Page 124 of Song of Her Siren

You would, he answered.You’re stronger than you realize.

I tensed when we reached the bottom step, nearly colliding with my mother, who was coming from the dungeon, an empty food tray in her hands. “Shirina!” Her eyes widened as she glanced from me to Blaze.

Lady Cassandra followed my mother, carrying a large pitcher and a shallow, soapy bowl. I suspected she’d been assisting my parents with taking care of Father Derrick.

“Finn and Nikkos?” Cassandra blurted, the pitcher rattling in her hands.

“Finn was unharmed,” I answered. “Tari is in Cyrene, healing Nikkos.”

Cassandra’s shoulders fell as tears streamed down her face. “Thank the Elements.”

I motioned toward the door behind them, guarded by two stoic firemages. “Blaze and I are here to see Drae.”

“Do you want to try the siren song again?” Cassandra asked.

I shot Blaze a questioning look. “I-I don’t know.”

“We will try on Wolfy again,” Cassandra said. “Now that you have one of your mates with you, I’m confident you’ll succeed.”

I swallowed back a lump of panic, praying I didn’t let everyone down. “Okay.”

“And then you can heal Derrick,” my mother blurted.

Cassandra turned to my mother with a scowl while setting the pitcher and dish at her feet. “Shirina has work to do, Flora. Please don’t disturb her.”

The look my mother gave Cassandra would’ve made a lesser woman cower. “I won’t.” Then she faced me with a frozen smile. “If there’s anything you need, darling, please tell me. I’m here for you.”

Darling?She’d never called me that before. Was it for show, or did she mean it? “I don’t need anything, Mother.” The more I thought about her unexpected use of that endearment, the more I was unable to hide the bitterness in my voice. “Blaze is here now.”

“Very well.” Mother set the tray at her feet and wrung her hands. “Thank you for looking after my daughter,” she said to Blaze.

Blaze gave my mother a funny look while wrapping a wing around my shoulder. “I don’t need to be thanked for loving my mate.”

“Flora, Shirina needs to concentrate.” Cassandra made a shooing motion, as if my mother was a stray dog begging for scraps. “Please give her space.”

My mother spluttered and glared as Cassandra took my arm, leading me toward the door that opened to the hallway of cells. “Better she take her anger out on me,” Cassandra whispered while we waited for the guards to open the door.

“I appreciate it,” I whispered back, not daring to search out my mother behind us. “But I don’t want her taking out her frustrations on you, either.”

Cassandra laughed. “I survived being married to King Fachnan. I can endure anything.”

I swallowed at that. Tari had told me a little about Cassandra’s ordeal as Queen of Caldaria. Her king had tried to kill her for infidelity, despite the fact that he’d been an unfaithful and cruel husband. Yet, she’d escaped his wrath and had built a new life in isolation, not even permitted to see her sons. If she could survive such an ordeal, I could get through this too.

My heart pounded a drum in my ears, picking up tempo as we strode through the long, dark hall toward Drae’s cell. We passed Arabella, who was curled up on a modest bed, staring at the wall with a blank expression. Her hands were still swollen sausages, but she appeared otherwise unchanged. Wolfy was curled up in a pile of straw and whimpered when he saw me. The poor hound must’ve been so confused and frightened. We passed Ash, who gave us a nod of acknowledgement. He was still in a state of limbo, half shifter and half Fae, though his eyes glowed silver, not red. He’d been lucky enough not to be infected by a powerful demon. If only I could say the same for Drae.

I was aware of Cassandra hanging back, refusing to follow us to Mephis’s cell, as if she, too, was terrified of the demon.

The pounding of my heart sounded like a thunderstorm in my ears when we stopped in front of Drae’s cell, or what was left of Drae, anyway. The creature smiling at us was not my mate, and I despised him with the heat of a thousand suns. He hung suspended from short chains against the back wall, his trousers and the floor beneath him stained with piss. No doubt, he couldn’t be trusted with chains long enough to reach the chamber pot. He must’ve stirred up trouble with the guards. I didn’t want Drae to be uncomfortable, too, but the alternative was that his soul was too far gone for him to feel it. I didn’t want that, either.

Blaze kissed the side of my head.I’m here for you, he projected to me.

Thank you, darling. I need you now more than ever.Swallowing back my fear, I lifted my chin, forcing myself to be brave. “Blaze, this is Mephis.”

The demon inside my mate flashed his fangs and rattled his bindings that were embedded with Tau stones to prevent him from shifting or using magic. “Hello, brother.”

“You are not my brother.” Blaze’s voice was as taut as a newly strung bow.

“But we can be if you’d let me.” His smile widened as red flashed in his eyes. “I have all his memories.”

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