Page 76 of Siren in the Rain

When I move out into the main room of the temple, I find a woman already waiting for me. She’s got that same ageless look of most of the full sirens I’ve met. Her long hair is a dark purple color with threads of gold woven through it that sparkle in the light, and her eyes are a similar golden color. They observe me warmly.

“Good morning. You must be Shae.” Her voice is rich, and deeper than I expected.

I join her in the nest of cushions. “I am.”

She’s wearing a flowing tunic similar to mine and a long skirt. “I’m the Silverstorm sept’s Spirit-Healer.” She smiles. “You can call me Pearl.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Pearl. Thank you for agreeing to try and help me.”

“Of course. My powers are a gift, but my desire to help others is a genuine calling.” She reaches behind her and pulls out a thermos, then pours us each a cup of a steaming drink. “Before we begin, let us take a few moments to drink this tea.”

I sniff it, detecting an herbal scent I can’t quite pinpoint. “What’s in it?”

She smiles. “It’s a special tea used for this ritual that helps open your mind to what lies ahead.”

I blink. “Is this the tea version of peyote or something?”

She laughs. “Something like that. It won’t harm you, I promise. The tea also helps your body to ignore its desire for food. Once we enter the inner spirit plane, we won’t leave for quite a while. Fasting is necessary, but the tea alleviates any hunger pangs for the duration of our time together.”

As if to show me it’s safe, she sips from her cup first, and I follow suit. The tea has an herbal, almost medicinal flavor that I wouldn’t describe as tasty, but it also isn’t undrinkable. As we sip our tea, I shift awkwardly on my cushion. “So Coral didn’t really explain much about how this would work.”

Pearl nods and sets aside her empty cup. “The ritual is sacred and something we keep as private as possible among the sept. My powers, in part, manifest in my sirensong. My music will help you let go of the waking world and enter into your inner spiritual core. Once you’re there, my voice will still reach you and act as a guide to help you navigate and confront what lies within. I will shield and protect you while using my power to cast a healing balm on your mind and spirit.”

“Sounds very new-agey to me, but I’m willing to give it a go,” I say with a crooked grin.

I drain the last of my tea and set the cup down. Pearl nods with satisfaction.

“Excellent. Let us begin.”

As her sirensong wraps around me and I start to drift away, I dare to hope that the deepest parts of me can be healed.

Chapter

Eighteen

Griff: Good morning, friends!

Cal: Gah! How are you chipper even in a text?

Griff: It’s a gift. Now, why don’t surfers like to reheat leftovers?

Ruby: Dude, you don’t know how to cook anything. None of us do. Dallas makes all our food. *waves* Thanks, Papa Bear!

Griff: They hate microwaves! And you’re right, I can’t cook. I’d starve if it wasn’t for Cap.

Dallas: You’re all lucky feeding people makes me happy.

Harper: Dallas, darling, you’re the epitome of a giant teddy bear. You love making people happy, period. Feeding them is just part of that.

Cal: Harper’s totally right about Cap.

Dallas: Enough about me, it’s time for a cat joke!

Shae: Oh god. I’m a part of this now. I willingly joined this text thread.

Ruby: Just keep reminding yourself of that and roll with it.

Dallas: What’s a cat lover’s favorite food?

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