Page 85 of Siren in the Rain

“Come here.” Anemone gestures to us and we go to stand with her and Coral in front of the largest of the stones lining the circle.

To my amazement, words start to appear on the rock, but they aren’t written in English.

I frown. “What does it say?”

“It’s written in the old siren tongue,” Coral explains.

“Most of our sept are taught it growing up,” Anemone adds. “But Tempest may not have had a chance to teach you before…” She trails off, a regretful look on her face.

“It explains what your powers are,” Coral offers with a smile. She points to the first line of script. “This indicates your sirensong has the power to enhance emotional responses of those who hear it. You can inspire sorrow, joy, lust—whatever you desire.”

“Wow! You’re so cool,” Griffin says, squeezing me tight.

I pat his arm. “Thanks, Wolf Boy.” I give my grandmother a quizzical look. “How exactly would I provoke such responses with my singing?”

“You’d need to experiment with your sirensong to find out, but generally it is shaped by your intent. Focus and purpose are key. Maybe try experimenting on your friends back home if they’re willing?”

It all feels rather vague to me, but I nod.

“I’ll totally volunteer, babe,” Griffin says, his tail wagging enthusiastically.

God, he’s adorable. So adorable that I really want to fuck him. I’ve been thinking about that a lot ever since our little skinny-dipping adventure.

Dreaming of it too.

Coral points her finger to the second line of writing. “This bit is particularly interesting. It says you possess a very rare talent among our kind known as the Voice of Truth.”

“What’s that?” Griffin leans forward, his eyes shining with obvious anticipation.

“It’s a form of compulsion magic. You can use your voice to compel others to speak the truth, even when they don’t wish to.”

My mouth drops open. “Uh…”

Griffin’s eyes are huge. “I knew it! You totally have a superpower.”

Coral regards me with a serious look. “The Voice of Truth can be a dangerous gift depending upon how it’s used. Forcing others to speak truths they’d rather keep hidden can be violating and can lead to unwanted enemies. You’ll need to think carefully about how and when to use such a special talent.”

Griffin grips my hand tightly, his whole body vibrating. “This is perfect, Shae! A power like that would be a huge help to MEOW Squad if you decide to join us. You could use it on bad guys to get critical information about people in danger who need our help.”

A slow grin spreads across my face. “And I could use it to force my father to reveal where my mother is.”

Coral grins back at me with satisfaction. “Exactly. He’s not someone whose feelings deserve any consideration. Forcing him to tell the truth against his will is appropriate karma if you ask me.”

I have a few other ideas about who else I can use my power on as well. But first, I need to figure out how to use said power.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Coral says. “But I’m afraid I don’t have a simple answer for you about how to use the Voice of Truth. I can provide you with a book that contains information about others who’ve possessed the ability in the past though.”

Well, nuts. I suppose this won’t be as easy as I was hoping it might be.

But I don’t care. I’ll devote the time and practice until I figure out how to use my power and enact the justice my mother and I deserve.

“Promise me you’ll all be safe,” Coral says.

Our little group is on the dock, preparing to board the ferry to head back to the mainland. Haku returned last night after word was sent to him and has joined me, Griffin, and my aunt and her drake, Lucy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to meet Haku’s family, but that just means we have to come back for another visit soon.

“I promise we’ll be safe, Grandma Coral,” Griffin pledges to her before wrapping my grandmother in a tight embrace, his ears twitching and tail wagging.

It hasn’t been difficult to see his open affection for her and my aunt, even in the short time we spent together on the island. He explained to me how Coral had already welcomed him into the family, and he’s been truly touched by how kind and inclusive everyone has been with him.

---