The sky was lit with beautiful colors. The sun was nearly up. Lir hadn’t come for us yet. I was surprised. I figured he would be here at the first streak of light in the sky. Was he purposely giving Alayna more time? Did he have a thing for her? The thought had my teeth clenching and my nostrils flaring.
“I’m ready now,” Alayna said as she stepped to where I was, looking out at the rising sun over the ocean water. “Let’s go. I’ll tell you about my plan while we walk.”
The beach house where Alayna lived with her three siren sisters wasn’t far from her parents’ place. In fact, it was within walking distance.
It was a two-story yellow house with massive windows, an oversized deck, and from where we stood, it looked like there was a pool in the backyard. The place was something I would have partied hard in when I was human the first time around.
“And here it is, home sweet home,” Alayna muttered as she waved a hand toward it.
“It’s nice.”
Alayna smiled as she continued to stare at the house. I thought she would say something about how it wasn’t bad or she liked it, but instead, she said, “Here come my sisters.”
The front door to the place opened and three females darted out. A brunette was first. She wore a pair of men’s boxers rolled up, a crop top, and a pair of floppy bunny slippers. Her hair fell past her shoulders in tousled waves and her large, expressive eyes widened the closer she came to Alayna. She headed straight for her, not even appearing to see me.
“Where have you been? Lir isn’t happy,” she insisted. “Like really not happy.”
“I know,” Alayna said. “Trust me.”
“What’s wrong? Something’s wrong. I can feel it,” a girl with straight inky black hair and olive skin asked, making her way to us. Her gaze drifted to me and her dark eyes narrowed. “Who is this?”
I noticed her busted lip and put two and two together that she must be Miko, the siren sister who also found it hard to meet her quota this month.
“Oh my God, Alayna brought a guy home,” a bubbly blonde said as she clapped her hands together and squealed. She didn’t seem to share the brunette sister’s worry or the raven-haired sister’s anger. “He’s cute.”
Alayna pulled in a deep breath, and I placed my hand against the small of her back. “This is Ryan,” Alayna said, motioning to me.
The bubbly blonde gasped and then covered her mouth. “The one from The Monster Ball?” Her blue eyes widened as a smile stretched across her face.
“Uh, that would be me. Yeah.” A smug sense of satisfaction slipped through me at the knowledge that Alayna had mentioned me to her siren sisters.
“Shouldn’t you be happy about him being here?” the raven-haired sister asked. Irritation laced through her words, but so did confusion. “I don’t understand why you’re so sad and angry right now.”
I stared at the girl, trying to figure out how it was she could know what Alayna was feeling. Was it a siren thing, or was it something uniquely hers?
“I don’t know where to start, Miko,” Alayna said. She shook her head, and I knew she was about to cry.
Miko’s gaze drifted to me. “Something horrible happened, didn’t it?”
I nodded but didn’t elaborate. Telling them Alayna’s parents were murdered by Lir didn’t seem like my story to tell. It was Alayna’s, and I figured she would do it once she was able.
“How about we head inside,” the sister in the fluffy bunny slippers said. She flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder before stepping closer to Alayna and wrapping an arm around her. “Then we can all sit down with a nice cup of tea and talk about what happened.”
“Thanks, Carina,” Alayna muttered as she allowed the girl to lead her toward the house.
“Hi, I’m Kaitlyn,” the bubbly blonde said as she hooked her arm through mine and pulled me along with her as she walked. “Alayna had a great time with you at the ball. She talked about you nonstop when she got back.” She giggled while toying with a few strands of her hair. I released a small chuckle. It had been a while since I’d been around someone with as much contagious energy as her.
“You didn’t provide,” a familiar voice said from behind us.
We all spun to see Lir a few feet away. His hands were clasped in front of him, his eyes were dark, and his jaw was clenched tight.
“I told you what I expected,” he said, his gaze focused on Alayna. “I even told you what would happen if you didn’t provide. Were your parents not reminder enough?”
Adrenaline spiked through my system. I reached into my pocket for the firestone and gripped it tight, waiting for Alayna’s signal.
“I don’t owe you anything. You took two of the people I cared about most in this world.” Alayna untangled herself from her siren sister and stepped closer to Lir. “In fact, I shouldn’t owe you a thing after that. My parents’ lives should’ve ended whatever deal you struck with them, voiding it and leaving me free of you.”
It was a good theory. One I hadn’t even thought of until now.
A collective gasp sounded from Alayna’s siren sisters. They murmured among one another, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I was too focused on Lir, watching to see what his next move would be. I’d be damned if I let him hurt Alayna again.
He smirked at Alayna. “Where does this backbone you suddenly have come from? I was hoping I wouldn’t have to make an example out of you. It’s been so long since I’ve had to do such a thing to one of my girls, but you leave me no choice. You’ve become too defiant.” His gaze drifted to me as I shifted on my feet, struggling to stay where I was and not lunge at the asshole. “Although, I should probably keep my word first and end his life.”
