A tear fell from her eyes. Her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulders tighter and placed a kiss on her forehead. “It’s okay.”
The two seemed to share another moment as they consoled one another. I placed an arm around Alayna. Her small frame trembled as I held her.
“Why didn’t you say something to Alayna sooner?” I asked, unable to keep quiet any longer. “Why tell her now?”
“We didn’t know Lir would make her a siren,” Alayna’s mother sobbed. She shifted her attention to Alayna. “We had no idea you would be trapped here, forced to do his bidding forever. We didn’t know sirens existed.”
Silence bloomed between the four of us. I held Alayna tighter as her world seemed to tilt on its axis.
“But when you did, you didn’t say anything to me,” Alayna said. Her tone was low but there was a bite to it. She was pissed. I believed she had every right to be. What her parents did was selfish. “You left me to deal with what I was on my own, pretending you didn’t know.”
Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but no words came.
“What we did may not have been right,” her father said when her mother couldn’t. “Maybe we should have said something to you. We just didn’t know how. You were still in our lives, and to us, that was all that mattered.”
“I just,” Alayna said as she smoothed a hand over her face. “I can’t believe you knew what I was all along, and you never said anything. Not a word. You acted as though everything was normal.”
“How else would you have wanted us to act?” her dad asked. There was no harshness in his tone, he genuinely was asking. “Would you have wanted us to shun you? Have an open dialogue about what you are? Tell you how you came to be?”
Alayna sighed. “I don’t know.”
“We thought you would come to us, that you would tell us what you were. When you didn’t,” Alayna’s mom finally said. “We set timeframes for when we wanted to tell you by, but neither of us could ever seem to gather the nerve to spark the conversation. More time passed until it seemed like too much had gone by. We knew how upset you would be with us when we finally told you, and we let our weakness and fear keep us from mentioning anything.”
“We love you,” Alayna’s dad said. “We always have and always will, sweetheart. Regardless of this other side of you. It changed nothing about you in our eyes. Nothing.”
“How could it not?” Alayna insisted. Her hands waved animatedly when she spoke and I released my hold on her. “You know what I do. How can you be okay with that?”
Her mother stepped forward and took Alayna’s hands in hers. A small smile graced her lips as she stared into her eyes. “Because we know you. You’re a good soul. You’re kind, generous, compassionate, and loving. We know performing your siren duties for Lir is something that goes against every fiber of your being. We know that side of you is separate from our side. From our little girl. We don’t fault you for what was brought upon you from our actions and our decisions. Those deaths are on our hands, not yours.”
Alayna hugged her mom and dad while I stood there, wondering if I should give them a moment alone. This whole conversation felt intimate and like something I shouldn’t have been privy to.
Until Alayna’s mother shifted her attention my way again.
“Now, about you.” She untangled herself from their family hug and stepped closer to me. “I had a vision about the two of you. You were helping to free my sweet Alayna from Lir.” A look of hope and peace glimmered in her eyes.
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m not sure how. To save her, I would have to go against Lir and win. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“I do. It was all in my vision,” Alayna’s mom said. She stepped to Alayna’s horse, Firestone. Her fingertips brushed against his nose as her eyes locked with mine. “You walk between both worlds, Ryan.”
A shiver slipped up my spine. What the hell was she talking about? I wasn’t dead. I wasn’t a ghost. Was I?
“You’re not of the supernatural world any longer, but you hold memories from when you were. You’re not of the human world entirely either, but you still hold memories from when you were. You’re somewhere in between, unsure where you belong.” She held up a finger to me. A knowing smile stretched across her face. “You don’t feel any of that when you’re with my Alayna. It’s because you two are soulmates. You’re destined to be together. She is your balance. Your home.”
Her words creeped me out. I didn’t want to think of myself as walking between two worlds. It sounded ominous, even if there was some truth to it.
Alayna exhaled a loud breath. “You’re not making any sense, Mom.”
“No, she is. I understand,” I said as I placed a hand against the small of Alayna’s back. She leaned into my touch and I felt my heart steady its rhythm. “In your vision, did you see how we defeated Lir?” The sentence felt strange as it rolled off my tongue.
