Siren Song

by A

  were lucky.‖

  The doctor looked up. ―We need to get this woman blessed and to bed as soon as possible.

  She overstrained her magic badly. She shouldn‘t be left alone for the next few days. Someone

  needs to be with her at all times. After that, she‘ll need to take it very easy and not use her

  powers for the next few months. But ultimately, barring complications, she should be fine.

  Physically.‖

  I felt the knot in my stomach start to unwind a little. Pili would be fine. Helping me hadn‘t

  killed her, hadn‘t even done permanent damage. Thank God for Adriana being nosy. If she

  hadn‘t been snooping, things would‘ve been so very much worse.

  I shivered, thinking again of the demon. He‘d marked me, somehow. I needed that blessing,

  needed it badly. Because until I got it, any time there was a weakness in my vicinity he could

  exploit it to come after me. I‘m not a true believer. I don‘t have a clean enough conscience to

  withstand the demonic on my own. I shivered hard, feeling as though I might never get warm

  again.

  Baker spoke softly to one of the other guards. She lifted her mother by her armpits and her

  companion took Pili‘s feet. They carried her down the hall to the back of the house, where I

  assumed there must be a bedroom.

  ―You were the other party to the vision?‖ I glanced up. The doctor was standing above me. I

  hadn‘t noticed him coming. Not a good sign. I was cold. So cold. Shock. I was going into

  shock. Maybe my vampire healing would take care of it. I tried to remember when I‘d eaten

  last. Lunch . . . I‘d had lunch. But I had no idea how long I‘d been at Pili‘s.

  ―Yes.‖

  He bent down, shining his little penlight in my eyes. I pulled back, letting out an involuntary

  hiss that, unfortunately, gave him a really close-up view of my elongated canines.

  ―Ah, so you‘re the abomination.‖

  If he was trying to make me feel better, it wasn‘t working. Something about being called

  that just pisses me off. Still that little rush of anger and adrenaline seemed to warm me up a

  little, make me a bit clearer headed.

  ―I was hoping I‘d get the chance to meet you while you were on the island, but I would‘ve

  preferred other circumstances.‖ He pulled out a tongue depressor. I opened my mouth and

  stuck out my tongue so that he could take a good look. ―You‘re practically a medical miracle.‖

  He smiled. It was a nice enough smile that I almost forgave him the abomination comment.

  Almost. ―I‘m Dr. Ryan.‖

  He was good-looking in that clean-cut, middle-aged way. His dark hair was cut short, his

  features even, pleasant but not really remarkable. He wasn‘t wearing a lab coat, just khakis and

  a melon-colored polo. I could easily picture him out on the golf course, playing a round with

  Dr. Scott. Maybe they shopped at the same stores.

  Dr. Ryan frowned, ―You‘re having trouble focusing, aren‘t you.‖ It wasn‘t really a question,

  but I nodded. ―You‘re a little shocky. You need to get some rest.‖

  ―What time is it?‖ I interrupted him before he could finish his lecture.

  He frowned but checked the practical diver‘s watch adorning his wrist and told me.

  I panicked a little. I‘d lost quite a bit of time. ―Shit. I need to eat. Now. I‘m overdue.‖

  Fortunately, I wasn‘t feeling like munching on anybody. Maybe it was the shock. Whatever the

  reason, I really couldn‘t count on it lasting.

  Queen Lopaka was standing a few feet away. When she heard the tension in my voice, her

  eyes unfocused for a second. ―My chef will have everything ready and waiting for you at the

  guesthouse.‖

  ―Thank you.‖

  ―You are welcome.‖

  Stefania crossed the room, stopping a bare inch from Queen Lopaka, very deliberately

  invading her space. She was practically quivering with rage and just looking for a fight.

