by Kyra Quinn
“They turn the strongest ones into demons,” Aster said. “The ones Zanox creates from shadows are often too strong to control. Corrupted human souls make the perfect foot soldiers.”
My jaw tightened. “So, what happens if we do this and we go after the scythe?”
“Who knows?” Viktor shrugged. “I’ve heard hundreds of stories about people failing to escape the Shadowrealm. I’ve never heard one about a person trying to sneak in. I’m not even sure if it can be done.”
“Don’t be daft.” Aster rolled her eyes. “I assumed you’d realize by now that anything is possible if you want it enough to sacrifice for it. I would need time to locate the right spell, but we could accomplish it.”
“And the escape? What do we need to do to ensure we have an exit strategy?”
“We can’t rely on magic to solve everything,” Viktor added. “There’s a strong possibility your powers won’t work the same in a different world.”
“Do you hear yourselves?” Remiel scoffed. “I cannot believe anyone is entertaining this. There is a reason no one goes into the Shadowrealm. All who lay eyes on the Dark Mother‘s face are cursed to madness.”
I laughed, the sound empty of humor. “From what I can tell, there’s already enough madness in this room to fill an asylum. I don’t see how it could get much worse.”
“Give me time to consult my sources,” Aster said, the gears in her mind already hard at work on a solution. “I already checked the book downstairs. There is no spell to open a portal to the Shadowrealm. I must see if any of the older mages might know anything.”
Viktor’s words still gnawed at my stomach. To the rest of the room, I hardly counted as a person. I was a mess on their hands to clean up, a problem to solve to ensure the safety of the universe. My opinions and feelings didn’t matter to them. As soon as Osius yanked the evil from my soul, we’d return to strangers, our time together never spoken of again.
And what about Aster and Viktor? My chest tightened. Their rocky start aside, Aster and Viktor hit it off better than anyone anticipated. Would her place in his life last beyond our adventure? And why did I care so much if it did?
“I think I’ll take a walk.” I sprang to my feet. “Fresh air will help me think.”
Aster frowned but didn’t argue. “Stay close. This is my first time attempting a spell of this magnitude. If things don’t go well, we’ll need your help to fight Osius.”
I forced a smile and swallowed back my bitterness. “Sure thing. I’ll be back soon.”
I didn’t tell the others I had no plans to leave the house. Instead, I shuffled down the stairs and back towards the captive deity with my head bowed between slumped shoulders. If my birth caused a ripple of problems for the universe, it seemed only right I try to solve them on my own.
Osius fixed me with an eager look as if he’d been expecting me. “The camphelem,” he said, his voice equal parts disgusted and intrigued. “Where are your friends?”
“Nearby.” I took a step closer, lifting my gaze to meet the fire in his eyes. “I wanted to speak with you alone.”
“A bold gamble.” Osius rubbed his chin. “How peculiar. Speak your piece, girl.”
“I don’t want to lose half my soul and become an angel,” I said, my voice breathy. “I’ve met enough to know I’m not a fan. Take these stupid wings back, and the powers and extraneous nonsense that came with them. Take all of it. I was happier before I learned about the Feyfolk.”
Osius cocked his head and studied me. “What is it you ask of me, child?”
“My old life back. I don’t want to be a part of this madness anymore. I want to be a normal girl who studies hard and tests into a good position in Faomere. Maybe even get married and have a couple kids someday.”
“Yet here you are,” Osius mused. “Some would call that fate.”
“I don’t want this. I never asked for the fate of the universe to be on my shoulders. There’s no happiness at the end of this journey for me, even if we’re successful.”
“It sounds like you’ve given this a great deal of thought.” Osius cocked his head. “But what you ask is impossible. They may have hidden you among the humans at birth, but you share none of their genetic makeup. There isn’t a drop of passive blood in your veins, child. The sooner you learn to embrace who and what you are, the sooner you’ll find the happiness you seek.”
I clenched my jaw. I wanted to reject his advice as hokey motivational nonsense, the pep a parent might give their child the morning before an exam. I hadn’t asked for guidance on finding happiness as I was; I wanted help in reclaiming the girl I used to be.
