by N. R. Larry
“Filthy siren.” A thick sound gurgled in Sophie’s throat, and a black liquid oozed onto her lower lip.
My answering smile was tight. “That’s not very nice.”
A black shadow veiled her face before her expression flickered, revealing an older, more haggard woman. A burst of cold shot across her skin. I pulled my hand back and shook it out as my heart thundered in my chest.
The human laughed and leaned forward until our noses were almost touching. The black light pulsed, switching between Sophie’s delicate features and the old woman’s. “I am loyal to only one,” she growled, tilting her head in an almost unnatural way to the side. “To only. One.”
Before I could say anything, Jett tightened his grip on her. “Don’t worry,” he muttered. “She’s not going anywhere.”
“I wasn’t worried,” I hissed at him.
He winked. “Of course not.”
Zarya rested her hand on my shoulder. “Get me her thoughts, Conway.”
I nodded, and then focused back on Sophie. The black cloud was still turning her face on and off. I closed my eyes and shook out my shoulders, forcing myself to relax. Slowly, I opened myself to every emotion in the room. Every desire. Every whim. My own desire slapped me in the face. I winced against it. The feel of her hand on my shoulder. The steel look that was always in her eye. And Poseidon’s nuts—that body. All Atlantean women were almost painfully beautiful, but the high priestess of the seas, she brought even the gods to their knees. Being chosen by her was an honor, and these days, a torture.
I forced myself past my own emotions and worked through their desires. I focused on Sophie. As soon as I got a feel for her, a thousand thoughts seemed to scream at me. My temples pounded. I stumbled back, out of breath.
“Conway,” Zarya started, reaching for me.
I ducked away from her. “I’m fine,” I hissed, balancing back on the balls of my feet. This time, I went after her without kindness. I ran into a dark, hungry energy that snapped at me. I smiled into it and used my magic to push it aside. Soon, Sophie’s brown eyes widened. Her lip quivered, and I took her hand. “Sophie,” I said in a firm voice.
Her expression relaxed immediately.
I funneled all my magic into my voice and could almost see it wrap around her like a warm invitation. Something in my bones clicked. I felt the moment she became mine. Unable to help it, I took a second to appreciate her smooth, brown skin and full lips. She was no Atlantean, but she housed a classic beauty my kind always appreciated.
And preyed upon.
I nodded at Jett. “You can let her go.”
He hesitated.
I narrowed my eyes. “You can let her go,” I repeated, leaving no room for argument. His gaze became faraway, and he nodded like a puppet before letting her go, and then going to join the others at my back.
I focused only on Sophie. “Darling,” I said, allowing my words to pound in her ears.
Her eyes glazed over. “Conway?”
I nodded. “Yes, it’s me. I need you to tell me something.”
Completely under my spell, she nodded.
“Where were you just now?”
She shivered, like whatever was inside her held a bit of chill. “She took me.”
“She? Who is she?”
Her eyes pooled with tears. “The woman they drowned,” she whispered, her hands trembling with fear.
“Who drowned her?” I asked, lifting myself up and sitting beside her on the bed.
She leaned against me and the cold rattling her body made the fine hairs of my arms stand up. “Your kind.” Her voice held a whimper. I could feel her fear. And her horror. “And she isn’t the only one.”
I squeezed her shoulder. “Why did my kind drown her?”
“To create more Kappa. The Kappa will follow only one person.” She gasped and turned her face so that it was hidden in my hair.
I looked up at Zarya. “The king.”
Her gaze was lined with steel as she looked upon Sophie. I could feel a thousand emotions working through her thoughts, the main of which was rage.
I placed a finger under her chin, and then forced Sophie to look up at me. “Two more questions, dear. Is that okay?”
She nodded.
“Is she always with you?”
She shook her head. “No, mostly, she comes at night.”
“And, what is her name?” I asked.
She shivered again. Biting down on her lower lip, she grunted and shook her head.
