Sirens Unbound

by Laura Engelhardt

  The codes they had worked out were quite simple, really. Mike would touch his face for an outright lie, write on his pad for an exaggeration and sit back in his chair for an understatement. In his experience, Mike had found exaggerations to be the most common form of lying, and these basic signals were the best way of disguising the information he provided.

  Elder Hilda seemed to be a very truthful woman. She was extremely proud of her new spell and seemed to have nothing to hide. She went through a lengthy explanation of its intricacies, with only a few exaggerations and understatements. No outright lies.

  “Do you understand what this means, General?” Elder Hilda asked after she completed her explanation.

  “It sounds like your spell will funnel the djinn away from the area?” Hayden asked.

  “In a nutshell, yes.” Truth.

  “How do you know it will work?” Colonel Cox asked.

  “We have tested it extensively,” Elder Hilda said. Truth.

  “How could you test it when no one apart from Amir Khalid is able to create a djinn?” Colonel Cox pressed.

  “We created multiple simulations. We are extremely confident that it will be successful.” Truth, but incomplete.

  Mike’s mouth watered a little at the missing information, and he swallowed.

  “Can you describe these simulations, Elder Hilda?” Cox asked.

  “We used lesser versions of a spell, which we believe to be structurally similar to the djinn spell. The counter we created suborns elements of that spell into a new design. The new spell whisks the djinn away.” Truth.

  Hilda appeared very self-satisfied.

  “What weaknesses do you see in this design? What are the risks?” Cox wanted to know. Major General Hayden hadn’t asked many questions, but he was watching Elder Hilda very closely.

  “It’s a well-crafted spell. There are few risks.” Lie.

  An acrid taste filled Mike’s mouth, and he could smell burning flesh. No mere exaggeration. This was a full-out lie. He rubbed his chin.

  “I find that hard to believe, Elder,” Hayden said calmly.

  “But it is the truth, nevertheless.” Lie.

  Mike rubbed his face and swallowed hard. He had to take a drink of water after that one. Her face was quiet, but her lies were outrageous.

  Hilda’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “There is no risk whatsoever in the djinn dissipation spell.” Lie.

  Mike scratched his nose and coughed. Hilda stood up. “Who is he?” she demanded.

  “Michael Arnold,” Major General Hayden replied. “As I told you.”

  “Better stated, what is he? You’ve brought an outsider to this meeting, General. That is a violation of our accord.”

  “Not true. Michael Arnold is a federal employee and senior civil servant in the Department of Justice. He was seconded to my staff on a temporary assignment today. That is the truth, but what you have been telling me is a bunch of lies. Which is a clear violation of our accord.”

  Hayden did not stand up. Somehow, this made his position seem even stronger. Hayden was even better at this than the senior attorneys Mike worked with at the DOJ.

  “Tell me what he is, or this meeting — this alliance — is over.” Lie.

  “You need us more than we need you, Elder Hilda Lefran of the Danjou. So if you wish to terminate this alliance, we are more than happy to indulge you.” Lie.

  Mike hated it when subjects other than the target lied. He took another sip of water. If their outright lying continued, he would need to open the can of soda that sat waiting in front of him, or he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything except the taste of their deception.

  “I see your magick, Mr. Arnold. You sit atop a steel-framed chair at a steel-framed table. You are no faerie, yet you spark faerie magick. You’ve either been bespelled, or you’re a changeling.” Truth.

  “Elder Hilda, please sit down.”

  “I do not appreciate being ambushed.” Truth.

  “Mr. Arnold is a truth-teller and a valued member of my staff. Would you please sit down so that we can continue this meeting?” Exaggeration.

  Hilda made a show of sitting down. Some of the drama was likely intended to buy her time to think.

  “My intent in having Mr. Arnold at this meeting was simply to obtain better advice than I’ve received in the past. Given where you stand in your research, we need better information before agreeing to commit any additional resources.” Truth.

  “You brought in a changeling truth-teller.” Hilda nodded. “You are a wiser ally than some thought.” Truth.