But I never was that girl. It had all been a lie. The knots in my stomach twisted and tightened. I had no choice but to see Osius’s point. I hadn’t woken up a camphelem the day of my birthday. The strange blend of power had been with me since birth, even if I didn’t understand how to activate it.
I swallowed and wiped my sweaty palms down the front of my shirt. “What will happen after you remove the demon part of my soul?”
“Time will tell. You’ll be a different person, but not even I can say if you’ll be a better one.”
I shuffled out of the altar room and back up the stairs, my heart heavy. The answers I craved felt more elusive than ever before. The closer we came to accomplishing our impossible mission, the more anxiety bubbled in my stomach. Who would I be when our quest ended? What if I didn’t recognize her in the mirror? Worse yet, what if I didn’t like her?
* * *
Aster was gone when I returned to the bedroom. Remiel and Viktor sat on opposite sides of the room, the tension between them an invisible guest. Remiel didn’t have to say a word for me to sense his dark mood and disapproval.
“Miss Lili,” Viktor said when he spotted me in the doorway. My stomach fluttered at the sound of my name on his lips. “I thought you’d flown the nest by now.”
I laughed, the sound high-pitched and nervous. “No, I still haven’t figured out how the wings work yet. Have had little opportunity to practice.”
“Damn shame.” He shook his head and sighed. “Those could come in handy in a fight.”
“Where is the mage?” Remiel asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
Aster’s forehead wrinkled as she slipped into the room at the mention of her name. I blinked but didn’t bother to ask where she’d come from. She smiled and said, “I set up a meeting with a contact who knows damn near everyone in Carramar. If anyone can tell us who to talk to, it’s her.”
“Where are we meeting her?” Remiel scowled.
“Not we, angel. Someone has to stay here and watch over our new friend.” Aster’s eyes flickered towards the floor. Osius remained captured below our feet. “I’ll take Lili with me since she’s the least experienced fighter. You and Viktor will stay and guard god of the grumpy.”
I wanted to be offended by her justification, but I couldn’t. A small but vocal part of me couldn’t help but feel grateful she’d chosen to take me over Viktor. The last thing the two of them needed was more time alone together.
“Unacceptable. Allow Viktor to accompany you, he has more skill in combat. Miss Lili can remain here with me and our guest.”
Aster shook her head. “I have no use for Viktor’s talents on this mission. I don’t anticipate getting bloody.”
“No one ever does. Where are you taking her? How can we trust it’s safe?”
“How safe are we with an enraged god a few feet below us?” Aster smirked. “Learn to trust me. She will be fine. She might even enjoy herself.”
I blinked. “What?”
Aster’s face split into a grin. She sashayed over and ran her fingers through my hair, her stare predatory. “Tell me, darling, have you ever been to a gentlemen’s club?”
“You can’t be serious.” Remiel scoffed. “You’re taking her to a burlesque show?”
Aster’s grin only stretched. “Where do you think the best sirens make their money? The pay for parlor singers a
nd private musicians is chicken feed next to what they make in clubs each year.”
“Take Viktor instead. Lili still has no protective wards on her, and you said yourself she’s useless in a fight.”
“Hey! You didn’t call me useless when I saved your ass,” I snapped.
“If I walk in with a man it sets a different vibe. I chose Lili for a reason,” Aster said. “Sirens communicate more openly with other women. Men are too easy to use for a snack.”
“Her powers wouldn’t work on me.” Viktor huffed. “I’m not some weak-willed human.”
“And she is not some fresh out of the water fish.”
“Enough!” I stomped my foot against the ground, indifferent to what Osius might think. “None of this is productive. We’re wasting valuable time on fights we won’t remember when this is over. There will always be an excuse on why we shouldn’t do something. But I’m tired of looking at the why nots. It’s time to embrace the possibilities.”
“Lili is right,” Viktor said. “The trap holding Osius will wear off at some point. We need to move.”
