by CK Dawn
Heartbeat. It was the old Siren’s heartbeat. It didn’t throb as powerfully as she assumed. And the formidable Jed Lam was sweating. Did he fear her? He was resisting her invasion.
She expected that. Jed would never go down without fight, but his panic was surprising. Still, Lucienne wasn’t moved. She marched on, fueled by pain and fury and her determination to know the truth.
Jed’s face distorted.
“I’m the Siren with ancient technology inside me. You can’t fight me anymore. No one can.” Standing before Jed’s stone walls, Lucienne raised her iron fists and pounded on the wall, again and again, until she smashed the barricade.
Lucienne stepped through the break and over the debris. She tramped inside the main frame of Jed’s complex mind, as a conqueror, searching for dark secrets, sorting out lies, and—
The first thing she saw made her draw a shaky breath. Jed had known of her plan to go to Tibet all along. He had spread the word that he found the relic site for one of the missing scrolls. By bringing his team to the ancient Egyptian temple, he misdirected Lucienne’s enemies, causing them to cease-fire and give his granddaughter the opening she needed to escape.
He was always true to her, to the very end.
Her rage, which felt so righteous seconds ago, ebbed from her, leaving a deep void. Suddenly a burning candle ahead caught her attention. It was coming to an end; its flame would extinguish soon. Blackness was swallowing her. No, it was swallowing Jed. A sickening realization hit her. “No, Jed, no!”
Shutting her eyes in remorse, Lucienne freed Jed’s mind. “I’m so sorry, Grandfather.” She gazed down at Jed in his bed in grief. “I hurt you. I lost control.”
“The force is in you, Lucienne.” Jed looked very tired. His skin was gray now. “You’re the strongest among us, except for the first Siren. But you’re more ruthless than any other, and most dangerous—you need to learn to rein yourself in.”
“I’m learning.” Tears of sorrow dropped from her eyes. “I didn’t know my mind could burn your energy like that.”
“Practice shielding. Cover your bases first. I’m only a frail, old man, but one day, you will face a formidable enemy.”
Tears streamed down Lucienne’s face. “The Tibet trip . . . I was spared, but you—”
“That wasn’t meant for you to see.” Jed sighed. “But there’s something you didn’t see. The part of the prophecy about you,” he suddenly coughed violently, “about you—it was a double-edged blade—to avoid the catastrophe—you must—”
“Shush, easy, Grandpa,” Lucienne said. She needed to preserve her grandfather’s last flicker. “Tell me all about it when you feel better. Right now, you need rest.”
“—destruction—” Jed coughed more, and then gagged.
The lines on the monitor jumped erratically.
“Grandpa!” Lucienne screamed. “Nurse!!”
Two nurses hurried in, followed by Dr. Wren.
“Help him! He can’t breathe!”
“Get out, Miss Lam,” the doctor ordered.
“No,” Lucienne said. “I stay here with him.”
The lines on the monitor went completely flat.
Jed Lam, the Siren, ceased to breathe altogether.
The moon hung above. The common willow’s long, graceful leaves swayed in the breeze. The Siren before Jed had imported this Yangliu tree and dozens more like it from Suzhou, a city in southern China. They blanketed the banks of the Yangliu Lake on the south side of the Red Mansion.
Dressed in black, Lucienne wandered under the trees, gazing at a falling leaf floating through the moon’s reflection upon the water. She raised her head to look back at the Red Mansion. The immortal Siren still rode the phoenix, but Siren Jed Lam was gone forever, leaving her the only resident in the immense mansion, surrounded by enemies.
She plunked a willow leaf from a branch that swung over her face, pondering on Jed’s unfinished words, “—the prophecy about you—destruction—” She would never know what last secret he held or what destruction lay ahead.
The wind brought the familiar scents of a young male and of a wild river in hot summer. Lucienne whirled around. A man in denim jeans and a dark wool pullover sauntered toward her, a jacquard skull hat lowered to his eyebrows. He was unarmed, except of a disarming half-smile. Lucienne studied him as he approached, unable to look away.
