by Bonnie Lamer
The Fairy looks down at the hand, but he doesn’t struggle against the hold. “It’s too late,” he tells the guard. “I can’t go to them now.”
“Just going for a swim, then?” the guard asks him.
The Fairy shakes his head. “I was hoping if I moved closer to the water, I could still hear them.”
Dumbfounded, I ask, “You do realize they want to kill you, right?”
The Fairy turns to me. “Kill me? Why would they kill me? They love me.”
“They are Sirens, moron,” Garren informs him. “They only love themselves.”
The Fairy is even more confused. “Sirens?”
Several other Fairies begin to stir behind us. I prepare myself for more odd behavior, but as the others rise, they do not appear lost as the first one did. Embarrassed is more like it. “Did he say Sirens?” one asks me.
I nod. “You all answered their call last night. I put you to sleep so you wouldn’t drown yourselves.”
The new Fairy groans. “My girlfriend is going to kill me.”
“Probably,” Garren agrees. Isla elbows him in the ribs.
“There were many angry females here last night,” Kallen informs him and the rest of the Fairies. “I suggest you return to your homes to make what peace you can. Before night falls again, the King, High Chancellor, Princess and I will have a plan in place to protect you once again. In the meantime, spread the word that you were kept safe. Panic is certain to blossom today as those who did not hear the call wake to the news.”
After some sheepish head nodding, the Fairies begin to disperse. One of the guards takes responsibility for getting the first Fairy to awaken home. He has not shaken the lost feeling and none of us trust him to find his own way home instead of diving into the sea when we turn our backs. I feel better when Kallen assures me he is single so no one will be heartbroken over his strong desire to go to the Sirens. Well, his mother probably will be. When they are all gone, Kallen, Isla and I climb into Isla’s carriage. I offered to teleport us to the palace, but Isla politely declined. She’s not especially fond of my mode of travel.
Halfway to the palace, we are hailed by Dagda from his carriage. Pulling alongside it, Isla opens the window. Dagda calls out, “There is trouble in the village. I need to address it. Kallen, please join me. Isla, Xandra, we will return to the palace as soon as we can. Tana is attempting to make contact with the Merpeople and will appreciate any assistance you can give her.”
Kallen nods and prepares to leave the carriage. He leans over and kisses me first. “I will be quick,” he assures me before disappearing out the door. As soon as he boards Dagda’s carriage, they depart. Isla and I continue on to the palace.
“What do you think that’s about?” I ask.
Isla sighs. “I suspect a combination of fear, panic and females scorned have created a situation ready to explode.” I believe she’s right.
I settle back against the seat. “What are our chances of fighting the Sirens?”
Isla glances out the window. “Slim to none.”
“Please, don’t sugar coat it like that,” I snark and I receive a glower in response.
“You are too old to be coddled,” she informs me.
I stare at her for a moment. “Are you really so pessimistic about it?”
She shakes her head in frustration. “Xandra, I simply do not know. I have fought the Sirens before. They are adversaries not to be taken lightly. I would rather face a roomful of Dragons. At least then if I lost, it would not mean the death of every adult male Fairy in the village.”
I don’t know, the Dragons are jerks. But, I understand what she means now. “It’s not the Sirens you fear. It’s the death and destruction they leave behind.”
“Some will die before this is through. Even if we do win,” she says. “I would ‘sugarcoat it’, as you say, but you would know I was lying.”
True. Damn my new lie detecting abilities. “I appreciate your honesty. But I am not going to buy into your theories. I am not going to let anyone die.”
Isla studies me for a long time. Her gaze is so intense, I need to fight hard not to squirm in my seat. Finally, she says, “I will hold you to that.” We ride the rest of the way in silence.
Chapter 4
I expect to find a frazzled Tana. I am impressed to find a calm, collected Tana who does not seem to be obsessing about the next few nights. She has soothed the palace staff, convincing them we will stop the Sirens. She has personally consoled two different Fairies who found out their boyfriends don’t love them. And she has made contact with the Merpeople.
