Blood of Sirens: Book 13 of The Witch Fairy Series (5 page)

“Xandra, we are not saying it is impossible” Dagda rebukes softly.

My eyebrows hit the ceiling.  “Really?  Because I’m hearing a lot more ‘we can’t’ than ‘we can’ around here.  I am not going to sit around anymore.  I’m going back to the conference room to continue our research.  If you need me, you know where to find me.” 

I consider teleporting, but that would be childish.  Instead, I turn on my heels and leave the sitting room.  I don’t wait for the elevator deathtrap.  I take the stairs down to the first floor and stomp through the Great Hall to the conference room.  I find Alita and Kegan there pouring over more books.  Sindri must have retrieved another load from the Scribe.

“Come to help?” Alita asks hopefully.

“Yeah.  This is much better than listening to the naysayers up there.”  I thrust my thumb toward the ceiling. 

“Good, grab a book.”  Kegan pushes a short stack toward me.

I pick up the one on top of the pile and start skimming.  I come up empty.  The same is true with the next five books.  In the sixth, I discover an entire chapter about Sirens.  Not how to stop them, but a brief history of what made them go bad.  The story I heard earlier about the scorned Queen was a big part of it.  I’m shocked to discover it was a Witch King who did the scorning.

The book is ancient and I need to turn the pages carefully.  The ink is fading in many parts, but I can still make out the story.  About a millennium ago, a Witch King professed his love to the Siren Queen.  From what I can make out from the descriptions of the geography, it happened in my home realm somewhere in Europe.  The King’s name?  Arthur.  The Queen’s name?  Morgana.  You have to be kidding me.  King Arthur caused the Sirens to go bad?  I continue reading, my knowledge of Camelot being seriously warped in the process. 

King Arthur, handsome, perfect, etc., invited the Siren Queen to Camelot to praise her for her efforts to keep the women of his Kingdom safe from harm.  Considering this was a time in human history when women were barely more than property, this was quite progressive of him.  Then again, he did begin his reign as a pagan who believed in the old religions based on nature and harmony.   

Morgana was the Lady of the Lake.  She was considered a priestess of the old religion and many kings before Arthur called upon her wisdom in times of upheaval.  She worked with some of them and plotted against others.  Arthur knew he would need to tread carefully around Morgana if he wanted his Kingdom to be a success.

When Arthur laid eyes upon Morgana, he was lost.  Her almond shaped, silver eyes, bronzed skin and long, gleaming red hair were only the tips of her beauty.  Her figure was rounded in beautiful curves and her hazel eyes shown with intelligence.  Arthur vowed to stop at nothing to have this beauty in his bed and by his side as Queen.  Morgana resisted the young Witch despite her mutual attraction to his tall, muscular body.  Her appreciation for his square jaw, high cheekbones and aquiline nose aside, she knew better than to immerse herself in the mortal realm.  But, Arthur wore her down.  It was not long before Morgana succumbed to the young King’s charms.  They became lovers.  A child was born of their union.  Through all this, Morgana steadfastly refused to take her place by Arthur’s side as Queen.  She was too feared by the people, she claimed, for it was no secret what she was.  As word of their relationship spread, lesser Kings took up arms against Arthur and his Siren, wanting to send her back to Avalon from whence she came.  From what I can gather, Avalon was the Merpeople realm.  The Sirens were originally from there?

Morgana accompanied Arthur to help him win these wars.  She used her Siren magic against his enemies, drowning thousands in his name.  Soon, no one dared stand against him.  But, there was unrest in his Kingdom.  His people feared he would let loose his Siren love upon them and he was begged by his advisors to choose a Queen from amongst his own people.  Eventually, Arthur succumbed to the pressure.  Partially out of frustration and hurt that Morgana always kept herself at arm’s length.  He began to see her refusal to become his Queen as an insult.  He grew to resent her power, feeling less of a King because he relied so heavily on her magic in battle. 

Secretly, Arthur let it be known that he was seeking a human bride.  He felt this would bring the Witches and Cowans closer.  He was presented with many candidates but he turned them all down until Guinevere.  Her blonde hair and pale skin were as far from Morgana as he had ever seen.  She was a beauty.  Not as beautiful as his Siren, but beautiful enough to be considered as his Queen.  He made the arrangements with her father and their wedding was set.  All that was left was for Arthur to do was send Morgana away.