Lir lifted a hand, and suddenly, I could feel my lungs fill with water. I coughed and choked, unable to rid my lungs of it. My chest heaved and burned as the pressure built. Dots speckled my vision and my knees buckled as I continued to struggle to breathe. Alayna was beside me, pleading with Lir to stop. Tears tracked down her cheeks.
This wasn’t part of the plan. We were supposed to attack first. Things weren’t supposed to go down this way.
My vision blurred, and the edges darkened. I was fading out. Pain pierced my chest; my lungs were dying and so was I. My second chance at being human hadn’t lasted long enough. I hadn’t been able to do any of the things with Alayna I’d wanted.
Hell, I hadn’t even had a chance to live.
My eyelids grew heavy. Darkness was calling to me. I wanted to fight, but how was I supposed to fight in this situation? Maybe Alayna’s mother’s vision had been wrong.
And then, just as quickly as my lungs filled with water, they emptied.
Water spewed from my mouth onto the dry sand beside me. I coughed. Each inhale of air burned my bruised lungs. I glanced at Alayna. She held the selenite crystal in her hand, her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be focusing on something.
Her siren.
She was bringing her to the surface. I could feel the magic rippling off her in waves. An ocean breeze blew strands of hair around her face. She looked mesmerizing.
“I thought you were human,” Lir said, drawing my attention back to him. His gaze drifted around. “Where did you go?”
I blinked. What the hell was he talking about? And then I remembered my tattoo. It was working against him. He couldn’t see me; therefore, he couldn’t drown me.
Thank you, Giselle.
Alayna opened her mouth and a beautiful melody of words spilled free. Lir laughed, clearly not worried about her siren coming out to play.
“Oh, sweet little siren, that’s not going to work on me. You’re not strong enough to take me down with your song,” he said.
“Alone, maybe not,” I said, my throat killing me. “When combined with me, she stands a chance, though. Say your goodbyes now, Lir.” I laced my fingers through Alayna’s and clasp the firestone tight with my other hand. In my mind, I pictured her song taking him out. Energy flowed from the stone through me and
into Alayna, causing my limbs to feel warm and fuzzy.
“What are you doing? How?” Lir asked. Paranoia twisted his features. Sweat dotted his brow and along his upper lip. What we were doing was working. Alayna sang louder. I pushed harder with my mind, imagining him exploding into a million tiny droplets and soaring into the sky never to be seen again. “Stop. Alayna, I command you to stop!”
She didn’t listen. Instead, she continued to sing. When the voices of her siren sisters joined hers, goose bumps prickled across my skin from the siren magic dripping from the air.
Lir made a funny noise before he burst into flames. Of course, it would be fire that took him, after all we were using a firestone against him. I watched as he burned, the blue and red flames licking his skin. Seconds later, he evaporated into nothing. He was gone.
Alayna and her sisters dropped to the sandy beach, panting with exhaustion from their song.
“Are you okay?” I asked, touching Alayna’s waist.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “I’m fine. Exhausted, but fine.”
I nodded to where Lir had stood. “You did it. You got rid of your water demon.”
“No, we did it.” She grinned and then lay her head against my shoulder.
“Holy shit! I can’t believe he’s gone!” Miko shouted.
“What does that mean for us?” Kaitlyn asked.
“I think it means—” Alayna’s words cut off as she doubled over. Her sisters did the same, clutching their stomachs.
Fear pumped through my veins. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
“Water. Get us in the water,” Alayna insisted.
I didn’t question her, and I damn sure didn’t hesitate. I hoisted her into the air and raced to the ocean. After I placed her in ankle-deep water, I headed back for each of her sisters until all four of them sat in ocean water.
“What’s happening? Is that better?” I asked, struggling to catch my breath.
When Alayna didn’t speak, and neither did her sisters, my gut twisted. Was I about to lose her after everything?
“We need to be out farther,” Miko said. She wormed her way deeper into the ocean water and her sisters did the same. Including Alayna. I held my breath, waiting to see what would happen next. As soon as they reached an area where they had to swim to stay afloat, dark blue shadows rippled from them. Detaching. Four shadows floated away while the girls remained where they were. Relief settled over me when Alayna glanced back and then started swimming my way.
“I think it’s finally over,” she insisted. She rushed out of the water, her dress clinging to her in all the right places, and into my arms. Her lips pressed against mine. She tasted of the ocean and happiness. When she pulled away, breaking our kiss, she flashed me a wide smile. “Thank you, Ryan. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I didn’t do anything. All I did was carry you to the water like you asked,” I said.
Her sisters danced around us, laughing and kicking the water. They sang together, but this time there was no weight in their words. No magic.
Alayna kissed my cheek. “And that was enough to allow our sirens to return to their home in the sea without dying here on land.”
I gripped her hips tighter, pulling her closer. “You’re telling me you’re stuck in the in between with me for real? That you’re human?”
“Yeah,” she beamed, and I thought she’d never looked more beautiful.