Vladimir held her gaze, his eyes glowing with pining, as if he needed to etch every feature of her face in his mind before leaving her for good. Lucienne felt her heart constrict painfully. After tonight, she’d never see him again. She evened her breath and managed a polished smile. “Hey, there.”
“I thought it’d be easier to track you down in your home base,” Vladimir said.
“I thought instead of tracking me you’d have been on the first plane back to Prague.”
“Without a proper goodbye?”
“Should I throw you a party?”
“Never expected one.”
“Good, because the parties will have to wait until the mourning period for my grandfather is over.”
“How long will it be?”
“Very long. I loved him dearly.”
“I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
Lucienne’s eyes went wide, her tightened heart now fluttering like wings. “You’re going to stay?”
The half-smile left Vladimir’s face as a gray cloud descended over his eyes, swallowing the light. “Can’t take a little challenge?” he asked. “I guess you just can’t wait to get rid of me.”
“Any man with an ounce of sense would run as fast as he could after what I did to you.”
“It’s not your fault. Besides, I’m not just any man. I was born to walk on the wild side.”
“Blazek, this isn’t a wild side—this is a hopeless side.”
“But do you want me?” he asked. “That’s all I want to know.”
“You know what I want.”
“Lucia.” He moved closer to her.
Her reason demanded she step back, but her body refused to move an inch, wanting Vladimir closer, wanting his heat in this chilly winter evening.
“Exquisite,” he whispered, his warm hand gently tracing her cheek. “My miláček.”
Miláček meant sweetheart in Czech. Exquisite or not, Lucienne flinched, expecting her skin to scorch him, bracing for him to run away or collapse. She whimpered in relief when her face didn’t singe him. Hesitatingly, she pressed her hand against his. Her touch was warm, but didn’t burn him.
“See, it’s safe.” Vladimir laughed softly. His fingers folded against hers and inched toward her lips.
“No, Vlad.”
“Shush, trust me. It’ll be okay.”
Lucienne held still. Her lips parted, until they held the bent knuckle of Vladimir’s ring finger between them. Her gaze locked on Vladimir’s.
“Kiss me.” Vladimir’s voice was hypnotic.
Lucienne folded her full lips around Vladimir’s ring finger. At first, it was tender, like a hummingbird’s first taste of nectar, before turning to wild passion, the tip of her tongue joining the feast.
Vladimir closed his eyes and moaned. When he opened them, they blazed with a liquid fire of gold and green. He disengaged his hand reluctantly from Lucienne’s lips.
Lucienne froze as Vladimir tilted her chin and leaned down to kiss her.
She wanted that kiss more than the world. Her unfulfilled thirst demanded to be satisfied, not to be quenched. Vladimir’s curvy lips were an inch, then half an inch from hers.
Icy air coursed through her head. Instinctively, Lucienne cried, “No!” Her hands shot out, slamming against Vladimir’s hard chest. The Czech prince staggered back, confused. The dreaming tenderness in his eyes shattered like broken glass.
“We can’t kiss,” Lucienne said. “The DNA in my saliva will cause harm to you . . . to any man, because,” she swallowed—she wouldn’t tell another soul about this, but she wanted Vladimir to know—“because I’m the first female Siren. I was ma
rked the night I became the Siren. My grandfather believed it did something to me. It’s fighting to keep me a virgin. I’ll probably die one. I’ll never intimately know a man. Never. Not you; not anyone.”
Vladimir was unreadable for a few seconds. “And passionate kissing leads to sex,” he said, “so it draws a line for safe keeping.”
“Yes,” Lucienne said, her ears burning, and her heart sinking into the icy water. It was over now. She had given him the closure he needed so he could move on. He’d start a fabulous new life, while she would be left alone in the cold. She should feel happy for him, but why did her body feel like the dead?
“You trust me enough to let me know the truth,” he said.
“You earned it. Kian will arrange a jet for you. It’ll take you any place you want to go, far from me.” She started heading toward the Red Mansion. “Live well, Vladimir.” She quickened her pace. Any minute, she’d melt down.
Vladimir caught up with her. He grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What if I tell you the place I want to be is where you are?”