Morgana was not a fool.  She knew she was losing her King.  She felt him become more and more withdrawn from her as she continued to refuse his proposals.  She tried to show him she was not rejecting him, she was simply trying to do what was right for his people.  When he stopped pressing her, she saw it as a sign of understanding.  She was devastated to discover the real reason for his withdrawal.  Guinevere.  Morgana raged when she discovered the truth.  The oceans battered the shores, the lakes flooded crops and the walls of Camelot began to crumble.  The Witches battled Morgana, tried to subdue her, but she was lost to grief and anger.

It was at last her son who turned her anger into a need for power.  Being male, the son did not inherit the magic of his mother.  Instead, he sought power through mortal channels.  He wanted to be King.  He convinced his mother that the best way to defeat Arthur was to destroy the Kingdom he made from the inside.  Using her ability to control men, Morgana sent Lancelot to do her bidding.  He seduced the young Queen who knew her husband’s heart was elsewhere.  But Arthur’s pride was strong enough to make him a fool.  The infighting began and eventually, Arthur was alone in his crumbling Kingdom.  His wife committed suicide, he had killed his closest friend for his betrayal and his people lost respect for the once great King.  But as Arthur lay on his deathbed after fighting his own son, he had the last word.  His scribes took down the name of his successor as it fell from his dying lips.  His son was not to be King unless he won the title.

Morgana, by this time, had gone off the deep end.  She had so much rage inside her, she could no longer see right from wrong.  After so many betrayals and so much revenge, all she knew was killing.  As her people felt the power she achieved through her acts of revenge and murder, many followed behind, feeding on the lives of others.  Over time, it became the only life they knew.  They became a race that was drunk on power and virtually indestructible.

I close the book and sit back my brain pounding painfully against my skull.  A Witch betrayed the Sirens.  A Fairy, namely Dagda, betrayed the Sirens.  Chances of them wanting to be friends with a Witch Fairy?  Zero to nil.  I sigh.  At least I got some answers.  Not the ones I wanted, but at least I know the root of their evil.  But I don’t understand why the Sirens would continue to behave like Morgana.  Were they simply drunk on power or was the race easily susceptible to evil.  They did lure men to their deaths before Morgana.  The one difference being they were trying to protect women then.  But killing is killing, right?  A pang of guilt sounds in my heart.  Wasn’t I recently considering the possibility of killing the Sirens?  By recently, I mean right up until the time I had that thought.

“Did you find something?” Alita asks.

I hate to dim the hope in her eyes.  “Sorry, no.  I was reading about how the whole mess started.  There was nothing in there about how to stop the Sirens.”

“Let me see it,” Kegan says, motioning for me to hand him the book.  I oblige. 

I grab another book from the stack and begin skimming through it.  An icy cold hand appears on my shoulder and I can’t help a violent shudder.  “Sorry,” Mom mumbles.  “I came to see how things were going.”

I glance up at her pretty, ghostly face.  “Did you know King Arthur was a Witch?”

My mother smiles.  “Yes.”

Scowling, I grumble, “Thanks for sharing.  Did you know he’s the one who turned the Sirens evil?”

Shocked, she admits, “That I did not know.”

“It’s true,” Kegan confirms.  “Some King by the name of Arthur set this all in motion.”  He slides the book back across the table so my mom can read the story herself.  I turn the pages for her when she indicates she’s ready. 

By the time she’s finished, Mom’s eyes are open wide.  “That is certainly not the history I learned.”

“Yeah, turns out a lot of the history I learned wasn’t quite accurate,” I add unhelpfully.

Mom shoots me a warning glance.  “Your father and I did the best we could while still trying to protect you.”

Backpedaling, I explain myself better.  “I didn’t mean what I learned from you and Dad.  I meant, a lot of supernatural history has been edited out or turned into mythology in our realm.  We all learn flawed history because of it.”

Relaxing, Mom nods.  “You’re right.”

