Blood of Sirens: Book 13 of The Witch Fairy Series (8 page)

“My love…” he begins.

I cut him off.  “Tell me what it says.”

With the sigh of the century heaved from his chest, Kallen carries the scroll to a side table and unrolls it.  My first surprise is the color of the writing.  Do the Sirens make ink out of seaweed?  It’s the right color green for it.  I begin reading and am annoyed that like their song, it rhymes.  Only poems and spells should rhyme.  Death threats, kidnapping threats and declarations of war should not rhyme.  There’s nothing worse than a cutesy declaration of war.  It reads:

Tales of your beauty reach far and wide,

A glorious King you shall be by our side.

Endless nights of pleasure await,

Destiny has already sealed your fate.

Deny us not or pay the price,

You alone can be the Fairy sacrifice,

To satisfy the wrongs of the past.

Know this offer will be our last.

Two moons you may take to decide

No longer shall we abide.

Until you come, we shall sing,

Each night our voices will clearly ring,

Each Fairy death will rest upon your head,

Until the Queen has you in her bed.

Leave behind your life of old

With its wife to bear and King to scold.

Come to us freely is all we ask,

Then in endless summer you shall bask.

Live forever with the Queen on both land and sea,

Hear her beckon ‘Come to me, my Darling, come to me’.

Okay, I’ve been mad before.  Really, really mad.  But nothing compares to the raging going on inside my brain at the moment.  “Wife to bear?  The Queen’s bed?  I’m going to kill them,” I inform everyone present.  “I am going to track them down and I am going to wring each and every gilled neck I can find.”

“Why would they demand to have you?” Kai wants to know.  There is a clear thread of something in his voice.  Is he jealous?  Does he think he should have been the one the Sirens demanded?  I guess it would make more sense.  At least he can breathe underwater without a spell.

“Because demanding Kallen is the sweetest revenge Irena could come up with,” Tana says quietly.  We all turn to her and with eyes brimming with tears, she continues, “He has been like a son to Dagda and me.  Tearing him from us would be as devastating as taking a child born to us.  She wants Dagda to suffer for choosing me.  Kallen is also the husband of the most powerful female alive.  They seek to make Xandra suffer in hopes it will weaken her.” 

Exactly what we figured at Isla’s this morning.  The Sirens are here to hurt Dagda and me both.  Yet another readymade enemy of mine.  I sure wish people would work their way up to despising me instead of jumping in head first.  “I hate to dwell on this, but seriously, will there ever be supernatural beings who just want to get to know me and be my friend?”  Yes, I’m whining but who wouldn’t when it seems the entire universe wants me to be miserable.

“The Sirens are known for keeping their word,” Kai says.  “This sacrifice could be the answer we seek.”

My mouth drops open.  If I wasn’t completely slack jawed now, I would speak all the obscenities and threats going through my mind.  But I can’t make my brain send my facial muscles and throat the cues to create speech.  Good thing my father doesn’t have the same problem.

“You selfish, son of a bitch,” Dagda growls, closing in on Kai.  Despite how large the Merman is, the King of the Fairies is able to put genuine fear in his eyes.  “After your people let the Sirens escape, you want us to make a sacrifice of such great proportions?  I do not see you volunteering to take Kallen’s place.” 

I don’t believe Kai knew he was moving backward until his back hits the wall.  “It is not me they desire,” he says lamely.

Dagda is right in his face.  “That is because you are a waste of space, you…”

“Dagda!” Tana shouts over her husband, keeping him from saying something that may forever affect Fairy and Merpeople relations.  He turns and glares at his wife but she continues anyway.  “I believe the Queen’s consort was simply exploring all of our options.  I do not believe he truly desires us to send Kallen as a sacrifice.”

“Who is she kidding?  The fish was ready to pack his bag and hand deliver him,” Felix growls.  He closes in on Kai with teeth bared. 

“Wait until he gets his tail back if you’re planning an attack,” Taz suggests.  “He’ll taste better.”

Good to know they have Kallen’s back.  Well, Felix anyway.  But, my mind is focused on what Tana said.  There are three interesting things about her statement.  One, she referred to Kai as the Queen’s consort properly putting him in his place.  Consorts are simply spouses, not ruling monarchs.  Two, as Felix pointed out, it is a bold faced lie.  Kai was seriously suggesting we send Kallen to the Sirens.  Three, Tana is truly concerned Dagda will cause physical harm to Kai.  Actually, so am I.  I’m just not certain I care.  Nope.  Don’t care.

