by E. J. King
“Is something wrong?” Ethan pulled out a chair for me.
I set one of the drinks in front of Hope and my hand was shaking so badly that I nearly spilled it. “Everything is fine. Rafe is just being Rafe and he said something rude just to annoy me.”
“He does that,” Ethan said with a knowing smile. “He only annoys the ones he loves.”
I flinched at the word love, then chugged my entire drink, nearly choking on an ice cube in the process.
“What did he say?” Hope asked, barely masking the concern in her voice.
“Not much. He was too busy flirting with some girl named Jane.”
“Okay, enough about my jerk brother. Let’s talk about this Siren thing for a second.” Ethan took a sip of his beer. “I think we’re going about this all wrong.”
“How so?” My words already sounded slurred.
“We’re looking for a female that matches a particular description from someone that was with one of the previous victims.”
“Yes, that’s called eye witness testimony,” I said with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
Ethan patted me on the head. “Thanks for the help, tipsy. Now stay quiet so I can finish impressing you with my genius.”
I made a zipping motion over my lips.
“I saw a note in one of the journals that hypothesized about a chameleon characteristic that Sirens possess.”
“Chameleon?” Hope squinted thoughtfully. “Like the lizard thing that changes colors?”
“Sure,” Ethan said. “Like that.”
I tapped my fingers on the table rapidly. “You think the Siren doesn’t look the same every night? And that’s why we haven’t been able to find it?”
“Bingo.”
Hope looked around. “So it could be anyone?”
“Wait.” My Hunter brain was struggling to clear away the fog of alcohol. “A supernatural creature than can change its appearance. It targets males to seduce and eventually eat. It uses its powers to hypnotize its victims and manipulate them.”
Ethan gave me a thumbs up. “All correct. You paid attention in Hunter 101.”
“Sirens come from Greek mythology,” I said, getting to my feet. “Shit. We need to find Rafe.”
“Rafe?” Ethan tried to stop me. “I’m sure Rafe can take care of himself.”
“I’m sure you’re wrong about that.”
I started pushing my way through the crowd. The spot where I had left Rafe and Jane at the bar was now empty.
“Call him,” I ordered Ethan.
He gave me a doubtful look, but pulled out his phone.
“Excuse me.” I flagged down the bartender. “Do you remember the guy I was talking to?”
“The guy that looked like an arrogant jerk?” he asked.
“Yep. That’s him.”
The bartender nodded. “Yeah, I remember him. He just left with that other girl.”
“Left?” I looked toward the front door. “We didn’t see them leave.”
“Yeah, they went out the back.” He pointed through a dark hallway.
Ethan hung up his phone. “No answer.”
“He’s gone.” I marched toward the back door. “We need to find him. Now.”
We circled the building, but he was nowhere in sight. I pulled out my phone to check out a map of the area while filling them in on my hypothesis.
“You think the Siren took him?” Hope looked skeptical. “Rafe is a big guy. And he knew we were looking for a Siren. Surely he wouldn’t have gone off with it.”
“Don’t give him so much credit,” I muttered.
“He expected the Siren to look a certain way. His guard was down.” Ethan frowned. “Plus the promise of sex has been known to make him do stupid things.”
I could feel Hope watching me. “I have a theory on where we can find him.”
“Do share.” Ethan had pulled his oak stake from his boot and was twirling it in his fingers like a baton.
“I’ll tell you on the way.”
As we walked, I filled them in on the details of my theory. In Greek mythology, Sirens were known to lure sailors with their voices to shipwreck on the shores of their island. I was willing to bet that when we found Rafe and the Siren, it would be near water. By checking the map, I found one small lake that was near the abduction sights of the Siren’s victims.
“I guess college is paying off for you after all,” Ethan conceded as we approached the dock. Only one boat was still docked. It was called The Odyssey.
“At least the Siren has a sense of humor.” I stopped in front of the boat and pulled out my own specially carved stake.
