Escape to Sirens Gate: Sirens Gate Books 1-3

by M. L. Bullock

  It hovered above us, not in the water but poised on the glassy surface. I gasped, and it paused. I squinted to see The Danger but could discern nothing. The being cast a wide shadow over all those beneath it. The shadowy figure blocked the setting sun, making the depths even blacker. The figure left only a halo of darkness, and the fading light behind it made it appear even more frightening. No boat, no ship, no seacraft. So entranced was I with this new arrival that I forgot the juvenile dolphin. Then he swam to the Down Deep, and I watched him as he made long, fluid strokes with his tail, moving as quietly as he could. Eager to keep him safe, I decided to follow him. It was my nature to do so. I was mermaid-kind after all.

  Yes, down further would be better. Away. Away from The Danger. But I could not hide from this forever, and I had to know what this was. Heliope would want to know. And Friend. Awareness washed over me.

  Within this shadow was an old danger.

  A familiar danger. A bad thing.

  Yes, this would be bad.

  Chapter Three—Nik

  Full Awake

  I floated above myself for what seemed like hours. Again I was faced with a choice: dip back inside and live or fade away into the eternal night. I had made this choice before. At least I had one, unlike others of my kind. Some less fortunate than I was never had such choices.

  Like humans, I had no way of knowing for sure what lay in the beyond, but it wasn’t fear that drove me back into my human body. It was that panicked feeling that I had not completed the thing I had been sent to do. But what was that? With what might be considered a deep breath I focused on my body and fell back into it with an unpleasant slap. As I did, I became aware that I was being shaken not merely from the inside but from the outside as well.

  “You in there?”

  I let the pain subside before I answered the voice. There was always pain with an Awakening. It began at the shoulders and neck and then flowed out toward my fingertips and toes. After that, my head would pound and my heart would thud like a heavy rock slamming against an unyielding boulder. But the pain and discomfort would dissipate, and I would remember. It was usually quick, but this transition seemed off somehow.

  Squinting to adjust to my surroundings, I heard her voice again. Low and soft, like my mother’s voice, but she was not my mother. “Can you hear me?”

  “Yes. I can hear you,” I said without moving my lips.

  “Good. I thought maybe you weren’t all there yet.”

  “I’m not.” I struggled to sit up. I could not move or open my eyes. I struggled to remember her name. My name. I knew that I knew her name, but it escaped my memory. Yet here I was. In my own beach house, in my lumpy bed, as I had been this morning.

  I breathed in deeply, trying to embrace my human form again. Yes, I should focus on my surroundings. The smell of honeysuckle candles on my nightstand. The ticking of the mermaid clock on my blue dresser. The subtle smell of fresh paint. I recently painted this room and the wooden headboard of this bed. Yes, that I remembered, but I couldn’t remember who I was. Who she was. What I was doing. Something was wrong. As the feeling of wrongness increased, anxiety stretched me, making me feel as if I would snap in half and be lost forever. What the hell was going on? I felt agitated—anger festered inside me. But at who or what, I could not say. All I wanted was to be left alone to figure this out. To figure it all out.

  “Enough of this. How do you want to do this? The easy way or the hard way?”

  That she could hear me think made me angry too. I answered without considering my decision. “The hard way!” I growled at her. With a sigh she whacked me on the forehead with the palm of her hand. Then the lamp light faded and I remembered her name.

  “Heliope!”

  “Mm… hum…”

  I don’t know how long I lay there like a fever-stricken child, but when I woke up she was still there beside me on the bed, reading a newspaper, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on a gold chain. I glanced at the clock. It was 6:30 now. Great. I’d been asleep for at least an hour. Maybe more.

  I clutched my stomach as the queasiness rose. Another side effect of the Awakening. It was like having butterflies in your stomach times a thousand. The longer the slumber, the more intense the Awakening experience. I should have known this by now. I had experienced this dozens of times, more like a hundred, and it was always the same. But I had no choice. It was sleep a while or go mad.