Remiel’s brow furrowed as he hissed through clenched teeth, “Fine. Fine, we shall play it your way, ladies. If this plan fails, it is on your heads.”
Aster flashed him a charming smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Come, Lili. Let’s go find a little fun before the world ends.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Song of the Siren
By the time we reached the burlesque club, I would have been more than happy for the world to end if it meant I didn’t have to walk any further. We trekked down streets so dark I had to squint to see a short distance ahead. A thick fog hung over the city. The inside of my boots rubbed against the open blisters on my feet. Each step stung like a march across glass. By the time we reached the small brick theater to the south of center city, all I wanted was a place to sit down and a cold glass of water.
“We’re close. I can sense it.” Aster’s face lit up as her petite body vibrated with anticipation. “With any luck, this will all be over by next week.”
“And then what?” I winced the moment the words left my mouth. It was a foolish question, the last thing I needed to worry about with our odds of survival still up in the air. I fumbled in a desperate attempt to save myself. But the hole my tongue dug only grew. “You and Viktor are getting close.”
Aster’s eyes widened. “I suppose. He’s a strong fighter. A man I would want to have my back in battle.”
“Is that all it is?”
Aster laughed. “Is that why you have been so weird today? You think there’s something going on between me and the shifter? Shadows, no. I am no more attracted to him than any other man.”
“Oh.”
My cheeks blistered with heat. Aster had to think less of me for asking. Who she had an attraction to was none of my concern. I ran a hand through my hair as I chewed my lip, Morrigan’s face in my mind. If I’d bothered to look past my own insecurities for once, the answers stood right in front of me.
“There she is.” Aster froze in front of a boxy building with curtains drawn. Pride flickered in her eyes as she gazed at the building as if it were a long lost loved one. “Lorem Domina. They have the best talent in Astryae. I’ve never seen more beautiful women in person, and I have seen a lot of naked girls.” She hummed a noise of contentment. “Feels like home.”
I nodded, but I did not understand what Aster meant. I’d heard some of Father’s friends discuss the burlesque show as a girl, but always in hushed voices behind closed doors. To see Aster gaze at the brick structure with such wistful pride seemed wrong.
“Come, the show is about to start. We wouldn’t want to miss anything.” Aster grabbed me by the wrist and drug me through the glass doors and into the lobby of the theater.
We’d missed the line for the tickets, much of the crowd already packed inside the cozy theater. We found two of the last seats available near the back and slipped in as quietly as we could manage. My eyes flickered around the theater full of hungry wolves in men’s clothing. Piano music filled the room with a haunting melody. Sleek red curtains hung above the dark stage. People around us spoke in hushed whispers as they licked their lips in anticipation.
“The woman we’ve come to see will be one of the last acts,” Aster said as I wiggled in my chair. “They put the human girls on first to warm up the crowd, so the audience is primed by the time Cirisa takes the stage.”
Great. This gets better and better. Stale pipe smoke and body odor perfumed the air. None of the faces in the room stood out as familiar, but that didn’t ease my discomfort. The absurdity of the situation didn‘t escape my notice. I could only imagine what Osius would say if he realized our quest for moral absolution led us to a peepshow.
Women of all shapes and backgrounds took the stage one by one, each act more tantalizing than the last. By the halfway point in the show, I understood why so many men enjoyed the taboo luxury. I found myself mesmerized by the circles the dancers made with their hips. I gripped the edge of my seat as they twirled circles around the stage, my body warm despite the minimal clothing.
The lights dropped without warning. A small gasp escaped my lips. No one else in the theater appeared concerned. The patrons perked up and stared at the stage like ravenous wolves, their eyes frantic in search of their next meal.
“And now,” a deep voice boomed off-stage somewhere, “the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The one, the only, the lascivious Cirisa!”
Streams of fire exploded on either side of the stage. The audience gasped as a dim light bathed the main attraction. A woman sat perched on a thin silver hoop inside a life-size birdcage, her bare legs long and toned. The music changed to a soft, eerie tune as we waited for the woman to move. Thick waves of copper hid her face, her posture stiff.