  ―If my daughter‘s services are no longer required, we will go.‖ The bitterness in Stefania‘s

  voice was palpable. She glared up at Lopaka, eyes blazing with defiance. For just a second I

  thought the high queen would call her on it. Claim insult the way Adriana had against me. But

  Lopaka swallowed her anger, meeting Stefania‘s rage with seeming indifference. ―Of course

  the two of you may go.‖

  The room waited breathlessly as Stefania opened her mouth to say something. She

  apparently decided against it. Clamping her jaw shut with an almost audible snap, she stormed

  over to where her daughter stood. She slid an arm around Ren‘s waist and I noticed the

  withered hand again.

  I was slow, probably from the shock. I knew that the damaged hand was important, but it

  took me a moment to recognize the implications. Maybe it was the way she flipped her head,

  making that shining braid glimmer in the light. For just a moment our eyes met and a spark of

  something clawed through my chest. The memory of those eyes chilled me to the bone. Crap.

  It was her. Stefania was the one who‘d cursed me . . . cursed Ivy. But why? It made no

  sense.

  ―Yes?‖ The word was almost a hiss. I couldn‘t know whether she was listening to my

  thoughts or realized I knew and expected me to confront her or was just being a bitch. It could

  be any of them. But Lopaka was right. Now was not the time for a confrontation. Stefania was

  a queen. They‘d never believe me if I made the accusation and certainly not without evidence.

  So I lied. ―I just wanted to thank Ren and Adriana. They saved us all.‖

  Stefania‘s eyes narrowed. She didn‘t believe me. But whatever she might have said in

  response was cut off by Queen Lopaka‘s agreement. ―Yes, Eirene, Adriana, thank you. You

  did well.‖

  Ren gave Queen Lopaka a stiff, unhappy bow to acknowledge the praise. With one last look

  at me, Ren and her mother vanished.

  I hadn‘t accused them. Without motive and proof, I couldn‘t. But I could find the motive,

  get proof. Could and would. Because Stefania‘s curse had quite probably killed my baby sister.

  Stefania was going to pay for that. One way or another, she was going to pay.

  19

  Rage is almost never a good thing. Rage makes it hard to think, hard to plan. Now that I‘m less

  than human, it brings the hunger to the surface, makes my powers manifest in ways that are

  obvious and terrifying. Still I could not help but feel a fine, burning rage at Stefania. She‘d

  cursed children, one of them an infant. She probably had some sort of reason, but let me tell

  you, no reason would be good enough. What she‘d done was so wrong, so evil, it made my

  skin crawl. It also made my skin glow. The only thing keeping my vampire side from fully

  manifesting was the shock and exhaustion of having faced down the demon.

  I took the tray of food I‘d found in the kitchen of the guesthouse up to my suite, settling

  down on the couch with the balcony doors thrown wide open to let in the fresh air. The day

  wasn‘t that hot, the air conditioner wasn‘t running, and I was feeling more than a little

  claustrophobic.

  Pouring a mug of soup and another of coffee, I tried to calm down, to clear my head.

  Somebody had to have called the demon onto this plane of existence. Working with demons

  taints a person, alters their thoughts and feelings, subtly at first, then more and more obviously.

/>   Both Stefania and Ren had been acting odd and very aggressive. Personally, I was thinking

  Stefania was the prime candidate. She‘d been with Queen Lopaka when Pili had asked

  permission to work with me. A woman who would put a death curse on a six-year-old and an

  infant was capable of pretty much anything.

  Yes, Stefania was my girl. But I was thinking that as quietly as I could. I didn‘t know how

  much, or which, thoughts the sirens could/would be listening to. They probably had some

  social rules about eavesdropping. But good manners weren‘t going to keep my enemies from

  rummaging around in my brain. Still, now that I could communicate telepathically, there were

  other people to include in the discussions.

  Well, not people, per se.

  Ivy, are you here? The overhead light flicked on and off. Am I right? Is she the one who

  cursed us? The light flickered and the temperature in the room dropped like a stone.

  You’re absolutely sure? A single flicker and frost began forming on my glass of fruit juice.

  Ghosts are spirits of the dead tied to something or someone they‘ve got unfinished business

  with. Ivy‘s business was with me. I‘d always assumed that she wants me to forgive my mother.

