by Laney Powell
“I know all my children,” he said. “And I keep watch over you.”
“Well, you’re doing a piss poor job,” I snapped. “The demon Marbys has made a habit of trying to hurt me, and my sisters.”
He sighed. “He is rather a pain in the ass, but what can I do? Your mothers chose him.”
“Oh, okay. Blame them for his bad behavior.” I rolled my eyes. If this was a god, no wonder they all sucked. I remembered my desire to kneecap the first god I met, and here he was, being kind of a jackass to boot. I eyed his knees, wondering if I could get to them before he blasted me in some way.
“This will not succeed,” Achelous said quietly. “The sirens were never meant to succeed.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I said.
“I can do that,” he replied. “I am here to make sure you don’t succeed.”
“What?” I gasped.
“Do you really think that in all this time, none of my children have managed to get to this point? You don’t give your predecessors enough credit. Plenty have. But I have stopped them, every time.”
“Why?” I asked, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. In my head, I was screaming. Screaming for my guys, for Iliana, for anyone. Because with Achelous’ calm statement, made like he was remarking on the weather, I knew that I was in danger. And if it was just me, I wouldn’t be able to fight him off. His magic filled the air, rich and loamy smelling, the scent of moss and water. Not as briny as the sea. This was an old, powerful magic, one I had no chance of standing against.
“You,” I heard behind me. It was my grandmother, and the anger in that one word slapped against Achelous.
“Althaia,” he said, inclining his head to her. “I have not seen you since you were a little girl.”
“You led me to believe that it was possible, that we could obtain our goal,” she hissed. “You are a liar, and a murderer. How many?” Her voice rose, and I could see the waves getting stronger, more angry and confused. “How many of my mothers and sisters have you taken, all in service to your masters? And why? Why must we die for you?”
“It is my punishment for your creation,” Achelous said sadly. “And yours for existing.”
“That is bullshit,” I said.
“Be that as it may, I have my orders, and I dare not disobey.”
“You may want to rethink that,” said another voice behind me.
Caspian came to my side. Then I felt Matty, Silas and Jake surround me.
“Fire,” I whispered.
All them touched me, or brushed up against me. I knew they’d heard me, that they were ready. I didn’t take my eyes off Achelous.
“You son of a bitch,” Aella growled from near Althaia.
“How many of us have you killed?” Iliana asked.
Next to me, Caspian shifted, and I saw Violet out of the corner of my eye. She slipped a hand into mine. Kassandra was at her shoulder. The anger I felt coming off Kassandra was intense.
Achelous, for the first time, looked apprehensive. “This is not personal, and it kills me to have to harm my own,” he began.
“Yet still, you do it. We bear the burden, we suffer, never knowing that we have been doomed to failure all along, and you let it happen. Why? To please the gods?” Oh, Iliana was pissed. “You are a coward,” she spat.
“You think you are enough to stand against the gods?” Achelous was angry now. “You think I haven’t tried?”
“Not hard enough,” I said. “Not with everything you have.”
He looked at me. “I can’t,” he said.
“You won’t,” Raven said.
The guys moved as one, stepping out in front of me and Violet, and I joined them, shooting fire toward Achelous. Then Jake joined us, and when the flame hit Achelous, it knocked him backward.
Before he could get up, I heard Althaia shout, “Maraíno!” It meant to wither, to diminish, to destroy.
I kept one hand ready for the flame again as I joined my sisters in casting the spell at our faithless sire. This asshole. He was even worse than Marbys. As the spell hit him, I felt the anguish off all the sirens he’d betrayed. The wailing rose to the heavens, nearly deafening me.
Someone fell into me, and I reached out to steady them.
It was Violet, and she was crying.
“You’re okay,” I shouted above the noise.
Achelous regained his feet and a wall of water rose behind him. “You will all die!” he roared.
Just as he was about to send the water crashing down onto us, vines from the water raced up around him.
Silas.
I let go of Violet, and joined my pack. Together, we sent more and more sea plants around his body, wrapping him tightly. The staff he’d been holding clattered to the walkway. The vines continued up his body, wrapping around his mouth and head until only his eyes were visible.
“For all the murders, you will pay,” Iliana breathed.
“That is enough,” a voice thundered around us.
“What the hell,” Matty said next to me.
Another man walked out of the water, tall, handsome, with flashing dark eyes, a robe that moved like water around his legs, and a golden trident.
“Poseidon,” Althaia whispered.
There would definitely be no kneecapping on this guy. He radiated power. I could feel it humming in the air.
“Enough,” he said. “Free Achelous.”
“No,” I said. “No. He has killed many of my sisters, and he meant to kill us. If you want him, this has to stop.”
The dark flashing eyes turned to me, and it was difficult to remain upright. I felt the guys close in behind me.
But it wouldn’t be enough. I knew it. He’d kill me as easily as blinking.
“What do you propose?” Poseidon asked in his voice that made my bone vibrate.
“You can have that piece of shit, and we close the hellways,” I said.