“It’s okay,” I said, taking her hand and squeezing it in my own. “I won’t let her hurt you.”
Finally, she nodded. “Dottie Sanderson,” she said in a small voice. “Her name is Dottie.”
“Thank you, dear.” I folded her into my arms and closed my eyes. “Now, sleep.” She went limp against me. I held her there for a few moments as silence stretched across the room. I laid her back on the bed, stood, and looked to Marlowe, Jett, and finally, Zarya.
She stared at me, cleared her throat, and then peered at Marlowe. “I want everything you can get on Dottie Sanderson.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Jett, help him.”
They nodded, and then left the room. Zarya’s gaze lingered on Sophie.
I cleared my throat. “She’s going to be fine.”
Without looking up, she said, “Do you think you can get this ghost out of her?”
“I can try.”
Her jaw set. As she stood there, staring at our surface contact, I could tell there was something she wanted to say to me. I frowned. It wasn’t like her to hold back anything.
“My queen?”
Her gaze shot to me, and something burned in her eyes that tightened every muscle in my body. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
My mouth began to gape.
She turned in a way that I could see the outlines of her nipples through the thin fabric of her dress. I balled my hands into fists. “You keep saying, ‘my queen.’” Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve never called me that before.”
I forced my gaze to her face and cleared my throat. “I-I don’t know. I just…”
“I am your priestess,” she said in a hard voice. “No one from my kingdom has ever called me queen.”
I stared at her. “They will.”
She didn’t say anything.
“Especially when you overthrow the mad king.”
Her lips twisted into a snarl. “You doubt me,” she whispered.
My eyes widened. “No, I—”
“And, you’re angry with me. Because of these visions?” She inched toward me.
I opened my mouth to respond but words failed me. “No, no. I would never doubt your loyalty to the people of Atlantis.”
“Then what is this anger about?” Delicate wrinkles appeared in her forehead. “Please don’t deny it. I sense it in you. Some… frustration. Tension fills you every time you’re around me.”
Unable to think of an answer, I remained silent. The quiet seemed to make the electricity between us even more painful. She reached out and ran a hand down my arm.
I almost growled at her touch. “I am not angry, my q—priestess.” I closed the few inches of space that remained between us and stared down at her. “I am frustrated,” I told her between gritted teeth. “And by frustrated, I mean, going out of my fucking mind.”
Her tongue flicked over her bottom lip. Impossibly enough, she was equally as beautiful here, in a simple frock, as she was in Atlantis in her crown and battle armor. Back home, she had more of a glow, but here, her skin had taken on a darker shade, and her eyes were always changing. Right now, they were the color of a sunset, blazing orange. Being around her used to be overwhelming; now, it set me on edge. I wanted to shed my own skin.
She chuckled and placed a hand behind her back. “Well, there are ways of getting rid of that frustration.”
My breath hitched. Reaching out again, she ran her fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and managed not to whimper. “You can have me right now
.” Her hands ran down the front of my chest, toward my stomach. A shudder ran through me. Her fingers toyed with the inside of my waistband. I took in a sharp breath and reached out to snatch her wrist and pull her toward me. When I opened my eyes, there was a coy smile on her lips and she was breathing as hard as I was.
“You know,” she began, without pulling away. “When I took you as one of my familiars, I didn’t expect this hesitancy on your part.”
I dropped her arm. Avoiding her gaze, I said, “Yes, I know. I’m not exactly proud of myself.” I backed away a few inches, hoping that a little distance would help ease my breathing. “And, you’ve been so patient.”
She cleared her throat. “I will continue to remain patient. Like I told you last time, we can wait as long as you need to.”
I risked looking her in the eye. “But, why?” She lifted a questioning eyebrow. “You’re the most powerful Atlantean high priestess the world has ever known.” I swallowed an invisible lump in my throat. “Why didn’t you replace me the moment I hesitated?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “I mean, any man in the water or on the surface would have to be mad to refuse you.”