We all boarded the boat as stealthily as possible. Ethan led the way inside and Hope whispered in my ear, “Are you sure you want to walk in on this? Rafe might be in a compromising position.”
“I’m fine, Hope.”
“Shh.” Ethan turned around and put a finger to his lips. “I can hear them.”
We descended five stairs into a wood paneled room. It was empty, save for an oversized bed covered in black satin sheets. Rafe lay on the bed, straddled by Jane.
“Jane! Fancy seeing you here,” I said.
The Siren whirled, its face twisted with ugliness. It had been preparing to feed, lips pulled back to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. Its mouth was about three sizes bigger than a normal mouth, and its hands had turned into giant claws.
When it saw us, it transformed before our eyes into the young girl I had met at the bar. “You were stupid to come here,” it said.
“Sorry. We didn’t see the sock on the door.” I circled the room, looking for an opening.
Rafe hadn’t moved since we walked into the room. He wasn’t tied up, but he appeared to be immobilized. His eyes were open, but they were glassy, like he had been drugged.
“I’m betting you didn’t know that you abducted a Hunter.” I stopped moving and squared off, preparing for a fight.
“I didn’t, but I can’t say I’m disappointed.” Siren Jane grinned. “I’m betting Hunters are delicious.”
I noticed that Ethan was slowly moving closer. “Make a move. Go ahead.”
“You think that I’m outnumbered,” Siren Jane said, turning to Ethan. “But you don’t want to hurt me do you?”
I was horrified when Ethan shook his head no.
“You want to put away that stake.”
Again, Ethan listened. However the Siren manipulated her victims, it was working on Ethan.
“What is he doing?” Hope hissed.
“He’s under her thrall.” I was going to have to handle the Siren by myself.
It spoke again. “You don’t want those girls to hurt me. You’ll do whatever it takes to stop them. You’re going to kill them.”
“Hope.” I took a step backward. “Get out of here.”
“You can’t fight it by yourself.”
“I’m not worried about the Siren, Hope.”
Ethan rushed forward and I jumped into his path. He threw himself at me, taking us both to the ground. The Siren had turned back to Rafe, back in eating form.
“Hope. Get the Siren.”
I threw my stake to her and she miraculously caught it mid-air. She held it out from her body with two fingers. “What do I do with it?”
“Aim for her heart,” I said, just before Ethan’s hands closed over my throat.
Hope rushed to the bed, looking back and forth between the stake and the Siren. She turned the stake in her hand several times while the Siren leaned closer to Rafe, preparing to chow down.
“Now!” I croaked with stars dotting my vision.
Hope pulled back her arm and swung it forcefully into the Siren’s back. Somehow, she managed to place it perfectly. The Siren screamed and collapsed on top of Rafe.
Ethan’s grip on my neck loosened and he stared at me in confusion.
“What am I doing?” he asked, completely bewildered. The Siren’s spell had been broken.
“I’ll try not to take this personally.”
>
Ethan got up slowly, blinking and looking around like he was lost. I stood up and rubbed my throat, checking to see if Rafe was okay.
He had pushed the Siren onto the ground and was sitting on the bed. “What did that bitch do to me?”
“I think she entranced you. This is further proof that men will act like fools to impress women.” I held up a hand. “Nice work, Hope.”
She slapped my hand. “Not bad for a civilian, huh?”
“You might have some hidden Hunter in you,” Ethan agreed as he stood over the Siren’s body. “Is this thing going to liquidate?”
“I don’t think so. Good thing we’re in a prime spot for disposing of a body.” I pointed out the window to the lake. “Who do you think actually owns this boat?”
“Us now.” Ethan grinned. “We should take it out for a spin.”
I expected Rafe to join in but he wasn’t even listening. His head was in his hands.
“You alright?” I put a hand on his shoulder and was surprised by the amount of body heat he was exuding. “You’re really warm.”
