Blushing as I take the T-shirt and sweatpants, I stand there, fidgeting while I wait for him to do or say something.
“Shit, sorry. I’ll just leave you in here. When you get finished changing, come join us in the kitchen. Lunch is almost ready.”
He doesn’t wait to see if I have anything else to say, and with my cheeks feeling as though they will melt away from staying so flushed, I’m not inclined to stop him. Instead, I wait until I see the door click closed behind him before pulling off the shirt I awoke in, Daruk’s if I had to guess, and I’m pleased to see that he gave me a tank top.
I take a second to stretch out my wings while I study the top. The straps are thicker than I’d prefer, but with a few modifications, I should be able to wear it without constricting my wings again. After the long flight, riding in the van, and wearing shirts not made for those with wings, I’m not ready to push them down again.
Dressed in the baggy sweatpants and a loose top that does nothing to hide that it’s cold in the room, I take stock of my reflection in the mirror, ignoring how my rumbling stomach makes my hunger known.
My skin is pale, but my cheeks are flushed, keeping me from looking completely washed out. My curls are a mess, resembling a bird’s nest atop my head, and I had to cut the straps of the top and tie them behind my neck to make it work, but besides needing a bra, it’s comfortable enough. Overall, I look as tired and wrung out as I feel.
Sighing, I turn away from the image and step out the door. This time though, I know where I’m headed and don’t have the bookend in tow. I reluctantly put it back where I found it when I returned to the room, despite having grown attached to its weight.
As I arrive at the kitchen door, I pause for a second and let my eyes roam over the scene before me, surprised again by the three men that saved my life.
Wearing a Deadpool apron that says ‘French The Cook,’ Kendric is stacking golden brown pancakes onto a plate, and I wonder if it’s the only food they know how to cook.
He’s wearing jeans with a black t-shirt to complete his ensemble, while his hair, unlike the night I met him, is not combed back on top. It’s poking up at odd angles, the shaved sides the only neat part about it. And he’s barefoot, allowing me to see his one flesh colored foot, and its prosthetic counterpart.
Seeing that now reminds me of the night before, when a blade that is hidden inside somewhere had come out and sliced right through the redcap. It had been brutal, but it had also been pretty impressive. Though I’ll never admit that to him.
Tearing my attention away from him, I look at the table. Daruk sits with a cup of something hot and steamy by his side, looking at a newspaper. And as I watch, he passes a page over to Arius, who wears a pair of reading glasses that look more than a little good on him, which reminds me of our conversation and how his blue eye doesn’t see as clearly on land.
Both are focused on their pages intently, so I get the chance to scan them without feeling like a weirdo. The two are very different. Daruk with his dark skin, only broken up by the lighter swaths of skin that I can see in some places. I marvel at how striking the combination is. I’ve never met anyone else like him, and I think it’s beautiful. A word, I’m sure, a man wouldn’t want to be called.
Arius, on the other hand, is all blonde and bronze good looks, but it’s his eyes that draw you in, while his firm, but sincere personality keeps you captive.
“Are you going to come in and eat, or just stand there all day?” Kendric says, interrupting my perusal, and causing the irritating heat to rush to my cheeks again.
“I don’t know. I guess it depends on if you’ve poisoned my pancakes. Would probably save yourself a lot of trouble, no longer having to deal with me,” I retort back in a teasing tone, but a small part of me says that it’s not all a joke. Their life would definitely be easier without me in it.
“No poison, Princess. We’ve already alerted your parents that we’re coming with you. Killing you now would only create a mess of problems for me. Too early in the day to deal with those repercussions.”
With his face showing no emotion, I can’t tell if he’s serious or not, but just in case, I switch around the plates when I make it to the table. Sliding mine into the place of the one I take. Call me paranoid, but it has been a long 48 hours.
“So, what happened last night?” I ask, bringing up a big bite of pancake to my mouth and taking it all in. “I mean, the last thing I remember is Bailey showing up with his reinforcements. How are we still alive after that?” I add, after I’ve chewed enough to swallow.
