by Meg Xuemei X
“You call it humble?” Ziyi asked incredulous. “And you call me crazy?”
“Don’t be intimidated by its looks,” Lucienne said. “If you see my bedroom, you’ll agree with me. Now, the guards will take you two to the guest house. The staff there will get you anything you need. Enjoy. I must get ready for tonight’s meeting.”
“I’d like to stay a little longer,” Ashburn said, “if you don’t mind.”
He’d been quiet since he got into Valkyrie with her. But his presence was strong in Lucienne’s mind.
The Lure was always there, pulling a string between them. It had followed them to her childhood home, and when Lucienne met his gaze, his longing fueled the Lure and bounced back to her.
Ziyi opened her month, about to make the same request, but Ashburn spun toward the girl with a stern look. Ziyi pouted and glanced at Lucienne and Ashburn before trailing three guards out of the mansion.
“I hope to see your childhood bedroom with my own eyes,” Ashburn started, “not through your nanny’s memories.”
He wants to know everything about me. I’m the only person who can shut the door to his mind. She cocked her
head and looked at him, “Follow me, then,” she said and watched him blink in confusion. He had been waiting for her to deny him and then bargain.
Adam and Oliver took their posts outside her bedroom door to give them privacy.
Everything in the room stayed the same, as if she had never left. In contrast to the luxury of the mansion, this dull, gray bedroom hadn’t any decorations. It had absolutely no personal touch. No one who saw this room would connect it to a privileged girl.
“Are you disappointed?” she asked. “I never had a toy as a child.”
“Your grandfather wanted politics to be your toy,” Ashburn said, darting his gaze to the only painting on the wall.
Lucienne followed his sightline and stared at the framed image of seven “great men” sitting around a table deciding the future of the world.
For years, she had resented them. What were those old men doing in her bedroom? Why couldn’t she have a lovely room like other girls? But if she requested to have her bedroom redecorated, Jed would lecture her on having farsighted vision and ridding herself of small-minded pettiness.
Sleeping in a room like that was part of her test. And all those years, she had wanted Jed’s approval more than anything.
Lucienne perched on the edge of her old bed. It was as hard as the two wooden chairs in the corner. The heater was weak, and the quilt wasn’t thick enough for a deep winter night.
“The former Siren wanted you to live in hardship to keep you grounded,” Ashburn said.
“All the candidates thought that once they were Siren,” she said, “they could have all the glamour and riches.”
“But your grandfather lived like a king,” Ashburn said.
“Not before he came to power,” Lucienne said, leaving her bed and crossing to the window.
She looked over the Yangliu Lake. The pale moon hung over the common willows along the bank.
On the night of Jed’s passing, Vladimir had comforted her, sitting her on his lap on the stone bench. For a second, she seemed to see him sauntering toward her with his disarming half-smile. Her breath caught again. At the lakeside, he first swore his love for her. He vowed that as long as she walked the earth, he would never be with another woman, even after she told him the truth— the DNA in her saliva would poison any man.
Her Siren’s mark was determined to keep her a virgin for a reason she couldn’t perceive at the time. She had whined she would never get to know a man intimately.
But that was before Ashburn came into her life.
Instead of Vladimir, Ashburn now stood beside her, leaning against the rail, watching her.
She was forced to keep her virtue for him—she was reserved for him. The prophecy called it fate; Ashburn called it “the TimeDust program.”
What would happen if they had a physical union, as the Lure wanted?
Would a terrible purpose unfold itself and destroy the world as Ash feared? What a ridiculous theory! But then Jed’s last words pounded in her ears, “—the prophecy about you—destruction—”
Where did Jed receive that piece of the prophecy?
Jed’s death replayed in Lucienne’s mind. The doctors had said her grandfather was out of critical condition. Something hit home. The bullet wound and the impact of her mind intrusion didn’t kill Jed.
A supernatural force had snuffed his life out before he warned her of the prophecy.
