“If it comes down to it, I’ll think about it,” Gemma said finally, but she wasn’t sure if she would. “But you really don’t know a way to break the curse?”
“Not one that doesn’t end up with us all dead, yourself included. ” Thea shook her head. “And I can assure you that being a siren is better than that. ”
“I’ll try and get along with Penn and Lexi more,” Gemma allowed. “But if you know anything about breaking the curse, will you tell me?”
“Assuming it doesn’t kill me or my sisters, yeah, I will. ” Thea turned back to the stage, and her tone sounded brighter than it had a few moments ago. “We’re not leaving just yet, anyway. I know I’m definitely finishing this play. ”
“You really like acting?” Gemma asked, glad to be off the subject.
Thea laughed. “This whole curse started because we were so obsessed with performing for an audience that we weren’t doing our jobs. I don’t like it—I love it. ”
“Kate?” Tom was saying from the stage. “Kate? Katherine?”
“Oh, right, that’s me,” Thea said.
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“Would you care to join us onstage, please?” Tom asked.
She was on her feet in an instant. “Yes. I’m coming. ” As she slid past Gemma out toward the aisle, she said, “Told you I was used to being Bianca. ”
Thea went up onto the stage, apologizing for not coming sooner, and Gemma realized that Thea really did care about this part. The only time Thea had appeared even remotely happy since Gemma had met her was when she was onstage, and there was something captivating about her. Even though she was just running lines with Aiden, who usually missed his cue and fumbled his words, it was hard for Gemma to take her eyes off Thea.
In fact, she was so entranced by Thea’s performance that she didn’t notice that Penn had sat down in the row behind her. Not until Penn leaned forward on the back of the seat next to her and spoke.
“What is Daniel doing hiding way in the back while Thea hogs the stage?” Penn asked, and Gemma jumped. Penn laughed, loudly enough to cause everyone to look back at her. “Did I frighten you?”
“You know it takes more than the sound of your voice to frighten me,” Gemma said, giving her a thin smile.
“You say that, but we both know the truth, don’t we?” Penn asked and winked at her. “And you didn’t answer my question. ”
“Daniel’s building the sets. ” Gemma sat back in the seat. She’d been leaning forward as she watched Thea’s performance, but she knew Penn wouldn’t let Gemma be interested in anything other than her.
“That’s dumb. ” Penn looked genuinely disgusted by this fact and watched him as he walked across the stage, disappearing behind the curtains as he exited stage right. “He should be starring in it. He’s way better-looking than that loser up there. ”
She pointed to Aiden, who Gemma had already realized wasn’t the best actor in the world, but he was definitely hot. He had sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and a bright smile. But apparently Daniel’s unshaven look and hazel eyes appealed to Penn more.
Gemma knew that wasn’t exactly the case—it wasn’t so much about the way Daniel looked. He may have been attractive in his own right, but Penn’s interest stemmed from the fact that he was immune to her siren song. So he talked back to her, he challenged her, he formed his own opinions.
And after spending centuries being unable to have a real conversation with a guy, it was no wonder that Penn found Daniel incredibly fascinating.
“I don’t think it matters to Daniel whether he’s good-looking or not,” Gemma said. “He doesn’t like acting. He wanted to work on the sets. ”
Penn scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. I thought he was acting in this thing. I didn’t know he was just building the damn sets. I’m starting to think he’s an idiot. ”
“Because he’s good at carpentry?” Gemma asked.
“No, yesterday I offered him ten thousand dollars to build a fence around my house, but he turned me down because he was working on this play,” Penn said. “If he was acting, that makes sense. But I can’t imagine they’re paying him anything close to that. ”
“Where did you get ten thousand dollars?” Gemma asked, glancing over her shoulder. “You don’t work. ” Penn shrugged and didn’t answer her. “And that’s not even your house. That’s somebody else’s house you conned them out of. ”
“I live there now, so it’s mine,” Penn said simply.
