Page 117 of Song of Her Siren

Chapter Nineteen

Shiri

Icould hardly stomachfood as I sat bleary-eyed and alone at the breakfast table. I’d just come from checking on my family in the dungeon. My mother was a bit more subdued, and I suspected her good behavior was due to Marius’s influence. Ash was mostly lucid, asking about Tari and Helian. But Drae...whatever was left of him was eclipsed by the demon who stared at me like a starving dragon, and I was a sacrificial lamb. I loathed that demon with the heat of a thousand suns. But even worse, I was ashamed to admit he also terrified me. What if he was right? What if I couldn’t summon my siren song? What if he’d already discarded Drae’s soul?

Overwhelmed by grief and hatred, I stared at the platters of food that were meant for an entire family. And Malvolia had said we didn’t have enough food to feed the peasants begging for shelter in Thebes. What a joke. This palace probably wasted enough food each day to feed the entire city. Speaking of Malvolia, I’d received a summons from her a few moments ago. I scowled at the note with her seal on it. I knew I had to go to her soon, but I couldn’t move from this spot, not when Tari could arrive any moment with news.

I stared outside the balcony doors as the morning sun rose higher into the sky. More firemages flew in formations outside, their wings buzzing with nervous tension, as if they were preparing for battle. Perhaps they were, hence the reason for the summons, yet I couldn’t bring myself to rise from the table.

Tari said she’d visit every morning and evening. Had healing our injured mates taken too much of her energy? Or was there a more sinister reason my family hadn’t returned? Added to my worry was the lack of sleep after being forced to lie in that big, swinging bed by myself. It was enough to drive me to madness. I missed my mates, and the children and Tari, so badly that my chest ached from longing. No wonder Malvolia had gone crazy.

I jumped when I heard a child’s giggle and spun around, gaping at Tari, Helian, the children, and Blaze!

Ember tugged Aurora toward the hearth, where they had a bucket of toys. “I need another Bethamy,” she loudly whispered.

I ran to Blaze, throwing myself into his arms with an overjoyed cry, though my relief was short-lived. Had something happened to Nikkos and Finn? He held me close, whispering words of love into my ear, his wings wrapping us in a cocoon.

Where’s Nikkos and Finn?Too choked up to speak aloud, I asked him through thought, my voice echoing between us.

They live, he answered while kissing away the tears that stained my cheeks.Nikkos was burned, but he’s stable for now. Tari will return to heal him.

I slumped against him.Thank the Elements.

After Blaze warmed my skin and liquified my insides with more kisses and hugs, Tari loudly cleared her throat. We reluctantly pulled apart, though he held tightly to my hand.

I’m never parting from you again, he projected to me, his brow marred with deep lines.

More tears burned the backs of my eyes as I squeezed his hand.Good, because I need you.

“The elder satyrs say their memories of Thorin have returned,” Tari said aloud. “The mindspinner is dead.”

My gaze flitted to the mages flying in formation outside the window. No wonder their numbers had increased. “That explains why Malvolia summoned me.” I motioned toward the summons on the table. “I was preparing to go to her

“Ash and Drae?” Tari asked.

“Unchanged.” I tensed, hoping she wasn’t disappointed in me. “I just came from visiting their cells.”

Her features fell, panic flashing in her eyes, making me feel even worse for not being able to heal her mate. “The demons will attack soon.”

My stomach tied in a knot. “We need to hurry.”

“I know.” She nodded. “We’ll heal Nikkos and return him to you.”

Blaze cleared his throat. “Tari, there’s something you should know.”

“What?” she asked.

“The countryside has been ravaged. Skullgrove is a ghost town.” He frowned. “It looked like the work of the demonic spiders.”

“We were just at Dunhull,” Helian said. “The satyr village was untouched.”

Tari’s jaw dropped. “Maybe because the first time we visited Dunhull, I hid them with a masking spell.”

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