“Sure sounded like it to me,” I mutter, earning me a true evil step-mother glare.

“Xandra, you are not helping,” Tana says between lips that I didn’t even see move in her attempt to only be heard by me.  She’d make a great ventriloquist.   

Arie steps closer to her husband.  “The Queen is correct,” she says to Dagda.  “Kai does not expect you to pay such a price simply to avoid war.”

Hmm.  There are some interesting things about her statement, too.  One, Kai is thrilled to have two different women speak for him and downplay his words.  Two, Arie is subtly implying we are about to start a war because we won’t sacrifice the one person the Sirens want. 

I glance at Kallen to see how he’s faring through this conversation.  I’m kind of surprised he didn’t threaten Kai himself.  I find him deep in thought, not paying attention at all to the scene playing out in front of him.  “Kallen,” I say slowly.  “What are you thinking?”

Shaking himself out of his current state, he says, “I was trying to figure out a way we could use this to our advantage.”

My anger grows exponentially with every word he speaks.  Is he serious?  He can’t possibly think I would agree to any plan involving him leaving me.  “There is no way in hell you are going to live with the Sirens.” 

To my surprise, he smiles softly.  “I would never be able to leave you.”

I’m hearing a ‘but’ in his voice.  He only has one cute butt and that wasn’t it.  Dagda must not have heard it because he says, “This conversation is over.  Whatever plan we come up with, it will not involve giving the Sirens what they want.  We will have war if that is the only solution, but we will not sacrifice Kallen or anyone else.”

“Kai and I need to retire to our suite for the evening,” Arie says neutrally.  “The spell has run its course for the day.”

Dagda, who is still standing well within Kai’s personal space, nods and backs up.  “Of course,” he says.  “We shall reconvene in the morning.”  The ‘unless I decide to kill you in your sleep for being such a jackass’ is implied.  No need to say it out loud.

After the Mercouple leave, Dagda flops back down into his chair.  Tana walks to the decanter of scotch.  I thought she was going to bring a glass to Dagda.  Instead, she pours a good amount in a glass and downs it herself.  That had to burn her throat.  Or not.  She pours another glass and brings it to her chair.  “That could have gone better,” she muses to no one in particular.

Frowning, I ask, “Where is Isla?  She is usually more involved in our disasters.”

Dagda shakes his head.  “This is not our disaster.  It is mine alone.”

Kallen’s and my eyebrows rush to see who can hit their hairline first.  “Excuse me?” I say.

“Uncle, I fail to see the logic in your statement,” Kallen says. 

Dagda half chuckles, half snorts.  “I see your point.  It was not you who spurned the Siren Queen, yet you are asked to pay the price.  Still, the blame lies on my shoulders.”

“Well, since it’s all your fault, Kallen and I will go to bed and you can figure it out on your own,” I snark. 

Glowering at me, Dagda asks, “Will you ever show me respect/”

“Sure, when you earn it.  Wallowing in self-pity like this is not a good start.  Who cares if you spurned the Queen?  That doesn’t give her the right to come kill all the males in the Fairy population.  You are not guilty of making her a sociopath.  She had to have been born that way.  If you didn’t set her off, someone else would have.  Yeah, it sucks it was you but get over it already.”

The scotch must be getting to Tana because she giggles a little.  “Your daughter has so many of your traits, dear husband.”  Did she just insult me, Dagda, or both of us?

After studying his wife for a moment trying to figure out the same thing, Dagda decides to change the subject.  He answers my question about Isla.  “Isla wants to be here, but she volunteered to watch over the village this evening.  With Raziel and Adriel at her house and us here, the village is left exposed.  She and Tabitha will keep the peace and be on the lookout for anyone not caught in your spell.”

“That’s good.”  I’m going to be a horrible Queen.  I didn’t even think about stationing someone in the village.  Dagda better not die anytime soon.  I need many more years of life experience before I wear his crown. 

Tana sets her empty glass down on the coffee table.  She tries to stand up, but falls back into her chair with a giggle.  “Dagda, be a dear and get me more, please.”

