“Hey, I’ve seen that dog. That’s Thessalonike’s,” Ramara said, sliding his big fingers through his silky hair.
“No, it’s not. She doesn’t have a dog,” Cruise corrected him, sounding completely pissed that Ramara knew something about the siren that he didn’t. I’d had enough of the drama for one day.
“Whatever, you two. Can we please just see what the animal wants?” He was a fine-looking dog, but he was probably infested with fleas, so I did not get too close. He’d walk a few feet and then stop and bark. We trailed after him, and the furry creature walked faster until we were back at the police station.
“The maintenance truck is gone. Why didn’t Molly call me?” Cruise checked his phone and frowned. “Oh, she did. Sorry. I had it on mute. That was a total accident. Dang it!”
We were just about at a run now. The merciless sun and smothering humidity made it impossible to keep up with the dog. I trailed behind the others, which was pretty pitiful considering what great shape I’d thought I was in before this unplanned excursion. Too bad I wore my flats today and not a pair of running shoes. “Wait up!” I wailed at them, thankful that the dog stopped at the curb.
“That’s wild. Why did he bring us back here? Hey, can you, uh, communicate with him?” Cruise asked Kendra.
While she breathed heavily and leaned with her hands on her knees, she turned her head. Too tired to punch him but maybe not so tired she couldn’t kick him. “Are you seriously asking me if I speak dog?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go see Molly.”
“You two go ahead. I’m going to hang out here and see what this animal wants,” I said, sitting under the shade tree trying to catch my breath. As they walked away, I glanced over my shoulder to look for Ramara. He was gone, and so was the dog. “What the hell? Guys? Come on!” Then I heard the animal yip in the distance. There they were! Headed back down Cadillac. Ramara loped off after the canine, and for a second or two I did nothing but enjoy the view. Thessalonike was a lucky girl to be so admired by such a beautiful creature. Taking a deep breath, I began to jog after them when the air stirred around me and a sudden breeze whirled in a pile of leaves. Spinning up from the musty leaves sprung a figure. Once the dust settled, I could plainly see the shape of a man—a short man with bushy eyebrows, large eyes and full lips. I was reminded of the marble statues that once stood in the plazas of Abydos. How the women used to love them, but for the life of me, I could not understand why.
“Agrios? What are you doing here?” There was no invitation in my voice. More like accusation. I wasn’t keeping score, but at this point Agrios had brought me nothing but trouble. He wasn’t the kind of acquaintance who brought much to a relationship besides grief.
“I come with a message from the Order. Your job here is finished. Go back to Frenchman Bay and await further orders. There is no need to stay here any longer.”
“The Order knows very well how to get a hold of me. If they wish to send me a message, they can do it the old-fashioned way, via scroll.” I raised my hand, palm up, in halfhearted expectation of a scroll. “Or they can text. Either way is fine with me.” I held my phone in my hand and stared at it. Nothing. No message and no scroll.
Agrios dipped his eyes down and peered up at me with an angry look. “If you have any sense, siren, you will heed my advice. Don’t be here when the sun goes down, or you’ll regret it.”
“I’m already regretting seeing you. Now what are you up to?”
He stepped out of the shadows of the cedar tree. “Why do you tell people your name is Liliana? I know who you really are, Hero.”
I caught my breath. Nobody knew. Only the Order. Had they betrayed me?
“Ah, I see you remember. I thought perhaps you had forgotten who you truly were. Oh, Hero, you were such a lovely girl. Aphrodite always envied you.” His voice had a hypnotic effect. It made me want to go back, back to the time when I served as a priestess in Abydos, patiently waiting upon the goddess of love. My love and devotion had availed me nothing in the end. Except heartache. I forgot to breathe for a moment, and he smiled again. “Do you recall his name? The one you used to light the lamp for? The one who swam the narrow sea each night to visit your sweet arms? I know his name. Le-an-der…”
As if a magic spell fell upon me, I let the syllables fall from my lips.
Leander. Leander. Leander.
Agrios’ words were true. Leander had been my first love, the first to swim the sea, to breach the tower, to take me as his lover. And then Aphrodite had sent her cruel wind and blown out my lamp, leaving my lover to perish in the sea.
