by Perrin Briar
“Maybe he has an open-door policy,” Quinn said.
Siren snorted.
“Do you think that’s likely?” she said. “Especially with the guards he has posted at every door and on every wall.”
“Either way, we need to find a way into the keep,” Quinn said. “There has to be a way in. Somehow.”
Chapter Six
They slept well that night. Too well in fact. It was almost midday by the time Siren opened her eyes. She found her arms wrapped around Quinn’s feet when she awoke. It took her a moment to orient herself, to realize where she was. Luckily, Quinn was also fast asleep and hadn’t noticed. She thought she might die of embarrassment if he had been awake.
She threw her feet over the side of the bed and stretched her back and arms. The bed had been surprisingly comfortable. Sure, the mattress had holes in it and the sheets, though not dirty, did have an inch of dust on them when she had first climbed into bed. It was still infinitely more comfortable than floorboards and rocky outcrops.
Unused to having water and washing quite so frequently, Siren decided to take advantage of the situation and use what was available to her while she had it. She took another shower, despite not feeling dirty or in need of it, but simply because she could. She brushed her teeth with salt on her finger, and moved back to the main room. Quinn was awake now, though to call him awake was to belittle the state. His hair stuck up at odd angles and he barely stirred, sitting there, facing the blank wall.
“Morning,” Siren said.
Quinn grunted in what might have been a response. Siren wasn’t sure. He got to his feet, swaying unsteadily, before then making his way toward the bathroom.
Siren prepared herself mentally for the day ahead, visualizing what they would be trying to achieve. They needed to convince the Controller to give their idea a chance. But that wasn’t really their first goal. Their first was to simply get in and see him. Get an audience and they would stand a chance of convincing him.
After twenty minutes, Quinn emerged from the bathroom. He too had taken advantage of the running water and taken a shower. He was washed and ready to go.
“First stop, breakfast,” Quinn said.
“How much money do we have left?” Siren said.
“Not much,” Quinn said. “We’re going to have to watch ourselves and our spending habits.”
“That’s where I might just be able to help out,” Siren said.
They went downstairs to find Lydia in exactly the same position she’d been in when they had left her the day before, feet up, perched on the countertop, a novel clutched in both hands.
They managed to exchange their stale bread for half a dozen apples, courtesy of Siren’s Compulsion skills. They ate one each as they walked around the keep. Siren negotiated two apples for a large omelet that they shared. Siren was incredible at carrying out such things. She was always careful when selecting her mark, identifying the one most likely to give them what they wanted. They had eaten better than they had in weeks, far better than if they had eaten their stale bread by itself. And they still had two apples left for an afternoon snack.
As they walked around the keep, they identified the men in guard uniforms standing at each entrance. They were large, muscular men and carried broad swords. These men were unlikely to be well-trained, but that didn’t matter much when you were their size and could cleave down a tree with a single swipe.
“There’s no way in through the main entrances,” Siren said.
“There’s always a way in,” Quinn said.
“They’ll never let us in if we just go up to them and knock,” Siren said. “And we’ll never scale the walls. So, put that out of your mind.”
“Wasn’t even a consideration,” Quinn said. “Do you think you could Compel the leader into letting us in?”
Siren cast an eye over the men. The largest man was the leader.
“No,” she said.
“Why not?” Quinn said.
“Because they’ve been conditioned to follow orders,” Siren said.
“Is it at least worth a try?” Quinn said. “You might be wrong.”
“No,” Siren said. “The more I try to Compel someone, the more likely they’ll be to be able to resist me easier in future.”
“Damn,” Quinn said. “We came all this way. We can’t just turn around and leave now.”
Siren fingered the stem of one of their apples.
“Maybe we’re going about this all wrong,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Quinn said.
“We’re trying to get in to see him, right?” Siren said.
“Yeah, so?” Quinn said.
“So, maybe we should wait for him to come to us,” Siren said.
“I wonder how often he comes out,” Quinn said. “We have to see him.”
“I agree,” Siren said. “But there’s no way we’re getting in to see him this way. What do you suggest we do?”
Quinn shook his head, in deep thought.
“A way to get in, or else figure out when he’s going to come out to us…” he said.
Then something caught his attention. Siren turned to see what he was looking at. A series of beautiful young women in revealing clothing stepped out of an ornate carriage and filed past the guards, who watched them with hungry eyes.
“Can you try to keep focused for two minutes?” Siren said.
“I am focused,” Quinn said.
“Yes,” Siren said stiffly. “I can see what you’re focused on.”
“Huh?” Quinn said. “No, not them. Well, yes, it is them. Don’t you see? They’re our way in.”
It took Siren a moment to understand what he was suggesting. Her head whipped around to face him.
“You cannot be serious,” she said.
“I assure you I most certainly am,” Quinn said.
“You’ve got more chance of getting in than me dressed like that,” Siren said.
“Believe me, if that was what the Controller liked, I’d jump into some revealing clothes and go in to see him,” Quinn said. “But as we can quite clearly see, sausage isn’t on his menu.”
