“How did he die?”
“The Sorceress killed him, my king.”
“Very well.” Leay shifted in his seat.
“What is our next step?”
“Come with me, Plews, let me tell you of what you’ve missed.”
The new king stood and stretched golden wings. Leay’s muscles tensed, and the old war general made his way down the steps toward Plews. Their old king had spent decades on the throne, and it had softened him, but Leay was just as deadly as he’d been the day he’d come back from the war on the southern part of their world.
Following his new king out onto the patio, Plews was careful not to make a lot of noise or give away the fact he was nervous. His race was an untrusting one, and if Leay had any reason to believe he wasn’t honest, Plews could end up just like Kleave.
The thought made him shiver.
“You wish to know of King Ponty?”
“Only if you wish to tell me, King Leay.” Plews bowed his head. “I serve only you.”
Leay smiled. “That is good to hear, Plews. There is Ponty, if you wish to see him.”
Plews looked in the direction Leay pointed and swallowed a gasp. Ponty was in a golden cage, wingless and dead, his body having been left out in the sun. The once regal king was now dried to a tan husk.
“He refused our new leader,” Leay told him. “Coward that he was, he wanted to do nothing but bathe himself in gold while eating fruit and bedding females.”
“Coward,” Plews murmured, although, truthfully, he wasn’t sure what was so wrong about that.
“Our new leader came to us, and she is all that we need,” Leay sang. “A true beauty, ruthless as she is.”
“Who is our new leader?” Plews asked, curious about what creature would bring such a reaction out of Leay.
His new king turned to face Plews, a smile on his face. “We serve the Siren now, and she has big plans.”
6
Seattle
Dakota
Dakota’s lungs burned as he swam hard to reach the surface above. The water enveloped him, and each time he got closer to the surface, the levels rose, pushing him further from his goal.
He had to get out of the water, away from the icy depths that threatened to claim him below. Ana was waiting for him, waiting to start a family with him, and if he didn’t return to her, that future would never be a possibility for them.
New hope surging in his chest, Dakota pushed harder, and his fingertips very nearly broke the surface. But just as he reached his goal, icy fingers wrapped around his ankle and dragged him back down.
He wanted to cry, to scream, as the surface faded further and further from him.
Dakota kicked, trying to free himself from the hold, but it only tightened and continued pulling him down.
Just as his vision began to fade, something approached from a distance. Dakota squinted… could it be? Had Ana found a way to get to him?
“Ana!” he tried to scream, but only bubbles came out.
The woman got closer, and it was not Ana. The beautiful brunette smiled brightly at him and reached for his hand.
He took it, mesmerized by her, and she pulled him out of the grasp of whatever was dragging him further down into the depths.
“It will be all right, my love,” she said easily, as if there wasn’t water surrounding them. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, and Dakota’s lungs ceased burning as she pulled away.
“What the hell?” he murmured. His eyes widened at the sound of his voice underwater.
“I have saved you.” She beamed. “Now, we can be together.”
“I love Ana.”
The woman’s mouth fell open, and her brows crept down over her bright eyes as her face slowly contorted into a mask of rage. “She does not deserve you,” she growled.
Gone were the soft features, replaced with razor-sharp teeth and glowing eyes. Her mouth opened impossibly large, and she screamed at him. He covered his ears for fear they would rupture.
Dakota turned and kicked, trying to swim away from her, but just as he was about to reach the surface, she slid her icy fingers around his ankle and yanked him back down below.
Dakota sat up in bed, his body coated in sweat. Ana still slept soundly beside him, and there was no one else in sight.
Great, I’m a grown ass man dreaming about mermaids. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and rubbed gently, trying to get the image of her out of his mind. The nightmares had been coming in waves for the last two months, and each dream was always the same.
A woman saved him from drowning, and he tried to pull away from her, which apparently pissed her the hell off.
At first, dreaming of another woman—half fish or not—had weighed him down with guilt. It still did at times, but it wasn’t attraction he felt toward her. Honestly, she scared the hell out of him, and he wanted nothing more than to get as far away from these dreams as quickly as possible.
Dakota leaned back against the pillow and rolled to his side to face Ana.
Nothing but a silent cry for a family, he assured himself. After all, what the hell else could it mean? He was perfectly happy with Ana. She was his everything, and life without her in it didn’t make sense.
Desperate to feel her, he ran his hand up her bare back. She arched into his touch, and he leaned down to press a kiss to her spine. Her steady breathing eased the last of the nightmare from his mind and calmed his nerves.
He hadn’t brought the nightmares up with his wife, knowing she would only panic and search for a root cause when there wasn’t one. Personally, Dakota didn’t believe war was going to return to them. Vincent had been the threat, and they’d eliminated him.
Besides, with as powerful as Ana was now, he doubted there was anyone willing to stand up against her.
Soon, they would be done traveling, and Ana would have no excuse not to start a family. They would raise kids and live the rest of their lives in peace. Hadn’t they earned that by now?