“What do you know about it, Agrios? What could you possibly know about love? You’ve never loved anyone but yourself.”
“That was true for so long, but not anymore. I do love. I love my Heliope, and I will give her what she desires the most.” I noticed that Agrios had shed his human garb and exchanged it for the white toga, complete with gold leaf border. He was dressed as a god. This was forbidden, and I scowled at him.
“Hide yourself, Agrios. Remember where you are. You cannot be going about in this…costume.”
“Costume? This is who I am. No more hiding for me, siren. I will claim this place as my own, for my beloved, so she may once again rule as queen, as I promised her.” He waved his hand, and suddenly a cup appeared. He drank long and deep without missing a drop. With a loud belch, he offered me a sip. I stepped back.
“What madness is this? You have been in your cups too long, drunken god. Heliope doesn’t want to rule this little island. You have lost your mind, Agrios. Finally, you have truly lost your mind.” He hurled his cup at me, but I easily batted it away. “Is this how you intend to capture the island? By throwing cups at it?” I mocked him openly. Even as I felt the smirk cross my face, my knees collapsed beneath me.
When I woke I lay under another cedar tree; the stars peeked out from behind scant branches, and a voice called my name softly, “Hero, Hero? Are you here?”
I was standing on the pebbled beaches of Abydos. The lights were out in the city now; only a few burned, for it was far into the night. I could hear the noise from a ship not too far away, but they could not see me. I walked in a cloak of night. Music drifted across the water, and there he was suddenly, full of life, his skin dripping wet from his swim across the cold sea of Hellespont. I pulled him close to warm him, to kiss him, to rub the blood back into his body. As I had done a hundred times before. Only this time it wasn’t Leander. It wasn’t my own love, the one I would have given my life for. It was an evil face, with dark eyes and black hair and a wide mouth that seemed to want to swallow me whole. In a gritty voice he whispered in my ear, “Now, I have you, Hero. You are mine.” His deadly grip on my arms threatened to snap my bones in half.
From the depths of my memory I summoned the word, the word I’d heard Aphrodite speak when the Thief stole his way into her temple looking to sack her treasures, namely her heart. I spoke the word, and the dark spell broke. I was no longer in Abydos waiting for Leander but back on Dauphin Island, lying on the ground under a cedar behind the police station. I immediately sat up, assessing my body for wounds and surprised to find none. Agrios had hit me with a sleep spell of some kind, and now I had lost valuable time. The lights of the police station were out. In fact, all the lights as far as I could see were out, and it was a starry night.
While I’d dreamed, the stars had risen against me.
Well, so be it.
Chapter Thirteen—Ramara
Shell Mounds
This was no ordinary dog, but he was an ally. I found it interesting that his mind was curiously empty, except for pockets of specific emotion. He didn’t think like an animal; in fact, I was beginning to doubt he was a dog at all.
I followed him to the Shell Mounds, a historic site on the island that the historians did not seem to understand was an unholy place. If they had known, if they had understood the kind of death that had occurred here—the deaths of both supernaturates, including vampires,
and Native Americans alike—they would have erected a different kind of monument. In fact, they might have burned the place to the ground and salted it to prevent any possible return of such heinous crimes. But there was nothing like that. Only a massive oak tree with a few benches and a plaque. How humans loved their blissful ignorance.
I followed the dog past the tree and the cordoned-off shell mound, into the woods. The animal became so excited that he leaped into the air to touch my hand, and I patted his head curiously. “What next, four-legged one?” There was an odd set of stone stairs, broken but still standing. I followed him down the stairs and pulled back the overgrown weeds that had covered them for who knew how many years. The dog watched me tear the piles of old vines away and toss them up the stairs. I stood in front of the door but saw no handle or doorknob. “How are we supposed to get inside? I don’t suppose you know, but since you know so much….”