Lucienne licked her lip. Would she indeed wreak havoc on the world? How could she be so important that she could hold the fate of the world in her hands? She shook her head. It was a cosmic joke. It had to be.
“What are you thinking?” Ashburn asked. “You have this haunted look.”
“Ever since you were left at Peder and Clement’s door as a baby,” Lucienne asked, “only girls have been born in Nirvana?”
“Yes,” Ashburn said. The silver light in his eyes dimmed. “That’s one of the reasons my people hate me and fear me.”
“So you think the phenomenon has something to do with you?”
“And you think it does.” His gaze locked on her intently.
“My Siren’s mark prohibits me from kissing—I should say exchanging DNA with any male except you. You mentioned that Nirvana was a breeding field. So, the girls from Nirvana and I are all reserved for you.”
“They were reserved for me,” Ashburn said, “until you came along. As I told you, I wasn’t the only chosen. They created a pair, but let me take the lead.”
“To dominate me?” Lucienne managed not to sneer.
“To meld with the Eye of Time and bring you along to do its bidding.” He sighed. “I’ve failed to stay away from you. But I figured if I don’t let the Eye of Time complete TimeDust in me, you and I can’t do much damage.”
“Who are the Exiles that Seraphen mentioned?”
“I don’t know anything about them,” Ashburn said with a shudder, “but I have a bad feeling that they won’t leave us alone. They must be the ones who created the Eye of Time. That was why Seraphen was so afraid of them. Lucia, we’re only borrowing time.”
Lucienne shivered as a chilly wind passed over her. Ashburn shrugged off his jacket and put it on her. His heat radiated to her.
“If what you suspect is true,” she said, looking at the shadows under his thick lashes, and ignoring her body’s eagerness to draw closer to him, “we’ll just keep stalling them until time is on our side.”
~
At midnight, the Lam family members arrived.
Every car was searched at the gate before the guests were permitted to enter. No one was allowed to carry a weapon or an electronic device. Their personal guards were led to the reception hall in the guesthouse to wait for their employers.
One of Lucienne’s cousins who refused to be disarmed was turned away.
Kian’s men were at every corner. An additional two dozen armed guards were posted outside the Red Mansion hall. Ashburn blended in with them.
The representatives of the Lam family—the former candidates—were waiting inside the meeting hall. They paid no mind to its grandeur: the diamond chandeliers, antiques, fresh flowers, or selection of refreshments, including caviar. No one poured a glass of expensive wine for themselves, either.
Dressed in a simple, elegant red gown, with its hem flowing to the marble floor, Lucienne strode into the hall as a guard opened the arched, redwood double-door for her.
Kian accompanied her, solid and cool.
A stir rose in the room at her entrance.
Tension was thick in the air.
Lucienne read a mixture of emotions—distrust, desperation, hope and curiosity. She took a deep breath and continued toward them with a polished smile.
The cousins stood up from their chairs, reluctantly or not, to pay her respect. She scanned their faces, surprised by the turnout, but didn
’t show it. Eight of the twelve candidates, including Claude Lam, had come.
Time passed fast. Her cousins had all grown up.
They were older than her—from their early to late twenties. They hadn’t seen her for a few years now. From their reactions, Lucienne could tell they didn’t expect to see her possess such a commanding manner, as young as she was.
She was glad she chose this red gown that gave her a regal air. Red was also a blessed color in Chinese custom, though she didn’t know how much this generation cared about their ethnic heritage.
“Welcome, cousins,” she greeted them, her rich, silvery voice carrying weight.
As she reached the head of the redwood table, she nodded for the attendees to sit down.
“Thank you for having us, cousin Lucienne,” they replied.
Lucienne noticed that they called her cousin instead of Siren, but she showed no hint of displeasure.
They sat down except for Richard Lam. He wore a black suit and a bowtie like the rest, but he also wore an open dissatisfied expression. “Isn’t this supposed to be a family meeting?” he asked.
“Unless you heard otherwise,” Lucienne said.