“Though that is a fascinating revelation, can we keep looking for more useful information?” Kegan grouses.  Yup, impending death does make him crabby.

“Perhaps we should send you to the Sirens now,” a deep voice behind me says.  The same voice is now sheepish as it says, “Sorry, Alita.”  I glance at my husband as he sits down next to me.  His cheeks are actually red as he stares at the tears forming in Alita’s eyes.  It’s usually me who sticks a foot in my mouth like that.

“How are things upstairs?” I ask. 

“Your words had the desired effect.  There is more discussion of how rather than cannot.”  He leans over and kisses me.  “You are correct.  We will find a way to defeat the Sirens.”  His words are as much for Alita as they are for me.

“I assume the lot of you are starving,” Tabitha says from the doorway. 

“I am not,” Kegan says, sticking his head in another book.

Alita touches his arm.  “You need to eat.”

“Listen to her, she is smarter than you are,” Tabitha chides.

Kegan gives his best death glare.  “I will eat later.”

“I will ask Xandra to force feed you with magic,” Alita declares to her annoyed, and annoying, husband.

Kegan’s death glare leaves Tabitha to slide back and forth between Alita and me.  “You would not.”  With a grin, I pull magic.  Kegan slams the book in front of him closed and stands up.  “Fine.”

Alita is far from triumphant.  “You will be stronger if you eat.”

Kegan’s eyes soften.  “I know.  Come on.”  He holds his hand out and helps her up.  “Where to?” he asks Tabitha.

“Family quarters upstairs,” she informs us before disappearing out the door.

“Shall we?” Kallen asks.

I groan.  “I hate returning to the room I stormed out of.  It takes away from the dramatic effect.”

My unsympathetic husband laughs.  Good thing he’s hot.  “I do not believe doing it one more time will kill you.”  So, so lucky he’s hot.

Back in the family area of the palace, we enter the private dining room where Tabitha is already bringing out steaming hot dishes.  She’s a stress cooker.  Something Kallen and Kegan have always appreciated about her.  “How did you get the palace chef to let you cook in her kitchen?” I ask.  The palace chef is a tough old cookie.

Tabitha’s brows rise to her hairline.  “Do you really believe I asked?”

I shake my head.  “No.”

Dagda, Tana, Arie and Kai enter the dining room and sit at the table.  Kallen sits next to Arie and I’m on his other side.  Kegan and Alita sit across from us.  Isla is the last to arrive and the tiny lines she had around her eyes before seem to have deepened.  A combination of sorrow and ire fills her eyes.  I suspect Garren has something to do with all of it. 

“Did you find anything useful in the books the scribe sent up?” Dagda asks. 

“Not yet, but we will,” I say, refusing to give a pessimistic response. 

“Your efforts are greatly appreciated,” Arie tells all of us. 

“I think I should go down to the archives myself.”  The words jumped out of my mouth of their own accord.  I swear they did.

“No.”  The word comes from so many directions, I’m not certain who all said it. 

“What do you believe you could find that the trained scribe cannot?” Dagda demands to know.

“I don’t know,” I admit.  “But, other than learning the history of why the Sirens went dark, your scribe hasn’t sent up anything useful.”  I catch my bottom lip between my teeth in an effort not to say more.

It doesn’t matter.  Kallen knows what I’m thinking.  “You are not going into the dark magic section of the archives.”  I don’t like the finality in his tone.  I hope my glaring in his direction conveys that.

“I concur.”  I don’t like the finality in Dagda’s tone, either.  He is now including in my glaring.

This is ridiculous.  “What if that’s the only way to win against them?  Shouldn’t we at least try?”

“I am afraid I agree with your father,” Arie says.  “Fighting darkness with darkness will not bring light.”

“Not to mention the tarnish it will leave on your soul,” Dagda adds.  As soon as the words leave his mouth, he realizes what he said.  His eyes find Tana’s at the other end of the table. 

I expect Tana to cry or get angry and storm off.  She does neither.  Though her cheeks turn pink, her voice is strong.  “Xandra, your father is correct.  A tarnished soul is a heavy burden to bear.”

“My dear,” Dagda begins but Tana shakes her head and he stops talking.

