Chapter Three

At the sound of my voice, the men try to raise their weapons in confusion. Some shakily wield swords, others hold daggers or a bow and arrow. I pay them no mind, swaying onward while bathed in cayenne light. As long as they can hear at least one of our voices, they won't attack. They can't attack.

The ocean and salt cling to her hair,

and the waves, well, they call her everywhere.

The currents will push and pull a boat,

but her heart stays buoyant,

it keeps afloat.

We slowly enter the clearing of their camp from all angles. As soon as they lay eyes on the vision of pure rapture before them, every weapon clatters to the earth with a thud. They stand completely motionless and their eyes glaze over, silently raking over our bodies from head to toe. I walk up to a man with long brown hair and a shaggy beard, gently caressing his arm with my fingertips. I place a longing kiss on his lips and a sense of calm washes over him. When I pull back, he stares down at me with the same look I'm given by any man; he wants to be my end all, be all. He'd do anything to for a night with me, and what a night he shall have.

To be one with her,

you must follow her lead.

Let her bring you salvation,

death is only a dream.

By now, each of the girls has selected one or two men as theirs. They hum the enchanting tune into their ears and kissing anywhere on their skin to truly seal the deal. I take the palm of my selected male and guide him towards Genesis as she nervously glances around. I give her a reassuring nod and she exhales sharply, taking his hand in hers. She begins humming as she leads him into the jungle and out of sight. One by one, my harem makes their way through the foliage and towards the beach.

Come with me now,

let me give you the sea.

You're a fish out of water,

but I'll set you free.

I stop singing the words once they're all out of sight, but I keep humming as I walk around their camp, searching for the real prize of the evening. I pull back the beige sheet of a tent and finally locate the few human women huddled in a corner. It looks like one of them is missing and they're all beaten far more than they were before, so I'd assume she's been killed by the men already.

I tie back the opening to the tent and beacon them out. "Come. I'm not here to hurt you and there's much to discuss," I smile down at them. They exchange a series of nervous glances before reluctantly climbing out of the tent. I stride past the campfire with a little trail of three humans behind me, heading in the direction of the beach. When we arrive on the sand, their eyes widen and two of them gasp in shock.

A slew of men float face down in the ocean, their bodies bobbing up and down with the crimson stained waves. Apparently, some of my girls were already too annoyed with their presence to fulfil any carnal desires. Then, on the other hand, we have clumps of male and female bodies ravishing one another all along the beach. The sounds of crumbling waves, sex and humming fills the warm night air. This scene might be shocking to the likes of humans, but it certainly isn't to me. This is typical, it's what I've seen and done for almost two hundred years.

I grasp the shoulders of each human girl and line them up in an orderly fashion. I casually walk back and forth, carefully observing their temperaments. The one with brown hair looks utterly terrified, the blonde can't seem to stop crying, but the one with bright red hair and golden eyes looks calm and satisfied. She simply gazes out at the floating bodies and listens to the moans of primal sex, taking it all in with ease. Based on her state of repose, I can already tell she'll be the one to take the proposition.

"I want to offer you all something that's never been given to you before," I begin, "and that is the gift of choice." My eyes flit between the three of them as I calmly pace. "Here on the island of Freyja, women have a luxury not found anywhere else. We're free from the constraints of male oppression and all of the baggage that comes with it."

I motion my palm to the steadily growing sea of bodies. More and more women from my harem lead their men into the ocean, either drowning them in a blissful, seduced state of mind, or tearing into them with vengeance and anger. "The men that arrive here don't govern anything, nor will they ever. Freyja is this way by design. You can live here in peace and harmony amongst us, so long as you agree to my terms."

"What are your terms?" the girl with fiery red hair asks. I smile as I lock eyes with her curious, canary gaze.

"The agreement is simple; you pledge your allegiance to me and join my harem. You vow to protect the assets of this island with your life, and in exchange, I'll grant you immortality and the gift of relative peace. You'll never go hungry again and your existence won't be a painful, tedious struggle. You'll be given the promise to walk on land every night from sunset to sunrise, if you so choose, and no man will ever touch you without your consent, for you'll be stronger than they could ever hope to be." I step closer, gingerly tracing my fingertips along her jawline. "Every sound that leaves your lips will stop men in their tracks. Your voice becomes their only salvation, and your kiss is toxic in the best way. They'll follow your lead and do as you say solely because it's your will. You'll have an unparalleled freedom you've never experienced before."

"A-and if we decline?" the woman with brown hair stutters. I glance over at her, tilting my head to the side with a frown.

"Then that's your decision to make. I won't rob you of choice," I reply. The sound of giggling and laughter rises in the air upon the death of the very last man. I glance over my shoulder, smiling as a few of my girls skip up and down the shoreline stained scarlet. "If that's what you desire, I respect your wishes and I vow to provide you a quick, peaceful death."

She rapidly shakes her head, her face white as a sheet. "Death? B-but I want to go home! I've almost saved up enough money to buy my freedom in Nero!"

I reach my palm out, gently stroking her hair. "There is no going home, darling. The secrets of Freyja must remain here, so human survivors aren't an option. Riches worth far more than gold, silver, or jewels are under our protection, and no one must know of their existence."

The blonde doesn't like my response, so she lashes out in fear. "You're a succubus…you're surrounded by díeriè, and you only want our souls." She jabs her finger at me. "You're no savior…you're evil."

I raise an eyebrow and rotate, slowly striding in her direction. The closer I get, the more she begins to shrink down into a terrified little ball. Eventually, she's on her knees and I bend down in front of her. I take her chin in my palm, forcing her to look me in the eye.

"I'm no succubus, sweetheart," I sigh while my thumb grazes her chin. "I am the calm, clear sandbar and the tempest that ravages the shore. I am the waterfall that feeds the river and the conduit through which oceanic energy flows. I am the Alpha and Omega of this island, and Calypso has shared with me her power as an equal, giving me all that I am."

I lean closer, my eyes glowing like frigid glaciers in the night.

"I am Iris, the ruler of Freyja and Goddess of the Sea, and if you choose not to follow me, you will die."