“You asshole,” Siren said. “I’m not sleeping with him.”
“You won’t have to,” Quinn said. “You only need to get in to speak with him. Get close and tell him about our idea. As we both know, you’re not defenseless. If he comes onto you, Compel him to stay away. Turn him off.”
“The girls have already gone inside,” Siren said. “I’ll never get in now.”
“You let me worry about that,” Quinn said. “I’ll sell you.”
“I’ve always wanted to be sold,” Siren said, folding her arms.
“Do you think you can do it?” Quinn said.
Siren cast another look in the direction of the main entrance.
“I can do it,” she said. “If I had the clothes. Unfortunately…”
“Come with me,” Quinn said.
He grabbed her hand and led her back into her hotel.
“That’a boy,” Lydia said, not looking up from her paperback. “You show her who’s boss.”
Siren glared and shifted her weight to stop, but Quinn pulled her, forcing her on. They got to the top floor and ran to their door. Quinn used his key on the flimsy lock.
“We’ll need to hurry if we’re going to do this today,” Quinn said.
“Where am I going to find sexy clothes in here?” Siren said. “Everything I have has purpose.”
“Then we need to strip that purpose away,” Quinn said.
He appraised her clothes and appearance, and then stepped forward. He grabbed the front of her shirt and tore it open, revealing the top of her breasts.
Siren punched him in the chest, winding him.
“Asshole!” she said.
“I’m trying to… to…” Quinn said, still wheezing. “We need to do this if we’re going to make you look sexy.”
“Since when does tearing my best shirt make me look sexy?” Siren said.
&
nbsp; “I’m the man here,” Quinn said. “You let me be the judge. You’re going to have to trust me. Underneath all this stuff is a vixen just screaming to be let out.”
“I don’t scream,” Siren said.
“You know what I mean,” Quinn said. “Please. Just let me do this so we can get you into the keep. I’m sure we can find you more clothes tomorrow to replace the ones we’re ruining now.”
“I know,” Siren said. “It’s just… These clothes… They’re all I have of the old world, the way things used to be. I bought them with Wyvern at the town mall.”
“I’m sorry,” Quinn said. “I didn’t know… Forget it. We’ll find another way in.”
“You said it yourself, there might not even be another way in,” Siren said.
She held out her arms.
“I’m yours to do with as you will,” she said. “Mold me.”
“Keep talking like this with the Controller and he’ll have no choice but to let you in,” Quinn said.
Siren doubted a few words were going to get her anywhere. Especially with a powerful man like the Controller.
Chapter Seven
Within ten minutes, Quinn performed a small miracle. He’d torn Siren’s pants so they looked like hot pants. The pockets showed in what was the style before the end of the world. He let her keep her leather jacket—it gave her an edge. He combed her hair, then mussed it up slightly, as if she’d just gotten out of bed. Then he performed the real magic. Using a collection of items in and around the room, he applied the makeup.
“How do you know about makeup?” Siren said.
“My older sister used to practice on me,” Quinn said. “I guess some of it rubbed off on me.”
Siren couldn’t help but smile at the image.
“Keep your face still,” Quinn said.
Finally, he was done. Siren checked herself in the bathroom’s broken mirror. He’d actually done a great job.
“Show me your walk,” Quinn said.
“What walk?” Siren said. “We’re going to be late!”
“We have time,” Quinn said. “Show me your walk.”
Siren strutted up and down the room.
“You move like a soldier,” Quinn said.
“What should I move like?” Siren said.
“Like a sexy sultress,” Quinn said, walking and swaying his arms and hips.
“That’s sexy sultress?” Siren said.
“You bet your ass it is,” Quinn said.
He performed a walk and turn, looking her in the eye like he was on a high fashion catwalk. Siren couldn’t help but laugh.
“Now you,” Quinn said. “Show me what you got.”
Siren did, but was stiff and awkward in her movements.
“You’ve got to do better than that,” Quinn said. “Relax. Set your shoulders back. Like this.”
It took two more attempts before Siren got the walk right.
“Better,” Quinn said, looking out the window and checking the sun already ducking behind the taller buildings. “We need to get going. Are you ready for this?”
“I think so,” Siren said.
“Don’t think so,” Quinn said. “Know so.”
“Okay,” Siren said.
“Let’s do this,” Quinn said.
He led her down the steps. Lydia didn’t even blink as they passed.
They crossed the market. Siren caught a few men’s eyes.
“You look stunning,” Quinn said. “Take a few deep breath. Stay calm. Tell me the game plan.”
“Get inside and talk with the Controller,” Siren said. “Convince him to listen to us and our idea.”
“That’s right,” Quinn said. “Compel him if necessary. You don’t need to do anything you don’t want. Always remember that. Your safety and welfare is far more important than anything else we do here.”
He was surprised to find he meant it. Siren was equally surprised how much his words meant to her.
“I’ll be careful,” she said.
Quinn approached the guards, Siren in tow.
“Remember,” he said. “You’re a star.”