Her grin widened as she sauntered toward me. Unable to control myself, I backed away. She stopped in her tracks and laughed. “Is that it, Conway? Are you mad?”
My jaw clenched. “I’m starting to believe so.”
She tossed her hair in a way that if any other woman had done it, might have seemed silly and girly. When she did it, it was deliberate and powerful. “I picked you because I’ve never seen anything like you.” Her eyes flashed as if she was seeing something I couldn’t. “I know sirens were made to kill, but you…” She chuckled. “You turned it into an art.” She bit down on her lower lip. “I knew that if my enemies knew I was sending you after them, they would shit squid ink and fall into line.”
My heart thudded against my rib cage. “So, you selected me because I’m a monster.”
“Yes,” she rasped without hesitation. “Because I am as much a destroyer as I am a healer.” The edge of her mouth twitched. “You remind me of me. You all do, in a way. You create beautiful things and manifest necessary terrors. That’s why I keep you around.” With a sigh, she glanced over my head. “I wish you would trust me.”
Something turned in my gut. “I trust you with my life.” I closed the distance between us. “You must know this isn’t about you.”
“Yes, it’s because your power leads you to believe anyone that cares for you is simply reacting to your magic.” She grimaced. “You should know by now, that isn’t the case.”
“I know,” I muttered in frustration. There wasn’t a part of me that didn’t want to push her against the wall and do every undignified thing I could think of. I balled my hands into fists. “It’s not just that.”
“What else is it?”
I shook my head. “It’s a boy’s insecurity.” I scoffed at myself. “Pathetic.”
“I want to know.”
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the temporary privacy afforded by the darkness. “I’m nothing like them,” I began, rubbing at my eyebrows. “Jett and Marlowe. I can’t offer you the same things they can.”
There was a beat of silence. Then, she cleared her throat and said, “I know that. And that’s another reason I picked you.”
I opened my eyes. “You shouldn’t be with a man you have to coddle,” I spat. “It is beneath you.”
Her eyelids fluttered. Several expressions passed through her face as she glanced to the ceiling, and then back at me. “You’re right.”
I stared at her because I didn’t have a good enough response. She tilted her head to the side, and slowly began to slide her dress off her bronze shoulders. My cock throbbed with need in response. “My priestess,” I muttered like a helpless bitch water nymph. “Please, don’t make this harder than it already is.”
She scoffed. “Shut up.”
My eyes widened as she worked the dress past her breasts and let it fall to the floor. Her hair floated in the air and I could taste a bit of magic dancing across her skin.
“Conway, the siren assassin,” she hissed, running her hands down her body. “That is the man I took as my familiar. And that is the man I need you to be.”
I tried to respond, but all I could do was follow the movement of her hands as they trailed down her stomach. “Come here,” she said in a rough voice.
After hesitating a few seconds, I inched toward her.
“Touch me.” She cupped her breasts. “Here.”
My hands shook as I reached for her. With my heart pounding in my ears, I ran my fingers across her hard nipples. A groan escaped her mouth. “Don’t be gentle,” she growled.
Gritting my teeth, I squeezed her nipples between my fingers. A current of magic rushed through me, and my thoughts turned dark. I wanted to unleash my siren ability. I wanted her to be at my mercy.
“That feels good,” she muttered in a shaky voice.
“Yeah?” I asked in a dark voice. I pinched her left nipple harder and enjoyed the feel of her squirming beneath my hands.
“I still remember the night we left home,” she said in a voice I had to strain to hear. She looked up at me in a way that I was used to from everyone but her. There was awe in her eyes. Seeing that look made me feel like I was back home. “You were the only one at my back. And when King Titus tried to stand in my way, you stood in between us.” She laughed and closed her eyes as she crawled into my arms. “The look in your eyes, Conway… That icy, killer stare… The king cowered beneath it.” She raised her face toward mine. Our lips were merely inches apart. I ran my hands down her back and pulled her closer to me. “He was afraid of you.” Her eyes open and she pinned me with her gaze. “Remember that.”