The dog barked and scratched at the wall. At first I thought he wanted to dig his way in, but he was scratching at a hidden lever at the corner of the building. He scratched it until I took a look at it. “Okay, I see. Let’s try this.” I pulled the stiff wooden lever, and the door scraped open. I heard a ticking sound and realized the door was on some kind of timer. It would close in a moment, and I wasn’t sure I could get out again. I had no flashlight or rope, but I had to find her. I thought this dog was looking for her too, but I had to know for sure before I got lost in an underground labyrinth.
“Okay, boy. Are you looking for Thessalonike too? I need to know. Can you let me know?”
He barked once, then twice. I laughed. “You understand me, don’t you? I can’t believe this. You must be enchanted or something. Okay, bark twice if you know Thessalonike.” I didn’t have to wait long. The animal barked twice, leaped into my arms and put his head on my shoulder. “You did good. I believe you. Now I need your help. I am going in to find her, but I need you to go find Cruise and Kendra. Can you do it? Will you do this for me?”
The dog barked again but didn’t turn me loose. “Thank you. I am depending on you, okay. Go find them now!” He took off like lightning back up the broken stairs. The door had closed, but I pressed the lever again. I went inside with only a lighter in my pocket. My customers who smoked left them on The Outcast all the time, and I had never been happier about it.
It smelled musty down here, and with the tiny flame from my lighter I saw that somehow the vines had made their way inside. I half-wondered if they were also supernatural, growing where nothing else would. There was nothing to see but narrow walls and stone floors, but the cave was leading me somewhere. There were vines here as well, like they too were seeking something. I tripped over a thick vine and realized it wasn’t a vine at all—these were roots. Bloody roots.
“What the Hades?” I picked one up and touched the red liquid that emanated from it. Yes, it was blood for sure. Vampires! Definitely vampires buried here. I called to Thessalonike again, hoping against hope that I could hear her voice and know that she still lived. What would I do if she were gone? I could not even consider such a thing.
Thessalonike…I am here. I am getting closer. Speak to me, Nik. Tell me you’re okay.
I clenched my hands and waited. As I walked further down the hall I heard her.
Ramara, I am cold. They are biting me, Ramara… Run! Run away! Please, save yourself, my friend.
I ran faster now, toward her. No way was I going to leave her here to die.
I had to find her!
Chapter Fourteen—Cruise
Blow Out
“Hey, let’s get something straight. I’m not a dog, nor do I speak to dogs.” Kendra pointed her finger in my face as she told me off. “Now let’s find Molly and see what she’s heard.”
I turned the door handle, and immediately she screamed. “Oh my God! She’s dead, Cruise! Molly is dead! Look at her face!”
Molly’s shawl covered her body like a macabre blanket. Maybe it was an attempt to hide the killer’s guilt. No way did she lie down on the floor and cover herself up with her shawl right before she died.
“Back up, Kendra. Don’t forget to preserve the crime scene!”
“Screw the crime scene, Cruise! We know who did this. Those damn vamps have killed Molly!”
I examined her neck, arms and legs and couldn’t find a single bite. If vampires had killed her, I would have seen some evidence of that. This wasn’t the vamps. “I don’t see any bite marks, or even a gunshot or stab wound. There’s nothing. At least not where you can see it.”
Suddenly, Molly sprang up, and Kendra and I screamed bloody murder. “Oh my God! Oh my God! You’re alive! We thought you were dead!”
Molly pulled back the shawl and, right before our eyes, changed completely. She was no longer Molly but Heliope, Thessalonike’s friend and relative. She’d been her protector and was shedding her disguise. She had fooled us all. Even Liliana, who supposedly couldn’t be fooled by such glamor magic, at least according to what she’d told me earlier. I had to be honest, I didn’t know much about any of this.
“Here, let me help you.” I reached out for her hand.
“Don’t touch me. I’m not broken.” She rose from the floor, shaking her hair roughly. The salt-and-pepper tresses disappeared, and light-infused brown curls replaced them. Her skin softened, and she was much more petite than before. She wore an unusual blue dress with jagged edges and a bright blue necklace. She was a beautiful woman, unearthly but beautiful. I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was younger-looking now than when she’d posed as Nike’s Aunt Helen. Now that I knew the truth, I felt like a fool for ever believing the ruse.
“I am her stepmother,” she said. My eyes widened as I realized that she had read my mind.