“Then what is Kian McQuillen doing here?” Richard demanded. “Shouldn’t all your guards stay outside the door?”
“Have you forgotten Kian is Grandfather’s legally adopted son?” Lucienne bore her piercing look into Richard, her voice icy. “If you have a problem with Kian’s presence, you’re welcome to leave. The car is waiting outside the gate.”
Richard looked around the table for support, but the rest of the former candidates were fixed on Lucienne.
They were curious. They wanted to see how she would conduct herself tonight and what she could offer them. Lucienne held their gazes with her potent Siren’s stare and asked softly, “Anyone else have an issue with that?”
“Grandfather treated Kian like his own son,” Claude said. “The man served the former Siren and now serves the present Siren more devotedly than anyone else. He’s more of a family than we are.”
“Fine,” Richard grunted and sat down.
Kian didn’t join the rest of the group at the table, but stood near Lucienne.
“You’re here today, cousins,” Lucienne addressed, “because you want to see if there’s an opportunity we can be a family again.”
They didn’t deny her opening statement, nor did they agree with it.
Lucienne felt the tension tangible on her skin.
“Do you know why I am here?” she asked, drawing a breath. “I’m here for the promise I made to our grandfather before his last breath. You all know how he died.”
Every cousin looked ill at ease.
Two candidates stood up, their faces paled, taking defensive positions. They thought she had brought them here to punish them for their fathers’ transgressions. They thought they had stepped into her spiderweb.
“By their prejudice and shortsightedness, some of our parents committed an unforgivable sin,” Claude said, “But our hands are clean. We had nothing to do with Grandfather’s blood. You knew that. That was why when you purged the family three years ago, you didn’t touch any of us.”
“We hated you when we were kids,” Dan Lam said. He still had the same boyish face and bright brown eyes in Lucienne’s memory. “You made us look bad. And we were proud boys. But we never wanted you dead. No matter what, you’re our cousin.”
“I did not bring up the past to point a finger at any of you,” Lucienne said. “We came together tonight because we can get past the history. I am to share with you the promise I made to Grandfather.”
The tension diffused, and the two cousins sat back down.
“Grandfather made me swear to bring the family back,” she said. “The Lams bloodline, one of the oldest on earth, had scattered all over the world. When we’re united, we’ll make history together. That was what he wanted.” When the Siren summoned her people to come together, they would respond. That was what Jed believed.
“How do we know you can lead?” Alex Lam asked. He was one of the two who had stood up, ready for a fight, like the retired hockey player he was.
“As shameful as it is, we once followed Hauk Lam,” Randy Lam, Lucienne’s lanky, handsome cousin, chimed in. Randy just returned to Chicago from the United Kingdom. When Lucienne cast out the Lams, Randy had been studying political science at Oxford. “But he’s a self-serving fraud. He’d sell us out without blinking an eye to advance his position in the Sealers’ club.”
Anger crossed several cousins’ faces. Lucienne knew their resentment wasn’t aimed at her.
The collective anger toward her enemy was a good start, but she needed to control the room—turn the mood and direct her cousins toward future prospects.
“When you were candidates,” she asked with a smile, “Grandfather often lectured you on the Siren’s obligations. Do you still remember them?”
“He loved lecturing us before dinner time, the old man,” Patrick Lam shook his head. “The lessons often stretched on for over three hours. I was starving and afraid he’d never stop.”
Patrick was the other candidate who secretly pledged his allegiance to Lucienne the night she was crowned the Siren. Many people mistook his quiet look as shyness, but he was one of the sharpest sharks in the Lams’ weapons industry. And he was her shark.
“Grandpa did that intentionally to toughen you up,” Lucienne said. “He wanted to see who would prevail.”
“He succeeded,” Bill Lam said, joining the conversation. “I used to have nightmares about searching for food all night, long after Grandfather’s sermon.”
Bill used to be tight with Hauk Lam. Lucienne doubted she could win him over even after this meeting.