“Do not speak of a god so,” Poseidon said
“I’ll speak of him any damn way I want,” I shot back. “He’s a murderer, of his own children. How many?” I shouted. I felt like I was on the edge of losing control.
“Olivia,” Jake whispered, the one word full of warning.
Poseidon sighed. “Perhaps you are right. This has gone on long enough. Achelous, I release you from the responsibility of stopping the sirens. You may go,” he waved his trident at Achelous.
I don’t know what he was expecting. But nothing happened.
Poseidon waved the trident again, his anger churning the water around us. He looked at me again. “Is this your magic?” he asked.
“It’s ours,” I said, not designating who I meant.
“Release him, and we will bargain.”
“No,” Kassandra, silent until now, spat the word out like a gunshot. “No. We will bargain and then, if we accept, we shall release him.”
“You speak boldly to one of the Olympians,” Poseidon said.
“You’re just putting a fancy name on conspiracy to murder,” I said. “If you want this loser, you’re going to have to offer up something of value.”
“What do you want?”
“You know what we want,” Althaia said. “You know, Father of the Sea. You have always known, have heard it in everyone we bring to the Mother’s cave. You have heard it in my sisters as they faced down your creature,” she spat toward Achelous. “You know. We no longer wish to carry this burden. Release us. If you were never going to close the gates to Hell, then release from trying to.”
“We were never meant to succeed?” Raven asked.
“No,” Poseidon answered her, choosing the easier question, rather than addressing Althaia.
They were all cowards, I decided.
“I don’t think even the five of us are strong enough to try this on Poseidon,” Caspian whispered.
I nodded my agreement. We had to find another way out. Our magical bond was holding Achelous in place but Caspian was right. Nothing we had was strong enough to withstand
Poseidon.
“There must always be balance, and that means that both light and dark must exist,” Poseidon said. “We cannot allow Hell to be closed off for good.”
“What in the fuck?” Raven snarled next to me.
“Then you need to remove this punishment from us,” I said. “And we need to kill Marbys.”
“Marbys is not my concern,” Poseidon said quickly.
“Yes, he is. Had you not made this a battle between our kinds, he would not have done all the things he has done, caused all the hurt he has caused,” Kassandra said.
Poseidon studied all of us, lined up to face off against him. I could see him weighing the skills of the people here with me, deciding if it was worth his time.
“Very well. I shall release you from the curse of the Arabethym stones, and you will no longer be responsible for the closing of the hellways.”
“The gods need to manage the demons,” I interjected.
“The gods will manage the demons,” he repeated.
“And they will not let the demons ever overrun the earth,” Iliana said. “Not ever.”
“We will not allow them to overrun the earth,” Poseidon agreed.
“You will keep the balance, and keep the humans safe,” Althaia said.
“I agree,” Poseidon replied.
“Say it,” Kassandra hissed.
“I will keep the balance, and keep the humans safe.”
“And you give us Marbys,” I added.
“I will bring him to you,” Poseidon said “Now release Achelous.”
I caught Matty’s eye, and as one, we freed Achelous from the vines that were holding him. They dropped from him onto the walkway. He stood up, glaring bloody murder at all of us.
“You will not exact any retribution from any of us, or any other sirens,” Aella said. “We have suffered enough at your hands, for your crimes.”
“You are becoming tiresome,” Poseidon said.
“You are too,” Raven said.
“Very well. No retribution to any of you here, or any other sirens.”
“Then we’re done,” Iliana said.
“We are, yes. You may want to reconsider that statement,” Poseidon said, his eyes flashing and the malice clear in his tone. He put a hand out to take Achelous’ shoulder, and then the two of them disappeared.
For a moment, all that I could hear was the waves, and then a ball of smoke and flame burst out in front of us.
“At last,” came the deep tones of Marbys, dad, demon, and Giant Asshole. “The gang’s all here.”
Chapter Fourteen
Olivia
“That fuck,” I heard one of the guys mutter.
I thought it was Silas, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Ice,” Matty whispered into my ear. The guys cast the spell, and as it was about to hit Marbys, I added my spell. The ice hit him, and sizzled as it froze around him.
“Maraíno!” I heard Iliana shout.
The ice glowed and then with a bang, shards of ice flew out. Marbys’ eyes glowed red, his hands were red, and there was a red aura all around him. I felt chips hit me, but I didn’t move.
“Apage,” I said, remembering how Caspian and I had banished the demon aura from the garden at school.
Caspian heard me.
Together, we both shouted, “Apage!” I imagined Marbys dead, his form crumbling, and blowing away in bits of ash. That was part of the strength of the apage spell. You sent your opponent where you wanted them to go.
He might be my birth father, but he wasn’t anything else. He would never be a dad. He’d tried to trick me, use me, and when that wouldn’t work, kill me. He would never stop.
He had to die.
Between the two spells, something gross was happening with Marbys. He laughed when Caspian and I changed our spell, and then an expression of surprise crossed his face. He took a step toward me, hand out, and stumbled.
His feet were crumbling beneath him.
I kept up the magic aimed it him, seeing him crumbling more and more.
