by Bonnie Lamer
“What’s going on?” a sleepy Zac asks from the doorway. “Why is there a pile of Fairies on the beach?” His bedroom faces the ocean like Kallen’s and mine does so he would have a clear picture of beach if he looked out a window. “Are they dead?”
Mom, who has been quiet during the conversation, floats to him. “No, of course not,” she assures him. “They’re sleeping.”
“Why don’t we get you back up to bed,” Dad says, placing a cold hand on Zac’s shoulder. My brother shivers.
A thought hits me. “Can you hear them, Dad?”
He shakes his head. “No. Your mother and I had no idea what was going on.” If only I could think of a way to use that. But, neither he nor Mom can interact physically with the world around them. At least, not on this plane of existence, anyway.
“Hear what?” Zac wants to know. “What’s going on?”
“Can kids hear them?” I ask Kallen. He shakes his head. Good to know. At least the Sirens can’t completely wipe out the male line of a people. Unless they hang around while the kids are growing up and then call them. I hate Sirens.
“I’ll explain upstairs,” Dad tells my brother. He shoos him from the room with Mom trailing behind. She gives me a worried glance over her shoulder. Her desire to stay and learn more about what’s going on is strong. Her desire to be in a different room than Dagda is stronger. Or she wants to take care of my brother. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and believe the latter. After all, she’s supposed to be trying to get over her hatred of my biological father so we can be one big, happy family. Right.
After they leave, I recap. “Okay, ghosts and kids are immune to Sirens. I assume women are immune, as well.” I get several nods as verification. “We can’t locate Sirens by magic, they swim fast, hide well, can breathe underwater and will stick around until every male in the Fairy village has drowned himself. Did I miss anything?” Isla and Dagda exchange a guilty look and I lean forward to plant my forehead against the countertop. Whatever they say next is going to really suck. “Out with it,” I demand.
After a brief hesitation, Isla chooses her words carefully. “There is a chance the attack on our village is not random.”
I roll my head a little so I can eye her. “You are going to tell me this is somehow my fault, aren’t you?”
“Of course it is not your fault,” Tabitha reassures me. “You cannot help who your father is or how powerful you are.”
I am not reassured. Slowly, I lift my head from the table. “Is there ever going to be anyone who hears of me and says, ‘Oh, a Witch Fairy, let’s be her friend!’ instead of everyone wanting to kill me?”
Kallen rubs my back. “I do not believe it is your death the Sirens seek.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Meaning?”
He glances toward Dagda to see if he’s going to fill me in. Since he is currently studying the countertop as if it’s a treasure map he’s trying to decipher, it’s obvious he’s not planning to speak up. Once again, it falls to Kallen to give me the bad news. “The Sirens do not always choose to kill the males they meet.”
“Oh, man, one of them had the hots for you, didn’t she,” I accuse my biological father. I’m not certain if he takes offense to the slang I use or the disgust in my voice. Probably both. But who wants to hear a Siren is hot for her father? Dagda tries his best ‘respect me, I’m your parent’ look on me. I ignore it. “Well?”
“A Siren may have attempted to garner my affections at one time,” he responds stiffly.
“Garner your affections? Is that what you used to call it?” I snark.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Tabitha says. “The Queen of the Sirens wanted to mate with him. He turned her down for Tana.”
Did she really need to use the term ‘mate’? I do not want to think of Dagda ‘mating’ with anyone. “And let me guess,” I drawl. “She swore revenge.”
“You got it,” Kegan replies miserably. From the expression on his face, I assume he’s imaging what death by drowning is going to be like.
“Then how is this my fault?” I ask Isla.
“I did not say this was your fault,” she replies tightly.
“But, you are powerful,” Kallen says quietly. “Sirens do not like females who are a threat to their power. They will want to make you suffer until your power is no longer a threat.”
“No longer a threat? What does that mean?” Then it hits me. They plan to weaken me by taking away those I love. Hoping that eventually, I will kill myself out of grief. I really hate Sirens. “Never mind, I got it,” I say, my voice as miserable as Kegan’s was.
