Sirens Unbound

by Laura Engelhardt

  Thomas enjoyed Kyoko’s fascination with him. For the first time in his life, he was pleased to be a magical construct. “I don’t know for sure, because I can’t see what you see. But that’s probably Morgan le Fay’s curse. All sirens have it.”

  “Hmm. Yes. You were born bound, so you don’t even know how it feels to be free.”

  Thomas was a little flustered by Kyoko’s tone. “I know what it is to be free. I wasn’t born a siren. I remember my life before and my life now. And one isn’t better or worse than the other — it’s just different.”

  “No, no. You misunderstand,” Kyoko responded quickly. “I’m sorry; that came out wrong. This isn’t a binding connected to your siren existence. It’s bound to your DNA, which didn’t change, really. Parts were just activated. I can see them.”

  Kyoko traced a bit of the air around his chest again, and Thomas enjoyed the feel of her light magick around him. “This is different; that’s why I said I didn’t think it was part of Aphrodite’s design. It would make sense if it were layered on later. What does the binding do?”

  “Morgan le Fay’s curse? You don’t know?” Thomas asked and Kyoko shook her head. “Really? Maybe there’s still a little mystery around us.” Kyoko’s focus had Thomas aching to put her in less of a serious mood. He loved her attention, but didn’t want her thinking he was somehow damaged or weak.

  “Tell me,” Kyoko demanded. She didn’t seem the least bit distracted by Thomas’ teasing tone.

  “At the end of the Third Mage War, as the story goes,” Thomas kept his tone light. “When Morgan le Fay was about to be overrun, she used her death to fuel a blood-geas on the sirens. Not just those fighting in the war, but all sirens. It’s based on a simple fae confoundment spell. The geas binds us to ignorance of sirens when we’re mundane, and prevents us from telling our latent relatives about sirens after we transition.”

  “What would happen if you tried to explain?” Kyoko asked.

  “You just can’t. If I tried to say, ‘I’m a siren’ to my mundane sisters, I wouldn’t be able to get the words out. My mother wrote a textbook about sirens — but could only do it after writing ‘Active Siren Eyes Only’ on the flyleaf using bespelled paper. If anyone says anything about sirens to a latent, they either don’t understand or they mishear it. A pretty insidious curse, really, given how precarious it is after you transition. A lot of people think Morgan le Fay killed more sirens with that curse than were killed in the war itself.”

  “I suppose the curse is why most humans think sirens were destroyed in the Atlantic War, same as the sphinxes during the Second Mage War. I can see the geas on you. I can even see its tethers leading off — probably connecting you to your mother and your sons.” Kyoko’s focus shifted from something only she could see back to Thomas.

  “Well, it’s not going anywhere. Sadly,” Thomas replied, trying to maintain an upbeat tone. He could see that Kyoko was fascinated, but this topic ran too close to more painful reality. He changed the subject. “Have you ever seen a siren work their magic?”

  “No, but I want to. I want to see how Aphrodite’s spell works,” Kyoko replied. But her focus had shifted back to that inchoate space near Thomas, and he knew she was still thinking about the geas.

  Although it was a minor breach of etiquette to toy with a sponsored human, Thomas obliged Kyoko when the delivery came. “Put the food on the counter,” Thomas commanded, threading a light compulsion into his voice. The woman complied with a sigh, her eyes fluttering as she watched Thomas from beneath them. Her eagerness to obey him made him feel petty.

  “I don’t like how she looks at you.” Kyoko’s voice was sharp.

  “Don’t look at me,” Thomas ordered, and the woman looked away with a slight gasp, her lips parted. “Thank you for coming so quickly. Now, turn around and leave.” The woman opened her mouth to say something and Thomas forestalled her. “Silently. Shut the door behind you.” He had increased the strength of the compulsion laced under each command, as the woman grew increasingly reluctant to leave.

  Thomas looked at Kyoko, who glared at the closed door.

  “I didn’t like her,” she said.

  “I only wanted to please you,” Thomas replied, disappointed. Kyoko’s face softened.

  “You did,” she replied, sighing. “I suppose I’m jealous. It is a wonderful spell design. I want to see it again, but I don’t want to see you work it.”