  “Perhaps now we can be honest with one another, then. Your spell has many risks. We need to understand what those are in order to ascertain whether we can mitigate or accept them.”

  Elder Hilda sighed. “I don’t believe you’re capable of understanding all the risks of any magical spell, let alone one as complex as this one. I believe these risks are worth taking.” Truth.

  “Have you received any intelligence on the Cabal that you haven’t shared with us?” Cox interjected.

  “Have you received any intelligence that you haven’t shared with us?” Hilda responded.

  “I believe that is an affirmative, Colonel Cox,” Hayden said, eyeing Elder Hilda.

  “The only thing we have not shared are matters involving mages, which wouldn’t concern mundanes.” Lie.

  As if she knew that Mike knew she didn’t believe what she was saying, Elder Hilda quickly corrected herself.

  “What I mean is that there are some matters that shouldn’t be shared with mundanes.” Truth.

  “If you have information that might impact this joint initiative, which you are refusing to provide to us, that would be a breach of our accord.” Truth.

  “I am not authorized to provide such information.” Exaggeration.

  “Elder Hilda, we know you have better sources among the Cabal than we do. You haven’t shared any of the information you’ve gleaned from those sources.” Colonel Cox’s voice was sharp. She was telegraphing annoyance.

  “I think you are authorized to provide more information than you have. You need to disclose what you have learned from your Australian sources to the extent they impact our Arabian initiative,” Hayden said.

  “I am not sure to what extent they might impact our initiative, Major General.” Truth, but carefully stated.

  “Any information that could impact our accord must be shared,” Colonel Cox insisted.

  “We have already shared the oracular prophesy we received, as well as our suspicions regarding the identity of that pivot.” Truth.

  “Yes, and the Danjou have benefited greatly from our accord in securing her cooperation through Project Hathor,” Hayden replied.

  “We have both benefited from our accord.” Truth.

  “As agreed, the enclave has not interfered with the pivot, though, correct?” Cox asked.

  “We have not bewitched her or cast any spells on her to compel her cooperation, if that is what you are asking.” Truth.

  Elder Hilda managed to sound offended. Mike sensed the possibility of misdirection, but he couldn’t be certain, because Colonel Cox failed to ask whether the enclave was bespelling others or using non-magical means to influence the pivot. He made a mental note to mention this after the meeting.

  “I hope you appreciate that I am subjecting myself to this ridiculous interrogation so that you can finally get comfortable moving forward.” Truth.

  “We appreciate your candor, Elder Hilda.” Exaggeration.

  There wasn’t a hint of irony in General Hayden’s tone. Colonel Cox leaned forward in her chair. “What does the Danjou prophesy have to do with the Australians? Have you discovered anything about their prophesy? Have you identified other pivots?” Cox asked.

  “We don’t know anything. We suspect much.” Lie.

  Mike swallowed at the taste of Elder Hilda’s lie that overpowered her truths, and General Hayden looked at him. Although Mike knew the General had want
ed him to remain quiet during this meeting, he doubted that desire stood now that the mage clearly knew him for what he was. “Elder Hilda both knows and suspects things.” Mike clarified.

  “I could spell you into silence, you know,” Hilda said, her tone implying that that was the least of what she might be able to do to him.

  Mike swallowed. This interrogation was not as disgusting as the CIA’s questioning of the Natural Order terrorists, but it was more dangerous to him personally.

  “Elder Hilda, there is no need to threaten Mr. Arnold. In fact, that would be a violation of the accord and our hospitality. We too, can make threats.” Hayden’s voice was cold. Truth. “You were asked a question. If you can’t share the information we need, this alliance is over.” Lie. Major General Hayden stood up as he made his declaration. Colonel Cox rose as well, and Mike followed, a beat behind them.

  “I do not appreciate being questioned like this.” Truth. “But I value our accord. While I doubt the information will be of much use to you—” Exaggeration. “I do wish to make sure our alliance remains sound.” Truth.