With a sidelong glance in Tana’s direction, I say, “The last time I was in that section, a spell was covering my aura.  That’s what the black magic was drawn to, not me in general.”

“Xandra,” Kallen says softly.  His voice is quiet but his green eyes are determined.  “You are asking us to condone something that may make the situation worse.”  I open my mouth to interrupt but he keeps talking.  “Give us time to find another way.  If we cannot discover another way in two days’ time, then we talk about this again.  Deal?”                

Two days.  The Sirens could do so much damage in two days.  What if I can’t put all the male Fairies and all the Mermen to sleep tonight?  The Sirens may have already called for reinforcements.  I glance around the table realizing everyone is waiting for my response.  They want me to agree with Kallen.  Except maybe Kegan.  Like me, he likes to go for the quick fix.  But, Kallen is right.  Using black magic could make the situation worse.  I let out a long breath.  “Fine.  Two days.”

Relief brings several pairs of tense shoulders down into a more relaxed position.  “Agreed,” Dagda says.

“Can you get on with the eating now?  We’re starving down here,” Taz grumbles around a mouthful of something.

“It sounds like you started without us,” I accuse. 

“We had appetizers in the kitchen,” he says.  “Now we want real food.”

I wondered where my Familiar was all day.  It figures he was following Tabitha around hoping for food.  “I suspect your appetizers were more food than I’ll eat all day.”

“Does anyone else find this disconcerting?” Kai asks. 

Kallen shakes his head.  “Not anymore.”

“It did take some time adjusting,” Dagda admits.  “Hearing the beast speak for ourselves helped.”  When the Seraphim gave Taz the ability to speak for everyone to hear, I stopped getting strange looks when I have a conversation with him.  I’m glad he didn’t get to keep the ability to communicate with everyone.  His mouth would get him in more trouble than mine does.

Proving my point, Taz snarks, “How did such a wanker get to be King?”  He is so lucky Dagda can’t understand him.

After our late lunch, most of us go back to the conference room to do more research.  Sindri has brought in more books and left a cart for us to fill up with the ones we have already searched so they can be returned to the archives.  After another couple of hours of finding nothing useful, I’m beginning to wonder how the scribe got her job.  Certainly not because she can find the information we need.  I need to keep reminding myself she’s new. 

“You need a break,” Kallen says after another hour.

I assess the pile of books on the table and shake my head.  “No, there’s too much to do.”  I reach for another book.

Kallen’s hand rests on my arm, stopping me.  “You have a huge spell to work in a couple of hours.  You need to save your energy for that.  There are plenty of Fairies here to continue researching.” 

“He is correct,” Alita says.  “It is more important you are able to work the magic of the spell than using your energy scouring old books.”

I would feel too guilty leaving.  “Come on, you guys, I can do both.”            

Kegan nods.  “Probably.  But I know if I was going to be included in the spell tonight, I would want to know you were focusing your energy in only one direction.”

My brow creases and I speak my concerns from earlier.  “What if the Sirens have reinforcements?  Shouldn’t I put all the male Fairies to sleep to be safe?”

“No.”  Kallen shakes his head.  “The resistance to the songs is more about time than the strength of the singing.  Those of us happy in our hand-fastings will not feel the pull yet.”

“Did you have to say ‘yet’?”

He takes my hand in his.  “Hearing the call and responding to it are two very different things.”

I love his confidence.  “What am I supposed to do with myself if I’m not helping with the research?”

A wicked grin forms on Kallen’s face.  “I have a few ideas.”

“What about well rested did you not understand?” Kegan grouses.

Sobering, Kallen says, “I know you.  You will be up all night worrying about your spell.  Perhaps some rest now would do you good.”

“I slept when I had the Centaurs and Sasquatch under a spell,” I counter.

“This is different.”  He moves closer to me and whispers in my ear.  “More personal.”

He’s right.  I know he is.  Admit it, though?  Nah.  “I’m not worried you’re going to go walking into the sea tonight.”  Three nights from now I may be worried.  Or two.  I may start worrying in two.

As if reading my mind, Taz says, “I have a lot of bacon riding on him going down on night five.”