  I scooted up on the bed and leaned against the pillow. Heliope didn’t offer to help me, and I did not ask for it. At least we were civil to one another. That had not always been the case. Tossing the newspaper on the rickety nightstand, she handed me a glass of water. It wasn’t just any water. Two blue drops of light bounced around in it.

  I held the glass, studying the light for a moment. Here I was at this moment again. I had a choice, didn’t I? I was awake, but I had not put my immortal mantle back on yet.

  It wasn’t too late to abandon the supernatural life. Not too late to take my place in the stars.

  “You do this every time. Will you please just drink it without all the theatrics? So human sometimes.”

  I ignored her sarcasm and drank the water. “My brother?”

  “Nothing. Not yet.”

  Suddenly Heliope shed her homeless attire and in a brilliant flash of light, I could see the real her. How could I have thought the great Heliope was mortal? How stupid I had become!

  “The glasses were a nice effect. You should wear them more often,” I said with a return volley of the sarcastic.

  “Did you like that?” She grinned mischievously.

  “Yep. Almost as good as my fish tattoo. See?” I turned my left leg to show off the colorful artwork that human me had paid for last month, but the thing was now gone. Nothing remained of that experience but smooth skin. “Oh heck, I wasted seventy-five bucks.”

  “Well, if it means that much to you, I can put it back.”

  I glanced at her suspiciously. Heliope’s magic had never been reliable. She might actually change me into a fish. “I’ll pass. Thanks.” I could see her disappointment, but I wasn’t willing to allow her to practice on me. She wasn’t a natural.

  “Are you all there? I know the process is slow for some.”

  Yes, I was me again—Thessalonike of Macedonia.

  Or what was left of me. I nodded, and the acknowledgment weighed on me like a heavy yoke.

  Heliope took my glass and allowed me to stare at my hands for a few seconds. I could see the subtle glistening around my skin. It would fade soon; the purple aura would diminish, and I would appear human to all but the supernatural creatures who might cautiously cross my path. I was the Guardian of the Sirens Gate. The Keeper of the portal to a forgotten world. None of that mattered to me at the moment. The desire to swim and sing nearly knocked the wind out of me. It took every inch of my determination not to slap her out of the way and run for the ocean.

  “Slapping me would be a very bad idea,” she said, somewhat amused at the prospect.

  “Get out of my head, Heliope,” I warned her.

  “Then close the door, Thessalonike. I am having too much fun in here. Oh, there’s a nice memory.”

  I pushed back against her mental invasion and became aware of her focus. That was my memory she was tinkering with. Memories of Jack and me. Jack washing the dog, Springer. Jack. No. It was too painful to recall right now. I wasn’t ready for that. She politely departed my mind. With a nod, she smiled with what might be considered an understanding expression. If you didn’t know her as I did.

  Her laughter surprised me. Now that I remembered the truth, everything about her seemed supernatural. Her light brown hair glistened with warm light that cascaded through her curls. If I looked closely, I could see an invisible crown of light atop her head, but she wore no jewelry and dressed rather plainly in a light brown dress. “Yes, it’s easier to dress plainly. Easier to blend in on this godforsaken island. What was the Order thinking sending you here?”

&nbs
p; “I want to swim.”

  “I know.”

  “I have missed the water. How long this time?”

  “Mmm…about fifty years.”

  The truth hit me like a ton of bricks, a human expression that worked beautifully now. “Oh no…Jack is gone.” It wasn’t a question, and I did not require her comment. Jack had been my husband. Many on this island believed him to be my grandfather, but I had cared for him, until I forgot even that. And he knew the truth and had loved me enough to protect me. He kept my secret even when I didn’t know it myself. I wondered why. How hard it must have been for him.

  Jack!

  “He was a good man, but you really had no choice and he made his.”

  “Tell me what happened. That part is hard to recall, and I don’t want to wait.” I flicked away a tear with my finger.