Nobody rushes to answer at first, each taking their time to chew their food, but eventually, Daruk lays down his paper and I catch my first sight of what he’s been reading. Drawn to look like an overweight cat, I try to hide my smile at seeing the familiar comic, but when he catches me looking, he gives me a broad smile while he winks.
“Well, the short version is that Bailey escaped, and when he left, he took his group, the ones that were alive, with him. And we brought you here, to Daruk’s house,” Arius says, his plate already empty of the stack of pancakes that had been on it only a few minutes prior, and he takes a drink of juice while avoiding my eyes.
Growing frustrated by the awkward silence and non-answers, I lean forward and cross my arms, staring intently at him over the small bowl of fruit that sits in the middle of the table.
“And the long version?” I ask, when his gaze dips to my chest before quickly meeting my eyes again. Slightly uncomfortable, and tired of their silence, I narrow my eyes on him until he nods.
“The long version may not be what you want to hear. But, that’s your choice. Might as well keep eating. This is going to take a while,” he finally responds, but not in a voice that says he’s happy about it.
Chapter Fourteen
“For me to tell you what happened, I first need to ask how much you know about your powers and how they work. Namely, what type of damage you can inflict with them.”
Arius and the others are all staring at me now, the question hanging between us, but I don’t understand their serious faces. Not seeing the big deal, I shrug my shoulders.
“I can sing and change people’s emotions. Like, if they are really upset, I can make them think happy thoughts. Enchant may be too strong a word, but my voice was strong enough to leave circus-goers with enough of a sense of happiness that they tipped generously,” I say, and for the first time I don’t have Bailey clouding my senses, and I feel bad. It may not have been blatant, but I had stolen from those people. I’ll now have to live with the guilt.
“Besides singing to make people willing. He wants to know what type of damage you can do with your powers, Princess,” Kendric says, putting down his fork and spearing me in my place with his sharp gaze.
Growing irritated beneath his hard stare, I sit up a bit straighter. “I know what he’s asking, Kendy.” I use his nickname with derision, the same as he does mine, and his jaw tightens, but I’m too tired of his attitude to care. “And I’ve answered him already. I can alter emotions. Well, more like influence, but that’s it. If you want, I can sit in a cage and sing to give you an example.”
Standing quickly from his seat, Kendric moves toward the counter, and stands with his back facing us. Daruk attempts to lay a hand on him before he can walk away, but he shrugs him off.
Turning his wise eyes back to me, Daruk gives me a look that I don’t understand. “We’re not trying to be obtuse, Lorelei. We just aren’t sure of how much Bailey had kept from you. It makes sense that he wouldn’t want you to know the full extent of your powers, and it explains your reaction last night.”
“What reaction?” I ask, the steam leaving me beneath his kind look, and I grab another pancake off the middle plate, pouring a generous helping of the liquid gold on top. Mmmm, syrup!
I can see that he’s holding back a grin at my new found love, but he doesn’t comment. Instead, Arius clears his throat, and grabs my attention. “Last night, when you began to sing, you w
ere singing what your kind call the ‘Mortem Canticum,’ or what’s commonly referred to as the ‘Death Song.’ It’s one of the most feared, and coveted powers of the Nightingale race, and had you finished singing it last night, it would have killed everyone within hearing range.”
I feel the blood drain from my face as I take in what he’s just told me, but denial is a bitter pill to swallow, and I shake my head. “I’m sorry, but you have to be mistaken. I think I’d know if I were able to sing people to death.”
“Lorelei,” he says, tone gentle. “I understand that this must be very difficult for you, but you need to listen. We are not trying to hurt you by telling you this. This isn’t a power to fear, but to use with care,” Daruk says, placing his hand on mine atop the table, and I don’t pull away. I just sit there and blink at him. My song would have killed everyone?
“Stop sugarcoating it, Daruk. She needs to be aware of how deadly her gift can be. If Arius wasn’t partially immune because of his mermaid side, we all would have died last night while she sang us into an early grave. Don’t do her, or us, a disservice by making it seem like it’s something other than what it is. A weapon.”