  Thomas felt a mild thrill at her possessiveness.

  While they ate, Thomas’ attention was drawn back to the letter from Atlantis House, which he had tossed on the counter. It remained in his peripheral vision, a reminder that he deliberately ignored while he watched Kyoko try the new spices for the first time.

  “These flavors are so rich,” Kyoko remarked with true enjoyment.

  “Perhaps we’ll go to Cape Verde when enough time has passed,” Thomas said. “I think you’ll like it there. It’s not so different climate-wise from Brazil, but I think you’ll find it marvelously exotic since you’ve never been out of the country.” Kyoko had barely even left Rio for that matter. They had talked about perhaps going to Japan, where Thomas had never been, and where Kyoko’s ancestors had emigrated more than a century ago. Both of them spoke Japanese now, after all.

  “Wherever you want to go,” Kyoko said.

  “I want you to be happy,” Thomas replied.

  “With you, I am happy. Safe. To be with you is all I’ve wanted since the moment I first touched your thoughts. I loved being in your mind,” Kyoko sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “You’re always welcome,” Thomas said rashly, eager to bare himself to her; though at the same time, his heart fluttered with trepidation at the prospect of her dancing through his soul again.

  “Maybe we should explore other things first,” Kyoko suggested coyly. Thomas raised her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss first upon the back of her hand, then turning it over to graze the inside of her wrist.

  “Maybe we should,” Thomas agreed.

  One of the more difficult aspects of integrating into siren society is understanding the different markers of status and value that exist. Unlike most mundane societies, wealth, beauty, and strength convey little status in siren communities. Instead, siren society more closely resembles that of mages, insofar as magical power provides the primary measure of status. One unique aspect of siren communities, however, is that a demonstrated ability to cultivate valued skills in others is highly prized. Siren sponsors therefore frequently seek opportunities to showcase those they have trained in an effort to win greater acclaim from their community.

  – Sirens: An Overview for the Newly-Transitioned, 3rd ed. (2015), by Mira Bant de Atlantic, p. 120.

  Chapter 27

  It was midmorning before Thomas ventured back into the kitchen, where the unopened letter from Atlantis House sat in mute accusation. He had delayed so long, the letter now felt like a toxic threat waiting for him to touch it so it could poison his joy. He sardonically congratulated himself on being courageous enough to sidle up to the counter and actually tear it open.

  It could be worse, he thought as he read the elegant calligraphy. Kyoko had followed him in, and Thomas turned to tell her. “I’ve been summoned to see Atlantea. Not as bad as I’d thought, given our welcome. But it’s unusual.”

  “Your sister was a courtier, and is now Atlantea’s personal envoy in Europe. You said your mother is often with the queen. This can’t really be that unusual. After all, your house was blown up. I’m sure someone told Mira,” Kyoko replied sensibly.

  “Yes. That’s true. And I’ve been completely out of touch since we left. But I somehow doubt that Atlantea is summoning me just to tell me to call my mother.”

  “Stranger things have happened,” Kyoko giggled.

  “They sure have,” Thomas said as he swept Kyoko into an embrace, twirling her around. Kyoko’s lightness of spirit raised his, and he felt as though he were looking out on the ocean just after a squall had
passed through. The sharp ozone in the air cleared his heart.

  He tried calling both his mother and Cordelia, but only got voicemail.

  “Are you sure you’ll be fine by yourself?” he asked.

  “Stop it already and go,” Kyoko replied. “I’ve counter-spelled your mother’s textbook so I can read it. So it’s a good thing you’ll be gone. You’re too distracting, and I want to learn more about sirens.”

  Thomas left her lying on the couch, perusing his mother’s textbook. It would be hurry up and wait, he knew. A summons to Atlantis House with no time specified typically meant waiting in the Grand Salon for hours. At least there were always musicians there, so there’d be some entertainment.