“You don’t want to know how Grandpa used to toughen me up,” she said.
Claude laughed. “We heard rumors.”
“Believe me, they weren’t rumors,” said Lucienne.
The candidates roared with laughter. They’d all heard those stories.
The tension left the room.
“You all knew about the three ancient scrolls the Siren must possess, so the Lams will regain power and resume a dominant role in the world. What Grandfather told us isn’t a myth. I took home the second scroll from Tibet the day Grandfather was shot.”
The day when her last hope for the family turned to hate.
The room became very quiet, filled with grief and regrets.
“Can… may we see the scroll?” Dan broke the silence and waited for his request to be denied.
Lucienne gave Kian a nod, and he clicked a remote control.
A square in the center of the table whooshed open. A stand with a transparent-metal box on it rose from under the opening. Inside was a map carved on a human scalp.
The stand slid toward Dan.
“The ancient map is the second scroll,” Lucienne said. “Try the archaeological scanner beside the box, and it’ll tell you the age of the article.”
Dan read the data on the scanner’s narrow window and drew a sharp breath.
“Let me see it.” Alex, who sat two chairs away, darted toward Dan.
Then the rest of the candidates jumped from their seats and gathered around to peek at the map. Richard pushed Dan away to have a better look.
“This map is more accurate than a satellite map,” Lucienne said.
“What does it mean for us,” Bill asked, “now that you’ve found the second scroll?”
The candidates tore their gazes from the scroll and fixed them on Lucienne. Some looked keen, some appeared anxious, and half of them still held suspicion in their eyes—the Sirens weren’t known for sharing information, especially a secret like this.
“The scroll marked an ancient civilization more advanced than ours,” Kian said.
“Did it really exist?” Alex asked. “When Grandfather talked about ancient technology and civilization, I thought he was B.S.-ing us.”
“Grandfather was right all along,” said Luc
ienne. “We’ve found the lost city.”
“Where is it?” several candidates asked in sync.
“The Siren won’t share classified information with outsiders,” Kian said.
“We can become insiders,” said Patrick, Lucienne’s other ally, “if cousin Lucienne lets us into the castle.”
The room was silent for a few seconds, then Randy asked, “If we accept your rule, will you treat us truly as family?”
“If you serve me,” Lucienne said, “I won’t treat you otherwise. We share the same blood, even though we once broke the bond. However,” she scanned the faces around the table, “serving me isn’t easy. I’m at war with the Sealers. A lot of good men have died for me.” She paused to collect herself. It got her every time she thought of her fallen warriors. “So think carefully before you decide. If you’re not ready to pledge your allegiance to me, it’ll be fine. As long as you do not align yourself with the Sealers, you’ll not be my enemy.”
“We hate the Sealers as much as you do!” Bill said. “You go to war, we go with you.”
Lucienne was surprised, though she didn’t show it. She thought Bill would be the hardcore Hauk Lam supporter.
“We understand that if we serve you, you own our blood,” said Claude, “and you’ll treat us as your blood.”
“Will you return our childhood home to us?” Randy asked. Even as a kid, he loved to bargain.
“Yes,” Lucienne said. “Red Mansion premises shall not be vacant.” She stole a glance at Kian. He looked both pleased and concerned. This was too easy.
The candidates started enthusiastically discussing things among themselves.
“Wait a minute!” a shout boomed. Thaddeus Lam, the only one who hadn’t spoken since Lucienne entered the room, said in disdain, “Your knees are weak. You bow too easily before she proves her worth.” As the tallest among the candidates, he stared at Lucienne over their heads. “I’ll challenge you, Lucienne Lam, if you want to be our Alpha.”
The hall fell silent as all eyes turned to Thaddeus.
The test had come.
Lucienne regarded Thaddeus coolly.
Claude briefed her beforehand that Thaddeus, the famous fighter, was the most uncertain among the candidates. Thaddeus had been the strongest opponent, next to Hauk, of her rising to the Siren’s throne, though he didn’t support Hauk either.