I can't believe I've told Zarius practically everything.

There is just something in him that compels me to say everything. Like a magnetic pull. As much as I'm aware of, he doesn't seem to want to hurt me. In fact, he has been protecting me.

Even though I'm an abomination to his kind.

Now that he knows I can't swim and how much more of a freak I am, I can imagine the look of disgust on his face. Maybe after this, he's going to abandon me after knowing how worthless I am.

I can't depend on him forever. I need to fend for myself.

Back in the bedroom, I dig under the bed and closet for a backpack. I need to gather the items for my travel; clothes, food, flashlights and any weapons that I can find. Grabbing two sets of the smallest male shirt and pants that I see, I stuff them into the bag. Next, I suit myself up with a black oversized jacket, pulling the hoodie over my head and rolling up the sleeves because they are long.

And that's when I notice the dull, grayish light spilling in from the outside.

Through the window, the scenery looks much brighter than before. The visibility is a lot better now; I couldn't see anything beyond five feet before, but now I can see the houses on the other side of the street. The rain is less intense and the wind howls have reduced significantly.

The storm is winding down.

Hope fills my chest. Light is coming back to us. And since it's something that the creatures hate, this means they will soon have to go into hiding, at least until the sun disappears.

I head back into the kitchen, but Zarius is nowhere to be seen. Did I make him leave?

Disappointment twists my heart, including a twinge of betrayal. If he has truly left, he's such a hypocrite. The stuff he was making up about friends? Those were lies.

Whatever. His disappearance doesn't stop me from my mission. I rummage through the cabinets, tossing energy bars, canned food, and two bottles of water into my backpack.

Suddenly, the ceiling light above me fizzles out and I'm plunged into darkness. I wonder if the mutants have finally destroyed our power plant and cut off our electricity. My instinct forces me down on my knees as I pull myself behind the island counter. A shrill voice sings out of nowhere, coming from outside the house. Beautiful, yet cold and haunting.

Fear pulses through the blood in my veins, but my curiosity sends me moving closer. Staying low, I crawl across the kitchen floor and towards the sink where the window is. When I sneak a quick peek, my mind immediately registers what I'm hearing and seeing.

It's a siren.

According to legends, they sing with their bewitching sweet voice to attract the sailors and lure them to their deaths. Typically, by causing shipwrecks against the rocky shores. Their body structure is of half-woman and half-fish. From what I've read in books, they also mentioned that it's impossible to survive hearing a siren's song, but if any man lived to tell the tale, the sirens would perish. And how much of that last part is true? — I don't know.

I count the sirens. One perches on the roof of a wrecked car, another sits on a fallen concrete slab. There are two more of them slithering and roaming on the sidewalks, singing in harmony. Together, their voices meld together beautifully, humming words I can't understand, and it feels as if I'm listening to a live opera. However, as opposed to their enchanting voices, their faces are hideous with blood-red eyes, sharp teeth, and their hands webbed.

"There is a male in the vicinity."

A quiet voice comes from behind me, startling me so badly that I whip around with a kitchen knife. "Zarius!" I hiss, my chest heaving in anxiety. "You scared me! I thought you left."

He blinks once at me, his gaze dropping to the kitchen knife I'm gripping with both my hands. He stands so close to me I can feel his breath tickling my neck. "I did not," he says, his brows lifting slightly. "I went out to get rid of some trespassers who have been wandering close to this home."

"Oh." Realization dawns on me. "Is this also the reason you weren't in the house when I was taking a bath and napping earlier?" When Zarius nods, I'm at a loss for words. Gratitude and guilt wash over me as I recall the misjudgement I've held towards him before.

Back then, I really believed he had abandoned me for real.

"I didn't realize..." I murmur quietly. My cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Thank you."

Tilting his head in acknowledgement, Zarius kneels next to me and together, we observe the singing sirens. I glance at him sideways, noting his fierce, smooth jawline and sharp cheekbones.

"So, are they singing for you?" I ask in sheer curiosity. "You're a male."

"No," he answers indifferently. "Their voices only bewitch the human males. They sing when they sense one lurking nearby."

"What?" I'm appalled. "We've got to save the guy! Where is he?"

We turn back to the window. Sirens are inching closer to one of the blue houses across the street, which makes us believe that there's a man hiding somewhere in there.

I rise to my feet, but Zarius grabs my arm to stop me. "Do not be rash, halfling," he warns. "They will not welcome a female from another race. Sirens are creatures who get jealous rather easily. They will see you as a competition and a threat."

In other words, they will kill me if they see me. "Is there nothing we can do to help the guy?" My voice reeks of fear and desperation. "Can you help him? You're strong."

Zarius's eyes instantly hardened. "I will not help humans."

I gnaw on my bottom lip, knowing that I've just reminded him of his hatred towards humans and that nothing I say would convince him otherwise. But then again, even if I were to help the human by going up against four sirens, the odds clearly aren't in my favor.

"Then I will go–"

His grip on my arm tightens. "No."

"But I can't just sit still, knowing that someone is about to die out there."

"You cannot save everyone, Cordelia. You're already having trouble trying to keep yourself alive."

"I–"

I don't know what to say. He's speaking the truth and I hate that I can't find words to convince him he's wrong. Or even myself.

My eyes water in silent frustration. At my distressed expression, Zarius's usual poker face melts into a gentle expression. He raises a hand and lightly grazes my cheek with his fingers.

"Stay here," he says softly. "I will head out to clear the path for us. We need to leave this area as soon as possible. Sirens travel in groups. There might be more of them out there."

Closing my eyes, I give in to what he says. "Alright."

Before he leaves, he takes my hand and flips it so that he can replace the kitchen knife that I'm holding tight with something else. "Here, take this. You'll need it."

I frown at the long dagger. It's an ancient one, that's for sure, especially with intricate symbols and unreadable words engraved along the silver blade. "Where did you get this?"

"I found it at the place where you blew it up in flames."

"Wait — the museum?"

"Yes. I recognize it immediately. One of our weapon-smiths forged this weapon. It appears humans have found it and used it for their own purpose. You can have it."

"It's...relatively heavy."

Zarius frowns at me in confusion. "It should not be. It's specially made for our kind," he remarks with another frustrated sigh. "We really need to do something about you. Your control over your own abilities is in a disarray."

He stands up but fixes me with one of those stay-right-here looks as if I'm a child and he thinks I'm able to run out and do something silly.

Maybe I will, or maybe I won't. Hell, I don't even know what I should do in an apocalypse. All I know is that my best chance of finding Mom is by sticking close to Zarius.

Ignoring the sirens' song that is still ringing in my ears, I grab my backpack and head back upstairs to grab the gun from the bedroom that I've left behind. However, something thuds on the window and sends me scrambling to the corner in a low crouch, pressing my back against the wall. My eyes are wide and alert, wondering if a creature has discovered me.

My heart is pounding hard. Now, I wait in bated breath to see if it might come crashing into the house for me.

Several seconds pass until a second rock hits my window again. Startling me.

And then something clicks in my mind—the rock might come from the house right next door. Keeping my guard up, I slowly creep towards the window and steal a quick glance.

A pair of dark chocolate eyes stare back at me—human eyes.

It's a boy who looks awfully familiar. He's staring at me with wide, petrified eyes and dropped jaw. His lips form a huge 'O' and he mouths a couple of syllables in my direction.

"Delia?"