  He wasn’t an expert like Mary, but he had never heard a bad performance in Atlantis. A lot of sirens competed in their cultivation of musicians. Performing at Atlantis House was their sponsors’ way of tossing down the gauntlet, so to speak, or picking it up. Even sirens who weren’t there to see Atlantea or a courtier would come and linger in the Salon, just to follow the competition. Thomas hoped today’s serenade would be more melodic than the last time he had waited interminably. That time the room had been packed with spectators eager to hear a rap battle followed by a drum-off. Thomas didn’t care for it, but the crowd had been excited to witness what was apparently the duel of the season.

  When he arrived this time though, he was immediately directed into one of the smaller side chambers, as opposed to the Grand Salon. He didn’t have much time to wonder about that because shortly after he came in, a different guard entered and asked Thomas to follow her. The guard escorted him into an octagonal room that was far more modern in décor than the rest of Atlantis House. This was Atlantea’s famed private meeting room, enclosed in glass on five of eight sides. It was visible from the ocean on the east side of Atlantis House, where it jutted out over the walls.

  Atlantea sat in an intricately-carved wooden chair that had been placed on a thick octagonal carpet in the middle of the room; the only other furniture in the room had been arranged against the interior walls. The view of the Atlantic behind the queen was breathtaking, but the light streaming through the windows cast Atlantea into shadow, so it was hard for Thomas to focus on her expression.

  Clearly he was intended to stand before her, and he took a deep breath as he approached. “Atlantea, my queen.” Thomas opted for deep formality. He bowed, with his right hand closed across his chest.

  “Thomas Bant de Atlantic,” Atlantea responded in kind, then stopped speaking. She watched him for a moment. Thomas knew better than to say anything. Less was more when facing an uncertain adversary. “Mira asked me to ensure your well-being. Since you survived the attack on your home without the need to change form, I trust you are well.”

  “Atlantea, I am.”

  Since he couldn’t change form, it was a good thing he hadn’t needed to. But she knew that. Thomas supposed there was a buried meaning in her words, but didn’t know what it was. He hoped Atlantea was merely hinting at his lack of power or needling him for his relative weakness … though both his mother and Cordelia insisted Atlantea was not cruel. Perhaps the purpose of her summons had indeed been to tell him to call his mother as if he were a child.

  “Your house was destroyed by a battle mage. Why?” Atlantea’s voice crackled with a compulsion that slipped off Thomas, but reminded him why Atlantea rarely left Atlantis anymore. Her voice was an uncontrollable weapon that could drive both mundanes and mages insane.

  “Atlantea, I believe that Gerel, the vampire ruler of Rio de Janeiro, ordered it.” Now that his eyes had adjusted to the light, Thomas could see Atlantea was displeased with his answer. He tried to elaborate. “You may be aware that Mira contracted with Gerel to gain knowledge of Portuguese when she mediated the Were-Jaguar dispute some years back. The mage who performed that work requested my assistance in leaving Rio, which I granted.”

  Atlantea’s face was unreadable. “I see. This mage is the woman you brought to Atlantis and who is currently staying with you at 30 Shearwater Tower.”

  Atlantea was letting him know how closely he was being observed. Thomas swallowed. “Yes. Her name is Kyoko.”

  “Did you consider the danger you were bringing to Atlantis when you granted her sanctuary, Thomas?” Atlantea’s voice reverberated with barely contained power, and the room shook a little, as if buffeted by a non-existent wind. But her expression had not changed.

  “My queen, I did not credit Gerel as a threat to Atlantis. Honestly, it is highly unlikely that she would leave—”

  Atlantea raised her hand, and Thomas subsided instantly.

  “The danger in bringing Kyoko here,” Atlantea clarified, “a mage so skilled she can glean and infuse knowledge of a language without any damage to the subject. A mage so skilled that the vampire ruler of Rio hired the strongest battle mage in South America to destroy her before she decided to take vengeance for years of oppression. There are no mages in Atlantis!” Atlantea’s voice rose throughout her tirade until the windows around the room rattled. She took a deep breath.

  “I swear she will not harm anyone while she is here—”

  “And how can you, Thomas Bant, stop her if she chooses to destroy the city?” Atlantea raised one eyebrow.

  “Atlantea, Kyoko will not destroy Atlantis because it is my home and her refuge.” Thomas could see Atlantea was unpersuaded. He looked out at the ocean, which was growing increasingly agitated, and spoke more firmly. “Kyoko will not harm us, because she loves me.”