“I don’t feel well.” He looked up at me and I noticed that his eyes were still glassy.
“Ethan, we need to get him out of here.”
We worked to get him on his feet while Hope called us a cab. By the time we got him to the main road, the taxi was waiting for us.
His condition continued to deteriorate on the way home and we had to carry him inside. There was no way we were going to be able to get him up the stairs so we put him in my bed instead.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ethan asked, hovering nervously while I took off Rafe’s jacket.
“I don’t know, Ethan. Go find the journals that talked about Sirens. I think it did something to him.” I propped up the pillows and laid him back slowly. “Hope, get me a wet cloth. We need to bring his fever down.”
Seeing Rafe so sick made my stomach hurt. He could barely keep his eyes open, but he managed to catch my hand.
“You’re going to be fine,” I said. “I’m right here.”
It took almost an hour for Ethan to find a logical explanation for Rafe’s illness. “According to this journal, the Sirens suck out a victim’s energy before they feed. That’s how they keep their prey incapacitated.”
“How do we fix it?”
“He just needs to rest. The energy will come back.” Ethan closed the book with a thump. “That’s good news.”
“Very good,” I agreed.
Ethan looked at his brother’s still form and sighed. “One day we aren’t going to be so lucky. Eventually, he’s going to get sick and not recover.”
“I know.” I pressed a damp cloth to Rafe’s forehead, my heart feeling very heavy.
“We should let him sleep for a while. You can come upstairs and sleep in his bed.”
“Do you really think he’ll be okay?” I didn’t want to leave him, but Ethan would be suspicious if I insisted on staying.
Ethan chuckled softly. “You don’t know Rafe the way I do. He has survived much worse.”
I thought about the scars and what Rafe had told me about their dad.
“Okay. Let’s get some sleep.”
I had never been inside Rafe’s room and I was fascinated by its meager contents. Rafe didn’t have a lot of possessions, but the ones he did have were clearly important to him. An old knife lay on his dresser, the initials J.R. carved into the handle. A pocket watch with the same initials sat next to it. I wondered if they had belonged to his father.
A picture of a woman with the same hair and skin tone as him sat on his bedside table. It had to be his mother. I found a sketchpad tossed carelessly on his bed. After I crawled into his sheets, I opened the book.
Rafe was extremely talented. He mostly drew people, candid sketches of strangers. They were detailed and beautiful. After a few pages, his subject changed. The second half of the book was filled with drawings of only one unknowing muse- me.
I gasped, shocked at how beautifully he had captured me. From all angles, covering all emotions. He caught me happy and sad, worried and laughing. At last, I saw myself through Rafe’s eyes and it was breathtaking.
When Ethan had suggested we get some sleep, I’d been certain I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. But now that I was in Rafe’s bed, surrounded by its warmth and his amazing scent, I drifted off to sleep still holding the sketchbook.
Sleep only lasted for a couple of hours. I awoke with a start, feeling a sudden need to check on Rafe. I hurried down the stairs as quietly as possible and let myself into my bedroom. The curtains were still open and I could see Rafe’s sleeping form in the soft moonlight. He was breathing steadily, a good sign.
Just as I was about to back out of the room, his eyes opened.
“Are you going to stand there all night?” His voice was hoarse, but I detected a trace of humor.
“You knew I was standing here this whole time?”
“Yep. You are busted, stalker.” His faint smile made my heart soar.
“I was worried about you. Sorry.”
He pulled back the sheet and waved me into the room. “Get over here, Red.”
I skipped into the room and slid into the bed, melting eagerly into his open arms. “You had us all worried.”
“I’m fine.” His arms wrapped around me, enveloping me in a cocoon of warmth and safety. “The Siren did something to me?”
“It took your energy. We stopped it before it could do worse.” I rubbed a hand over his chest, softly patting the spot just over his heart. “You’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I remember saying some things to you at the bar.”
“Oh.” I had almost managed to forget the hurtful words he had said. Now it all came rushing back.