Kallen addresses Dagda. “I assume my aunt is aware the Sirens have returned.”
Dagda nods. “Yes. She remained at the palace to console the staff and anyone seeking answers that as of yet we do not have.”
I am going to assume Tana did stay at the palace for those reasons. Not because she didn’t want to see me or my mom. Okay, I’m still not her number one fan, but I shouldn’t be petty. Tana has actually been trying to make amends. Taking a deep breath, I say, “We’ve figured out what we can’t do. What can we do?”
“Perhaps the men can leave town,” Alita suggests, her fingers tightening on Kegan’s arm again. He is going to have permanent grooves in his skin. “Until the Sirens give up and leave.” I nod, liking her plan.
“Sirens do not give up and leave,” Adriel informs her. I suspect Alita already knew this considering there was no real hope on her face or in her voice when she made her suggestion.
“Don’t they have to be near the sea?” I ask. “If all the men go someplace that’s landlocked, won’t that take care of it?”
Kallen shakes his head. “Yes, the Sirens need water, but it does not need to be salt water. They can lure males to their death wherever a body of water stands deep enough for the task.”
“Well, aren’t they resourceful,” I grumble.
With echoes of self-preservation in his voice, Kegan asks, “What can we do to protect the male population until we come up with a solution?”
“It’s probably going to piss them off even more if I keep putting the male population to sleep, isn’t it?”
My question was rhetorical, but Kallen responds anyway. “Yes, it will. It will make them more determined to accomplish their goal.”
“They will gather others of their kind until their call is strong enough to penetrate your spells,” Dagda adds.
“And if they can’t, we’ll be in a stalemate with me having to work my spell every night for the rest of our lives.” That might put a damper on my destiny of bringing harmony to the universe.
“Basically,” Adriel agrees.
Something that was said earlier has been bugging me. “Did the Merpeople keep them because their males aren’t affected by the Sirens?” After all, they can’t drown.
Kallen shakes his head. “No, they do respond to the call. Sirens take Mermen for slaves.”
“The Merpeople realm was thought to be the best realm to imprison the Sirens because their songs cannot travel as well underwater,” Isla explains. “With the vast expanse of ocean in their realm, the Sirens could be kept well away from the population.”
The next words are out of my mouth so fast, I bite my tongue trying to get them back. “Why didn’t you kill them?” I do not kill my enemies nor do I condone anyone else doing it. I cannot believe I just said that.
“It was considered,” Dagda admits.
Something in his words implies there’s more to the story and it involves him. “Did you push for it?” I can’t help asking.
Dagda raises sharp eyes in my direction. “I did not.”
Okay, I admit it. I’m surprised. “Why not?” I push. What is wrong with me?
Kallen steps in before my father and I end up in a fight. “My uncle chose Tana. That does not mean he had no feelings for Irena.”
Oh. “But she killed people. You’ve wanted to put people to death for less.” For instance, me. Apparently, my br
ain is determined to bring Dagda and me back twenty paces in our relationship.
“Perhaps we should move on,” Kallen suggests.
“What is done is done,” Tabitha agrees. “Do not worry about the past. The present is trouble enough.”
So it is. But, there are still things I need to learn about the past. My next question is addressed to Adriel and Raziel. “Why would any creatures be given the sole power of killing men?”
“Do you really believe that is what happened?” Adriel asks, implying I’m an idiot. She does that more often than a friend should, I think.
“Then what did happen?”
“The Sirens were once heroes.”
I stare at Kallen open-mouthed. “Heroes?”
He nods. “They were protectors of women. They travelled the realms seeking out injustices. It used to be only the males who committed crimes against females could hear the Sirens’ song. It was a combination of a scorned Queen and power lust which eventually poisoned their race.”
I eye Dagda. “That was before my time,” he says dryly. Whew. Glad to hear he wasn’t responsible for making the Sirens evil.
