An Immortal's Song (Dante's Circle #6)

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  When their eyes met, he slid deep inside her, their breaths syncing as he slowly pumped in and out of her. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him deeper.

  “Fuck the bond,” he growled as he fucked her. “Fuck it. I have you. I have him. I don’t need the bond, Amara. I just need both of you. You’re more important than that.” With each sentence, he thrust into her, harder and harder until they both cascaded over the edge.

  She cupped his face as she came, her mouth parted. When she took a deep breath, her pussy clenched around him. “I want the bond. I want to show you what I feel. But if what happens next with the queen doesn’t allow the bond to happen, I won’t leave. I am yours as you are mine. Forever, Tristan. Okay? Forever.”

  He crushed his mouth to hers and pumped into her again, his cock already hard once more. His heart broke at the lack of bond, but he knew he’d heal. He’d do anything for Seth and Amara, even break himself and his future to ensure the two of them could bond. They were more important than he was. If he could find a way to keep them as one, he would. If he could make it so the three of them were one, even better.

  No matter what, these two were his. But he’d be damned if he’d allow a curse that occurred before Amara’s birth to take the rest of what should be his.

  They would fix it. He vowed it, his powers sliding over his skin as he made love to his mate. The bond would come, but if it didn’t, then fuck it. Amara and Seth were his.

  And that was all that mattered.

  Chapter Eight

  Amara stood at the edge of the castle grounds and tried not to let the rapid beat of her heart scare the shit out of her. This felt like a dream, yet she knew it wasn’t. Everything she’d thought she knew before this day had crashed around her, and now here she stood, in front of the siren queen’s castle, standing between her two men and praying she wouldn’t lose either of them in the fallout.

  She let out a breath, rolled her shoulders, and then reached out for both men’s hands. “Let’s do this.”

  Tristan looked down at her, his face solemn. “We won’t let her hurt you.”

  Seth nudged her. “Hopefully, she’ll just break the curse and we can go home and have cake. How does that sound?”

  She smiled despite herself. These two were so different, yet so adorably hers. But in order to make that permanent in truth, she needed to deal with one thing first.

  The queen.

  “Cake sounds perfect,” she said after a moment. “Let’s just hope for cake.”

  They each squeezed her hand, and she froze as the large doors in front of her opened without them knocking. Well, that made sense, as they had been just standing there for a bit trying to prepare themselves. There was no way they had gone unseen since then. She was just happy that she’d had the little time she had.

  Tristan went first, and she followed with Seth close behind her. They might be one unit, but Tristan had far more experience in courts and the like. The large stone building had ivy running along the outside and vines with roses and other deep red flowers on the inside. The beauty of it would have awed her, if she hadn’t known the person in charge had killed Amara’s entire line before she’d even been born.

  If Amara hadn’t been struck by lightning, the queen never would have noticed her. But if she hadn’t been changed, hadn’t been altered in some fundamental way, she never would have met Tristan and Seth. And they were worth far more than what the queen had to offer.

  The queen only held death and banishment and Amara knew there would be no future there for her.

  Ahead of them sat a throne that rivaled any royalty’s she’d seen in movies. A tall woman with long, raven hair wrapped in an ornate ponytail that slid over her shoulder sat in the chair. Her green eyes weren’t a normal color, but rather a bright shade that seemed to light from within. She had strong cheekbones and pale, pale skin. If anything, she looked like a true Evil Queen. And that only worried Amara more than she already was.

  “I cannot believe you have the audacity to walk through my doors as you have,” the queen crooned. Her voice was a deep, throaty purr, and it scared the hell out of Amara.

  “Queen,” Tristan said deeply. “We are here—”

  “I know why you are here,” she cut him off and stood. Her long dress draped around her, showing off her curves. “You’re lucky you’re a Conclave member or I’d sing you to your death, fae.”

  Tristan growled. “I’m far older than you, Queen. It’s best you remember that.”

  The queen snapped her teeth then smiled at Amara. “You’ve come to me, young siren. You didn’t glamour yourself, I’m surprised.”

  Amara raised her chin, knowing it showed off her marks even more. She’d decided to come as she was now, rather than who she’d been before. They were there for a future and to face their problems, hiding her ink and skin would have been counterproductive.

  “Queen,” she said. She didn’t bow. For some reason, she knew if she did, the queen would think she’d won. “I am here to ask for you to break the curse you put on my line before I was born. I do not want your throne or any life other than the life I could have with my mates. I won’t come for anything you hold dear or rise to power like you thought the others would. I am just me. Amara. I ask this of you. Please.”

  She hadn’t rehearsed what she would say, but that seemed like the best thing. Maybe her pleading would work. Because if it didn’t, she’d have to decide if running for her life with her two mates without a bond would be worth it. If she didn’t do that…well, then she’d have to end the curse one way or another. And from the snarl on the queen’s face, they both knew it.

  “You want me to break the curse? And why do you think I’d do that? Your line earned that.”

  “How did they do that?” Seth asked. “By trying to take down a monarchy which clearly threatens the realm? Amara wasn’t alive then. How do you blame her for the past?”

