The Siren's Code (Siren Legacy Book 3)

by Helen Scott

  “Hal! Ohmygod.” Robin paced up and down in front of Nimue, the rocky beach digging into her feet through her shoes while a cold sweat broke out all over her skin.

  “ROBIN!” Thad’s voice thundered through the phone, which she had forgotten she was holding.

  “Sorry. Sorry. He’s gone. Vanished. Hal’s gone.”

  Silence. She couldn’t even hear Thad breathing.

  “Can you come and get me?” A cough sounded behind her, and Robin’s heart leaped, thinking Hal was back, but it was just Nimue, reminding her why they had been there in the first place. “And Nimue?” she added.

  “Can you get somewhere safe?”

  “I, uh—”

  “I can take you somewhere. Tis not far,” Nimue interrupted.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

  “Go. I will call you back in a moment.” The line went dead, and Robin just stared at the phone for a moment.

  Nimue took her hand and led her up through the house into the gardens. They were following the line of trees when Robin realized they were moving much faster than they should be. The ground flew under their feet. Looking down almost made her nauseous, so instead she focused on Nimue’s silvery-gold hair streaming out behind her. When water splashed over their feet, Robin tugged on her guide’s hand. The humid air around them invaded her senses, pouring down her throat, making it hard to breathe.

  “Robin?” Nimue’s forehead puckered.

  “I.” She gasped. “Can’t. Breathe.” The tightness in her chest made it impossible to draw a deep breath. She felt like an accordion, all pressed together with no room for air.

  “You are not used to traveling as I do. I apologize. It will pass.”

  She tried not to let herself panic, but the lack of oxygen was starting to feel somewhat life threatening. As the world seemed to dim around her, she questioned trusting Nimue. Maybe she had made a massive mistake. Robin held eye contact with Nimue for as long as she could before the world disappeared and the blackness claimed her.

  Chapter 19

  Hal’s head was pounding, but his eyes were open and his vision clear. He tried to jump out, but nothing happened. Looking around, he realized he was surrounded. There were people standing all around the room, or rather cave, that he was in. Dark purple robes topped with a variety of masks spanned the walls, hiding their owners from view. Each robe had a patch or a shield sown on containing a bird of some kind flying over a labyrinth. As he looked around, he counted maybe fifteen people, maybe closer to ten.

  A thunderclap sounded, and for a second, Hal’s heart stopped. The last thing he wanted right now was to deal with Zeus. Hesitantly he turned toward the sound. Not Zeus. He breathed a sigh of relief. A young man stood there looking just as confused as he was. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, another thunderclap sounded, except this time, it was so loud, it shook the ground under his feet. Hal curled in on himself, covering his head with his arms in anticipation of some of the rock that formed the ceiling falling.

  It was only then he saw what he was standing on.

  He cursed under his breath.

  A god trap.

  He shouldn’t have been summoned when they tried to reach whomever they were calling, but he took a wild guess that they weren’t sure what they were doing, which was how he ended up here with another random dude.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” The voice boomed out behind him.

  A chill went down his spine. That was definitely a god’s voice. There was no mistaking it, but he didn’t recognize it right off the bat.

  Silence greeted the god in answer. Never a good thing. Gods definitely did not like being ignored.

  Uncurling from his protective pose, he turned toward the man who had spoken. The swirling silver and blue on his skin could only mean one thing.

  Poseidon.

  As Hal looked closer, he could see that the god’s black hair was entwined with kelp or seaweed and was dripping wet. He hadn’t seen Poseidon outside of Mount Olympus, and even then he had only met the man once. The look on the god’s face when he saw Hal and the other man was enough that if he had the option, Hal would’ve run for the hills.

  One of the purple cloaks fell to the ground. There was a ripple of whispers, but other than that, no one moved or said anything.

  “Someone tell me what the hell is happening, or I swear I will flood this whole cavern and you can all go see Hades.” Poseidon’s voice was gravely, rough on the ears, which Hal didn’t remember from last time.