  “Very well, but there is a man in the driveway. You don’t waste any time, do you? He is tall, with nice shoulders, silky brown hair and expressive brown eyes. He reminds me of someone, but who?”

  “Oh no! It’s my friend, Cruise. We had a date!” Oh no! I would have to say goodbye to him now. I couldn’t believe the heartache I was experiencing, losing Jack and Cruise in one day.

  “See? You sirens are too beautiful and lusty for your own good. Maybe you should tone it down some,” she said in an amused lilt. She walked to the window and peeped out through the cheap blue curtain.

  “Get away from there, or he will see you.”

  “I don’t care. Let him see me.”

  I paced the room wringing my hands. I couldn’t worry about Cruise right now. To make matters worse, I had a growing need to get back into the water. Meri! I had to see her!

  I ran to her side. “You have to get rid of him, Heliope. Tell him I’m sick. Tell him I left to go somewhere or something. Just give me some time.”

  “Me? I’m not your servant, Thessalonike.” She snatched her arm away. I had offended the once-regal queen and semi-divine goddess. She was neither now, but in pride, nothing much had changed. I could almost hear her thoughts: I do not serve you.

  Why was she being so unreasonable? I would have helped her if she needed me.

  “Fine, but you owe me a favor. And I won’t forget it,” she said as Cruise knocked on the door.

  This I knew well. Heliope forgot nothing. Ever. Even conversations from centuries ago she recalled with perfect clarity. “Yes, I know. Thank you.” I scrambled to escape the house, the urge to swim overwhelming my desire for Cruise. Maybe it was best to leave it this way.

  Or maybe I would make it up to him later, but for now, I had to go where I belonged.

  Chapter Four—Heliope

  Enchanting Shadow

  How on earth did this happen? More than a few hundred years into this relationship, and I was still answering doors for Thessalonike. So this was my punishment? Play house mother to an eternal teenager? This was not the future I envisioned when I first perched on the gilded couches of Olympus and accepted the cup from the hand of Dionysus. But I owed a debt that must be paid. No matter how menial the task.

  I once heard a wise man say that both fresh and salt water cannot flow from the same stream, but I continued to disagree with his observation. For I both loved and hated my charge, but that was no reflection on her; it was the nature of a fallen goddess, which I was now. My divine lover persuaded me to abandon my humanity to be with him. Of course, then he abandoned me…leaving me fallen and him doing who knows what.

  I heard the back door slam behind me and knew she had escaped to the water. Let her swim. If I was here, there was a reason and she would need all her strength.

  In another time, another place, I would barely be aware of the Sirens Gate or any other gate for that matter. I would rule over kingdoms, lending my wisdom and strength, in return for a fair amount of well-earned worship, of course. How I longed to rule again! It seemed impossible to conceive in this age of independent thinking. How I longed for the past!

  Would anyone believe that once I had counseled Queen Boudicea of the Iceni? I had come so close to taking all of Britain from the Romans, but I had been betrayed. And my betrayer had been a man. Naturally. Later I became the Grand Dame of Tavistock, and what fun I had then, although it had been nothing like being queen. I laid my hand upon other minor kingdoms and had my share of achievements, but nothing recent and nothing compared to the days when I was Olympias, wife of Philip and Queen of the Civilized World.

  I snatched a green apple out of a glass bowl on the kitchen table before walking to the front door. This was a pitiful place. Too cramped and full of human smells. I sniffed the apple. This. Now this smelled like love. It was a wonder that I should want to taste it again. I took a bite and savored the sweet juicy meat. Ah, my sense of taste had not faded. Not at all. The flavor triggered pleasant memories, but I continued my trek to the door. I tried not to dwell on the fact that I, the great Heliope, was again relegated to my least favorite role—stepmother and apparent housemaid. I did not hide my disdain for my task as I opened the door. I did not wait for him to knock.

  “Yes?”

  He paused, and his bouquet of wilted white flowers shook in surprise at my welcome. A shower of petals fell to the ground. It served him right—that was a pitiful offering. Even for my stepdaughter. “Excuse me, I am here to see Nik. I’m Cruise Castille. Officer Cruise Castille.”