  Hilda paused, while the three of them sat back down. She poured a glass of water from the carafe in front of her and sipped it before continuing. “We know of a second pivot in the coming conflict. There may be more, but there are at least two individuals whose actions or words will be—” Hilda hesitated, as if searching for the right word. That happened a lot once people realized how sensitive his truth-telling capabilities were. “— critical to the outcome of the war. Influencing those people remains a priority for the Danjou.” Truth.

  “We have agreed to disagree on this point, Elder Hilda, and as discussed previously, we advise on significant caution. Influencing, or seeking to control, those ‘pivots’ as you call them fails more often than it succeeds. We need to avoid the Oedipus example.” Truth.

  “We believe it best to know who the pivots are, and to keep watch over them. The Oracle gave the Cabal a different prophesy, and we thought we had discovered the second pivot, but they disappeared.” Truth.

  “What is the prophesy?”

  Hilda hesitated. “I don’t know if I should disclose this.” Truth.

  “If you don’t disclose it, we are putting this project on indefinite hold.” Exaggeration.

  “What are you worried about?” Cox pressed.

  Hilda laughed a little, but looked at the three of them in turn. “Perhaps it makes no difference. According to our source, the Oracle’s words to the Cabalist were: ‘Under sea, break free.’ This was obviously a great warning.” Truth.

  “I don’t follow,” Hayden said.

  “We believe this refers to the recovery of one of the strongest mage powers that ever existed: the power to break spells, to break — well, to break anything, really.” Truth.

  “The Gobi Desert,” Cox said softly, considering.

  “Yes. There has not been a mage capable of breaking a spell, let alone a desert, since Zulong broke the Asian deserts during the First Mage War.” Understatement.

  “You are not telling the full truth,” Mike stated. He could hear the misdirection, taste Elder Hilda’s hope that they would not pry.

  “The prophesy speaks of a breaker mage, you believe? One that would be the ultimate weapon against the Djinn?” Hayden asked.

  “That is our belief.” Truth, but incomplete.

  Mike cleared his throat, and the General looked inquiringly at him.

  “That isn’t all you believe,” Mike stated.

  Elder Hilda narrowed her eyes, but clarified: “A breaker mage can break anything: even spells that cannot be countered.” Truth.

  “What kind of spells can’t be countered?” Hayden wondered aloud.

  “Enclave bindings,” Cox replied, and an expression of enlightenment flitted across Hayden’s face.

  Hilda’s voice was cool. “Among other things.” Truth.

  “Does this mage exist?” Cox wanted to know.

  “Yes,” Hilda said, reluctantly. “But we lost her.”

  Perhaps in your latent life, you were accused of being unusually fixated on fairness or of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Like the fae, sirens have a greater need for equal exchanges than do mundanes, and will often reject even a better deal than no-deal if they perceive it to be unfair. Since transition, you may have noticed that you have an even greater desire for balance in your bargains than you did before.

  – Sirens: An Overview for the Newly-Transitioned, 3rd ed. (2015), by Mira Bant de Atlantic, p. 122.

  Chapter 21

  Cordelia had chosen 2 Amys Pizzeria because of its name and proximity to Mary’s work. When she’d called Mary to tell her she was in town, Mary acted like there was no way she could leave for even two seconds. She’d been the director of the National Children’s Choir for twenty years, and Cordelia thought she took this job more seriously than she had her own performance career.

  She and Devin had cleared out the small restaurant fairly easily, persuading the manager to close early before Mary arrived. Devin now sat in one corner, picking at his pizza and trying to look like a tourist.

  Cordelia watched Mary approach through the large plate-glass window. She paused when she saw the closed sign on the door, shading her eyes to peer in. Cordelia stood up and waved at her. Mary hesitantly opened the door. She looked good. The handful of wrinkles adorning her face softened rather than aged it, and whether expertly colored or natural, her hair was still blond and lush. She barely looked forty, let alone in her mid-fifties: the benefit of latent genes, Cordelia supposed.