A scream from outside has us all running through the house and out the terrace doors. Two groups of female Fairies are on the beach. One group is tearing at the pile of male Fairies, presumably looking for the ones who belong to them. They seem to be mostly mothers. Another group is standing off to the side, crying. Several of Dagda’s guards are trying to convince the mothers their sons aren’t dead, just sleeping.
My focus is on the Fairies who are crying. They are mostly young females. “What a way to discover your boyfriend or crush doesn’t love you back,” I muse sadly.
Kallen wraps an arm around my shoulder. “It does seem cruel to be faced with such irrefutable proof.”
Dagda and Isla have joined the guards on the sand. It takes some convincing, but the mothers finally believe their sons are fine and will return home in the morning. I suspect the other group of females is fine with the Fairies staying in a heap on the beach. They begin to disperse more quickly than the mothers. They have the answer they came for and there is nothing left to do but go home and grieve their unrequited love. At least, until morning when the guys wake up and the females can tell them what they think of them. It is going to be a stressful day in the village. Hopefully, not one filled with homicides.
Kallen and I remain outside until the last of the stragglers have left. Kegan and Alita, Raziel and Adriel, and Garren have all retreated back to their rooms. I doubt anyone will be getting any sleep the rest of the night, though. Impending doom and insomnia tend to go hand in hand.
“I am returning to the palace,” Dagda informs us after the last female Fairy has left. “I need to see how things are faring there. I will leave two happily hand-fasted guards here to watch over the sleeping.” He glances over his shoulder at his guards. Is he second guessing their resistance to the Sirens?
“They will be fine,” Kallen assures him. “As you said, they are happily hand-fasted.”
“We’ll keep an eye on them,” I add. I’m touched he cares so much about his guards.
Dagda turns back to us and runs a tired hand through his hair. “As soon as they are awake, come to the palace. Hopefully by then I will have made contact with the Merpeople.”
“Would you like me to accompany you to the palace now to help calm fears?” Kallen asks.
Dagda purses his lips in consideration. Finally, he shakes his head. “I believe your efforts are better spent here.”
The pointed look in my direction tells me exactly what he means. That’s okay. It will make me feel better to have Kallen stay with me. “We’ll see you in a little while.” Stepping forward, I wrap my arms around my biological father in a hug. After the briefest of surprised hesitations, he hugs me back. “We’ll figure this out.”
Stepping back, Dagda smiles. It’s only a little forced. “We always do,” he says. He turns and walks around the house to where his carriage is parked.
Chapter 3
“I hate Sirens,” I complain as I step into the warm water of the shower. Kallen is rinsing the shampoo from his hair and the sight of his naked body suddenly makes me forget all about Sirens. Every inch of him is lean muscle. I need to touch him. I reach out and run my hand down his chest.
“Aaah,” he exclaims, his eyes popping open. “Cold hands!” His eyes drift down my body and as quickly as I forgot about Sirens, he suddenly doesn’t care about my cold hands anymore. Pulling me close, he kisses me deeply, warming my body inside and out. “I love you,” he murmurs against my lips. “Nothing and no one can change that.”
I’m not sure if he’s trying to convince me or himself. Probably both. Snaking my arms around his neck, I meet his eyes. I can sense the tiniest bit of fear in him as my power to discover deep, dark secrets reaches into him. What surprises me is his fear stems from the thought of me not believing him. He has no doubts about himself. I couldn’t possibly love him more than I do right now. “I know.” The time for words is done. Our bodies crave each other and we give ourselves over to this need. Each of us claiming the other as our own as we make love. I suspect we are not the only ones in the house desperate in the face of danger to take comfort in the depths of shared love. The next few days could bring death and destruction into our lives. Each moment together is precious.
After our shower, I pull on a pair of jeans and a lightweight sweater. The air outside has turned chilly. I would have Kallen make my clothes as he generally does, but I want him to conserve every bit of strength he has to fight the call of the Sirens. Glancing out through the terrace curtains, I note, “The sun is starting to make an appearance.”