“You’ve had a busy night,” I remark when she finally turns her attention from her assistant to Isla and me.
Now that I can see her face better, I can see some signs of the toll the night has taken on her. Her eyes are puffy and I’m certain she has cried recently. Whether in sympathy or fear, I can’t say. Her hair is not its usual gleaming perfection and her dress has wrinkles. Something she would normally fix immediately but she hasn’t noticed them yet.
“As have you, I am told.” Tana rises from her desk and comes around to greet us. “Thank you for coming and thank you for what you did to save those poor souls on the beach.”
Okay, grateful Tana is making me uncomfortable. I prefer snarky, haughty Tana. She and I know how to deal with each other. I shrug. “It’s what I’m supposed to do,” I say lamely.
She lets my false modesty slide and becomes all business. “We have an appointment with the MerQueen. We must depart immediately.” She looks me up and down and suddenly, I’m wearing a dress. It’s emerald green with delicate embroidery worked through the A-line skirt. I look like a mini her.
“Hey!” I exclaim. “Those were real clothes.”
Tana rolls her eyes. “They have been returned to your room at Isla’s. You cannot meet the Queen of the Merpeople in jeans and a sweater.”
The nice thing about being annoyed? It focuses my magic. I call my jeans and sweater back from Isla’s and ditch the dress. “The Queen of the Merpeople doesn’t care what I wear. When is she coming?”
“Coming?” Tana repeats, scowling at my clothes again. “She is not coming. We are going to her.”
My mouth drops open. “You want me to leave this realm? I’m the only one who can put a large group of male Fairies to sleep when night comes. With the time difference between realms, I don’t feel comfortable taking chances with that.”
She hadn’t thought of this. Yet, she continues to argue the point. “I cannot ask the MerQueen to leave her realm. Her realm is as panicked as ours.” A vein on Tana’s forehead begins to throb. I wonder if I can cure aneurysms. Scratch that. We’ll see how this conversation plays out before I make any hasty decisions regarding my desire to cure a sudden aneurysm of Tana’s.
“Are there still Sirens in her realm?” It seems to me all the Sirens would leave the realm where they have been held captive. Some could have stayed seeking revenge, I suppose.
“I do not know,” Tana admits.
Isla clears her throat. “I believe Xandra is right. This is not the time for her to leave the realm. I will send a messenger to the Merpeople realm and request the Queen journey here, instead.”
Tana’s eyes flash. She is not pleased to have her authority usurped. Not to mention, she’s probably worried the MerQueen will think she’s an idiot for not thinking of this in the first place. Still, she doesn’t contradict Isla. But, I bet Dagda will get an earful later.
Apparently, I am not as immune to her snit as Isla is. “Will you please at least change your clothing? You are a representative of this realm and should present yourself as such.”
I sigh. “Look, I’ve met Arie several times. She’s already seen me at my worst and she’s accused me of murder.” I don’t hold it against her, though. It was my doppelganger who did it. “With everything going on, she is not going to care what I’m wearing.” As for Arie, I’ll be happy if she’s wearing something that covers her breasts. Merwomen
do not always. A little voice in the back of my head is telling me to pick my battles because in the big scheme of things, this doesn’t really matter. When is the little voice in the back of my head going to learn that I never listen to it?
“Why must you be so contrary?” Tana demands to know.
I retaliate with, “Why do you insist on trying to change me?”
“I understand the two of you are full of fear and worry at the moment,” Isla drawls, “but taking it out on each other and arguing like children is not helping the situation.”
Oh. Maybe that is what we’re doing. The sheepish expression on Tana’s face matches mine perfectly. “Sorry,” I grumble. Pulling magic, I change into a plain emerald green dress that matches my eyes and is a better fit for my body type. It does not have delicate embroidery anywhere on it. The one Tana made for me was one she would wear, not me. Okay, I’m still being a little contrary, but it’s progress.
