Page 3 of Siren in the Rain

Trapped in the arms of Margaret’s goons, I have no way to escape and that’s almost worse than the pain. Haku comes to the rescue though, snarling in outrage and breathing a thin stream of fire from his mouth that makes Bella yelp and retreat several steps.

Good boy.

The effect of her touch doesn’t last long, but the wild and barely restrained rage that lives inside me claws at my guts. There is no end to the number of ways I’ve envisioned killing these two women.

Don’t let them win, I remind myself.

After all, I’m used to their tactics by now. I’ve been their slave for most of my life.

I can endure a few more hours. Just a few more hours.

More than anything, I can’t lose my focus now. Not when I have my chance at freedom tonight.

Bella laughs, all cruel condescension, then waves an imperious hand at the hired guards holding my limp body upright. “Get this trash out of here.” She skips back over to her mother, all sunshine and smiles again. “Mummy and I have a big after-party to head to after all.”

“Take him back to the house and make sure he’s securely confined in his cell,” Margaret adds before walking off with her hellspawn.

I have a blanket unceremoniously tossed over my head before I’m hustled covertly out of the back entrance of the concert venue and shoved inside an SUV, my hands and feet tied so I can’t attempt something foolish like throwing myself out of the moving vehicle.

If only.

The drive from Inglewood to the Hollywood Hills feels endless while I lie strapped down in the back seat, helpless and aching from the oh-so-loving attentions of my captors. I take what comfort I can from Haku’s soothing presence. He rubs his small head against my cheek and makes the chirruping noise that means he’s worried and wants to make me feel better. I’d convinced him long ago not to bother trying to stop Margaret or Bella when they wanted to inflict pain on me. It just made things worse. Eventually, Haku realized I was right, but I know it’s been hard for him to fight his instincts to retaliate. After all, he’s just as trapped as I am.

I tried to set him free once, to let him escape this horrible life even if I couldn’t. But Haku refused. He loves me too much to leave me behind—and our bond wouldn’t easily allow it even if he wanted to reclaim his freedom. Haku is the one lucky part of my life and I’m so glad he’s stayed with me. I would have lost my mind long ago if not for him.

At long last, I hear the gates to our driveway open, and the SUV pulls behind the main house to the fortified outbuilding hidden there. It’s where I’m confined when my services are not being used.

As I’m being pulled out of the vehicle and untied, I spy my father, clad in an expensive Armani suit, walking toward his waiting black Corvette convertible parked a short distance away. He’s probably heading out to join Margaret and Bella at the party they mentioned.

My father looks nothing like me, although we’re about the same height. Now in his late forties, his short dark hair is starting to go gray. His square-jawed face is somewhat handsome, I suppose, but his pale blue eyes are as cold and dead as his soul.

Noticing me, he pauses midstride, a look of supreme distaste flashing across his face.

I know it’s foolish, but I decide to try one final time.

“Dad, please let me go,” I whisper. “I’ll leave here and never show my face to you again. If you ever cared for me, please, help me.”

My heart sinks when he sneers in response. Even though I knew in my heart of hearts such an appeal was futile, it still hurts.

Haku hisses loudly.

“Take him away,” my father tells the guards, not bothering to respond to me. As if I’m not even worth the effort.

I’m dragged into the building and down a hall to the entrance of my prison—a windowless room with a cage in the center of the mostly bare space and a basic en suite bath. Margaret and my father had this designed to make escape nearly impossible. My prison has an alarm system to rival a nuclear attack warning, so one of the guards carefully uses a key card to open the magnetically sealed door before shoving me inside. Once back in the awful sterile space, I’m allowed to use the bathroom, while one of the guards stays inside and watches me the whole time.

Heaven forbid I try to off myself by choking on a bar of soap.

In the past, I tried seducing guards in the hopes of escaping, but it never worked. Then, once my captors got wise to my tactics, they hired ones that couldn’t succumb to my siren allure. Not that I can even really use my powers much with this damn collar dulling my magic.

Finally able to stand upright on my own, albeit shakily, I take a fast shower and tend to my lip.

Once I’m clean, I dress in a pair of loose sweats and an oversized hoodie. I get cold easily, especially when I’m magically depleted.

I don’t bother to fight it when the guards lead me out of the bathroom and finally force me into my cage.

Nope, I’m not exaggerating.

A monstrosity of iron bars, the cage is tall enough for me to stand up in and big enough for a narrow cot and small dresser but not much else. I’m locked inside and then the guards exit the room, securing the door before taking their positions outside it.