Kallen wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my head. “The Sirens are still singing.”
I crane my neck to look up at him. “You sound surprised.”
“I am. From what I understand, they do not usually risk being near shore this long.”
“No one answered their call. Maybe they’re desperate.”
Kallen cocks his head to the side and considers this. “They have been imprisoned for a long time. Perhaps you are right. They may be desperate to increase their strength even if it puts them at risk by staying close to shore too long.”
For the first time, I feel like we might have a chance against them. “If we can keep them from feeding on the deaths of men, we can keep them weak.”
“Maybe.” If only he sounded like he meant it. “We should return to the beach. When your spell lifts, we want to be certain the call of the Sirens no longer affects the ones who tried to answer.”
I’m confused. “They may still want to answer the call after daybreak?”
He shrugs. “I do not believe so, but we should not take chances.”
There is a knock on our bedroom door. “Come in,” I call.
Adriel opens the door. “I have been sent to retrieve you,” she says, sounding thrilled to have been sent on the errand.
“Isla?” I ask.
Adriel nods. She hesitates a moment, uncertainty emanating from her. Finally, she says, “Raziel was not feeling guilty this morning because Kallen may die.” She holds a hand up. “I do not know if it is going to happen or not. What will come, will come. He feels guilty because those with Angel blood are immune to the call of the Sirens.”
“Thanks for your concern,” Kallen says sardonically.
A part of me is relieved. Zac will never face the danger the rest of the living males in my life now do. “Don’t you ever want to throw things at him until he gives up a little of his knowledge?” I ask her. I would go insane being around Raziel all the time. For that and a million other reasons, I will always be glad I chose Kallen.
Adriel laughs. “There are times I find his omniscience frustrating.”
“It’s not his omniscience I find frustrating,” I mutter. “It’s his ability to keep a secret.” A thought strikes me. “You don’t have to keep secrets. You’re an Angel of De
ath, you must have some idea of how to hurt or kill a Siren.”
Adriel’s snarky expression prepares me for her snarky response. “What about I do not do the actual killing do you not understand? I cleanse the souls of those who have already died. I am not involved at all on the front end.”
“Geez, a little sensitive,” I grumble trying to ignore the fact that I did know this. “But you’ve been involved in the death process for millennia. How have Sirens died in the past?”
Adriel shakes her head in annoyance. “It is not like I have them fill out a “How I Died’ survey. Sirens are mortal. They can die like any other mortal being. For example, decapitation, exsanguination, suffocation, fire, old age. Shall I go on?”
“Wow, is there a good side of your bed to wake up on?” I snark back.
“The point I believe Adriel is trying to make is killing the Sirens is not our biggest obstacle. Finding them is. We cannot do anything to stop them if we cannot locate and capture them. Come on,” Kallen says, holding his hand out to me. “I am certain Grandmother’s frustration level is not being helped by our delay. Perhaps she has had word from Dagda.”
“Xandra, are you actually considering killing the Sirens?” Adriel asks.
I ponder this for the hundredth time since waking to their song. Would I kill the Sirens if they were able to take Kallen away from me? The response is out of my mouth before I even realize I’m speaking. “Maybe.”
Adriel studies me for an excruciatingly long moment. Finally, she says, “Tread carefully. Even your soul can bear only so much tarnish.” With that ominous comment, she turns to the door. Kallen and I follow.
The three of us make our way downstairs and out to the terrace. Isla, Tabitha and Garren are seated at the round table. Their eyes are fixed on the horizon. “It will not be long now,” Isla says when we join them.
It is not long. The last of the Siren voices fades into the coming dawn. Within five minutes, the first of the Fairies begins to stir. Unfortunately for him, he is at the bottom of the pile. The guards Dagda left begin to lift the still sleeping bodies off the confused Fairy. When he can finally struggle free, he stands and stares out toward the horizon, a lost expression on his face. When he takes a step toward the shore, all of us on the terrace practically leap to the beach. One of the guards grabs the Fairy’s arm, halting his progress.