Tana lifts her head high. “As am I. That is a lovely dress.” She doesn’t mean it but I’ll take the compliment anyway.
“I have matters to attend to in my office,” Isla informs us. “I trust I can leave the two of you alone.”
I give her a sour look. “We’re fine.”
“Indeed,” Tana agrees.
With a disbelieving nod, Isla leaves the room. Finally. I am dying to ask Tana a question and I did not want to do it in front of Isla. She would be pissed I’m even suggesting it. “Tana,” I begin hesitantly.
She raises her brows, anticipating she is not going to like what I’m about to say. “Yes?”
“Is there a black magic spell that can get rid of Sirens?”
I expect her to be mad so I’m surprised by her defeated sigh. “I wondered how long it would take someone to ask me such a thing.” Great, step-mom guilt. Continuing, she says, “I have wracked my brain all night and morning. I cannot think of one.”
I frown. “I thought there was a black magic spell for everything.”
Tana puts her hands on her hips. “You are welcome to examine the spell books in the black magic section of the archives if you do not believe me.”
I hold my hands up, palms forward. “Sorry, sorry. I was just thinking out loud.” I purse my lips. On second thought, maybe a trip to the archives isn’t a bad idea. I’ll steer clear of the black magic section, though. “Has the scribe been replaced yet?”
There is a warning in Tana’s eyes. “Xandra, your father would kill me if I actually let you anywhere near those spells again.”
I roll my eyes. “I want to research Sirens. In the regular part of the archives,” I clarify.
Tana’s body relaxes. “Yes. A very capable young Fairy has taken on the position. Her name is Phoebe.” I turn to go, but Tana calls me back. “Xandra, there is no need for you to go to the archives. Now that there is a scribe…” she takes a deep breath and we both try not to think about what happened to the last one. “Now that we have a scribe who can move faster than a snail, I can have her bring everything she has on Sirens to us. I should have thought of sooner.”
I still suspect Tana is trying to keep me away from the archives, but I’m okay with it. Nothing good has ever come from me being down there. “Okay. How long do you think it will take?”
“Not long,” Sindri, Dagda’s assistant, says from the doorway. “The King requested the information before he left.” My father, the show off. “Phoebe has a stack of books ready for your perusal and will continue to search for more. I came to ask where you would like them.”
“I suppose that is why he is King,” Tana says fondly. She’s not at all annoyed about being shown up by an absent Dagda. “Bring them to the conference room. Will you please send for Kegan, Alita and Tabitha? The more eyes we have, the more information we can get through.”
“They, and Garren, are waiting downstairs.”
Well, aren’t we slow on the uptake? I guess everyone else’s brains are working faster than mine and Tana’s. “What about Adriel and Raziel?” I ask.
“They remain at the High Chancellor’s,” he means Isla’s house, “to protect those who may still be suffering from the Siren’s call.”
I wonder if the confused Fairy from this morning is still trying to get to the Sirens. I’m kind of surprised Raziel would let something like that slip. But I’m glad he’s there watching out for the male Fairy population. Being as tactful as I am, I blurt out, “Did you hear the Sirens’ call?”
Sindri blushes from head to toe. “I did not.” Sindri’s in love?
Before I can embarrass the Fairy any further, Tana says, “Thank you, Sindri. Excellent work, as usual.” Sindri blushes deeper, bows his head in acknowledgment of the compliment and makes a hasty retreat. To me, Tana says, “Xandra, dear, Sindri is the only Fairy in the realm with the patience to work day in and day out with your father. Do try not to scare him away.”
Good to know she has a sense of humor during a crisis. Wait. She’s not joking. I laugh anyway. “If he can handle Dagda’s mood swings, a few tactless questions are not going to send him fleeing from the palace.”
Tana nods her head slightly. “Perhaps. Shall we join the others?”
Hmm, stay here alone with Tana or study up on Sirens. Neither option appeals to me at the moment. Though I brought up research, I’m really more of an action kind of person. If only I knew what action to take at the moment. Research it is, then. “Okay,” I say reluctantly.
