Soul Breather (21st Century Sirens Book 1)

by T Stedman

  “What about fairness to me?”

  “I do understand that you are upset, but if we had kept you, or even paired you all up as children, the families would have fought each other to extinction. There would never have been peace or unity between the families, which was the whole point. There are also Human factions and government agencies, which know of our existence and would seek to destroy you or use you for their own ends. So to hide you and stop the use of your powers was a way of keeping you safe.”

  “Powers?” she asked looking around her.

  “Were you not kept away from water so you never swam? Were you not forbidden to use your singing voice?”

  She nodded, bewildered.

  The rest of the room was quiet while they all absorbed the information. None had heard the story explained so fully.

  ***

  Jay couldn’t help but remember how Dante had said it was all the ravings of a loony old man, but even he had seen the stripes on his friend’s skin when they’d swam in the sea near where he lived which developed the longer he was in the water. Dante’s eyes would challenge him to say something about them but he never did. He always just took him for what he was. And he’d seen the same stripes on Tia in his own shower. Yes, there had always been more to it. But he’d never pushed the issue and Dante had always been glad.

  “Have you used your powers, Tia?”

  She said no, uneasily, looking at everyone around her.

  “Anyone?” Alfonzo asked, surveying the room. “It is important.”

  “I’ve seen Tia breath under water,” Cash admitted, eventually.

  “So have I,” added Sean.

  Tia looked at them like traitors and buried her head in her hands.

  “I’ve seen her control Humans with music,” said Marco.

  “She sang?” Alfonzo said, shocked.

  “No, she DJ’s … you know plays records. I could see a sonic wave go over them. She holds them in her power.”

  Tia looked up shocked. “I do what?”

  “Were the Humans around her ever aware of these powers?”

  Jay looked between Cash, Sean and Marco, and saw them all mumble, ‘no’, and shake their heads.

  “Interesting.” Alfonzo muttered. “This is useful information in locating and identifying her sisters.”

  Tia looked over at Jay like she wanted the ground to swallow her up. She dreaded him saying anything about how she looked naked, under the shower.

  He looked into her eyes and read what she was pleading.

  “Jay?” Cash asked. “Anything?”

  After a moment, Jay tore his eyes from her and looked at him. “No, nothing out of the ordinary.”

  Tia visibly sagged in relief.

  “The last thing I must ask, and this is for your own safety … has anyone had intimate relations with Thelxiepia?” Alfonzo said.

  “Oh. My. God! I don’t believe it!” Tia buried her head in her hands again.

  Alfonzo looked around the room, starting with Marco.

  “No, she’s not mine,” he said, looking at is ring.

  “Admirable I’m sure, but that has never stopped princes in the past.”

  He then looked at Cash’s side of the bed.

  Cash shook his head and so did Sean.

  “Were you given Elixir as a precaution by your relatives?” Alfonzo asked.

  They both nodded.

  “And you took it?”

  They both answered, “Yes.”

  “Jay?”

  He felt himself blush and then looked up shyly through his eyebrows at Tia who looked at him from behind her fingers.

  “I will need to speak to you after everyone has left.” Alfonzo said, as a matter of fact, making no big deal out of it.

  Jay nodded, and looked at Tia who smiled apologetically.

  “Tia?” Alfonzo said, calling her attention back to him. “You have to come to a decision and it must be soon.”

  “What about?” she said shrinking down into the bed.

  “Now the Dubonnettis know of your existence, the other families will be notified. Also, the risks of Human factions finding you are greater. You must align yourself to a family.” He nodded towards Marco.

  “What does that mean?” she asked uneasily.

  At Alfonzo’s prompt, Marco spoke up. “Should you chose to do so, you will accompany me to my family home in Ireland where you will be introduced to my other two brothers to see if you are compatible with either of them.”

  “Compatible?” she asked.

  He held up his ring.

  “The prince who wears the ring which turns purple in your presence. You will also know, Tia,” Alfonzo added. “There is no mistaking your compatible mate.”

  She looked back at Jay.

  “You cannot take any of your Protectors,” Alfonzo said, gently.

  “Suppose I am, you know, compatible?”

  “Then you will marry him and give your allegiance to him and his family. And as you are the first you will make him king and his family very important in the Atlantean world.”

  “What about if I’m not, what about if one of the other Sirens were meant to be with his lot?” and she pulled a face as she said the word Sirens and pointed at Marco.

  “Then you would be delivered to the safety of your own family who also live in Ireland. There, suitors would present themselves through your family … I have to say though, this scenario is highly unlikely.”

  She frowned. “Why not?”

  “It’s complicated to explain today,” Alfonzo continued, “but let us just say, that in our world, if someone crosses your path, it’s because they were meant to.”

  Jay saw Tia’s eyes stray to his wrist where his bracelet was visible, then their eyes locked for a brief moment.

  Then she snapped them away. “What about if I don’t want any of this. What about if I want my own life?”

  Jay could see Tia’s clenched fists and felt sorry for her. She was well and truly backed into a corner.

  “I’m afraid Siren princesses never have their own life,” Alfonzo smiled ruefully.