Alayna’s mother licked her lips and shifted her attention to Firestone. “I—”
Whatever she was about to say was cut off when a man dressed in silver appeared beside her. His complexion was like porcelain and his hair was white blond.
“Are you having a family meeting? Without me? I must say, I’m feeling rather left out,” he said in an arrogant tone. I didn’t have to be introduced to him to know who he was. It was clear from the way everyone reacted to his sudden presence that this was Lir, Alayna’s water demon.
My muscles grew taut as I narrowed my gaze on him, waiting to see what his next move would be.
“What are you doing here?” Alayna’s voice was firm. She took a step toward her parents as though to protect them from him and I fought the desire to slip her behind me.
“Oh, sweet Alayna. I’ve already met your parents. Surely, they’ve told you this,” Lir said, flashing her a wicked smile. I could tell he was trying to get a rise out of her. “They have told you, haven’t they?” It wasn’t a question, but more of a statement. He kept his eyes on her, watching her reaction to his words. “You don’t seem surprised. I’m assuming this is because they’ve finally filled you in on our little secret and how you are a siren because of them.”
Alayna stiffened. Her chin lifted, and I knew she was pissed.
Lir made a tisking noise with his tongue. “Someone’s feeling testy today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you behave this bold before in my presence, especially not after I’ve made it clear how displeased I am with you,” Lir insisted. His eyes flicked to me before drifting back to Alayna and his lips twisted into a scowl. “I’m guessing it’s because of your current company.”
“You should leave,” Alayna surprised me by saying. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her eyes never leaving Lir.
I fixed my gaze on him, waiting for him to make a move toward her. I knew he was thinking of hurting her. It was reflected in his beady eyes. I’d be damned if I let him touch her again though.
“Let me ask you something,” Lir said as he steepled his fingers in front of his face, his eyes never moving from Alayna. “Do you think it wise to speak to me in the manner that you are? Have I ever given you the impression it would be something I would tolerate?”
Alayna shifted on her feet, but she didn’t speak. Something about her stance softened. Her shoulders hunched forward, and I knew it was because she regretted having said what she had. It was written on her face when I cast a quick glance her way. It was also clear that she thought we’d already lost to him, but we hadn’t.
Not yet.
My blood boiled. The need to say something, to do something to get rid of this guy, burned through me. He was right here in front of me, but I couldn’t touch him. I couldn’t do a damn thing to him because acting on impulse wouldn’t beat him, it would only blow our shot at truly taking him out.
I needed to play it cool. I needed to simmer down.
Once he left, we’d be able to talk with Alayna’s mom about the vision she’d had in-depth and learn what we needed to do
to defeat this asshole.
I touched Alayna’s lower back again. Lir noticed. His eyes shifted between us, darkening with anger, before they lifted to the moon.
“Your time is up at dawn. You know what I expect of you,” Lir said. When his eyes locked on Alayna again, they weren’t as dark, but something in them seemed unsettling. Possessive. It had me wanting to step in front of her to block her from his view. “You know what will happen if you don’t meet your quota.”
My teeth ground together. He was insinuating that he would beat her again. What an asshole.
“Please, leave her be,” Alayna’s mother said in a soft voice barely above a whisper. “She’s been having a hard time this month.”
“Because of her new company?” Lir stepped closer to me, the same scowl from before appearing on his face again. My heart rate spiked, and I hated myself for it. There was a time when I wouldn’t have been afraid of a guy like him. Hell, I wouldn’t have even feared a demon like him. Those days were long gone though. Now, all I wanted was to steer clear of demons altogether.
All I wanted was to stay alive.
“Don’t.” Alayna positioned herself in front of me, blocking me from Lir. “Leave him alone. He has no part in this.”
I stepped around her, not wanting her to take the brunt of whatever he’d been about to send my way. Lir froze. His gaze drifted from me to Alayna.
“Are you telling me you would protect this human? That you would disrespect me in such a way?” A wicked grin spread across his face. “I’m afraid I can’t have that. You need to be taught a lesson. I’ve babied you far too long.”