Chapter 5
“It is about time you joined us,” Kegan gripes when I walk into the conference room. He is chin deep in magic books. And he’s actually reading them. He is scared.
I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m here for Kallen and Alita, not you at the moment.”
He shrugs. “As long as you are here.”
“Agreed,” Garren pipes in.
“Have you heard from the Merpeople?” Alita asks.
I shake my head. “Not yet.” Sitting down, I pull a book toward me from the middle of the table. Is it too much to hope for an index? Yes, yes it is. I groan and begin turning pages, scanning for the word Siren. The room is silent except for the occasional swish of a page turning. Or a crackling, depending on how old the book is. One scroll disintegrates in Garren’s hand when he tries to unroll it. Hope there wasn’t anything useful on it. I try not to give him a dirty look. It doesn’t work. I really should direct my energy toward things I know I am not going to fail at. Garren ignores me.
Isla startles me when she enters and breaks the silence. “The MerQueen has agreed to come here.” She adds, “On two conditions.”
I think of the conditions the old MerQueen would request. At least one of them would be getting her hands on Kallen. Then I remember Kai, Arie’s gorgeous husband. If you like guys with fishtails, that is. “What are they?” I ask.
“The first is simple. She would like you to open a portal rather than use a current one.”
My brow creases. “Why?” I don’t mind doing it. It’s not like it’s hard. It just seems like a weird request.
“She is concerned the known portals are being monitored by the Sirens,” Isla explains.
“Oh, okay. What’s the second condition?”
“She will gather the single men of her realm and bring them here.”
“Why?” Kegan asks. Then it hits him. Isla must have shared our plan for the male Fairies. “So Xandra can work her magic on them, too.”
I bite my lower lip. “Um, how many are we talking? I don’t have an unlimited amount of magic.”
Kegan snorts. “Pretty damn close.” Alita elbows him in the ribs.
Isla’s voice is crisp. “Kegan, please restrict your comments to helpful ones. Xandra, I do not have an exact number but suffice it to say, there will be a considerable number. Now is not the time for self-doubt.”
Yes, because ordering me not to have doubts will erase them all instantly. I literally bite my tongue to keep from saying this aloud. Too bad I can’t bite my lips at the same time. The words come out mumbled bec
ause of my inability to move my tongue, but they come out nonetheless. Kegan snickers. He gets another elbow in the ribs.
Isla’s eyes focus on Garren. “We will obviously postpone our left hand-fasting ceremony until this crisis is managed.”
There is dead silence in the room again. I try not to watch the color rise to Garren’s face. But it’s such a pretty shade of magenta, it’s hard to resist. I’m pretty sure his head just gained five pounds in blood weight as it rushes up to be a physical sign of his anger.
Garren rises from his chair and leans his fists on the table. In the deepest growl his voice can manage, he spits out, “You mean you want to see if I go running off to the sea tonight or tomorrow night. Do you have any faith at all in my love for you?”
As if we choreographed it, Kegan, Alita, Tana and I rise from our chairs. Without a glance in anyone’s direction, we basically run for the door. Not that we’ll necessarily be safe anywhere in the palace. The amount of magic building up in the room is enough to trigger an earthquake of great magnitude. By leaving the room, we do minimize our risk somewhat by not being at the epicenter of the disaster. Tana pulls the door closed behind us and we keep walking until we can no longer hear the not-so-quiet conversation leaking through the wood.
Pressing her hand against her heart, Alita declares, “That was terrifying.”
Tana nods. “Agreed. I have never seen Isla so angry.”
“You have not spent enough time around her and Garren, then,” I mutter. “Garren does not always bring out the best in her.”
Shaking her head, Tana says, “Yet they are planning a hand-fasting.” Realizing what she said, her cheeks turn pink. An unimpressive showing after Garren’s brilliant hues. “I should not gossip so.”