  “My lord,” Hal began, quickly glancing up to verify he had the god’s attention. “I believe they have tried to trap us. If you look at the floor, you can see one of the ancient summoning circles the Greeks made when they still worshiped you, but it appears to have been modified.”

  “Who the hell are you?” Poseidon’s big naked chest was right in Hal’s face. He supposed he should be glad the god at least had some swimming trunks on covering himself; otherwise, it could have been a lot more awkward.

  “Halcyon, my lord. Son of the siren Thelxiope, and Nikolaos, whom you blessed at birth. Brother to Alec, Demetrius, and Thaddeus.”

  “Yes, I remember now. So you are part of the siren’s legacy, hum? How disappointing.” He sneered and turned away from Hal toward the other mystery man.

  “Samuel. How did you get here?”

  Evidently, the other man was well acquainted with the god.

  “I was summoned, same as you.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, defiantly squaring his shoulders and staring at Poseidon.

  Hal’s stomach clenched. The gods might not have the powers they once did, but they could still make a person’s life hell if they put their mind to it. Samuel might have some bad luck heading his way if they ever got out of here.

  Satisfied with the answers he had obtained from both Hal and Samuel, Poseidon set off toward the purple cloaks, only to smack into a barrier of some kind. Looking at where the god stood, Hal realized that whomever these people were, they had not only altered the once sacred space but they had warded it. No getting in or out unless they commanded it.

  He studied the floor. The ancient mosaic tiles should have been worn away, or broken by now, but this place was almost pristine. The hasty symbols painted around the edges were from a variety of cultures, but mainly seemed to be centered around the idea that man could be greater than the gods, if they could harness the gods’ power.

  So, this was the Order of Talos.

  It made sense now. They were trying to summon magical beings to harvest their power, or bind them as they did with Nimue. He wished them luck with Poseidon. The god had not been forgotten about and over the years had kept a fair bit of power by being careful how he used it. The Earth Shaker was not easily tamed and was much shrewder than his younger brother.

  All Hal had to do was figure out how to get the barrier down without drawing their attention. He hoped like hell he could do it, because it was the only way he was going to get out of there.

  Chapter 20

  Robin gasped, sucking in air until her lungs wanted to explode with it. The delicious scent of the woods surrounded her.

  “Oh, thank the gods!” a male voice that definitely wasn’t Hal exclaimed next to her.

  Hal.

  He was gone. Vanished. Taken. The thoughts shot through her one after the other, each one a slap in the face.

  She forced her eyes open, even though they protested every step of the way.

  Alec. He had been the one who exclaimed, and was smiling down at her now. “There she is.”

  A coughing fit shook her body, and then she tried to breathe normally enough to speak. After making some sounds she was not proud of, she was able to get out, “Where’s Hal?”

  “Well, we don’t exactly know right now, but we are working on it.”

  “How do you not know? Don’t you guys track each other or something?”

  “Sure, but some magic can block that. It’s why we took so long find
ing Aster.” He shrugged as though this was nothing all that unusual, which made her want to scream.

  “Nimue?”

  “I am here, Robin.” The ethereal voice came from her other side.

  She breathed a little easier then. At least she hadn’t lost Hal for nothing. Not that she’d lost him. Nope. Not at all.

  The one thing that whoever took him didn’t count on was her. She was damn good with computers and had a lot of friends out there on the darknet. She’d find him if it was the last thing she did.

  “Those are some intense eyebrows you’ve got goin’ on there, girly. Care to share?”

  “If you can’t find him, I will.”

  “Fair enough. You were passed out for a while, though, so maybe let’s just take a breath and get you back on your feet before we start making any crazy plans, yeah?” Alec smiled in a way that she knew was meant to charm her, but he wasn’t Hal. There were no dimples, no swirling greens in his blue eyes, no long, sun-drenched hair that she could run her fingers through. Tears pricked at the backs of her eyes. She wasn’t going to give him up easily. That was for damn sure.