“I don’t even know why you want to spend time with Daniel. ” Gemma turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s not that great. ”
“I don’t want to spend time with him. I’m just trying to find out what’s going on with him. That’s all. ”
“This whole siren thing has turned you into a terrible liar,” Gemma said. “You fall back on that song and your voice, so you don’t even try to be convincing anymore. ”
Penn turned to face her, glaring at her with dark eyes. “Gemma. Shut up. You’re annoying. ” She paused before leaning forward and whispering in her ear, “I’m already looking for your replacement. It’s only a matter of time before you’re dead. ”
Her heart pounded dully in her chest as Penn confirmed Gemma’s worst suspicions. A few moments ago she’d told Thea she would try to get along with Penn, but she’d already known it was futile. No amount of ass-kissing would change the fact that Penn wanted her dead and gone.
“Why are you even here?” Gemma asked, ignoring Penn’s threat.
“I’m here to pick up Thea. I dropped her off for practice, and I’m supposed to take her home. ”
“Practice doesn’t end for another half hour, and that’s assuming it doesn’t run late. ”
Penn let out a long, irritated groan. “Whatever. I’m going to wait outside for Thea. ” She stood up. “Because you’re horrible, and I kinda hate you. ”
“I know. The feeling’s mutual. ”
Once Penn was gone, Gemma sank in the seat and rubbed her forehead. Mouthing off to Penn wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it was hard to stop. Besides that, Penn would probably kill her either way, and at least right now Penn seemed too preoccupied to care that much.
That should’ve been a good thing, except that Gemma knew what was distracting her. Penn had her eyes set on Harper’s boyfriend.
FIVE
Distractions
Penn sat in the cherry-red ’67 Cadillac convertible across the street from the Paramount Theater, waiting for her sister. She’d left the top down hoping for a breeze, but it didn’t do much to battle the heat. The sun was starting to go down, and it was cooling off very slowly.
It wouldn’t be so bad if she could at least figure out how to use her iPhone. There was supposed to be some game with violent birds that was addicting, but she had enough trouble turning the damn thing on, let alone flicking poultry at pigs.
She could master the language, the slang, the fashion, even the ever-changing roles of women in society. But technology continued to baffle her. Driving a car and changing the channel were about the best she could do.
Part of that was because it all changed so quickly. It wasn’t that long ago that computers were the size of rooms, and now one fit in the palm of her hand. In her lifetime, it felt like a blink of an eye.
The rest of it was simply that she didn’t care to learn. Since the moment she’d become a siren who could enchant people to do her bidding, she’d surrounded herself with servants. As a mortal, she’d been a servant herself, working as a handmaiden for the spoiled goddess Persephone, and she’d spent that entire time vowing she’d never do anything like that again.
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So for most of her life she’d had others doing all the things for her that she didn’t want to do. In the old days, that meant literally having people to dress her and wash her hair, but then it had just become the cleaning and getting the door. In her mind, it was still the servant’s job to answer the phone.
Now everything was so convenient it didn’t make sense to have someone draw her a bath, not when she could simply turn the handle on the faucet. It was quicker and easier for her to do it herself.
Except when it came to damn phones and computers and anything of that kind. The term “tablet” only confused and irritated her more. Mankind had worked for so long to get away from writing on cumbersome tablets, only to come back to them when pen and paper were still readily available.
Fortunately, Lexi was much more technologically inclined. That was the best part of having her around. She seemed like a moron, and most of the time she was, but she could also rewire the house if she needed to.
She’d been the one who had bought Penn the iPhone. Though “procured” might be a better word, since none of the sirens had actually earned money a day in their supernatural lives. They charmed, they conned, they took what they wanted.
So far, Penn had concluded it would be more fun to throw the phone at the wall than spend another second trying to find this ridiculous bird game. She was just about to do that when she heard laughter from across the street and peered over her sunglasses to see people exiting the theater.
Gemma walked out with some boy from the play. He was cute enough in an ordinary way, but Gemma probably thought he was dreamy, and that made Penn want to gag.
The only person in the whole entire thing that Penn would even think about sleeping with would be the director, but she’d always had a thing for men in positions of power, even the smallest amount.
