Sea and Rum | Part 8

When Marin finally woke up, the first person she saw was Caspian "Caspian.." she weakly called out "Drink this" he worriedly pointed a glass of water to her lips when he noticed her pale complexion

"You do know that you usually don't treat an enemy like that" Callista informed with a raised a brow "I know but.." he looked up at her pleading "Just look at her" he pitifully said as if he didn't just fight with Marin earlier. "My goodness.." she sighed in defeat as Anastasia kneeled in front of Marin.

"Can you tell us why you did that, Marin?" she asked but Marin only looked away "Someone must have forced you do it right?" Callista asked that surprised her "H-How did you know?" Marin stuttered "Its not really that hard to know. You won't kill your own lover if you weren't driven to a corner" Marin pursed her lips.

"Is that true?" Caspian turned to Marin with hopeful eyes and guilt quickly drowned her "You didn't really want to kill me? You still love me?" he asked while looking for answer in her eyes that she contineously avoided "I don't have fucking time for this" Callista complained and grunted as she conjured up a sword and was about to attack her with the sword when Denovan and Ignis stopped her

"Stop, stop! What do you think your trying to do!?" Ivan exclaimed "What? She didn't want to open her mouth then might as well just get rid of her so fucking let me go!" she agrued and struggled in their grasps "Marin! Please! I assure you that Callista is not jesting!" Ivan warned with wide eyes

"What the fuck! Let go!" Callista had already raised her sword but was only being stopped by Ignis. Marin was taken aback by this situation that she was in awe and looked at Anastasia to see her shake her head saying that what he was saying was true. "Marin, please say something" Caspian also pleaded with sad eyes that made her hesitant.

"I-I can't..!" she shook her head with teary eyes "Please? Your hurting me. I want to help you, whatever your trying to hide. I'll help you solve it. How can I do that if you won't let me?" his voice cracked while Callista showed a look of disgust "Why am I even witnessing this?" she muttered as Ivan elbowed her to shut up.

"You can't help me, Caspian" Marin helplessly shook her head again when Callista suddenly scoffed, finally calming down

"How would you know that? You suddenly decided to kill your lover without any proper measures and didn't even ask help from anyone, either we can help or not is up to us" she said as if she was the most stupid person in the world.

"I..." Marin bit her lip in hesitation before staring back at Caspian's eyes "I didn't have a choice.." she sniffled "She didn't give me a choice to be exact" she bitterly laughed "What did she say?" Caspian asked with furrowed brows so Marin sadly smiled at him.

"Its either she kill you or I kill you" they all gasped "Isn't that unfair!?" Anastasia exclaimed "Yes, that's why I chose to kill you and kill myself after rather than seeing you get killed by someone else. I'm sorry for betraying you, Caspian, but you see, I really didn't have a choice" she cried as tears run down her cheeks.

Caspian was stunned and wasn't able to react before he reached to her and caressed her cheek wiping the tears in the process. "You should've let me shoulder your burdens with you. Why didn't you?" he said with a guilty face

"I was scared... Hic.." she sobbed as Callista rolled her eyes at their drama "Son of a..! Can't they finish their drama more quickly?" she muttered impatiently "Can you just shut up?" Ivan glared at her "But who told you that?" Denovan asked

"My mother" Marin sniffed and hiccuped "I don't know why but she wasn't like that before" Callista and Ivan looked at each other with the same look on their faces "Maybe you shouldn't go home for now? Now that everything is now okay you can ignore the idea of killing Caspian" Anastasia said so Marin shook her head.

"As you know, we are sea creatures that can be compared to a succubus. We both feed on human energy until they die, if we don't then we're the ones who are likely to disappear, that's why some sirens who didn't want to feed on humans especially those who they fell in love with are the ones who dies. That's why I... I..." she suddenly bawled her eyes out.

"You're so annoying" Callista squinted her eyes in annoyance "You really can't say anything nice, can you?" Caspian sighed "Exactly!" Anastasia exclaimed when someone finally agrees with her "But how did you find out?" Marin sniffled.

"Oh, that? Your aura feels different from a normal mage, that's why" she shrugged "Just by that?" Marin is surprised "Why not? Ivan and Ignis also noticed it but decided not to say anything" she said and Marin was still stunned in place before she sighed.