Dakota eased from bed and groaned when he stepped onto the ground. Why the hell does my ankle hurt? In the darkness, he wasn’t able to see much, so he slipped into a pair of sweats before heading downstairs. As he walked, he avoided the steps that would creak, something he’d been doing ever since he was a kid.
Once in the light of the kitchen, he lifted the leg of his sweatpants up.
“What the fuck?”
Stripes of angry purple bruising encircled his ankle, right where the woman grabbed him in his dream. He reached down and touched it gently. Had the blanket been wrapped around it?
“Ow!” It was tender to the touch, and Dakota looked away for a moment, wondering if somehow he’d imagined it, maybe a remnant from his nightmare.
Looking back down, it was still there and already turning a nasty shade of purple. “That’s super awesome,” he muttered.
Maybe it was time to tell Ana.
“Hello, my love,” a woman said behind him, her voice soft and calm. He spun around, and a shadowed figure stood in the doorway to the dark living room.
“Ana?” he asked, already knowing it wasn’t her.
She stepped into the light, and Dakota stumbled back. Had his thoughts somehow brought his nightmare to life? Or was he still asleep?
“No, my love. It is me.” She cocked her head to the side in an unnatural way, and Dakota opened the silverware drawer and pulled out a knife.
Pulse quickening, Dakota stared at the woman across from him. “Who the hell are you?”
“Do you not recognize me?” Another step toward him.
She was wet, as if plucked straight from the sea, and nude except for long hair that covered her breasts.
Dakota swallowed hard. “You aren’t real,” he whispered, backing into the counter behind him.
She grinned. “Oh, but I am.” Impossibly green eyes shimmered like emeralds beneath thick lashes. “You will find out soon enough. We are meant to be; he has promised me.”
“Who has prom
ised?”Dakota’s heart thudded in his chest, am I still dreaming?
She smiled and stepped close enough to trail a cold finger down his bare chest, and he shivered.
“I can feel your want,” she said softly, looking up through thick lashes.
“I don’t want you.”
“No?” Her tone said she didn’t believe him, but it was the truth. The only woman he’d ever wanted was sleeping soundly upstairs, and that’s how it was going to stay.
“No,” he responded firmly. He gripped her wrist to stop the finger at his waist from going where it had no business being. “Now, tell me, who the hell are you?”
Lifting onto her toes, she leaned forward until their mouths were a breath apart. “You will see.”
The light came on over the stairs, and she disappeared into a puddle of water. “What the fuck just happened?” Dakota ran a hand over his eyes. Pinching his arm, Dakota was prepared to not feel anything, so when the sting of pain radiated from the action, he simply stared down at it.
“Dakota?” Ana’s familiar voice did nothing to warm the chill in his bones.
He cleared his throat and dropped his arm. “In here.”
She stepped into the kitchen and flipped on the light. “Everything okay?”
Dakota nodded. “Just a bad dream.”
“Want to talk about it?”
He offered her a smiled and shook his head. “Upstairs.”
Humor vanished from her face, and she narrowed her eyes. “What is it, Dakota?”
“Let’s talk upstairs.”
“Okay,” she agreed with some hesitation.
“I just wanted a drink.” He reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. “I’m happy to share, if you’re thirsty.”
“Sounds good.” She smiled, and Dakota stepped over the puddle of water still on the floor.
“So, there was a mermaid in the kitchen?” Ana questioned as they lay in bed.
He covered his face with his hands. “I knew you’d laugh.”
She leaned up on her elbow to look at him. “I’m not laughing. Just curious. How long have these nightmares been going on?”
“A couple months.”
“Why not tell me before?”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“You should have told me.”
“I know.” He rolled her over so she was on her back, then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Can you forgive me?”
“I guess. But I’m a little jealous. I can’t compete with a mermaid.”
Dakota pressed his nose against her neck and dug his fingers into her ribs, ripping a giggle out of her.
“What?” She laughed. “I’m serious.”
“And I’m serious.” He looked up at her, all joking aside. “You have nothing and no one to compete with, my sexy Sorceress.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You sure know how to sweet talk a girl.”
“Only my girl.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and pulled her over so she was sprawled on top of him.
“I bet you say that to all the mermaids, too.” She grinned against his mouth.
Dakota did what he could to push the remaining fear from his mind. They could deal with it tomorrow. Tonight, they had each other, and he had no intention of wasting it.
The phone rang, and Dakota cursed before reaching over to answer it.
“This had better be good,” he said gruffly.
“It’s Ashton.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“Gwen called. She seems to think whatever is coming for her son is there now.”
“Fuck. We’re on our way.” Dakota ended the call, and Anastasia slid off of him.
“What is it?”
“Gwen called Ashton. She believes whatever was coming for her son is there.”
7
Seattle
Anastasia
The drive to Gwen’s townhouse felt like it took forever, and the moment they pulled up, Anastasia jumped from the car. Ashton arrived the same time they did, and was climbing out of his car when the first flash of light pierced the night.
“Shit.” Ashton drew his weapon as they ran up to the front door. “Shit, it’s locked.”