“No!” Alayna’s mother shouted as she launched herself at Lir. She slammed a fist into the back of his head, but even I knew the move wouldn’t do anything except piss him off. “You leave my baby alone!” She moved to slam her fist into him again, but he reached for it, stopping it in midair.
He laughed. It was boisterous and vile all at once, causing goose bumps to prickle across my skin. This guy was pure evil.
Both Alayna and her father rushed forward to stop whatever Lir was about to do. I made a move to join them, but something in the air changed. I didn’t know what, but I knew something had. I could feel it like electricity buzzing through the air. I lunged forward to wrap my arms around Alayna’s waist just as Lir flicked his wrist and water spewed from Alayna’s mother’s mouth. She choked and gasped. Her eyes widened, and her hands lifted to her throat. The more she coughed, the more water came from her.
Lir was drowning the woman from the inside out.
“No!” Alayna shouted as she thrashed around in my arms until I let her go. She rushed to her mother’s side. “Leave her alone! Stop!”
Lir did no such thing. Instead, he grinned as he watched Alayna and her father try to help her mother. There was nothing either of them could do. I knew this. Lir would end this when he wanted and not a second sooner.
“You’ve made your point,” I said through gritted teeth, my words directed to him. My fists clenched at my sides. Standing up to a demon while human wasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done, but at this moment, it felt necessary. I couldn’t not react. “Let her go. No one here dismisses your power.”
Lir took a step toward me, his eyes giving me a once-over. I held his stare, refusing to look away. Even when whatever he seemed to be doing to Alayna’s mother intensified.
“Is that so? Do you, human, understand how powerful I am?” Venom dripped from Lir’s words.
Clearly, the guy was a power-hungry psycho. I didn’t know why I’d thought he was anything less. I swallowed hard, realizing all I’d done was stroke his oversized ego. Alayna’s mother fell to the ground behind him. A smirk twisted Lir’s face, and I knew this moment wasn’t about him showing his power to Alayna—to any of us—it was manipulation. The easiest way to hurt someone was to go after the ones they loved. Which was what he was doing.
Hell, it was probably how he’d kept Alayna and her siren sisters in line all these years—making threats to hurt those they loved—on top of using his fists against them.
“Yes, I do,” I said, hoping it was what he wanted to hear.
“Good, but you and your thoughts of me are none of my concern. This is all for Alayna.” He spun to face her again. “She’s the one who needs to be reminded of my strength. She has been disobedient for long enough.”
My body tensed as heat rushed through me. I hated this guy with every fiber of my being.
“Stop it! I know how powerful you are. Please, just let her go,” Alayna sobbed. Seeing her so upset broke me. “Please, Lir! Please!”
“Mmm, I do like the sound of you begging. Especially when you say my name,” Lir said, amplifying the anger rushing through my system. I took a step toward him, my fist clenched tight. “What’s done is done. Her death is on your hands. If you don’t meet your quota before dawn, I will show you how lonely this world can be when I take everyone you love.”
Alayna’s dad jumped to his feet and lunged at Lir. He’d pulled a knife from the clip on his hip and attempted to plunge it into Lir’s chest. Lir caught it between his hands.
“My, my. You’re braver than I gave you credit for,” Lir said with a chuckle. His wrist spun as boneless as the water he wielded, and the knife plunged deep into Alayna’s father’s chest. “Too little, too late. Sweet dreams.”
“No!” Alayna jerked forward, but I grabbed her. My arms wrapped around her waist to hold her still. She hit me and tried to free herself, but I held tight. If I let her go, she would do something that would get her killed. Lir didn’t need to be provoked. He was dangerous, which he’d made perfectly clear.
“You have until dawn,” he said to her, his eyes flashing. “Provide what you are responsible for and then return to the beach house. If you continue to disobey me, I will come for the last thing you love. I’m done playing games.” His gaze shifted to me before he disappeared like water evaporating into the sky.
