Page 6 of Siren in the Rain

My hands are shaking too much so she has to help me drink the lifesaving draught, but I stabilize within seconds. I’m steady enough to help as she wraps one of my arms around her shoulders and pulls me out of the car.

When the movement inadvertently jostles my injured ankle, I focus on not vomiting up the potion I just drank. Once the nausea fades and the threat of passing out again is over, Emma supports me as I slowly and painfully limp toward a nondescript brick building.

A side door opens and I freeze.

“It’s okay! They’re here to help,” Emma reassures me.

Two more people help carry me inside, where they lay me down on a soft couch and gingerly prop my leg up on some pillows.

I bite my lip but don’t make a sound. I’m used to far worse than this trifling injury.

“You’re safe now,” a gentle voice says. “This is a shelter for endangered Otherkind. The place is warded from magical attacks.”

All of a sudden, my bravado is shattered when a wave of exhaustion slams into me from out of nowhere.

“Collar,” I mutter feebly. I try to open my eyes but it’s too hard. The potion pulled me back from the edge of danger, but my body is shutting down to conserve my limited energy. “They’ll… find…”

“Fucking bastards,” another voice whispers.

“I can place an obfuscation spell over it for now, but that’ll only be a temporary measure. We need someone to deactivate it safely,” the first voice says. “That’ll be tricky.”

“We should call those guys you mentioned,” Emma suggests. “I’m sure they can help us.”

I want to say something, but I’m falling down a deep, dark well where everything has disappeared—even me.

I can only hope against hope that I’m finally free.

Chapter

Two

Griff: What do surfing and oil have in common?

Ruby: Ugh. Not another one of your surfer jokes.

Griff: They’re both measured by the barrel! *lol*

Cal: Heh. I’ve got one. What does Popeye use as lube?

Harper: How did we get from surfing to lube?

Cal: Olive Oyl! Mwhahaha!

Ruby: Ewww. Do you need my Feminist Fist of Fury to enlighten you yet again?

Harper: I’m more than happy to help with his re-education, dear Ruby. Cal’s a total heathen who needs to learn some manners.

Cal: Tag-teaming it, eh? I could be into that. I am pan and open to poly, after all. *winky face emoji*

Griff: Cal’s cruisin’ for a bruisin’, as they say.

Dallas: Ooh! I’ve got an oil joke too. Why shouldn’t you buy essential oils from a cat?

Griff: Go, Cap!

Cal: Save me now. Not your cat obsession again.

Dallas: It’s a purr-amid scheme!

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