Page 43 of Cursed By a Siren's Kiss

I bristled at his words, but I didn’t dare move. His claims didn’t help the burning desire that I’d just barely been holding at bay all these weeks, but I knew it was merely the darkness within him making him animalistic and out of control.

Proteus chuckled. “Stop this. Raidne, thank you. I no longer need your assistance.”

Raidne’s eyes widened as he stared at me and then the pirate. He gave his head a disbelieving shake as he turned, walking away and leaving us. Kipp watched him go, his body frozen in place as if he were afraid any movement would turn him deadly.

“You will be safe here. Stay the night, we will talk more in the morning,” Proteus said, and then he too left us alone.

Like any terrible pirate, with everything that had just happened, it felt as if my ship was sinking fast. What the hell did I get myself into?

Chapter 26

The Midnight Sky

The Siren

Proteus twirled dark red liquid in his glass before taking a long, indulgent sip. Kipp had left to check on his crew who had succumbed to the revelry of Dionysus and dryads. Proteus’ people had joined in on the festivities, a full-blown party of debauchery. I had stayed with Proteus where it was somewhat quieter, sitting in lavish chairs on a balcony that overlooked his gardens. The salty spray of the waterfalls on either side of his palace created a mist that reminded me of the bow of Kipp’s ship.

“Absolutely hate and love it when Dionysus visits.” Proteus rose from the lounge chair he’d been sitting on and crossed the balcony to peer down at the gathering amassing below. “Hate it because…” He waved a hand around to gesture at the shenanigans happening in his gardens, then he tipped his glass and drained the last of it. “Love it because, well, this wine is worth putting up with his wickedness for a night.”

I joined him at the railing, my arms resting in the cool stone as I gazed below. Lyrical music carried on the breeze, mixingwith the floral scents of the surrounding garden. It created an atmosphere that called to me, and as I watched bodies melding together, I understood why. I turned from the scene below, leaning on the stone railing as the breeze lifted my hair from my shoulders and cooled my suddenly heated skin.

“I need to know, Proteus, if you will stand by me when I claim the throne?” I asked, needing to distract myself from the blatant lustful atmosphere at my back.

“Must you even ask, minnow?” He turned toward me, an indulgent smile lifting his wine-painted lips. “What kind of support do you require?”

“We are friends. Any support will be well received.”

He pressed his lips together into a thin line, his gaze distant as if he were miles away in thoughts as a long silence stretched between us. “I must warn you, dear friend. I do not engage myself in the dealing of the gods. Especially those that may result in war. The last one was devastating.” His gaze met mine, penetrating to the depths of my soul. “Talia, are you even sure you want the throne?”

We’d had this conversation long ago, on the beach of Siren Island. I’d never been given a choice of what my life would hold. This duty had always stretched out before me. I’d always known I’d one day rule the sirens as their queen.

“Of course,” I answered with deliberate ease but even I heard the hesitation in my voice as I spoke.

Proteus raised a brow as he handed me a glass. “The real question is,” he said, reclining back into a cushioned lounge chair with his tall glass refilled. “What are you going to do with this beast you have bound to you?”

I let out a sigh, glancing around the balcony to ensure no one else was near enough to overhear our words. I shrugged. “Our interests align… for now.”

Crossing the balcony, I sat again in a lounger opposite from him, stretching my long, bare legs along the length of luxurious cushion as I leaned back. I swirled the liquid in my tall glass, taking a sip and relishing in the delectable taste that coated my tongue. Proteus hadn’t been wrong; the wine was divine.

“My plan is to break the siren curse once and for all,” I said, resting the glass at my side as I eyed my oldest friend. “I think his path will lead me to mine as well.”

He studied me in the dim light of the flickering candles nearby, its orange glow casting an eerie shadow across his pale skin. He seemed almost otherworldly in this setting, beneath the midnight sky with billions of stars glittering in the sky above. His head cocked sideways as he watched me. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

I met his gaze steadily. “Yes. It’s the only way to ensure that Poseidon doesn’t give away my crown.”

Proteus shook his head. “I hate to break it to you, but if Poseidon has already chosen this boy creature to be the next ruler, saving the sirens won’t change his mind.”

“He isn’t even a siren!”

“I know that. He is a merman, from his mermaid of a mother,” Proteus admitted. “I have a few who reside here. They’re much less vicious than you heart-obsessed sirens.”

“You knew about him?” I accused, betrayal at these kept secrets he’d withheld from me all these years.

“I’d heard about him, but I never thought Poseidon would try to put him on the throne. It makes sense though. The sirens are cursed and they’re dying out. They need something new. So, it makes sense, if only from a purely factual perspective.” He sat his empty glass onto the table next to him and sighed. “I’m sorry, minnow. I never thought he would try to depose you.”

My teeth sharpened and I clenched them, giving my head a shake as I replied, “It doesn’t matter. I will break the curse, and we will go to war if we must.”

“Perhaps, but there is the matter of this binding. You do realize that you cannot even go to Atlantis while bound to this pirate, right?”

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