“Back up,” Anastasia warned before blasting the door with power. It splintered, wood flying in all directions, and they charged inside.
“No! You can’t have him!” Gwen’s panicked scream led them upstairs, and Anastasia took them two at a time until she reached the landing, ready for a fight.
Gwen sat in front of a door, tears streaming down her pale face. There was no threat that Anastasia could see, and she felt no magic other than her own in the air.
“You can’t have him,” she whispered, curling her legs up into her chest. “He’s my baby.”
“Miss Murphy.” Ashton holstered his weapon and knelt in front of her. “There is no one here.”
She turned to look at him. “You’re wrong.”
In an instant, the scene changed. Pickries and Trepidos poured from an open door at the end of the hall. Battle exploded around them, and Anastasia blasted the nearest Pickrie with magic before grabbing her gun.
“Get them out of here!” Dakota yelled to Ashton as he spun so his back was up against Anastasia’s. “Look out!”
Anastasia dodged the clawed fist of a Trepido who’d dropped its shadow form and spun, kicking out her foot to knock it to the ground. Firing her weapon twice into the beast's face, black blood splattered her before it disappeared in thin air.
Fucking shadows.
Not wasting any time, Anastasia fired her weapon at a Pickrie reaching for the handle of the door Ashton ushered Gwen into when the fight began. It fell to the ground, golden blood spraying from the holes she’d added to it.
When the Trepidos filled the room, darkening it around them, Anastasia put her gun away and reached for her light.
Brightness erupted around them, and her body began to glow with the power she’d come to count on. The shadows were driven from the house in a matter of moments, forced to retreat or die. Then, it was only them and the floor slicked with Pickrie blood.
“What the hell just happened?” Dakota asked breathlessly.
Anastasia shook her head. ”I have no fucking clue. Why were they here?”
“Going after Vincent’s son?”
“But why?”
Dakota shrugged, and Anastasia walked over to the door the creatures had come from.
The small room, a bathroom she saw now, was empty. It was possible the portal had already disappeared, but she hadn’t seen the blue light a portal would typically cast. Strange.
“We clear?” Ashton asked as he crept from the bedroom he’d ushered Gwen into. She held a wide-eyed toddler in her arms.
Anastasia studied the child. His hair was dark, just like her uncle’s, though his features were soft and more like his mother.
Hands clenching into fists, Anastasia forced the anger back down. How could she feel so much rage against something so small? Something so seemingly innocent?
“My love. I told you I would see you soon.”
Anastasia turned to face the woman who’d spoken. Her mouth dropped open slightly, and she stared at the visual representation of the being Dakota had described just an hour before.
She was nude, her dark hair wet and slicked down to her knees. She aimed her shimmering green eyes on Anastasia’s husband, and the idea that this woman thought she was going to get her hands on him was enough to have a growl erupting from Anastasia’s lips.
The woman’s head cocked slightly to eye Anastasia. “She isn’t much, is she?” she said. “Just a baby Sorceress. You can do so much better, my love.” She stepped toward Dakota.
“Take another step, and I will put a hole through you.” Anastasia raised her gun.
The woman’s top lip drew up in a snarl. “I do not fear you, Sorceress. My love and I are meant to be.”
“You’re a little late on that, bitch. He’s taken,” Ana
stasia growled back. She shot a glance at Dakota, who was staring at the woman, almost as if he were unable to move.
“What are you doing to him?” She’d recognize magic anywhere. The steady pulsing of power radiated around them.
“Nothing he doesn’t want.” She grinned at him and took another step closer.
Anastasia fired her gun, but the bullet went right through the woman, who smiled widely at her. “You cannot hurt me.”
“Try this on.” Reaching for her magic, Anastasia let it seep into her body until she was barely leashing it. She aimed it all at the woman, and fired everything she had at her.
When the light faded, the woman remained unscathed, smiling as she watched Anastasia. “You cannot hurt me.” The woman flung her arm out, and Anastasia whipped backwards into the wall, the sheetrock crumbling from the force of the impact. Anastasia’s ears rang, and her vision swam. For a moment, she couldn’t hear anything but her own blood pounding in her ears.
What the hell just happened?
Real time sped back up, and she jumped to her feet. The little boy in Gwen’s arms began to cry, and Anastasia drew her blade.
“Go,” Anastasia ordered Ashton.
“They aren’t going anywhere.” The woman’s substance disappeared, and in her place was a watery figure. The liquid launched into Ashton, dropping him to his knees. He gripped his throat, choking on the water in his lungs.
Anastasia rushed to his side and placed her hands on his chest, trying desperately to save him.
“No! Hang on!” She poured what power she had left through his body, trying to shove the water out of him.
When he finally coughed up the remainder of the liquid, Anastasia turned to find Dakota. With his back to her, he stared at the now-empty space.
“What the hell just happened?” Ashton choked out.
“That was stupid of you.”
Anastasia’s blood iced, and she turned. Vincent stood just beside Dakota, facing her, arms crossed over his chest.
“How are you here?”
Siren Page 4