Alayna crumbled in my arms. Sobs shook her body. I held her tight until she moved to slip free so she could get to her father’s side. Blood bubbled from the knife wound in the center of his chest. He gasped, trying to say something before he passed.
“No, Dad, no,” Alayna cried. Her hand shook as she gently touched the knife protruding from his chest. “What were you thinking? You shouldn’t have tried to go against him.”
“Firestone. Use Firestone,” the old man whispered. I glanced at the horse. He stood in his stable, eating hay from a bag hung in the corner, oblivious to the tragic scene. “Firestone,” Alayna’s father said again before his final breath bubbled from his chest and his eyes grew eerily glassy.
“No!” Alayna shouted. I watched as she pulled his lifeless body into her lap. Tears flowed from her eyes.
A heavy sensation settled in the pit of my stomach. Tonight had taken a turn for the absolute worse. I rubbed the back of my neck and squeezed my eyes shut, unsure of what I should do. Tell her it would be okay? That seemed cruel and insensitive. Was I supposed to hold her, or let her have a moment?
My gut told me allowing her a moment would be best.
I shifted my attention to Firestone. What was so special about him? Why had his name been her father’s last words? I stepped closer to his stall. He barely acknowledged my presence, even as I reached out to brush my fingers against his side.
“Why are you so special?” I asked in a hushed whisper, half expecting him to morph into a person or something equally magical to happen. Granted, I’d never heard of a horse shifter before, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist. I imagined there were all sorts of animals that doubled as humans.
“I’m so sorry,” Alayna said. I glanced at her from over my shoulder. She still cradled her dad’s lifeless body in her lap. One of her hands rested on his chest while the other clasp tight to her mother’s hand. “I shouldn’t have provoked him. I shouldn’t have been so defiant. If I’d just done what I was supposed to and gave him the three souls he wanted, this w
ouldn’t have happened.”
“This isn’t your fault. They wouldn’t want you to believe that it was,” I insisted, knowing it was the truth. I moved to where she was and crouched down beside her. When she didn’t look up, I lifted her chin so she would look at me. Her eyes were bright from crying and her mascara had smeared beneath them. She was beautiful, even in this heartbroken form. “You know that’s the truth. Your mother was trying to protect you. She was fighting for you. And, your father—he was fighting for both of you.”
She sniffled. “They wouldn’t have felt the need to if I hadn’t provoked him. If I’d only done as I should.” Her fist slammed against the ground beside her. “It’s how he stays young, how he stays charged, which is why he’s so strict about it. Every time I went to the beach, there was a young family or a cute old couple. There wasn’t anyone who seemed as though they’d done a single thing wrong in their life. I don’t enjoy taking random people. I can’t live with that guilt. I’ve told you before, I only chose those who I can sense have done something awful in their lifetime.”
I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. It was all I could think to do.
“I didn’t provide this moon cycle,” Alayna whispered. “It isn’t the first time either. He’s been lenient with me until now. I think it’s because Miko didn’t provide this month either. It’s not easy doing what we do. It weighs on us. It hurts. She couldn’t bear it any more than I could this month.”
Did she mean she could feel her victim’s pain? Did she feel them drowning?
“This is what I get, and this pain is so much worse. I feel like I can’t breathe.” She buried her face in my chest and I held her, knowing it was the only thing I could offer her because words wouldn’t come.
I didn’t know how much time passed, but I was sore from remaining in the same position for so long. Dawn would come in a few hours, and Lir had made it clear what would happen to me if Alayna didn’t provide by then—my second life would be cut short.
Chapter Twelve
Alayna untangled herself from me and rushed to her parents’ house. I hesitated for a second, wondering what we should do about her parents’ bodies before I followed her. She jogged up the stairs of the deck, taking two steps at a time and then disappeared inside the house. The stairs were steeper than I thought, which meant I had to take them slower than I liked. When I entered the house, the first thing I noticed was all the houseplants. They covered nearly every surface and stood in most of the corners. In places, they even hung from the ceiling. The place looked like a jungle, but I couldn’t deny the sense of peace that settled over me as I stepped farther inside.
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