  “Can I have a moment with Jay please?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  They all filed out of the room leaving Tia and Jay alone.

  ***

  Jay stood up and walked around the bed. Tia remained quiet and watched him. The only reason she wasn’t more shell-shocked at actually seeing him again was mainly due to the overall weirdness of the afternoon’s revelations. It somehow paled into insignificance.

  “I phoned you the other night,” Jay said, as he paused in his pacing and looked at her.

  “Did you? I didn’t know.” She looked down fidgeting with her fingers.

  “That bloke Sean answered.”

  She nodded slowly. Her brain whirred as she fell in when it must have been. “What did he say?”

  “That you were sleeping.”

  She did a quick add up as she watched his serious face and came up with the answer to why she was shut down the other night. They both remained quiet for a moment.

  He broke it first. “Look Tia, I’m not good at relationship crap, okay? I don’t really see beyond a couple of dates, you know?”

  She looked at him earnestly. “I totally know. I have no gauge whatsoever. I don’t even know if what I feel is normal; let alone how to act.”

  Jay looked at her and a laugh escaped him, which made her laugh. “I suppose you don’t.”

  He walked back round the bed and sat down again, picked up her hand in both of his, and held it to his mouth. “What are you gonna do?” he said, eventually.

  “I dunno. What are the two other brothers like? I could deliberately put them off me?”

  Jay laughed. “You could. Stephan’s just a kid and Dante’s a worse commitment-phobe than I am, so it might not take much.”

  “Mm,” she said, pretending to think on it.

  “I don’t think you have much choice. You could just humour them and go along
with it, and when it suits you – just fuck it off.” He gestured with his thumb towards the door.

  “You’re sexy,” she said, changing the subject to something more agreeable. She tried to turn onto her side to gaze at him but she winced with the pain in her ribs.

  He grinned and blushed.

  “Don’t do that,” she said pulling a pained face.

  “What?” he said, laughing.

  “You just give me that look and my temperature shoots up.”

  He leaned in and put his mouth over hers and ran his tongue along her lips. She opened and met his tongue with hers. “I’d better stop,” he said, leaving her really red and breathing hard. “I would hurt you. Better wait till you’re mended.” And he shifted back in his seat.

  Just then the door opened and her brother Dino gracefully walked into the room. He went over to Jay and held out his long slender fingers, which held three vials of clear liquid. “Alfonzo asked me to give you these. They are Elixir. You need to drink them five days apart, but drink them and finish the course.”

  “What are they?” Jay asked, sitting up as he took them from his hand.

  “They will help you tolerate her,” he said, pointing at Tia.

  Jay just raised his eyebrows, obviously thinking of a wisecrack comeback, but decided against it.

  “Being close to her could kill you,” Dino continued. “She won’t mean it, but well … it’s up to you, but with no Atlantean blood, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  Jay undid the cap and drank the contents of a vial down. He pulled a face and slipped the others in his pocket.

  “Good,” Dino said. Then he looked at Tia. “Look Tia, about when we left you. We had to, you know? We were called to our family and the rules said we couldn’t stay and protect you.”

  “Okay Dino, I know.”

  “They bent the rules putting us with you at all.”

  She looked up at him, remembering the boyish face he used to have. “I’m glad they did, I missed you.”

  Dino bent down and kissed her on the forehead. “Get better, okay?” and flashed a wonderful set of pearly whites.

  She nodded, smiling back.

  “We’ll see you in Ireland?”

  “Yes, I think so,” and she looked at Jay for guidance as she said it.

  “At least you sort of know this lot,” Jay said, helping her.

  That settled it. “Tell Alfonzo I will come as soon as I can travel.”

  Dino nodded satisfied with her answer. “Your Protectors will bring you and stay nearby.”

  “Thank you,” she said, relieved.

  Dino held his hand up and closed the door behind him.

  “Will you stay and travel back with me when it’s time?”

  Jay nodded, “Whichever one of them it is, Dante will look after you.” He sighed, sitting back in his chair. “It’s not like you’ve got much choice … we’ll work something out.”

  Tia smiled weakly and hoped he was right.

  Chapter 11

  Tia spent a blissful few days at Cash’s ranch after she left hospital. She and Jay took a lot of showers, getting to know each other really well. They even overcame the challenge of sleeping together without her overheating. They found the best way forward was to place a line of pillows down the centre of the bed, and hold hands across the divide. They didn’t mind failure. There was always the shower until they had to sleep from exhaustion. But above all, they promised each other to find a way to be together in the future.

  Cash had left them to it and gone off and done the necessary work with the horses for the film and left Sean in charge; who complained of a constant need for a bucket, with all the sloshy lovey dovey shit going on.

  Sean had arranged for his ‘wife to be’ to meet them in Ireland, where he would introduce her to this side of his life and hope that she wouldn’t constantly see Tia as a threat. They decided between them to tell her that she was a minding job – being a royal and everything. His military background made this really plausible. Tia promised she would pay him, which he didn’t like, but he finally agreed when it was pointed out that he would be a new dad, and he had to be employed somewhere.

  When Cash returned the sojourn was over, and they all packed up and went to Billings Airport.