Siren smiled at the guards as Quinn stepped up to them. The guards looked Siren up and down, uncertain.
“Can I help you?” the head guard said.
“You most certainly can, sir,” Quinn said. “This is a lady for the Controller.”
“A lady?” the lead guard said. “They went in already. And the Controller doesn’t like to be disturbed.”
“Believe me, he’ll like being disturbed by this one,” Quinn said.
He leaned close and lowered his voice.
“She can do things no other girl can,” he said.
“What things?” the lead guard said breathlessly.
“Things,” Quinn said mystically.
Siren didn’t much like the way the guards were ogling her. What was she? A piece of meat? She felt self-conscious, but didn’t try to cover herself. She had a good sense of the character she was meant to be adopting.
“Why didn’t you come with the others?” the guard said.
“I was late,” Siren said. “I had another… appointment.”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you in,” the guard said. “The girls will be with the Controller now. Come back tomorrow. Perhaps you’ll have better luck then.”
Siren felt mildly offended she couldn’t pass the “sexiness test” by herself. She pursed her lips and wove a thin thread of Compulsion. She stepped toward him and placed her hand on his uniform.
“I’m sure, after I’m done with the Controller, I’ll have more than enough energy for you,” Siren said, peering up at him through her eyelashes.
She could Sense him teetering on the edge, about to fall over the side. He needed a further little push.
“Sir,” she said.
That did it. A man like the head guard loved anything that showed how much others respected him. It was what he lived for.
He didn’t take his eyes off Siren as he said: “Let her in.”
“Thank you, lover,” Siren said, spinning a web of Compulsion so thick it was a fog about his face. She didn’t want to lose her grip on him now, not when she was so close to getting inside.
Siren cast a single look back over her shoulder as she stepped through the doors. Quinn had a concerned expression on his face. Siren nodded. She was going to be okay. She entered the keep.
She couldn’t help but think perhaps she’d just made a big mistake.
Chapter Eight
Siren hadn’t been allowed to walk through the opulent surroundings by herself. She followed the guard as they led her through the endless corridors and hallways. It was like something from the middle ages, sparsely, but tastefully, furnished. There were suits of armor that stood to attention, works of art on the walls from a variety of masters, none of which Siren had a name for, although there were some she did recognize.
The room was packed with people moving with purpose. They scurried about, carrying silver trays and boxes of one thing or another. Then there were those who cleaned, moving up and down the halls. Once they had gotten to the other end of the building, they would begin again the next day and do it all over again. They had smiles on their faces and were quite happy with life. Why wouldn’t they be? They got enough food from their job to support their families. And they got to take care of the man who had led them to this success.
The lead guard took Siren up a set of stairs to the next level, then immediately took her up another, and another, all the way to the top until there were no more stairs to climb. More than once the lead guard turned to look at Siren, who smiled at him, and then, as he was beginning to have doubts, Siren shoved him with a powerful wall of Compulsion, forcing a smile onto his face as they continued on with their journey.
They came to a collection of fellow guards standing at the entrance to the more opulent corridor in the entire building. It had to be the Controller’s quarters. The guards nodded at the lead guard before eying Siren up and
down. These were hard men well used to fighting. Siren got the feeling they would never stray from their lord and commander. They were honorable to a fault. Still, they understood their master’s more carnal desires and let Siren pass.
“Now, after you finish up here, I’ll be back at the main entrance,” the lead guard said. “I… look forward to enjoying your company later.”
Siren smiled in what she hoped had the appearance of a coy smile. The lead guard turned and marched away, back down the corridor.
“You’ll want to go to the room on the left, Miss,” one of the security guards said.
Siren walked down the corridor and pushed open the large doors. The handle was oversized and she needed to use all her weight to push the lever down. Inside, the chattering stopped the moment she entered. The other girls were there. They looked Siren up and down, a faint look of dislike on their faces. They didn’t want more competition than necessary. Siren could understand that.
She took a seat on the other side of the room. No need to fraternize with them, she thought. She wasn’t there to make friends. They returned to their low-whisper chatter.
Not one of them would have looked out of place on the cover of a magazine. They were primped and preened, beautiful and devastatingly sexy in their tight, revealing clothes. Siren fingered the hem of her hot pants, feeling self-conscious. She straightened her back and looked straight ahead. She needed to be confident, or at least create an artificial aura of it. It was difficult with her current competition.
At the head of the room was another large set of doors. They were shut tight. No sound came from behind them. Siren focused and pressed her skill to it, listening, feeling, for something behind it. She could sense something… Little spikes rising and falling. They were not the emotions of a man calm and at peace. They were of a man at war. Angry.
Then the doors burst open. Only Siren wasn’t surprised. A series of shouts and bellows hot on the heels of the man who exited. He looked harried, and more than a little angry.
He shut the door behind him, almost a slam, and turned to march toward the doors that led back to the corridor. He seemed surprised to see the ladies there. He didn’t alter his expression, and simply said: “He’s ready for you now.”