I gritted my teeth. “I want to kiss you.”
Her nose wrinkled. “No,” she said as she pulled herself out of my arms and turned away.
Anger stormed through me. Without realizing what I was doing, I followed her, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her back toward me. “I wasn’t asking.”
An edge of danger flashed in her eyes. “There he is.”
I dug my fingers into her hair and pressed my mouth roughly to hers. Her tongue parted my lips and searched my mouth, eager and willing. Thrills rushed through me. It was better than casting magic. Maybe there was more than one way to make her my own. Reaching around, I cupped her firm ass and squeezed. A satisfying moan rattled in her throat. I’d been with a myriad of women; none of them made my skin feel like it was electric with magic.
She pulled away, breathing hard. With her eyes closed, she moaned, “Conway.”
“Tell me,” I grunted. “Tell me what you—”
There was a loud thud from downstairs. Narrowing my eyes, I glared at the open door.
“Priestess Zarya!” a familiar, female voice shouted over the roar of the ocean. “I have need of a word with you, and I don’t have much time!”
It was Violetta, with word from Atlantis.
8
Zarya
I’d been waiting to hear from Violetta for weeks, and yet, her timing made me want to throw her into a cage with the kraken and take bets. Sighing, I pulled out of Conway’s arms.
He chuckled. “I don’t suppose I can tell you not to get that?”
I tried to smile, but my nipples were hard enough to cut through Atlantean steel. “No, this is too important.”
He bent over, snatched my dress up and held it out to me. The look in his eyes was different. For weeks, he’d seemed so lost. Now, he seemed certain. I reached for the dress, and then started to put it on. “Why don’t you go see what’s happening?” I cleared my throat. “I’ll be down in a moment.”
With a curt nod, he crossed the room, and then stopped in the doorway. “I’ll be finishing this later.”
If I had been wearing panties, that simple promise would have soaked them through. I nodded before he ducked out in the hallway. I breathed in time to the sound of his feet pounding again
st the steps to calm down. Maybe it was because he was the only one of my familiars I hadn’t had yet, but I wanted Conway in a way I hadn’t wanted anyone in a long time. I brought my hands up and slowly massaged my temples, hoping to force the blood away from my throbbing body parts and back to my brain.
“Priestess Zarya!” This time, when Violetta’s voice called out, there was an edge of urgency in it. I dropped my hands and rolled my head from side to side to work out a bit of the tension. Turning around, I ducked out into the hall. As soon as my foot hit the first step, a rush of power coursed through me. I gripped the banister tighter and gasped, letting the feeling flood through me. With a smile I realized what should have been obvious as soon as I heard Violetta’s voice.
The portal in our living room that led to the ocean was open. From where I stood, I could make out a hint of the blue light that coated the room anytime the door was open. That light acted as a barrier between the surface and the sea. It ensured none of the fragile, human knickknacks got damaged by the might of the water.
When I stepped into the living room, the blue hue pulsed brighter in my vision, its light shining against the beige walls. Layers of white foam rushed out onto the hardwood floors. I felt like a child stepping forward. The foam washed over my feet and magic ripped through my body. I stopped in my tracks and breathed the feeling in.
“Priestess Zarya.” Violetta pounded her chest, and then dropped to one knee.
I crossed the room to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s good to see you, old friend. We’ve been waiting.”
“Yes, sorry it’s taken so long.” She stood up and I scanned her up and down.
“You look like home.”
She was dressed in the green and gold armor of Atlantis, right down to the golden headdress.
Violetta sighed. “Home doesn’t even look like home right now.” She swept her brown hair off her shoulder and glanced at Conway, and then Lowe. That was when I noticed one of us was missing. “Where is Jett?”