Seriously?  She thinks this is the time to get drunk?  Kallen must be reading my mind because he says quietly, “Better a glass or two of scotch than resorting to black magic when she’s so upset.”

I snort.  “Alcoholism is not a good substitute for anything.”

“I do not believe we need to fear such a thing.  To the best of my knowledge, these are the first drinks she has head since returning to us.  Aunt Tana was never a drinker.”

Even though we are speaking quietly, the room isn’t big enough to keep our conversation from reaching Dagda and Tana’s ears.  “Right you are, my precious boy,” Tana coos.  Turning to Dagda, she frowns.  “I asked you to get me another glass of scotch.”

Rising from his chair, Dagda scoops his wife out of her chair, causing her to giggle again.  “My dear, I believe you have had enough.  I am surprised you were able to finish the second glass.”  Over his shoulder, Dagda says to Kallen and me, “Go get some rest.  We’re going to start bright and early tomorrow.”

Kallen wraps an arm around my waist and steers me toward the Princess bedroom.  “We should take his advice and get some rest.”

I crane my neck so I can see his sparkling green eyes.  “I don’t think you have sleep on your mind.”

He grins.  “There are many ways to relax.”

Maybe I should have taken that nap earlier.

As soon as Kallen closes the door behind us, my clothes begin to magically disappear until I am wearing nothing but my lace panties.  “You are perfection,” Kallen whispers.  “I need to touch you.”

My sexiest smile in place, I crawl onto the bed.  “Then you are overdressed.”  I watch as his shirt disappears exposing the hard lines of his torso.  His six pack abs and sculpted chest.  His biceps that bulge with every movement of his arms.  His jeans disappear and his strong legs bring him to the bed with the grace of a panther.  He is mine.  All mine.  I reach for him and he moves into my embrace.

“I will love you forever,” he tells me, kissing a trail along my jaw until he reaches my mouth.  His kiss is deep and sensual, causing sensations in every part of my body.

My hands stroke his muscled back, my nails lightly grazing his skin.  “I will love you forever,” I assure him. 

I am lost to the seduction.  Nothing penetrates my mind except the feel of Kallen’s touch on my skin.  His hands explore everywhere and his mouth follows.  I return the caresses and kisses until it is impossible to continue without joining our bodies as one.  I thirst for Kallen.  I hunger for him.  We are whole when we are together.  Joining our bodies is only a physical representation of the joining of our souls, but I need it.  I need to make love to him emotionally, spiritually and physically.  When we are as one, even the heavens could not break us apart.  Each stroke, each thrust brings me closer to Nirvana.  I love him with every iota of my being and I know in my heart and mind that he feels the same about me.

As we reach our bodies’ threshold for pleasure, I whisper, “I will never let you go.”  My words bring him to climax and I follow.

When breathing normally is once again possible, Kallen kisses me.  “I will never let you go, either.  Never, ever doubt that.”

I snuggle into him content for the moment.  But it doesn’t take long for the events of last night and today to start creeping back into my mind.  First, I check my magic, making certain I didn’t accidently lose focus on the sleeping spell as we made love.  I didn’t.  Now my mind is spinning in a hundred different directions, seeking a clear path to an answer but I find a dead end in every direction.  “What can we do?”

Kallen hugs me tight.  “I wish I knew.”

“How can an entire race be turned evil by one scorned Queen?” I ask, not really expecting an answer.

Kallen responds anyway.  “I do not believe the entire race is evil.  Irena was once a rational creature.”

“Let me guess, Dagda’s choosing Tana made her believe her ancestors were right in hating men.”

Tracing circles on my back, Kallen says, “There was more to it than that.  She attempted to make changes in their culture and her people rebelled.  Then several who had once believed in her turned against their race and helped the Merpeople imprison them.  Being locked up for centuries could make anyone bitter.”

Yeah, I’d probably be bitter.  “You aren’t tempted by the endless nights of pleasure, are you?”

Chuckling, Kallen kisses the top of my head.  “I already have that.”

He always knows the perfect thing to say.  “I’m so tired but my mind is racing too fast for me to sleep.”

“I know what you mean.”

“It doesn’t seem right to sleep while the Sirens are singing.  I should be out there protecting the Fairies and Mermen.”

Placing a finger under my chin, Kallen lifts until he can see my face.  “You are doing more than anyone in regards to keeping everyone safe.  No one else could work that spell.”