  If that was the case, she was going to be with me for a long, long, time. But maybe she was

  bound to earth to find her murderer. Not the men who kidnapped us but the person who had

  cursed her to that fate when she was only a baby.

  Ghosts were once human, but it‘s important to remember that they aren‘t human anymore.

  They have their own powers, their own agendas, and their own limits. Ivy wasn‘t a terribly

  powerful ghost. She‘d never be able to take over someone‘s body the way Vicki had at the

  Will reading. Ivy had never done any really impressive physical stuff. But she had one ability

  that all ghosts shared. Access to knowledge. Because the spirits of the dead . . . I don‘t want to

  say they ―talk‖ to each other, because it‘s simpler than that and more profound. It‘s almost as if

  they have a shared consciousness. They‘re still individuals. But what one knows they all know.

  If Ivy was certain Stefania was the one who cursed us, it was because she had access to

  information I didn‘t.

  And ghosts can‘t lie.

  I know you want to get even with her. A single flash of the light confirmed it. I do, too. But

  we’ve got to be careful. She’s powerful and smart. Can you be patient while I handle it?

  Nothing. No signal at all. Which I suppose meant ―maybe.‖

  Do you trust me?

  The answer was slow in coming, but eventually the light flickered once. Yes.

  Will it make you happier if I promise to include you in whatever plans I make? The light

  flashed almost before I could finish the sentence.

  All right, then.

  ―You should probably talk to Maintenance about that light.‖

  Creede stood in the open door to my suite looking much spiffier than the last time I‘d seen

  him. He was wearing gray dress slacks and a black Ralph Lauren polo shirt. A black leather

  belt and matching dress shoes completed the outfit. I had to admit, he certainly did clean up

  nice. Really nice.

  ―You went shopping.‖

  ―Yeah. I needed a few things. I picked up some items for King Dahlmar while I was at it.

  Thank God for credit cards.‖ He smiled. ―Mind if I come in?‖

  ―Sure, why not?‖

  He strolled through the room to take the seat directly across from me. Leaning back, he

  crossed his legs, the perfect picture of comfort.

  ―So, I hear you managed to get yourself into some more trouble while the king and I were

  otherwise occupied. You okay?‖

  ―Better now that I‘ve eaten and rested.‖ I sipped my drink, which was, thanks to Ivy, quite

  nicely chilled. ―What have you been up to besides shopping?‖

  ―Hey, don‘t knock it.‖ Creede pointed a finger at me in mock warning. ―It was hard enough

  on Dahlmar, begging Queen Lopaka for assistance, without making him do it in a Mickey

  Mouse T-shirt.‖

  I could see where that would‘ve been gratuitously humiliating. It would also make it harder

  for him to be taken seriously. Appearances matter more than most people are willing to admit.

  ―And how did the negotiations go?‖ I was going to switch from fruit juice to broth but

  decided against it. Cold broth. Ick.

  ―Well, we have a plan.‖

  I thought about saying something sarcastic like, ―Gee, John, you sound so excited, tell me

  more,‖ but he was obviously frustrated, so I decided to opt for diplomatic silence.

  ―Queen Lopaka doesn‘t completely agree that there‘s a siren involved, but she‘s willing to

  give him limited assistance to help him take back his throne.‖

  I raised an eyebrow and took a long pull on my coffee as I waited for the other shoe to drop.

  ―How limited?‖

  ―One plane, one pilot, and a dozen elite troops: their equivalent to the Navy Seals.‖

  My eyes widened and my mouth opened. ―She thinks that‘s enough to put him back in

  power?‖ Crap. That wasn‘t a plan, that was assisted suicide.