  “Let’s get moving.” She sat up, and the world spun. Her stomach heaved. Turning her head, she almost vomited on Alec, barely missing him as he scrambled backward.

  “Now, Robin, Hal is our resident healer, so you need to go slow, because I can’t peek into your head to see what’s wrong, okay? If I try and do that, your brain will explode, and I know Hal would kill me for that, not to mention you seem pretty decent, so I don’t want to kill you.”

  He was very strange. When she had seen him before, Ellie had been with him. Together they made sense, but Alec alone was . . . odd.

  “I don’t want you to kill me, either. Turns out I’m quite enjoying my life right now, with the exception of the last day or so.”

  “You make a good point.” Alec winked, but it fell flat. He evaluated her with his gaze. Sensing that his usual brand of charming wasn’t working on her, he switched to business mode, which she appreciated. “We will figure out where he is, but right now, let’s get you some water, yeah?”

  She nodded as he carefully helped her stand, handing her a bottle of water. Grateful for a chance to wash her mouth out, she took it. She spit the first gulp out before letting the cool liquid soothe her throat.

  The world swam again, but it wasn’t as bad as before. She turned to Nimue and was shocked to find her wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. The woman’s silvery-gold hair was tied up into a giant bun on the top of her head.

  Looking around, Robin finally took in her surroundings. They were in a clearing in the woods, next to a lake. The sun shone down in the way it did during summer, bright and warm, the leaves of the plants and trees bathing in its golden light. Birds called back and forth around her, and squirrels and other small critters scurried through the grass. It was idyllic.

  “Where are we?” The question came out in a hushed, reverent tone, which she hadn’t intended but nonetheless felt was appropriate.

  “Welcome to my lake.” Nimue smiled, and that same warmth Robin had felt before fell over her once again.

  “The lake?”

  “Yes.” She nodded as she sat cross-legged on a big rock.

  “Is Excalibur in there?”

  “Should be.” She shrugged, as though this wasn’t the most groundbreaking discovery ever. “Arthur doesn’t have need of it; otherwise, I would have known.”

  “Couldn’t anyone just stumble onto it?” Nimue took a breath to answer, but Robin just realized what she had said. “Wait, the Arthur? How could he still be alive?”

  “Tis a long story, one that is painful for me to tell. I will share it with you another time. Suffice to say that no, no one could stumble on this location unless I wished them to. It is part of my magic, my secret hideaway.”

  “Whoa.” Robin suddenly sat down on a fallen tree across from the rock. “That’s a lot to take in.”

  “I feel like I should be offended. You didn’t freak out at sirens, but Excalibur and Arthur? Come on. We are way older than Arthur, and we are still kicking ass, I might add, not napping in fairyland,” Alec huffed.

  Nimue shot him a reproachful glare.

  “Sorry. I guess because I knew about you before, it didn’t shock me when Hal told me, but this? I thought this was straight fiction.”

  “Most of what people claim happened did not; at least, from what I understand of your stories. Keep in mind I have been in a cave for longer than I care to admit. I have to say, I like the fact that women wear trousers now. Very comfortable.”

  “When, or if, you ever feel like sharing, I would love to hear what really happened.” Robin tugged at her earlobe self-consciously. She felt shy asking, even though it was perfectly reasonable.

  “One day I will tell you my story, but for now, we need to deal with the pressing events.”

  “Of course!” Robin’s mind flipped into planning mode again, all the unnecessary thoughts being hushed. “Nimue, I need to ask you about the mark you put on my back, and I think I also need your help with rescuing my family.”

  “Whatever I can share or help with, I will. Feeling the sunlight again is more of a gift than I can explain.”

  Robin’s throat knotted. “I understand. Randall didn’t allow me outside for almost ten years. If he was leaving, then I had to meditate on his future to make sure he was safe. While that’s nothing compared to you, I don’t think I will ever forget what that first breath of fresh air smelled like, or the warmth of the sun on my skin. Even now, the depth of need I have to be around nature is surprisingly intense.”

  “Brother Randall is not a good man. Neither were any of his predecessors, though. All power-hungry narcissists.”