“No, that’s not possible.”
“Let’s have this conversation later. Ramara has found the entrance; it is at the Shell Mounds. Let’s go, but be careful. We have more enemies besides these vampires. I just wish I knew who they were.”
“Okay, but I insist on driving this time. Let’s take the squad car.” The women didn’t argue with me. Just as we were pulling out, the mayor was pulling in. He appeared shocked to see that we were leaving, and I quickly looked away. Thankfully, he did not follow us. It was full dark now, and we would be facing the worst situation. The vampires took strength from the darkness. Luckily for us, I had a trunk full of Maglites, a small gas can and a lighter, if needed. I was out of stakes, but I felt sure fire would work just as well.
We rolled into the narrow parking area by the old live oak. On the other side of the tree were the mounds, supposed evidence of some forgotten tribe of Native Americans. I never liked this place, even when I first came to the island as a child. Mom used to like visiting here, I recalled that now. She’d force me to pose on the oak tree and snap photos with her big clunky camera. That really happened—it wasn’t merely a daydream.
“Hey! Stay focused,” Heliope barked at me. I shook myself, stuffed the keys in my pocket and popped the trunk. Kendra carried the flashlight, and I carried the gas can and lighter while Heliope straightened her dress. We sailed across the grass, following Heliope to an open door in the ground.
“Never seen that before, and I’ve been here about a hundred times.”
“Some things aren’t meant to be seen, until they are,” Heliope said cryptically. She kept looking around her as if she expected something or someone to jump out at us. Kendra and I walked down the stairs, but Heliope lingered at the top step.
“You coming?” I asked her, ready to get this show on the road. I didn’t want to be here if the mayor pulled up. And what was I going to do? Burn up a vampire? In an underground bunker? Well, whatever. At least I had a plan, unlike these two. Supernatural people were distracted by too many things. I could see that much, and I was a rookie at being supernatural.
“You go. There is a presence arriving that I must deal with. Get Thessalonike and destroy the vampires.”
As we walked into the darkness, Ken
dra snorted disdainfully. “Wow, she’s helpful.”
“I don’t understand any of y’all. Now light up that flashlight.”
“Ew, gross. Is that blood?” The floors were stained with it, and weird, thick vines or roots trailed along the walls as if a bloody tree had pushed its way through the structure’s outer perimeter.
“More weirdness,” I said, not slowing down. There was a narrow hallway up ahead. It was equally dark, but I wasn’t deterred. I was on a mission. Kendra and I reached the end of the hall and came to a juncture. We had to go left or right. I didn’t know which way to go, so I paused against the filthy wall and waited for inspiration.
“This way,” she said confidently and headed to the right. A loud scream, a man’s scream, echoed down the left passage.
“Nope, this way.”
“But she’s…” I heard her swear behind me, but I didn’t turn around. I ran toward the trouble. I wasn’t one to back down from a fight, until I saw Ramara being taken down by a woman—a vampire—in a weird outfit. He was bleeding, and his wings had not fully unfurled. He fought against the vamp, even though she had a firm grip on his neck with one hand. She pulled him close to her, her fangs extended, her head tilted in ecstasy at the expectation of a meal.
“Hey! Put him down! Kick that light on full blast, Kendra.”
“Okay!” She clicked the button, and the Maglite stunned everyone in the room—even Ray, who fell to the ground in a pile. The vamp screamed and raised her hands to cover her face, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw another creature disappearing into a darkened hallway off the back room. It was then that I became aware of another creature, chained to the wall. She was a vile-looking thing, covered in blood, but somehow I knew that she too had been a victim. The knowledge didn’t inspire me to get any closer, though. She hissed at us, and we kept our distance.
“Back away, lady. You keep your fangs to yourself!” I shouted at her. I stepped closer to Ramara but didn’t get too far. The vamp waved her hand, and an invisible force knocked the Maglite out of Kendra’s hands. Kendra immediately dove for it and began tapping on it, trying to make it work again. It wasn’t happening. Like a bullet, the vamp raced toward me, and the gas can fell out of my can.
Escape to Sirens Gate: Sirens Gate Books 1-3 Page 19