"I see. I didn't really conceal it properly, huh?" she smiled and Callista didn't answer. Caspian held her chin and made her look at him "You shouldn't do that again, okay? If you have a problem you should share it with me so we could think of a solution together" he scolded.

"Caspian.." her lower lip trembled when she felt the rope made of water disappear "I really don't deserve you..!" she wailed and reached out to him "How can you still accept me after what I've done!" she cried as she hugged him in the neck.

"I-It's okay. I forgive you" Caspian coaxed her by softly patting her back "Oh!" Anastasia exclaimed when she realized something and turned to Callista "Do you have something that could help her, Callista? You helped Jake and Jackson before" she said "No, thank you" was Callista's immediate reply.

"Wha- Why!? Just help this once!" Anastasua pestered "Nope!" she turned her head away "It won't hurt you to help, right?" Denovan also said "I agree" Ivan nodded "No is a no!" she shook her head "Please, help her!" Caspian begged her too but Callista was determined to say no.

"Ignis! Persuade her for us!" Anastasia requested "Why me?" Ignis asked in confusion "Why you!? What a nonsense question! You know that she only listens to you" Anastasia huffed and even pointed at him "You don't believe her? Order her to do it and she won't think twice in helping" Denovan suggested

"Seriously, that girl has a weird obsession with you" Ivan sighed with a shake of his head " Please, I beg you! I will pay with any worth just please help us!" Caspian begged "I don't need any of that" Ignis said as he hesitantly glanced at Callista who had her back facing them.

He glanced at the people and saw them looking expectantly at him "Fine" he sighed in defeat as both Anastasia and Caspian cheered "Callista" he called out and she automatically turned to him "Yes, my love?" she answered quickly and batted her eyelashes at him that made Ignis squint his eyes.

"Help them" her smile remained "Ho? And may I know the reason?" she tilted her head "You won't really lose anything if you helped them and they did let us board their ship" he said "Fine" she nodded and turned to Marin with annoyance.

"Tch. You're lucky that Ignis told me to help you or I won't even care if you won't have a happy ending" she said and move forward to kneel in front of her "Thank you" Marin sincerely thanked her as Callista rolled her eyes.

She pointed her palm on Marin's chest as a tiny blue magic circle appeared on her hand as she started saying an unaudible chant. Marin quietly stared at her and was baffled when she Callista's eyes change color for a second before shaking her head and said to herself that she saw wrong.

Callista stopped chanting and lowered her hand "That should do it" she said and stood up so Marin touched the area where she felt warmth "What did you do?" she asked

"I just casted a seal in your body. Sirens can't control their powers and would subconciously use them when they sing and so, by using the seal that I put on you, just make skin contact with Caspian and you would absorb some of his energy but not enough to kill him, that benefits both of you" she explained and Marin's expression brightened.

"Oh, my! Thank you!" she became teary again just thinking about spending time together with Caspian without worrying about feeding on him. Callista was a real life saviour to both her and Caspian.

After that incident, Herald talked to Marin and scolded her as if she was his daughter and even suggested to fight her mother for Marin. Although it didn't end nicely, Caspian and Marin said words when they finally arrived on Laguna Island.

"Although, you were rude you did not just save me but Marin also, and so I would be forever indebted to you and so is my whole family" Caspian said with sincerity.

"I am trully grateful to you, My Lady. I would be honored to have a journey with you again" Marin also bid her goodbye with a smile.

"Make sure to visit us again, kiddos! HAHAHAHAHA!" said Herald with his loud voice.

And they finally parted ways.

****

Ignis sat beside Callista and glanced at Denovan, Ivan, and Anastasia happily playing in the water. "You said a lot of nonsense earlier" he said as Callista curiously turned to him "Hm? When?" she asked.

"When you said that you did all of those because you wanted to take care of it but in reality you willingly got between them because you like Caspian, right?" he asked "Oh? Are you jealous? Don't worry you're still the one I love, I only like him because he reminds me of someone" she smiled.

"You wish" he clicked his tongue making her chuckle "But.." Ignis looked back at her to see her staring at the other three "They don't need to know that" she smiled before Ignis's mouth twitched into a smile "Maybe, you're right" he stated as the laughter of the three echoed in their ears.