Under Murky Waters
Chapter Twenty-Three

THE DAGGER HAD a hilt made of bones, that was the first thing Cordelia noticed about it. It was carved with detail and the very touch of it felt simply evil in Cordelia’s hands. However, there was also magic in it. It practically buzzed and fizzled, crackling between Cordelia’s fingertips when she clutched it a little too tightly. There was no doubt that this blade was as that siren had said— it was cursed to steal a life in order to give another.

A siren that knew witchcraft was dangerous and even Cordelia had heard rumors about her. The witch of the sea, someone that both mermaids and other siren-folk avoided and feared crossing paths with. It was said that she murdered the man that killed her but that wasn’t enough to quench her thirst for revenge. In fact, she wanted to kill all of that man’s descendants, every other male that was born into her murderer’s family.

Cordelia had killed before and to take a life wasn’t an unfamiliar concept. However, taking the life of someone she knew, someone that was near and dear to her heart, now that was something new.

By the time she entered the little building the housed her father and Zale, dawn was almost there to greet them. The sun was starting to turn pink, black receding away into violets and lapis lazuli. With light, the stars were disappearing, now out-shined by the bright luminous sun that was about to blaze through the heavens.

Cordelia knew that she didn’t have much time left. Within mere minutes, she would have to make the decision of sacrificing her own father or killing the man she genuinely took a liking towards— a man that would’ve become her husband had she not died in such an untimely manner.

The blade was heavy in her hands as she trudged towards the bed, stopping when she noticed Zale seated by the bedside, his head laid on the covers and eyes shut in peaceful slumber. He was the epitome of serenity, his mind adrift in a world of make-belief and other dreamscapes. There was a little bit of drool peeking out from the corner of his lips, coloring the sheets beneath him a shade darker.

Meanwhile, Cordelia’s father, on the other hand, laid on his back. His entire body looked so weak and fragile that it made Cordelia’s heart clench sorrowfully. His hands were so frail that it was made of nothing but skin and bones, the bluish-green blood vessels tinting the skin above it. Just like the mysterious siren had said, he indeed did not look like he would live past dawn.

The closer Cordelia walked towards Zale, the heavier her heart and feet became. She had to drag her steps, forcing them to lift so that she could move closer. When she was finally at his side, she couldn’t seem to raise her hand that held the dagger.

He looked so calm, so beautiful at that moment that Cordelia thought he was a piece of living art.

Time was running out for them all. Zale had to die in order for her father to live. When she finally raised her hand, the sharp tip of the dagger a fraction of an inch away from Zale’s skull, her hand grew numb. Cordelia could not force it down.

She could not kill Zale.

When the first crack of dawn split the skies and the golden sunlight spilled into the windows of the room, Cordelia plunged the dagger into her own stomach. She watched as her father, on the bed, suddenly gasped for breath. His skin started to color, a pink flush returning to his cheeks and his body seemed to grow flesh.

However, it wasn’t enough. A single stab that injured the victim was not big enough of a sacrifice for the dying to be reborn.

It was, however, enough of an evidence to confirm Cordelia’s suspicions. The mysterious siren that gave her the dagger had offhandedly mentioned that she could, too, exchange her own life for his. And true to her word, it worked.

As blood started to pour from her wound, Cordelia rushed out towards the sea. Although the little house was far away from the dock, it was still close enough to the sea. Instead of a slope that led to the ships, it was a sharp drop into the ocean water.

With the blade in her hands, she pulled it continuously to her right, cleanly slicing her body from the center to the right side. Cordelia staggered, her eyes slowly fluttering shut as the strength in her legs reduced to nothing. Just like years before when she had died in the hands of pirates, she was plummeting towards the water once more.

This time, she closed her eyes, at peace for she could finally pass on into the afterlife and eternal peace. The last thing she felt was her body breaking the cold surface of the water with a loud splash, her body slowly losing feeling as it transformed into sea-foam.

As her face melted away, Cordelia smiled for the last time, relishing in the feeling of death.

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