  “Come on in; we’re the last customers of the day,” Cordelia said, walking towards Mary as the cashier came around the podium with the register.

  “Yes,” the cashier said to Mary as he locked the door behind her. “We’re closing early because we’re all going to a baby shower this afternoon.” Cordelia hadn’t told him to say that, but indirect compulsions could have a strange effect on some people. The other two men making the pizzas behind the counter quickly fell in line with the cashier, agreeing with him that they were celebrating the birth of a new baby.

  Cordelia hoped her own daughter would do well with the Goodwins. They seemed like a nice couple, and Cordelia had a good feeling about this placement. She knew her ease with the adoption shocked her mother, but it really hadn’t been a hard decision. Maybe one day, she’d raise an active siren child sired by one of her latent offspring, but she certainly wasn’t going to do what her mother had done.

  Cordelia supposed her mother considered her a cuckoo. Transitioned sirens had odd notions. Thomas still seemed to feel guilty about not taking in his sons — though even by mundane standards, he had signed away any parental rights, so it was an odd thing to feel guilty about. Cordelia sighed. Her family wasted too much time and energy reexamining the past. That was not going to be her. She was happy to finally be moving forward.

  “Why don’t we order first, and then you can tell me what brings you to D.C.,” Mary said, walking to the counter and looking at the menu board above. She didn’t move as quite as fast as Amy did, but nevertheless gave the impression of being in a hurry. Cordelia also felt impatient. She couldn’t tell Mary, but she’d come to D.C. to get away from their mother’s hovering. While coming back to the States had been a good call, she’d been ready to leave immediately after the delivery.

  But her mother wanted her to “rest,” and it had taken almost a week before Cordelia could break free. Fortunately, Devin had also had enough of Florida, and finally told Mira that they’d better get back to Boston. Promising to visit Mary before heading back to Europe had clinched the deal; that had been a hook her mother couldn’t resist — though Cordelia had to agree to take Devin with her. A ridiculous precaution, but at least they’d all be getting back on track now.

  They ordered their food and sat down at one of the tables close to the back. Devin lingered over his own meal, staring at his phone, but Cordelia suspected he was listening closely to them.


  “It’s nice to see you again, Cordy. But a little more notice would be better next time.”

  Now that Mary had finally worked her way around to hinting that she was irritated by Cordelia’s sudden appearance, they could have a real conversation. They’d already almost finished their meal, so much of her time and effort in arranging the visit had been wasted on Mary’s silent pique.

  “I’m sorry, Mary. It’s great that you were free for lunch. I just wasn’t sure I’d be able to squeeze in this detour; I’m headed back tonight.” Her older sister was a passive-aggressive pain in the ass.

  “Of course, I had to drop everything to see you!” Mary said. “Since you’re so rarely in the area, I could hardly miss the chance! I’m impressed that you’re even able to brave a public restaurant.”

  “Small steps. This is a fairly empty place. But I did take a car. Not quite up to walking around yet.”

  “Still, that’s a huge improvement,” Mary continued to praise Cordelia, who grew increasingly uncomfortable. While it was true that she found mundane crowds terrifying, it wasn’t due to agoraphobia.

  “Didn’t your choir just win some big global competition?” Cordelia asked, changing the subject. She liked watching Mary’s eyes spark with pride over their latest award.

  Cordelia’s mind wandered as Mary talked about the choir. Conducting was a better fit for her than performing as an opera diva. There was something about great artists that seemed to require them to be impossibly self-centered; Mary might be a pain, but she wasn’t egotistical. Cordelia laughed at Mary’s anecdote about another insane parental demand, while noting the clever way she had derailed their objections to smooth things over. Ever the adroit conciliator. Mary was so much like their mother, Cordelia felt the need to escape all over again.

  “So, what’s going on with Mike?” Cordelia asked instead.

  “Well, that case that was driving him crazy ended right after Thanksgiving, so that was good. Now he’s been seconded onto some DoD matter. He was worried at first, but now he says it’s fine. Nothing like that CIA thing.”