“Then you’re out of your mind. I know your reputation. You live for sensual satisfaction, but pleasure is the one thing I can’t give you.”
“I know my reputation is debatable, but that was before I met you. I vowed that as long as you walk the earth, I can’t and won’t be with another.” His eyes gleamed warm light. “You can’t be with a man, and I won’t be with other girls. We’re a match made in heaven.”
Lucienne stared at Vladimir. “Don’t sacrifice for me. I’m not that desperate.”
“But I am. I’d never been in love until I met you,” Vladimir said. “Do you know where I should go to file a complaint against Cupid?”
“Yes.” Lucienne’s voice turned deep and sweet. “My curse will be lifted after we locate Eterne.”
“Eterne, like eternal?”
“There’s no term that can precisely describe this realm. The ancients called it different names, like New Elysium.”
“The Elysium where the ancient Greeks believed immortals and heroes dwelled?”
“The realm is beyond Elysium. We’ll only learn about Eterne after we enter it or have the third scroll, which is still beyond our reach.”
Vladimir’s eyes sparkled with hope. “Let’s go find them all tomorrow.”
“I expected you to ridicule me.”
“After all we’ve been through together? I’d believe you if you told me hell exists.”
“Does it?” Lucienne asked.
Vladimir flashed a white smile, and Lucienne’s breath hitched. “It might take a decade to locate the quantum plane. We might never find it.”
“Even so, I’m with you until the end, Lucienne Lam.” Vladimir said. “I’ll go with you to the ends of the Earth, even to a quantum hell.”
He might just do that. She had seen him jump into the abyss after her. Lucienne placed her palm against Vladimir’s face. “We’ll be together one day. That’s my promise to you.”
Vladimir held her palm, guided it toward his lips, and kissed it. Over Lucienne’s alarmed look, he chuckled. “I have great self-control. I’m only worried about you, miláček. I’m aware I’m impossible to resist.”
“You’re incorrigible,” Lucienne said.
Their fingers intertwined, Vladimir and Lucienne walked along the bank lined by the willows. The breeze whispered a poem to the moon’s reflection on the lake. The night might look serene and poetic, but Lucienne knew she and Vladimir were being closely watched. Her warriors had arrived from Sphinxes and camouflaged themselves. Kian even placed snipers on the rooftops.
“How are you holding up?” Vladimir turned to Lucienne with a concerned look, noticing her disquiet.
Lucienne inhaled sharply. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Come here.” Vladimir led her to a wooden bench under a willow tree and sat her on his lap, his arm against the small of her back.
Lucienne clung to Vladimir, sobbing. “Jed took the bullet that was meant for me, and I killed him.” All the memories of Jed flooded back. If she hadn’t invaded Jed’s mind by a brutal force, her grandfather would still be alive. She hated herself—the ruthless Siren! Did Vladimir know how lethal she could be? He had only the taste of her toxic kiss, but she knew she could be much worse.
She let her tears flow freely and left a smudge of dark mascara on his collar, and Vladimir rubbed his warm cheek against her silky hair.
Seven
ONE YEAR LATER
THE ISLAND OF SPHINXES
Toned legs picked up speed, running through a flock of seabirds on the white beach. The birds scattered, as if they knew not to get in Lucienne Lam’s way on this sunny day when the azure sky bent to listen to the symphony of the ocean waves.
She was six feet tall and as regal as a queen. As the seagulls glided toward the heavens, their wings brushed the girl’s lustrous hair. Lucienne laughed.
She had just come back to Sphinxes—her headquarters on an unmarked island in the Pacific Ocean—after overseeing covert operations in Europe and Asia. Kian McQuillen and his team stayed behind to check the rest of the stations in the U.S.
An encrypted phone—Eidolon—vibrated on her belt. Sphinxes had been equipped with private encrypted satellite uplinks and an inaccessible underground network. Lucienne clicked on Eidolon and read the message: “A signal came.”
“You’d better be right this time.” Lucienne turned on her heels, springing toward a stone castle that leaned against the eastern sky in the distance. When her ancestor bought the island centuries ago, the Scottish style castle was already built. Lucienne and Kian had upgraded it to suit their needs.