  Atlantea sat back in her chair. “She loves you.”

  “Yes,” Thomas replied simply. To say anything more would have revealed too much, but Atlantea picked up on his unspoken words nevertheless.

  “And you love her,” Atlantea surmised. “Mind mages. This is what comes of letting mind mages root around in your head. It’s too close. Too close! Mira was a fool to set this up.”

  Thomas opened his mouth, but Atlantea held up her hand again. “No, don’t bother. I will grant that you have perhaps sufficient power to have beguiled even a mage as powerful as that one. And perhaps that will be sufficient. But she has beguiled you just the same, and now you are both a danger. A risk.” Atlantea rubbed her index finger along the grooves in the arm of her chair, thinking. The ocean swells remained high.

  “Atlantea, we only need to stay long enough for Gerel’s tracking ability to diminish. My sister is your envoy; my mother has served you since she transitioned. You can’t doubt our loyalty.”

  “Their loyalty, perhaps. Cordelia is mine, though Mira is not such a fanatic that the Atlantic will come first for her. You, though,” Atlantea looked more sharply at Thomas’ face. “You are more of an unknown. Georg has told me somewhat of you, of course.” Thomas’ eyes widened slightly, and Atlantea smiled. “Of course my vassal keeps me informed about his court. That’s his primary purpose now in any event. So, I know of you. But I don’t know you. And I don’t know her.”

  “In my time at Jarl Georg’s court, I did nothing that could give you cause to distrust me.” Thomas paused for a long moment, and Atlantea inclined her head in what he took as agreement. “Kyoko loves me. As you say, I have beguiled her. So you should trust that she will do no harm. But beyond that, she can be valuable to you, perhaps to all Atlantics,” Thomas said desperately. In his haste to escape Brazil and in his lust for Kyoko, he had somehow forgotten Atlantea’s renowned hatred of mages.

  Atlantea shook her head. “Mages destroy. It is as much in their nature as a siren’s love for the sea. They can’t help themselves.”

  “Perhaps; but Aphrodite, after all, was a mage. Jarl Georg has found his mage’s work so useful, he’s relied upon him for decades. Please, Atlantea. Give us a chance. If not for me, for my mother’s sake. For Cordelia. For all their past service. Give me the chance to serve.”

  Atlantea looked at him and said nothing, but the waves gradually relaxed into the undulating backdrop they had been when he had first entered the room. S
he raised her hand. “Very well. A chance you have. But this balances the scales, Thomas Bant de Atlantic, against all I might owe your mother and sister. Figure out a way to persuade me that you can be trusted. That granting your mage sanctuary is the correct decision.”

  “Yes, Atlantea.” Thomas kept his voice steady, though internally he wondered how he would ever be able to do this, given how much she hated mages. How could he have been so stupid?

  She inclined her head, “You may go.” Thomas bowed and turned to leave when Atlantea called back to him. “Oh, and Thomas, call your human sisters.”

  All fertile humans are susceptible to the siren spell, whether mage or mundane. Because the fae are not fertile without siren intervention, siren magick does not affect them, except in that rare window between the gifting of fertility to a faerie and their actual procreation. Weres were designed for immunity to mage magick, but due to the unique combination of fae and mage magick in the siren spell, there are limitations to were immunity which will be covered in chapter nine, infra. It is quite rare, however, for anyone to realize they are under the influence of a siren spell. Generally, only mages with strong visual acuity are able to see the spell working.

  – Sirens: An Overview for the Newly-Transitioned, 3rd ed. (2015), by Mira Bant de Atlantic, p. 105.

  Chapter 28

  “Well, I think the first thing to do is for you to call Mary,” Kyoko said after Thomas had told her about the meeting.

  “Yes. Or Amy,” Thomas replied grimly. He was still unsettled by his audience with Atlantea, and her final comment had been deliberately designed to unsettle him further. Thomas was grateful that his mother was old-fashioned enough to keep an address book, since his cell phone had been destroyed along with his house, and he had never memorized any of their phone numbers. He dialed Mary first, but only got her voicemail; Amy, however, answered on the third ring.