  “I can do as I please,” the queen snapped. “Your line was eradicated. And yet the Conclave chose to give you powers? You’re an abomination.”

  The lightning hadn’t exactly worked like that, but Amara wasn’t about to correct her. It seemed as though she were on the edge as it was.

  “There are other ways to break the curse,” Amara said softy, her voice calmer than she expected. Both Seth and Tristan stiffened, though they’d done it so subtlety she wasn’t sure anyone would have noticed. She just happened to know their bodies well.

  The queen tilted her head. “You’re threatening me, young one? You don’t even have full control of your powers, and yet you come to me with your threats.”

  “We’re here because it’s protocol,” Tristan bit out. “A new member of the realm needs to present his or herself to the powers that be. We’re here, and now you’ve seen her.”

  “And yet you want me to remove a curse.” The queen shook her head. “No, I don’t think I will do that. In fact, I do believe a lesson is in order.” She raised her head and opened her mouth.

  Amara didn’t have time to think before the queen began to sing, her voice a haunting melody that spoke of powers Amara might never understand.

  Seth grunted from her side before a scream ripped from him. Amara turned to him and let out a scream of her own. The queen continued to sing, and with each note, it looked as if Seth caved in on himself.

  “She’s drying him out!” Tristan called out and took a step toward the queen. Amara moved to Seth and caught his head as he fell backwards. His skin began to look brittle, as if he were losing all the water in his system. As a merman, it was even more dangerous for him.

  Tears slid down her cheeks and she did the only thing she could do.

  She sang.

  Seth gasped for air as Tristan worked his magic, trying to stop the queen. And while this happened, Amara sang a song of healing. Again, it was innate to her, as if the songs had been etched on her bones, in her soul. She would have to think later about why she knew these songs without ever hearing them before,
but for now, she would take what she could and try to heal one of the pieces of her heart.

  The magic slid over her skin like a warm blanket as she let her voice do the work. Seth gripped her hand and met her eyes. Tears slid down her cheeks, but all she could feel was Seth’s pain. She lowered her voice, letting the song take root as Seth began to fill out again, his breathing calming.

  The queen cursed and took a staggered step back as Amara raised her chin. Tristan had his arms up, fae magic swirling around him. He looked like a god, a fae prince with a power that should bring fear and awe; instead, it only made her love him more.

  “You should never have been brought to us,” the queen spat. “I will never break the curse. Your whole line should have learned its place long ago.”

  Others began to crowd around them, but the look of menace and fear on their faces wasn’t directed toward Amara…but at the queen. It seemed what the others had said was correct, the queen wasn’t in favor.

  “I will kill you, Amara. I will take your breath, twist your soul. And when I’m through with you, I will do the same to Seth and Tristan. They should never have brought you here. It just made it easier for me.”

  She held out her arms, but Amara didn’t flinch. She knew what she had to do. She’d known it from the beginning. The queen would never relent. Even if they survived what was to come and hid, they would always be on the run. The rest of her family, Lily, Jamie, and the rest, would always be in danger because of her. The others had all faced their fears when it came to those that had wanted to hurt them, and now it was Amara’s turn.

  Amara stood, her own arms out. “I’m sorry,” she said to her men. Tristan moved toward her as Seth stood up on shaky legs. “I’m so sorry.”

  And with that, she sang.

  It wasn’t a song of healing nor one to open a portal. Those had a beauty that called to her soul. This one had a dark beauty of its own, but it wasn’t her soul it called to.

  The queen wanted the other realms, wanted to show the world she had power. She would stop at nothing to take what she wanted, and Amara couldn’t allow that to happen—even if it broke a part of her to do so.

  Her men held her hands, bringing her strength she hadn’t known she craved as she sang the shadowed melody of darkness. The queen’s eyes widened and she clutched her throat, unable to continue her own song.

  It seemed the queen had been right to fear Amara’s line. For Amara was far more powerful than she. Amara continued to sing, her melody reaching the queen’s hardened soul. Amara changed the lyrics then, twisting when she could have soothed. It broke her to think about what she was doing, so she didn’t think, she only acted. She would deal with the consequences, the mark on her soul and the fallout with Seth and Tristan when the time came.

  The queen screamed and fell to her knees. Sweat dripped down Amara’s spine and temples as she continued her song. When her men held her close, whispering soothing words and running their hands through her hair, she knew she could lean on them.

  Soon, she closed her mouth, her song finished. The queen no more.

  Her legs gave out and tears spilled down her cheeks. She’d just killed someone. Ended their life so she could live…so her family could live. Perhaps if the queen hadn’t attacked Seth as she had, Amara might have found another way. But with that one act, the queen had set her fate.

  “Little siren,” Tristan whispered before kissing her softly. “Darling. It’s okay. You can breathe. We’re here.”

  Seth whispered much of the same, his hands on her back as he kissed her neck. “We’re here.”