Lucienne’s white jeep sped toward the castle. Two heavily armed soldiers guarded the entrance of the gate, while a dozen other soldiers patrolled the perimeter of the castle. Despite this, Kian had wired the fortified island with cameras.
Smiling, Lucienne threw her keys to one of the saluting soldiers and ordered him to park the jeep. She ran into the castle in her white jogging outfit. Across the ward, several commandos kept watch as a handful of engineers and technicians sat around wooden tables outside the café, drinking their coffee.
Lucienne entered the west wing. The important labs were all set underground. At a private elevator, she stopped, pressing her palm on a bio-scanner. The elevator opened. Lucienne entered and hit B3.
Stepping out of the elevator, she strode down the hallway toward a steel door marked SX1. She placed her left palm inside a glass cipher box. The door slid open.
Lucienne strolled into a laboratory that was larger than a baseball field. Under artificial sunlight, the scientists—almost all of them young and proud—were monitoring readouts on broadband electromagnetic receivers, dark-matter detectors, and other quantum devices.
Excitement and nervousness were thick in the air. Lucienne darted her eyes toward Vladimir. A scar above his left brow added a dangerous allure to his masculine beauty. The scar forever reminded her of how her kiss had made him fall from the horse. Her gaze quickly moved down to his well-muscled chest under his designer black shirt.
Lucienne tore her gaze away, but not before she caught a ghost of a smile on the corner of his lips. She knew his smile was for the brilliant hacker, Ziyi Wen, and not for her. She and Vladimir were keeping their distance now, ever since that second kiss rendered the prince unconscious for two days. There couldn’t be a third. They both knew that.
Finding the Eye of Time was like chasing the moon in the lake. She had offered Vladimir a way out; he’d refused to leave her, but the golden boy laughed less these days. Over time, he had started to develop a dark, sullen expression, as if the world had done him a great wrong.
When he thought she wasn’t looking, Lucienne watched pain bleed him dry. And no one knew how much his pain affected her. She swept her gaze over her scientists and settled on Ziyi. The petite beauty’s purple-streaked hair was down to her chin with heavy bangs. Ziyi was seventeen days older than Lucienne. The girl wore a y
ellow flowery Chinese qipao and high heels. A thin gold chain clung around her slender ankle.
Lucienne’s old nanny, who had followed Lucienne to Sphinxes, had warned her, “If I were you, I would watch that foxy girl. I don’t like the way she flings her eyes at your prince.”
“Ziyi flirts with every guy,” Lucienne had answered crossly. “And Vladimir isn’t mine.”
Although Lucienne knew there was nothing between Ziyi and Vladimir, a stab of jealousy still lashed through her. Vladimir had stopped his flirtatious teasing with her after their second near-fatal kiss, saving all his jokes for others, particularly Ziyi. Lucienne quelled an acid feeling in her stomach.
“Speak, people,” she said. “You paged me.”
“We intercepted signals! I bet on one of my pinkies it’s not a false alarm this time.” Unable to contain her exhilaration, Ziyi jumped up from her seat and rushed to Lucienne’s side.
“The strongest outburst of high-energy particles ever,” another physicist confirmed.
“We wouldn’t release the lightning in the bottle until you got here,” Vladimir said. He had finally given up ignoring her and left his post beside a copy of the ancient map they had taken from the monastery the year before. The map marked a civilization surrounded by a ring of mountains. The Dragonfly satellite failed to find a match since the map was made before the continents moved. Vladimir had been obsessed with the map ever since Lucienne told him that her curse was tied to finding Eterne.
“Play it, Ziyi,” Vladimir ordered and moved to Lucienne’s other side. His shoulder almost brushed hers. His body heat passed onto her, and his scent entered her space. Lucienne forced herself to step aside casually.
Ziyi clicked a remote control.
On a wall-mounted screen, a cluster of dark dots fired like lava out of a three-dimensional black hole.
“Make sure there’s no breach.” Lucienne studied the running dots. “I don’t want anyone outside the Sphinxes getting wind of this.”
“Already checked,” Vladimir said. “As soon as the particle outburst happened, we jammed the signal from the source.”