Epilogue
I hoisted the final box from the U-Haul into the air and carried it inside. It felt good to finally have the thing completely unloaded. While I didn’t have any material possessions, Alayna had quite a few. The majority of them had come from her parents’ house. She inherited everything after her and her sisters set up a fake boating accident in which her parents had supposedly passed in. I knew it hurt Alayna to have to do something like that, but it was one of the few ways to close out assets in the Outer Banks and allow us to move forward. We’d bought a mountain home, both of us having decided we’d seen enough water to last a lifetime. Alayna still kept her parents’ beach house. There were too many good memories she’d shared with them there to let the place go. It was where we would stay when we visited her sisters. While they weren’t technically sisters any longer, they’d been through so much together, the bond was still just as strong. Sisters they would always be.
Firestone neighed as I walked past him in his new stall. He wanted a treat. Over the last few weeks he’d warmed up to me. Hell, I’d say I’d warmed up to him too. Having a horse was sort of like having a big dog.
“I’ll be back in a minute, buddy,” I called out to him as I shifted the box I carried in my arms. The thing weighed a ton. It was most likely books.
Alayna was still on the phone when I stepped inside the house. She’d been chatting with her sisters for the last thirty minutes. I was positive she’d sent a text asking them to call so she could get out of unloading boxes from the U-Haul.
“That’s great. Yeah, I’m glad. I meant it when I said please use my room for whatever you guys want. When Ryan and I come to visit, we’ll stay at my parents’ place,” she said as I stepped into the living room. She stood near the sliding glass door, staring out at the view of the mountains.
That view had been what sold us on this house. It was postcard perfect—blue mountains and an endless sky.
“Well, I should probably go. I’m sure Ryan wants my help carrying boxes in. I’ll talk to you all later,” Alayna said when I set the box I’d been carrying on the living room floor.
It landed with a thud. I hadn’t intended for it to sound so dramatic, but the dang thing was heavy. Alayna was a reader, and she didn’t care for e-books or paperbacks. Hardbacks were her favorite. She liked to take the dust jackets off and decorate with them.
“Yeah, love you too. I’ll tell him. Okay, see ya,” Alayna said before she finally hung up. She clutched her cell in her hand and flashed me a toothy grin. The bruise across her cheek from Lir had finally faded away. It had been the last reminder we had of that ass and I was happy to see it go. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting them to call.”
“I’m sure,” I teased. “They had perfect timing. That’s the last box.”
“Is it?” She acted all innocent, but I knew I’d been right. “Thank you.”
“You’re lucky I love you.” I chuckled as I rolled up my sleeves and opened the nearest box.
“I love you too.”
She stepped to the box and started pulling things out. Hours passed before we had the entire living room put together. I ordered us a pizza to be delivered. After it arrived, we sat on the couch in our new living room, eating and talking.
“What did Sterling have to say?” Alayna asked before taking another bite from her slice of pizza.
“He said all is well. Him and Giselle are giving it another shot,” I said, happy for him. “They took Talia to the zoo yesterday.”
Alayna tucked her leg beneath her and sighed. “That’s great. I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Not too much longer. Giselle said she wanted to give us a few more weeks to settle in.”
Alayna glanced around. “I think that’s a smart idea. I’m exhausted. There’s no way we’ll be unpacked as soon as I wanted.”
“I didn’t think so.” I laughed. “Especially not with the way you move things around.” I’d learned quickly that Alayna was indecisive when it came to decorating. She was constantly moving things, trying to decide where she liked it best. My sore arms were proof. I swore we’d moved this damn couch seven times before she finally decided where she wanted it.
A knock came at the front door. We both glanced in that direction.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Alayna asked, wiping a glob of sauce from her lip.
“No, are you?”
She shook her head. I set my slice of pizza down to stand and answer the door. I couldn’t think of anyone besides her sisters, Sterling, and the pizza company who had our address. Unease prickled through my s
ystem. I pulled in a deep breath, held it, and tensed as I twisted the knob to open the front door. When it swung open, no one was there. My gaze drifted to the welcome mat Alayna had bought the other day, and landed on a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice. There was a note. I picked up the bucket and closed the door behind me. After locking it, I headed to where Alayna sat on the couch.
“Who sent that?” she asked. She took the bottle of champagne and looked it over. “I know nothing about champagne, but this looks good.”
I grabbed the note. “Let’s see who it’s from.”
If I had to guess, I’d say it was from one of her sisters. Or Sterling. Hell, maybe he’d mentioned my address to Lorenzo and this was a housewarming gift from him.
“Is there a note? Or is it just signed?” Alayna asked.
I steadied the tag hung from the bottle so I could read it. “Enjoy your happy ending. XOXO, P.”
A crooked grin hung from my lips.
“P? As in the Proprietor?” Alayna asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded while silently thanking her for bringing the two of us together at The Monster Ball, for the clue to my freedom, and for the bottle of champagne.
I popped the top and poured champagne in two mugs from a nearby box. When I handed one to Alayna, she lifted it into the air, proposing a toast.
“To us,” she said. “May we grow old together and share many more nights filled with laughter and love.”
“As you wish, Alayna,” I said, toasting her mug to mine. “So shall it be.” I took a sip from the bubbly champagne and then leaned in to kiss her.
If you enjoyed Greed, you might also enjoy my Succubus Kiss series. Be careful, her kiss can kill…
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