“It wasn’t me talking, Kaylie. You have to know that. It was the Siren.”
“It sure sounded like you,” I said softly.
He lifted my head from his chest, forcing me to look at him. “Those words couldn’t have been further from the truth. I meant it when I told you that I love you.”
“Good.” I kissed his lips softly. “Because I love you, too.”
It was something I had never imagined myself saying out loud. I hadn’t planned on loving anyone after I lost my family. But after seeing Rafe in such a bad state and knowing that it was only a precursor of things to come, I needed him to know how I felt.
“Now close your eyes and get some sleep.” I lay my head back on his chest, comforted by the strong beating of his heart. “I’ll still be here in the morning.”
“I hope that’s a threat you intend to keep.”
True to my word, I was still there when Rafe woke up. I had woken early and moved to a chair next to the bed in case Ethan decided to make an early morning appearance.
“No morning cuddles?” Rafe asked with a sleepy smirk.
“I could hear Ethan moving around upstairs.” I leaned over to give him a kiss. “You hungry?”
“Always.”
“I’ll make some breakfast.” I had to physically extricate myself from his arms. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“I never leave a girl’s bed when she promises me breakfast in bed.” He smiled. “Or anything in bed for that matter.”
I stopped in the doorway, giving him a long look. “You have no idea how good it is to hear you making pervy comments again.”
“Glad to hear I’ve still got it,” he said with a wink.
While Rafe seemed to be on the road to recovery, I was still worried about him. We had been searching for a cure for three months and hadn’t found anything. Unless he changed his mind and drained every drop of my blood, he was going to die. I was more determined than ever to prevent that.
Ethan was even more worried about his brother. He came downstairs just minutes later and sat by his brother’s bedside all day. While I would’ve liked some time alone with Rafe, I accepted that I would have to find other ways to help him- namely by step
ping up the research for a cure.
While Ethan looked after Rafe, I pulled out the Hunter journals about the Lost Souls. I must’ve read them at least a dozen times, but that didn’t stop me from reading them yet again. I was sure that there must be some clue that I had overlooked. There had to be a way to save Rafe that didn’t require me to die.
“You haven’t left this room all day,” Ethan said during a break in his nursing duties.
“How is he?” I asked without looking up from my books.
“Tired.” Ethan took the journal away from me. “Go see him. He’s been asking for you.”
I froze. “Really?”
“I think he’s sick of me,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t know why. I’m pretty awesome.”
“You are,” I agreed. “Just not as awesome as me.”
“Not as hot as you,” Ethan corrected me. “Don’t worry, my feelings aren’t hurt.”
“Hey, Ethan. Can I ask you something?”
He gave me a sidelong look. “Sure. Sounds serious.”
“Last night when I was taking off Rafe’s jacket, I noticed some scars. They didn’t look like Hunter scars.” I kept my eyes away from Ethan’s so he couldn’t tell that I was lying. It was the best excuse I could come up with for having seen Rafe’s scars.
Ethan’s jaw clenched and he looked away. “He got those when he was younger.”
“How?” It wasn’t fair to put Ethan on the spot, but I wanted to know why he had lied to me about their dad in the past. After seeing what he had done to Rafe, I couldn’t imagine why Ethan felt the need to protect such a scumbag.
“Our dad has a temper,” Ethan finally said.
“He hit you?” I figured I might as well be direct.
Ethan sighed. “Not me. Just Rafe.”
From the pained look on his face, I knew that fact had tortured him for years. I couldn’t begin to imagine how someone could hurt a child, let alone their own, and even more confusingly, only one of their children. But as much as it confused me, it had to bother Ethan even more.
“Because Rafe isn’t his biological son?” I guessed.
Ethan shrugged. “I don’t know why he started hitting Rafe. But he kept doing it because he’s an asshole. And if he ever got mad at me and started to lose it, Rafe would intervene. He protected me. I probably owe him my life.”