  ―Adriana is a clairvoyant; she saw a potential weakness in Kristoff‘s plan that we might be

  able to exploit even with limited resources.‖

  Creede leaned forward in his seat. His expression was intent. ―From what we‘ve been able

  to find out, from the clairvoyants and through magical means, Kristoff is going to announce his

  brother‘s death from a ‗tragic accident‘ this afternoon. The faux Dahlmar will immediately fly

  back from the peace talks in Greece. Somewhere over the Aegean the plane will go down, with

  all hands lost, leaving Kristoff to take the throne.‖

  Just like Dahlmar predicted. I wondered if the king had more going for him than just a

  charismatic personality.

  Yes, that plan would make Kristoff a mourning successor rather than an evil usurper in the

  minds of the people. Not a bad idea, really. Sadly, not all that hard to pull off, either. One of

  the reasons I hate flying is one well-placed curse and it‘s all over but the crying.

  ―If King Dahlmar takes Queen Lopaka up on her offer, we‘re going to fly to an island in the

  Aegean where the necessary modifications will be made to our plane to make a switch

  possible. The clairvoyants have given us a time and place and the identification information

  for the plane Kristoff is crashing—‖

  ―They‘re going to try a switch?‖ I couldn‘t believe it. I mean, yeah, I believed it. But oh,

  crap, there were so many things that could go wrong.

  ―Princess Adriana gave it an eighty percent chance of success.‖

  ―Eighty?‖ She had to be being optimistic. I wouldn‘t even have gone as high as fifty-fifty.

  ―She seemed to think there was the possibility of betrayal.‖ He said it totally deadpan, but

  there was a twist to his lips that spoke of wry humor. ―She was more than a little concerned

  about it since she‘s going to be the pilot.‖

  And then I put two and two together. An island in the Aegean.

  ―What?‖ Creede read my face like an open book.

  ―Would the island we‘re using just happen to be ruled by Stefania?‖

  Okay, there‘s desperate and there‘s stupid, and I was beginning to think this plan leaned

  more toward the latter than the former. I might have opened my mouth to say
something, but

  the king himself appeared at my doorway at that moment. He was dressed in a gray suit, off

  the-rack but nice, with a crisp white shirt and conservative tie. But the shoulders beneath the

  jacket were hunched, as if the blows he‘d received these past few days were finally starting to

  catch up with him.

  ―I have no choice. I have no military. I am not willing to reveal my circumstances to any

  other country‘s leaders. My hope was that the queen of the sirens would support me in order to

  clean her own house. This is not a perfect plan, perhaps not even a good plan. But it is the plan

  we have with the resources available.‖

  He appeared calm, but I suspected the appearance was deceptive. Still, you don‘t go into a

  tricky military operation with a sense of defeat. It‘s too likely to become a self-fulfilling

  prophecy. ―It would be easier to walk away. But I cannot. Whether my son is being

  manipulated or has betrayed all I hold dear, he is not fit to rule. I cannot leave my people to

  suffer at his hands.‖ Sorrowful but determined, he continued, ―I will be leaving here at seven

  this evening. You may choose for yourselves whether you will join me.‖ With that, he left.

  Well, hell.

  ―I did some research. He‘s a very good king,‖ Creede said softly.

  ―From what I understand, his son‘s an idiot.‖

  ―So we go?‖

  I sighed. ―I just wish it wasn‘t Stefania‘s island.‖

  ―Why?‖

  I hesitated for a long moment but finally told him: about the curse, the fact that someone had

  to have summoned the demon. Stefania had one hell of a motive to make sure we didn‘t

  survive the attempt.

  Creede surprised me when he shook his head. ―It couldn‘t have been Stefania who called the

  demon today.‖

  ―Why not?‖

  ―She was in the meeting with Dahlmar, Lopaka, and Adriana. I was outside the doors. None

  of them left the room until after your meeting with the seer went south. And I checked them

  myself to ensure nobody was a demon in disguise.‖

  Well, hell. That sort of messed with my theory. ―So, she‘s responsible for the curse but not

  the rest of it?‖

  A shrug. He didn‘t disbelieve what I saw in the crystal bowl, which was something at least.

  ―It‘s possible.‖

  I snorted at his carefully blank expression. ―You don‘t believe that any more than I do.‖