“You are a horrible beast,” I inform him.

Taz shrugs his little shoulders.  “Just because he’s getting sucker punched by fate doesn’t mean I shouldn’t enjoy the bacon.” 

A knock on the door interrupts Taz’s next words.  Sindri pokes his head through the door.  “The King requests the presence of the Princess and Prince in his office.”

“You know, you can call us by our names,” I inform him.  I don’t like being referred to as Princess all the time.  Mostly because I never feel like a Princess.

Sindri inclines his head. “I appreciate the offer of informality.”  In other words, he’s going to keep calling me Princess. 

“Fine,” I grumble.  Kallen and I walk past Dagda’s assistant and I swear there’s a tiny smile turning his lips upwards.  At least someone seems to like me.  I’m always surprised at how slowly that number grows.

I don’t bother to knock on Dagda’s office door.  He did request my presence, after all.  I am surprised to find him alone, though.  I thought he’d still be with Arie and Kai.  “You wanted to see us.”

“Yes, have a seat.”  He indicates the two chairs across from him.  “We need to discuss details for this evening.”

“What details?” I ask.  “I say a spell, hundreds of Fairies and Mermen fall asleep.  There’s not much to plan.”

Parents should never look at their children like they’re idiots.  It doesn’t do much for our self-esteem.  “I am not talking about what you will be doing.  I am talking about the rest of us.”

Oh.  Okay.  “What will you be doing?”

Frustration is crawling around Dagda’s face like snake chasing a chicken.  “That is what I would like to discuss.”

“As fun as this conversation is,” Kallen smirks.  “Perhaps we should let your father explain.”  I glance at my husband.  He never refers to Dagda as my father.  I don’t mind.  I mean, he is my father.  Usually he refers to him as his uncle, though.  Weird.

Ignoring my puzzled expression, Dagda begins speaking again.  “Thank you,” he says to Kallen with more emphasis than I believe was necessary.  “Though I have complete confidence in your abilities,” he gives me a sideways glance, “I do not believe in taking chances.”  The snort that leaves me is completely involuntary.  I swear.

“Meaning?” Kallen asks.

“Meaning we need to guard the waterways.  There are any number of possible reasons someone may not be caught in Xandra’s spell.  Not being in close enough proximity, being overly confident about their feelings for their significant other or simply immune to the spell.”

“No one has ever been immune to my spells before,” I insist.

Dagda smiles though it’s a weary one.  “No, they have not.  But, like I said, why take chances?”

“I assume you want to set up patrols of the village and surrounding area?” Kallen asks.

Nodding, Dagda says, “Yes.  In addition to the water ways, I would like guards posted around the village doing four hour shifts while others are walking the streets, looking for any sign of trouble.”

“Does Naja have enough female guards?” Kallen asks.  Naja is the head of Dagda’s security.  I like her.  She’s pretty no nonsense.  She has also been recruiting more females to work as guards, which I like.  It should be an equal opportunity position.

“She does.”

“Are you switching to all female guards?” I ask.

“Only in the evenings,” Dagda says.  Smart plan.  To Kallen, he says, “I would like you to work with Naja on this.”

Kallen nods.  “Okay.  Do you know where I can find her?”

“She is in her office awaiting your arrival.” 

So much for Kallen and I ‘resting’ before nightfall.  “Does he need to go now?”

Kallen leans over and kisses my cheek.  In my ear, he promises in a whisper low enough Dagda can’t hear him, “Later.” 

The blush on my cheeks is enough for Dagda to clear his throat in discomfort.  “Yes, now would be best.”  He is such a mood killer.

“I will walk you to the Princess quarters first,” Kallen says, still insistent on me resting before I say my spell. 

Dagda scowls at the idea.  What, he doesn’t trust us to keep our hands off each other?  He’s a smart Fairy.  I have every intention of trying to seduce my husband before he goes off to plan with Naja.  “Okay.”  I rise from my chair and give my biological father a smug smile.  “See you later.”  All I get in return is a sigh and shake of the head.

Outside his office, Kallen asks, “Elevator or stairs.”

I give him a sour look.  “What do you think?”   He chuckles and takes my hand, heading for the stairs.