  She didn’t know how long she let herself sway in their arms. Her body hurt, her soul a bit tired from what she’d done. She didn’t know the ramifications, the effect on her own future after what she’d done, but hopefully, no matter what happened, her men were safe. They were all that mattered.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but froze as something so sweet, so hot, so everything snapped into place.

  “The bond,” Seth gasped.

  Amara smiled despite what had happened moments before and threw her arms around her men’s shoulders. “The bond.”

  Tristan smiled as well before kissing her. “I feel you, darling. I feel both of you. You’re mine now. Now and forever.”

  “I never knew it would feel like this,” Seth said in awe.

  She could feel their souls tangle with hers, as if the world had stopped and it was only the three of them. While she would have stayed there, letting the bond settle as she got to know her men all over again, someone cleared their throat from beside them. Then the reality of where they were and what had happened with the queen settled into her.

  She turned toward a group of thirty people or so and swallowed hard as they each knelt in front of her.

  “My queen,” one of the men in front said. “I am David, a siren of a different line. We…we wanted to say thank you for freeing us. The former queen held our lines hostage for far too long, and none of us were powerful enough to stop it.”

  Her men stood on either side of her, though they didn’t hold her hands. It was enough that she could feel them at her sides and in her heart.

  That was something she would have to get used to, but hell, she loved it. She loved them.

  Wait. “Did you just call me your queen?” She shook her head. “I’m no queen. I’m just me.”

  “There’s nothing just about you,” Tristan said softly before addressing the others. “Because she killed the former queen, are you saying she is the new monarch?”

  David nodded. “That’s how it’s always worked.” He frowned. “I know you’re new and have no idea about our realm, but we need a king or queen. It’s not just for decisions, but how our songs work. There needs to be order, and frankly, we have been in chaos for too long with the former queen.”

  Amara shook her head and licked her lips. Seth put his hand on her back and she settled ever so slightly. “I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’ve been in the siren realm for all of a day. I’m not fit to be queen.”

  “That makes you the perfect queen,” David insisted. “We don’t need someone to rule with an iron fist. We need a voice, a song of reason.” He held up his hands when she opened her mouth to counter. “I’m not saying you should jump on the throne right now, but when you feel ready to come back to the realm, we will be here. And when you do come back, if you still feel you cannot be here as a presence of hope for small amounts of time, then we will see how we can move the crown to another. We aren’t a fighting people, Amara. We just need some form of order for our songs to be melodic.”

  It was all too much for her, but she knew if she said no right then, she might hurt the others in the room that had such hopeful expressions on their faces.

  “I…I need time to think.”

  “Of course,” David said and nodded at the others around them. As one, the sirens stood up and smiled at her.

  It was all so surreal. She was a siren, a mated siren. And now, a freaking queen? Not to mention the fact that the dead body of the former queen lay a few feet away and no one had done anything about it. No love lost there, apparently. Maybe one day she would wake up from the dream, but if that meant she would lose Tristan and Seth, then maybe she wanted to stay asleep.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Seth said softly. “We have time.”

  “We have all the time in the world,” Tristan added, and that calmed her.

  Yes, they had all the time in the world to figure out the next step. That was how she’d made it this far; how she’d become a siren in a world where she’d always thought she was alone. She might not know what to do next or what her life meant in the siren world, but she had her family, had her soul.

  She’d found her home, and now she could be whoever she wanted to be.

  She was Amara. Siren. Mate. Queen. And home.

  ELIANA

  The pink line mocked her. It screamed at her even though it was just a damned pink line on a home pregnancy test. It ha
d never occurred to Eliana that she would be the last mateless lightning-struck of the seven. It also had never occurred to her that she’d have her heart broken by someone she’d thought would make being with a human, and being mortal, okay.

  Not to mention, she’d never thought she would end up pregnant and alone.

  But the seven positive pregnancy tests that littered the floor next to the bottles of water so she could actually take said tests didn’t lie.

  Malik had dumped her like she was yesterday’s trash, and she should have been over it already. She’d gotten over the men in the past that had broken up with her for one reason or another easily, yet this seemed different.

  Yeah, he hadn’t been her true half or whatever since he’d been human and all, but hell, she’d thought he was the one.

  And now she was pregnant with his baby and he wasn’t answering his phone.

  Eliana, the last lightning-struck female and human in her own right, was royally screwed.

  And the others didn’t even know the half of it yet.

  Well, shit.

  Epilogue

  Amara lifted her head and leaned against Seth as he slid into her from behind. Tristan groaned beneath her, his hands on her hips. Both of her men worked as one, her fae fucking her cunt while her merman fucked her ass, their bodies sweat-slick. She’d woken up in Tristan’s bed with both men sucking her breasts and readying her for their attention.

  It seriously was the best way to wake up.

  Seth slid out of her and she moaned. Then she found herself on her back as Tristan pounded her into the bed. Her fae prince groaned and she laughed. She couldn’t help it. She loved it when their Seth surprised the both of them.

  Seth held onto Tristan’s hips and slowly worked his way into their mate. The bond flared between them all and love poured into her soul. Tears slid down her cheeks as they made love this way and every way. They were hers in truth, in body and soul, and she knew this was her fate, her future.