  “While I hate to interrupt the bonding, ladies, I do feel that we need to stay on track.”

  “Yes. Right.” Robin marshaled her thoughts once again. “The mark on my back. What is it and can you remove it?”

  “It’s Randall’s personal brand that he had me develop for you. It has the design that an initiate of the Order of Talos requires, but the magic behind it marks you as his property.”

  “His property?”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry, but without some of his blood, I cannot remove the part of it that matters to you. I can make it invisible should you wish, but the magic binding you to Randall is blood magic. Only blood can dispel blood.”

  “That means if I can’t get it removed, I can never . . .” Her heart broke at the thought of never being able to be with Hal.

  “No. You would only ever be able to be with Randall. He was worried that someone else in the Order might romance you away from him. He has an unhealthy interest in you.”

  “He has an unhealthy interest in anything he wants to control.” Robin fell silent as the thoughts of all those Randall Fields had injured or controlled over his lifetime ran through her head. He needed to be put in his place.

  “And your family? How can I help you with them?”

  “I’m fairly positive that Randall would have taken them back to the Eclipse building in Boston. It’s where he feels safest. The whole building is warded with magic, not to mention standard alarms and more advanced non-standard alarms. Could you help with the wards?”

  “I’m sure I can. How big is this building?”

  “Big. Publicly it’s fifty floors, but there are at least three floors beneath the underground garage. I wasn’t given complete clearance, so I can’t tell you for sure.”

  “I have never seen such a structure!” Nimue’s eyes were wide with wonder. “I have plenty of power, though, especially since we have been resting at my lake. It has given me a chance to recharge.”

  “Good.” She nodded, her brain already planning a few steps ahead. “Alec, did your brothers have any luck with leads on my family?”

  “I’m not sure. They just sent me to get you and the Lady of the Lake. I was going to take you both back to the island, but you were passed out for an hour or so.�
�

  “An hour!” Robin exclaimed, wishing they had started with that tidbit.

  “Come on. If you’re ready, my lady, then it would be my pleasure to escort you to my home.”

  “I am ready, siren.”

  Robin put her hand in Alec’s outstretched one. His skin was so much smoother than Hal’s. Another slap in the face. All she wanted was that big man back. Once Nimue grabbed Alec’s other hand, the world around them disappeared, and then just as quickly, they were on the island, standing outside the big house.

  Alec turned to her, his shoulders slightly slumped. “Do you want to take Nimue inside while I round up the others?”

  “Actually, I need to go get something.”

  He frowned at her. “Where are you off to?”

  “I’m just going to grab the laptop I’ve been working on.”

  Alec was clearly suspicious, but if Hal hadn’t told him about the cabin, then she wasn’t about to, either.

  “Fine. I’ll handle everything, then, while you disappear to somewhere mysterious and get the laptop.” Alec practically pouted. Clearly, he was used to getting his own way.

  “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Robin turned and followed the path up the mountain. It disappeared as it curved through the trees, but she remembered where to go. She could practically feel Hal walking beside her. Stupid man. Making her get attached. She scuffed at a rock in her way, kicking it to the side. Once she was out of the trees, she began to run. The energy she felt was incredible, like it had been bubbling up inside her.

  The cabin was exactly as they had left it. Hal’s workout clothes still hung over the deck railing, and as she opened the door, the scent of him hit her like a brick wall. All masculine and woodsy. Her heart pounded in her chest. The mug of coffee she had been drinking when Hal came back from the workout was still on the table. Quickly, she emptied it and rinsed it. She wasn’t sure how long it would be before she could come back here, and she wasn’t about to leave a mess for Hal.

  She changed her clothes, grabbing a sweater and the laptop, before starting to run back down the mountain to the big house. The few scraps of a life that she had might be crashing down around her, but she could still appreciate the tall pine trees that covered the ground around the pathway, not to mention the view, as she ran. She glanced out at the ocean, promising herself that one day she would swim in it. Once she had Hal back.