The director came out last, talking to Thea for a few seconds before they parted. Thea started walking across the road.
Penn had been watching the director, momentarily distracted by the dimple he had on one cheek when he smiled, and she quickly looked around. Everyone had left by then, even Gemma, but Penn didn’t particularly know where Gemma went. She’d probably just gone back to her dirty little house with her dull sister.
Just when she’d resigned herself to having missed him, she saw Daniel come out of the back door of the theater.
“Looking for someone?” Thea asked as she climbed in the car.
“No,” Penn lied. “What were you guys doing in there? Rehearsal took forever. ”
“We ended on time,” Thea said. “I told you that it went until eight. ”
“Like I remember everything you say. ” Penn tossed her cell phone in the backseat and started the car.
Daniel glanced both ways before crossing the street, a few cars down from where Penn had parked. As he walked nearer to the car, Penn called out, “Hey, Daniel. ”
“Penn. ” He smiled thinly at her and seemed genuinely surprised to see her. He’d been walking by, but he stopped and stepped closer to the car. “Nice ride. ”
“Thanks. ” She pushed her sunglasses up so he could get the full effect of her dark eyes. “Want a lift?”
“I don’t think there’s much room,” he said, referring to the tiny backseat.
He put both of his hands on the door and leaned down, but he kept his distance. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, so she could see the scant hair on his chest, and something about that enticed her more than any amount of bare flesh had before.
“You can always sit on my lap,” Penn offered.
“I think you’re going for sexy with that, but that doesn’t seem like it’d be sexy or safe driving,” Daniel said. “So I’m gonna have to pass. ”
“I could sit on your lap,” Penn said, trying her most seductive smile.
He lowered his head, looking away from her, and laughed darkly. For a second she was thinking he might actually say yes, that he’d finally take her up on one of her offers, but when he looked up, she saw the denial in his eyes.
“I’d rather walk,” he said simply and stood up.
“I’ll see you around, then,” Penn said as he stepped back from her car.
“Oh, I know you will. ” Daniel turned around.
“You could at least be less obvious when you stalk Daniel,” Thea said as Penn watched him walking away, and then Penn glared at her.
“I’m not stalking anybody, so shut up,” Penn said, then threw the car in gear.
Penn drove through Capri, barely acknowledging street signs or stoplights. She lived by the theory that people would move for her, and they often did. Sometimes she’d get a honk or someone shouting at her, but she’d just turn and smile at them. That was her solution to most problems.
“Penn, come on,” Thea said, looking at her directly. “This is all about Daniel. ”
“What?” Penn laughed, but it was weak. “That’s stupid. ”
“Penn, you can’t pretend with me. I know you. ” The wind was blowing through Thea’s red hair when she turned to her. “I’m probably the only one in the whole world that really knows you. And you’re obsessed with that guy. ”
“I’m not!” Penn insisted. Then she groaned and shook her head. “It’s not an obsession. I just … I can’t figure it out. ”
“Maybe there’s nothing to figure out. ”
Penn stopped at a stop sign at the edge of town, thinking that over for a minute. A car pulled up behind her and honked at them, but she was oblivious.
“No, there’s something there,” she said finally, and turned the corner, beginning the ascent up the hill to the top of the cliff. “Do you think he’s related to Bastian?”
“Bastian?” Thea asked, sounding strangely out of breath.
“Yeah, Bastian, or Orpheus. Or whatever name he’s going by now. Last time I saw him it was Bastian. ”
“That was…” Thea swallowed. “That was three hundred years ago. ”
“Exactly,” Penn said. “Maybe he’s had kids or something since then. I should try to find him. ” She lowered her voice, almost muttering to herself. “Although I haven’t been that good at finding anyone lately. ”
Thea shook her head. “You haven’t seen or heard from Bastian in centuries. And it wasn’t like the last time you talked to him turned out so great. ”
“That’s true. ” Penn mulled it over for a second. “He’s probably dead by now anyway. ”
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“Right,” Thea said. “And I’m sure Daniel is of no relation to him. ”
“But there’s something about him. ” Penn slowed to take the curves on the steep incline. “He’s … captivating. ”
“I don’t find him all that captivating. ”
“Yeah, well, that’s probably because you’re a lesbian,” Penn said.
