demand. Do you take pleasure in bothering us? Mocking us?"

Aysela throws her head back and laughs. "That, would be my sister. I think her favorite hobby in the world is bothering me. Bothering my sisters, I mean. Or actually, everyone below her, which is pretty much everyone. If you think I'm bad, just you wait until you meet her."

"You didn't answer the question," Snow snaps. "Why are you even here?"

"Oh, yes," says Aysela. "Since we're such good friends, I'll tell all. Why, I feel like we've really developed such a bond, a bond closer than sisters, or my insane sister Alyna, anyhow. You see Snow White, your brother Prince Richard was fool enough to nearly get himself killed when swimming too close to my sisters and myself. 

"It really is quite the feat considering that we are about ten leagues from the shoreline. I think he was on a sailing ship and decided to go off and swim, which is pretty stupid since he should have known where we sirens lived. In fact, he's lucky that we weren't hungry- we just feasted a few weeks ago- else his whole ship may have been doomed. But now I'm getting off topic, aren't I?