He tried to take another step. His feet crumbled another six inched up his leg.
I moved closer, seeing him gone, seeing him disappear on the wind.
His mouth opened, and he tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Around me, my mothers, my sisters, my mates—all of us focused on ridding his existence from the earth.
And then, when all that was left of Marbys was a face, and an open mouth, the last of him burst into flame. Dark ash floated down.
There was no sound but the calm waves as the sun came up over the sea.
After Marbys was gone, everyone stood there.
“It’s over,” Iliana said, coming to hug me. “It’s over, my daughter. We are free.”
“We must hold Poseidon to his word,” Althaia said grimly. “You notice that when we were not clear what we wanted in regard to Marbys, he dropped him here and left.”
“Probably hoping that Marbys would take care of the pesky sirens for him,” Raven said. “What an asshole.”
“All the gods are assholes,” Kassandra said. “All of them. Selfish, vain and hateful beings.”
“Don’t hold back,” Jake said, and everyone laughed.
We went back into the house, and everyone went to sleep. Unlike last night, when I crawled back into bed, all four of the guys were piled around me. It was a tight fit, and I wouldn’t be moving, but I wouldn’t be anywhere else.
I was smiling as I fell asleep.
When I woke, I was in the same position that I’d been in when I went to sleep. The sun was setting, and the guys were all sleeping soundly around me. I got up, and went down to the patio. No one else was up, which was good. I needed some time to process.
The sun flamed as it began to disappear behind the water. I walked out onto the walkway that led to the sea and waded in, wanting to feel the warmth of the water, and the sea around me.
Everything was new. We had a new chance. A life without the burden of an ancient curse. For the first time in ages, I let myself cry, sinking down to sit in the sand, letting the sea wash my tears away.
Which was where Matty found me after the sun had set. Lights had come on in the house, but I didn’t want to go in yet.
“Hey,” he said. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly.
“Can I join you?”
“Yes,” I said, reaching for him.
He took my hand, and pulled me up, wrapping his arms around me. Then he began to walk further into the ocean, towing me along. Even though I knew that this was Poseidon’s world, and it would always be, he would not harm me. I was safe.
“When I first saw you, at the beginning of the year in our Spells class,” Matty said, “I wanted you. I’ve always wanted you. But I never thought I’d be here with you, like this.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“With so much. You are so amazing, and because of you, I have a family I didn’t plan on. Not just the other guys, but your siren family. I have a bond with you that I cherish.”
I cuddled into him. “I love you,” I said.
He stepped back. “Gods, I was hoping you’d say that. I didn’t want to just blurt it out.”
“Well, I said it,” I said, smiling.
“I love you,” he replied and he bent down to kiss me.
There, in the water, he lifted up the nightgown I wore, and brought me to him. I wrapped my legs around him, and he slid into me. Our joining was strong and powerful, and I felt myself moving toward release almost instantly. He thrust into me, the water holding me above him, his love wrapping around me like a cloak.
When I came, Matty came with me. We stood in the water together as one until the stars came out.
“Thank you,” I said.
“For what?”
“For being here with me.”
“There is nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said.
And together, we walked into the house. To our fa
mily.
We spent the next two days eating and sleeping. Iliana had gotten in touch with Mom and Dad, who spoke with the Pearsons and the Tomberles. All of them apparently contacted Madame Karathos, and told her some whopper of a reason why we were all out of school at the same time.
We needed the space to heal. I realized that since I’d discovered who I was, and told the guys, we’d been in a state of anxiety, and fear. Now, that fear was gone. We were free to just be together.
The second night, I’d gone down to sit at the water’s edge. Silas came out to sit with me. “How are you?” he asked.
“I’m good,” I said, and I meant it. “I’m tired, and it’s hard to believe it’s over. I’ve been so afraid, for me, for all of you, for so long.”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore,” he said.
When he kissed me, I brought him to me, pulling him close and bringing his body to mine. When Silas slid inside of me, I was complete. I’d taken the time to be alone with each of my guys, to let them know our bond was still strong, that we were still a pack.
Silas thrust hard into me, almost as though he was afraid I might disappear. Why I got that impression, I couldn’t tell. But I felt that he needed to know we were still one.
“I love you,” I said, cupping his cheek, meeting his gaze. “I love you, Silas Tomberle.”
He dropped his head as his movements sped up, bringing me to the precipice, demanding that I stay with him, that I give as good as he was giving. His head was next to mine, and I heard him say, “I love you forever.”
When our release came, I could swear that I saw stars. Silas bit down on my shoulder, and remembering something that he’d told me before, I bit his. He gasped, and arched into me, his eyes shut, and his voice coming out in a quiet sob.
“Gods, Olivia,” he said, when we could speak again.
“There’s totally something to this biting thing,” I whispered.
His chuckle reverberated in my ear.
We went in late for dinner that night.
Finally, it was time for us to leave. Raven went back to Darklight. Aella back to their family home. Iliana told me she was going to stay with Althaia and Jeno for a while, but that she’d come and see me soon.