“What?” Thea turned to face her, her mouth agape. “I’m not a lesbian. Where did that even come from? And even if I were, what would that matter?”
Penn shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just that Gemma is the only person you seem to ever want to spend time with. I mean, when was the last time you even kissed a guy?”
“I don’t need to go around hooking up with strangers. ”
“Yeah, you kinda do. It’s the core of who we are. You’re denying your very nature. ”
“You and Lexi do what you want, and I don’t condemn you for it. ”
Penn scoffed loudly. “Yeah, right! All you do is sit in your ivory tower and judge us. Sorry we’re not as perfect as your new BFF. ”
“You picked her, Penn. Remember that. Gemma was your choice. And if you don’t like her, that’s on you. ”
“I know,” Penn agreed. “But I have good news. I think I found the solution. ”
“The solution?” Thea asked tentatively.
“Yeah. You know I’ve been looking for a replacement, and I think I found one,” Penn said. “She’s in some dinky little town in Delaware called Auburnton or something like that. I don’t know. But you should come meet her. I think you’ll like her. ”
“You’ve already introduced yourself to her?” Thea asked.
“Yeah, I wanted to make sure we found the right girl,” Penn said. “She d
oesn’t know I’m a siren yet, but she’ll be a good fit for us. Much better than Gemma, anyway. ”
“That’s what you said about Aggie!” Thea shouted back. “You said Gemma would be so much better than Aggie, and now you’re ready to kill Gemma without even giving her a chance. ”
Penn scoffed. “I’ve given her plenty of chances! She’s been ungrateful and horrible and just … awful since she turned. ”
“She’s only sixteen, and this is all new to her,” Thea insisted. “You’ve got to give her a chance. She’s like a puppy, and she just needs some time to be housebroken. ”
“I told you as soon as I found a new girl I was getting rid of Gemma,” Penn said. “I don’t know why you’re arguing with me about it now. ”
“I thought it would take you longer and it would give Gemma a chance to fit in better,” Thea admitted.
They were surrounded by loblolly pines, and the air smelled of the trees and the ocean. Thea stared dejectedly at the trees as they went by.
When Thea spoke again, she’d softened, her rough voice sounding gentle. “Gemma’s not that bad. ”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Penn laughed. “Because of her, we’re stuck in this crappy little town. ”
“Really?” Thea arched her eyebrows. “You’re trying to tell me that you’re letting the new girl boss you around? That’s your excuse for staying here?”
“No. I’m not saying that. I’m staying here because I decided that it would be easier for us until I could find a replacement for Gemma. ”
Thea waited a beat before asking, “And what about Daniel?”
“What about him?”
“Once you find the replacement and Gemma’s out of the picture, we’re just going to leave?”
They’d reached their house at the top of the cliff. It was more rustic than Penn normally liked, but it was the nicest house that she could find in Capri. It was a log cabin, but the kind with high ceilings, a chandelier, and granite countertops.
Penn pulled in the driveway and turned the car off, but she stayed inside. Thea didn’t get out, either, probably because she knew better than to walk away if Penn wasn’t done with the conversation yet.
“Of course,” Penn said firmly. “Daniel has no bearing on any of my decisions. He’s simply an oddity of nature, a curiosity that’s giving me something to play with until we can get the hell out of here. ”
“Say what you want, Penn, but remember that I’ve seen you in love before. ”
“Like I would be in love with some dirty human like that? Gross. ” Penn grimaced. “Just to prove to you that you’re wrong, when I do find a replacement and we get rid of Gemma, I’ll get rid of Daniel. ”
“You’ll get rid of him?” Thea asked.
“I’ll rip out his heart and eat it in front of you. I wouldn’t be able to do that to someone I was in love with. ”
“I didn’t ask you to do that. ” Thea had turned away from Penn again, staring emptily out at the trees surrounding the cabin. “And you’d be surprised what you can do to the people you love. ”
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