Cirisa’s head jerked up, her sharp violet eyes locked onto the room. The music’s tempo increased as Cirisa flipped her body through the ring. She arched as she rolled backwards, her legs hooked within the loop. Her index finger traced a sensual line up her torso and neck as the hoop spun in a slow circle. When the ring completed its rotation Cirisa released her legs and dropped onto the floor.
It was obvious even to a first-timer like me who the star of the show was. The floor-length gown on Cirisa’s tall, curvaceous body had to be worth almost as much as Father’s house. Long white gloves covered her hands up to her elbows, her platform heels encrusted with gems. Moonstone earrings dangled down towards her long neck. I bit back an immature giggle. Who spent such an exorbitant amount on clothes they intended to toss on the floor?
But the moment Cirisa stepped out of the brass birdcage and onto the stage, I understood why the audience favored her. As her hips swayed to the music, all my criticisms melted away. She tilted her head back and ran her hands down the front of her curvaceous body. My eyes followed her every movement as if she’d bewitched them into obedience, the urge to blink or glance around done. Cirisa froze and gave a predatory grin. She had us right where she wanted us.
I hadn’t thought to ask Aster about safety concerns. As Cirisa slid her gown down her shoulders and to the floor, I said a silent prayer Aster knew what she’d gotten us into. Why couldn’t I pull my eyes away? Was this what Aster meant about how the siren fed?
“Isn’t she perfect?” Aster asked.
‘Perfect’ wouldn’t have been my word of choice. But I was too engrossed in the scene to formulate a response beyond a simple nod. The more Cirisa danced, the warmer my body grew. I wanted to touch her, to see if her skin felt as soft as it appeared. It didn’t seem possible she was real.
Even after her act ended and the audience erupted into a thunder of applause, I remained in a daze. Aster rose to her feet as she whistled and cheered. My hands pressed together in front of me, the motion automated. I tried to blink the stars from my eyes as I rose to my feet on weak knees.
Aster giggled when she caught sight of my stumble. “That will wear off.” She looped her ar
m through mine. “The high, I mean. The more a siren feeds off you, the number to it your body becomes.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, my speech slurred. “All she did was dance. Did she hypnotize me and suck my blood or something?”
The thought sent a chill down my spine. My hand flew to the side of my neck, but the skin felt smooth to the touch. Aster’s chuckle turned into a snort as she carried me out into the lobby.
“Different Feyfolk feed on different sources. Sort of like how humans vary in culinary preferences depending on their location. Some feed on blood, but sirens don’t enjoy fluids. They feed on admiration to keep their legs and stay on dry land.”
“Aster Morelli? Is that you?”
Cirisa stood behind us, her full lips parted into a smile. A thick accent I couldn’t quite place laced her words, her voice like bells despite her broken speech. She yanked Aster away from me and wrapped her in an embrace. I leaned against the wall and bowed my head towards my chest. Gods. It hurt to admit, but she was even more beautiful close-up and fully dressed.
“I’ve missed you too.” Aster pressed a small kiss to the siren’s cheek. I suppressed a smirk. The more time I spent with Aster, the easier it became to understand why everyone loved her.
“You should have told me you come,” she said as she released her grip. “I save you front row seats!”
“It was a last-minute decision,” Aster confessed, coy. “I needed to ask a favor of you, and I suspected you might still work here.”
Her smile dropped, likely a woman familiar with Aster’s complicated favors and their dubious outcomes. “Is there trouble?”
“Not yet. Cirisa, you’ve rubbed elbows with everyone worth knowing in Carramar. This may sound crazy, but have you met any demons of influence?”
Cirisa’s face darkened. “Why? Aster, if you’re involved in necromancy again—”
“It’s nothing like that.” Aster laid a gentle hand on her arm. “I need a favor only they can help me with.”
The wrinkles of worry didn’t leave Cirisa’s face, but she sighed in resignation. “Only lower-ranking demons frequent the club. The only one of status I know is the Marquise.”