  They were quiet on the flight. Neither she nor Jay was sure what the future held for them and their fragile relationship.

  They flew into London and then caught a connection to Galway. From there, a car met them and drove them for about an hour to a delightful manor house rented for them to be near the Dubonnetti family home.

  They weren’t given long to settle in when Tia’s uncle Alfonzo arrived to brief her on what was to be expected.

  She was summoned to the study on her own. It was explained that her Protectors would not be allowed to interfere beyond this point in negotiations. Their job was complete, so to speak.

  She walked in and sat quietly opposite her uncle.

  “Good evening, Thelxiepia,”

  She rolled her eyes at the use of her birth name. “Evening,” she replied, as she exhaled.

  “I know you must be tired as it is late, so I will be brief. Tomorrow, the Dubonnetti brother who first discovered you will come to collect you and accompany you to his home. There you will be presented to his father, and one by one to his brothers, to ascertain which brother you will be betrothed to. Any questions?”

  “Will I be able to come home after that?

  “Home? From that moment on, you will be tested and married in accordance with Atlantean tradition. Then that will be your home, as you will be Dubonnetti.”

  “What do you mean, tested?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t help you with the answer to that Tia, as it could be construed as influencing the outcome, but suffice it to say, that your authenticity as a Siren must be tested in line with tradition.

  “Oh,” she said, quietly looking down at her hands in her lap.

  There followed an uncomfortable silence as Alfonzo studied her. “Do not underestimate this match Tia.”

  She stiffened moodily in her chair. The old saying, ‘you can lead a horse to water’ came to mind.

  Alfonzo took something out of the drawer of the desk. He leant forward and passed her a vial of clear liquid identical to what he’d given Jay.

  “I thought I was the one supposed to have the powers.” She sniped.

  “You do.” Alfonzo gestured for her to drink the vial immediately.

  Huffing she knocked it back in one go and spluttered and pulled a face.

  “Your compatible mate will absorb your power and have mastery over you from that day forward. It is the way for Atlantean royals.”

  Fuck that! she vowed.

  “The good news is, that you will be allowed to meet your biological parents after that.”

  “Oh joy,” she muttered.

  ***

  Dante had delighted his father for the first time in his life, on his return to Ireland. He had presented himself to him in his study and asked him to teach him everything he needed to know, and assured him he was ready to listen and learn.

  In his own time he’d jogged along the beach and sparred with his brothers to get his body in shape. He detoxed and lay off the drink and drugs to get his brain sharp. His skin already had a healthy glow instead of the sallow hue of a druggie. And after his extreme reaction at the club he took Elixir so she didn’t affect him when he saw her. At last, his father had an eldest son he could be proud of.

  Dante watched the house in consternation following the news from Marco that she had chosen them. Well that wasn’t strictly true. It sounded more like she had no choice. It was either choose them or another family she knew even less, or hide until the Humans got hold of her, and that didn’t bear thinking about. So all that aside, she would be arriving as soon as she was well from a recent fall from a horse.

  Marco and his brothers had been sent to secure a rental house nearby to accommodate her Protectors, who would escort her
to Ireland. From there, Marco would bring her home to meet the family. Everything was arranged. She was due to arrive the next day.

  Dante sloped off to the seclusion of the family library. He was there more often than not these days. He’d discovered he had a real thirst for knowledge. He laughed to himself how he and Jay had breezed through their expensive education, but now everything had meaning, and he’d discovered books, especially the ancient tomes that had been carried out of Atlantis itself.

  He climbed the old steps, dusted off a huge volume and brought it down carefully and rested it on the table. Browned and crumbly pages held the same swirls and lettering that covered his and his friend’s bodies. He made a pact with himself to learn to read it. He would study all the past generations where Soul Breathers had been on Earth and why each king had failed before him. He guessed all the bloody princess had tried killing each other for whose ring went what colour. He bet it had been carnage. No, he had to do something different, revolutionary even. And have a bit of fun along the way.

  He ran his forearm across the tarnished gold and leather cover and saw that it was decorated with five moons circling a planet. Atlas. His heart hitched. Fuck, it was all so unbelievable, but all true. If he ever made it to actually be king, he would be a fucking top king. That he promised himself, or else he’d die trying.

  Reluctantly, he put everything away, left the sanctuary of the library and re-joined the rest of his family. Marco’s jovial mood was unsettling. Trying to turn over a new leaf was bloody difficult when all he wanted to do was punch his brother in the face. Where was Jay when he needed him? He was off grid for some reason. That bloody girl, he guessed. Oh well, it would be him as well soon. The prospect both excited him and terrified him. He hadn’t got her out of his head since he clapped eyes on her.

  He hadn’t said a word to a soul about the colour his ring had gone. He was saving it for the meeting – partly to make sure, and partly to wipe the smug grin off Marco’s face.

  He spent the remaining hours drafting the necessary documents informing the other three families of his betrothal to a Siren, and the proclamation of this special time in history that would unite them in strength and prosperity. Blah … blah. He was getting good at this kinging shit. He could just imagine Jay’s amusement watching him. What a laugh they would have.