Despite my misgivings about Kendric, I agree with him. Kindness is great, but I need the truth. Even if it’s given to me by an asshole.
“How strong is this power, Kendric? Is there any way to use it, but not kill? Like, if I just wanted to maim or something?” I say, directing my question towards the one person in the room I know will be honest with me. Brutally so.
Sending a satisfied smirk at Daruk and Arius, he walks from his spot by the counter and reclaims his seat at the table, taking a sip from his cup before angling his body in my direction.“You don’t remember it yet, but when you were younger, your parents had a room soundproofed so that you could sing in it. Even without the power, you always loved to sing, but with having different supernatural races visiting the castle often, your parents and the queen knew that they had to do something to keep everyone safe.
“I remember how you’d especially like to sing when you were upset, and the way you were feeling, played a part in what you sang. Normally, the ‘Death Song’ doesn’t have the power to kill until it’s singer reaches full maturity, but you were always a little further ahead and a little more powerful than the other Nightingale children.
Kendrick doesn’t consider my feelings as he speaks. He doesn’t try to soften the truth, and I appreciate it. Yet, I think I detect a hint of pride in his voice as he tells of my advanced strength. He doesn’t appear to notice my searching gaze though, just continues to fill me in.
“They learned this when Da... the youngest Wendigo Prince was visiting you as a child. We were playing outside, but he kept winning at hide and seek, due to his powers of manipulating shadows. You got so mad that you began to sing, and he and I both became ill. Fortunately, when you saw that I was hurting too, you stopped, but after that day, you were forbidden to sing outside of your room.”
I scan his face for any sign that he’s lying or making this story up, but when he remains serious, I ignore how he stumbled over his words and lean back into my chair with a sigh. Discovering more parts of my memory that had been wiped away is hard, but knowing that some of those memories contained parts of my power that could seriously injure, or worse, is entirely different.
Feeling three sets of eyes on me, they no doubt waiting to see how I’ll respond, I take a drink of my juice before meeting each of their eyes.
“So, what you’re saying is, I’m basically a total badass princess with amnesia that will one day rule a kingdom I have forgotten existed. Yea, no pressure there,” I say, not trying to hide my sarcasm, but none of them seem offended. They just all show various forms of agreement for my assessment.
“Yes, Lorelei, that pretty much sums it up. Though, I don’t think I could have done so as eloquently,” Daruk replies, eliciting a laugh from Arius and a scoff from Kendric. The latter of which, I ignore.
“And last night? You said Arius was able to stop me through partial immunity? I’m not sure I understand what that means exactly. And what about Bailey and his crew? What happened to them?”
Leaning forward, Arius, pulls my attention from Daruk, and I focus on his bi-colored eyes that are intent on mine. “As a hybrid with mermaid blood, the song you sing is very similar to my own kind. So, even though it was painful, I was able to reach you. Where, I, uh... had to tranquilize you to make you stop. Sorry about that,” he answers, his face showing that he actually means it.
My first reaction is to get upset that he would drug me, but as I go to open my mouth to say so, the memory of the night flashbacks with them all falling to the ground in pain. And if I’m to believe what they’ve told me, I would have killed them all if Arius hadn’t stopped me.
“Okay, so you tranquilized me. That explains how you stopped my song, but not about Bailey,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral so that they don’t think I’m upset.
“Bailey, the crafty son of a bitch was the only one not affected by your song. Seems the warlock has developed a means to guard against it. He didn’t share that with his people obviously. Not that I’m surprised. He’s a greedy bastard and would want to keep his secrets to himself, the lowlife, murdering–”
“What I believe Kendric is trying to say,” Arius interrupts, raising a brow in his direction, “is that, he took advantage of our being incapacitated and opened a portal up to transport him and his men away. He would have probably left them all behind, but that’s bad for business. If he’d left them and one survived, it would’ve made him look like a coward with no loyalty to his men.”