“But the spell isn’t enough.”  Sitting up, I say, “I want to check on them.”

Kallen pulls me back to him.  “They are fine.  My love, you need rest.  We have all of tomorrow to figure out what to do next.”

“More like twelve hours tomorrow,” I correct him.  “We only have from dawn to dusk.”

He shrugs.  “Plenty of time to find a solution.”

I give up arguing.  There’s no point because he’s right.  None of us will be able to think clearly if we don’t sleep.  If only my eyelids would get the message.  They are firmly holding onto an open position.  After half an hour or so, Kallen’s breathing evens out.  I’m glad one of us can sleep.  Slowly, I ease myself away from him so I can get out of bed.  Slipping on a robe, I move to the balcony doors, open them and walk through, closing them behind me.  I can hear their song now.  More of them are singing tonight, their voices in perfect harmony.  They must have called in reinforcements when no one walked into the sea last night.  I wonder how many are out there waiting for male Fairies to kill themselves so they can derive power from the sacrifice.  Magic is a strange thing.

The night is chilly and I turn to go back inside when I hear my name being called on the wind.  “Xandra.”  I turn back to the darkness.  “Xandra.” 

Their voices are too distinct not to know a Siren is beckoning me.  My guess is Irena.  I send out feelers with my magic, trying to determine her location.  I let my own voice ride into the night.  “What do you want?”

“You know what I want,” she says.

“Well, too bad.  You can’t have him.  I’ve done nothing to wrong you and I won’t pay the price for other people’s sins.”  Did that sound as childish out loud as it did in my head?  I sound like a two year old arguing over a doll.

“We all must pay the price for the past.  Your father did wrong by me.  He spoke of love and claimed to cherish me.”  The voice is getting more agitated with every word.  “It was all lies.  He claimed another for himself with no care for my pain.”  It’s not just me sounding childish now.

Might as well keep it going.  “Oh, boo hoo.  Get over yourself already.  Everyone has had a bad breakup at some point.”  I haven’t, but she doesn’t need to know that.  “Only a select few like you use it allow themselves to embrace their sociopathic tendencies.”

“You are your father’s daughter,” Irena scoffs.  “Selfish and unfeeling.”

“Oh, I have feelings.  I have feelings for the innocents you want to drown for the sake of your own power.  You are the selfish, uncaring one.  How can you do that night after night?  How black your soul must be.”  I wonder how many Sirens make it past the cleansing of their souls and move on instead of being returned as grasshoppers or something.  I’ll have to ask Adriel the next time I see her.

An interesting thing is happening, though.  As Irena speaks, my magic is closing in on her.  It is like a hound dog searching for a scent, it focuses on her voice.  She’s definitely not in the ocean.  She’s close by.  In the river, maybe?  Or in the woods.  Is she close enough to see me?  I suddenly feel vulnerable out here alone on the balcony.

“All men have evil in their hearts.  Mourn for them if you must, but if you search for the truth you will see find I am right.  That’s why men answer our call.  Every man is open to infidelity if the right offer comes along.”

“Wow, glad you aren’t my mom giving me dating advice.  I might become as bitter and stupid as you.”

Irena is angry now.  I can feel it in the night air.  “I could kill you where you stand in your silk robe on that balcony.”

So, she can see me.  She really is close.  I still cannot pinpoint exactly where, though, as the night is saturated with Siren magic.  That’s okay, knowing she is close is enough.  Pulling hard and fast on my magic, I push it all outward in a circle around the palace.  Wherever the Siren is, my magic will find her.  I know it hits its mark when I hear a scream of pain.  How easy it would be to let my magic consume her.  I push harder.  Harder.  But I’m not a killer.  Even if I was, the other Sirens would have even more reason to target us.  Killing Irena will do no good.  Therefore, I will try another route.  I will give her a chance at redemption.  “Leave this place, Irena.  Leave or you will suffer a fate worse than the ones you force into suicide.  I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.”  I tug my magic back.  “Go now and I will spare you.”  I know I sound like a cheesy movie, but it seems to do the trick.  Irena is moving away from the palace at great speed.  I debate going after her, but without an exact location, I would be teleporting blind.  I really don’t want to end up inside a tree or the side of the cliff.  The best I can do now is hope she takes my words to heart and calls off this silly standoff we have going on.

I know, I’m a dreamer.