  “Well, Officer Cruise Castille. Nik is not here. She told me to give you a message. Are you ready for the message?”

  “Nik Augustine?”

  “Who else lives here? Are you ready for her message?” This one was so handsome but ridiculously slow.

  He stammered, “Um, yes?”

  “Is that a question? You don’t seem sure.”

  “No, I mean what is her message?” As he put his hand on his hip, more flower petals fell.

  “She says she will see you tomorrow and explain everything to you then.” I took another bite of my apple and stared at the human man. That wasn’t much of a message, but it was the best I could do for now. I wasn’t in the mood to be creative. This one was tall—not as tall as a demi-god, but certainly tall for a human. Demi-gods were at least a head taller than a human, and they had not walked the earth in centuries. Except in some remote places, and those tended to be stark-raving mad. The male specimen before me had long, muscular arms that he showed off with a tight short-sleeved shirt. He wore entirely too much cologne, but I could detect an attractive natural scent beneath the layers of the cheap fragrance. I leaned against the doorframe and watched him process the information. Officer Castille was nowhere near the most handsome man I had ever seen, but then again, I had lived for a few thousand years; handsome faces were a dime a dozen, as they say. I could tell my scrutiny made him nervous. I smiled, not at him but at my own power. It was nice to see I had influence over someone. Even if it was merely enough to make him uncomfortable. I felt a sudden rush of pity for him.

  “And who are you? If I may ask?” His question was courteous enough, but he clearly didn’t trust me. I didn’t blame him. I didn’t trust me either.

  I tossed the remnant of the apple into the yard. It landed with a thud near a neglected rose bush.

  “You may. I am Nik’s Aunt Helen.”

  “Jack’s sister?”

  “Hardly.” How dare this man think me to be a grandmother? I would have to work on my glamor magic. I could not stomach the idea of spending a moment as an old woman. “No, not related to Jack. Look, it is complicated. Is there anything else I can do for you? I am sure Thessalonike would be here if she could, but she’s not. So, goodbye, Officer Cruise Castille.” Slamming the door in his face would be very satisfying. However, I had instructions to be polite and blend in. Blend in. As if that were possible on this inbred island.

  “Thessalonike. I’ve never heard her called that.”

  He didn’t quite believe me yet. I could tell by the tilt of his head and the stiff stance he had taken. This whole exchange grew tiresome; I had other t
hings to do, like report the girl’s Awakening to the Order. They would want to know about her status, and if I cared about my future, I would be the first to report it. Time to end this exchange. Since Thessalonike cared about this Castille person, I decided the conversation should end with a smile and no blood.

  “Oh? You don’t even know her name?”

  He blushed at the implication. “Nike or Nik. I’ve known her since school.”

  “That’s nice. Well, whatever you call her, her name is Thessalonike. I will tell her that I gave you the message. Thank you.” I went to close the door, but the young man moved quickly and rudely stuck his foot in the doorway. I clenched the door handle, tempted to break the thing into pieces and beat him with it.

  “Are you sure everything is okay in there? I have never heard of you. Nik, I mean, Thessalonike has never mentioned you before. She’s my friend, and I’m worried about her; I am sure you understand that.” He pushed against the door with his hand, but not too far. Good. Good human. Now go away. I attempted to speak to his mind, but it was closed. As most humans’ minds were.

  “I do understand, Cruise Castille,” I purred persuasively, “but there is nothing else I can tell you right now. I probably should not tell you this, but there is a private family matter she has to attend to. Come back in the morning for tea. The three of us will catch up then.” I closed the door and stood behind it shaking my head. He was a stubborn one. If she thought she would get rid of him easily, she had another thing coming. Some men were like that. All bossy and pushy. If he were mine, I would put him in his place quickly. I made the mistake of letting a man take the lead when I was young, and it cost me everything. Never again. I would warn her about him, but what she did with him would be her own business.