“You’re missing quite a few adjectives if you’re trying to guess what I’m thinking, but it’s not too far off. Bailey may be a spineless, yellow-bellied, Benedict Arnold, but he’s no fool. He knows he still needs those men. He’ll keep them around for as long as it serves his purpose.”
We’re all quiet as we sit there, each of us wrapped up in our own thoughts, but then Arius stands abruptly and looks down at me.
“The question we all should be asking though, isn’t where Bailey is now, because I’m pretty sure he’s going to find us. Just like he has the last few times. And since…”
“Since Sal and Nissa weren’t aware of where we were going to be meeting our jet, that means he has another way to find me,” I say, finishing Arius’ sentence and he smiles proudly at me.
“No, not find you, Lorelei. He’s tracking you somehow. Which is why we haven’t gone to the castle yet. Despite being so close, Queen Merryweather suggested we figure out what’s going on first before we head in, since we’ll be entering through a secret passage. Your family doesn’t want to announce your return just yet,” Daruk adds, he too rising to his feet and coming around the table to look me. “Do you have a phone you’re somehow hiding, or some other electronic device we haven’t seen?” he asks, and I shake my head no.
“It doesn’t have to be electronic. It could be anything. Princess, do you have anything on you that Bailey could have somehow bugged or put a tracker on. Hell, anything he could have put a spell on?” Kendric asks, joining the other two and leaving them all standing before me where I still sit.
Wracking my brain, I go to say no, until my stomach clenches as I remember the gift Bailey gave me on my birthday, and I look at them, panic no doubt showing on my face.
“What it is, Lorelei? What have you thought of?” Arius asks, and I swallow before answering. Guilt at knowing my foolishness had lead to the guards being slaughtered in the hangar the night before.
Standing to join them, leaving only a foot or so separating us, I try to convey with my sorrowful expression how sorry I am.
“On my birthday, he gave me a necklace. I… I had planned to throw it away but with everything that has happened, I forgot. That’s the only thing I can think of,” I say, and remember that I’m not in the same clothes as earlier. “But it was in the pocket of my other pants. So, if we can just get them from the
laundry, we can throw it away now and he won’t be able to find me again,” I add, but before I can finish my sentence, Daruk rushes from the room so quickly, that he moves as if made of shadows.
“Follow him, Kendric. Draga took the clothes to be laundered. They’re with her,” Arius says, and Kendric runs out the door behind him leaving me standing there confused.
“Should we go after them? Who’s Draga?” I ask, panic rising from how quickly they left, yet, despite his clenched jaw, Arius remains calm.
“Draga is Daruk’s twin sister. She’s the one that changed you last night and took your clothes back with her. So if Bailey is tracking your necklace, it’s going to lead him right to her.”
Chapter Fifteen
My stomach is a ball of nerves as I pace across the floor, waiting to hear what’s going on, and I can’t help but think that if something happens to Daruk’s sister, then it will be my fault. I know that it isn’t necessarily a reasonable fear, as I had no way of knowing Bailey would, or even could, place a tracker on my necklace, but I can’t shake it all the same. It’s eating away at me like rust. Breaking through my walls, and leaving me restless.
“Why don’t you come sit down, Lorelei. Daruk will call us if he needs anything, and he has Kendric with him. Everything will be fine,” Arius says, watching me make what may be the hundredth pass in front of him, and with great reluctance, I oblige.
“I’m just worried about her. Are you sure we can’t call? Just to make sure everything is all right?” I ask, looking at him with wide eyes.
Sighing, he scoots closer to where I now sit on the couch and takes my hand. So distressed, I thread my fingers through his without thinking. I tense up for a second when I realize what I’ve done, but his warm hand in mine is helping to settle my nerves just a bit, so I don’t pull it away.
“If we call, they will come back here to make sure you’re okay. We don’t want to do that if they’re busy. With Bailey still out there, they need to stay focused, and if they think something is wrong with you, that focus will be divided. How about we watch a movie instead? I bet they’ll be back before it’s even over.”
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