Page 183 of Song of Her Siren

Shiri stopped behind me, clutching her sides while catching her breath. “We don’t even know where she is, or if it was the demon mistress who took her.”

“Who else would it be?” I snapped. “Aurora can find her,” I said, though I was still unsure if it would work. “It’s the only way.” I locked gazes with Ash, and he solemnly nodded. He knew what I was asking, and as one of the girls’ fathers, his blessing was what I needed.

When I fell to my knees in front of the girls, they clung to their friend’s hands, their eyes wide with fear.

I clasped my hands in a prayer pose. I had to make Aurora understand. “Aurora, I know you can only go to places you’ve been to before, but what if you imagine yourself landing in your mother’s arms?”

“Absolutely not!” Shiri bellowed.

I feared if we didn’t hurry, Shiri would force us to stay with her siren voice. Then Tari would be lost.

Ash stepped between Shiri and me. “Helian and I will go with her.”

Shiri shook her head. “Tari would never forgive you for risking Aurora’s life.”

“We are her parents!” Ash bellowed. “We will decide!”

Blaze widened his stance, his eyes narrowing on Ash. “Shiri was Aurora’s guardian for four years, and she should have a say!”

His brothers flanked him, grumbling their agreement.

No! I couldn’t lose her! My voice broke on a plea. “Tari could be killed if we don’t try.”

Shiri pressed her lips together, vehemently shaking her head. “We will find her another way.”

I threw up my hands, tears of despair welling in my eyes. “It could be too late by then!”

Aurora scrunched up her features, looking like she was about to throw a tantrum, but then I blinked, and she was gone, leaving nothing but a tau stone necklace on the ground.

“Aurora!” Shiri shrieked.

Ash and Finn howled, spinning around like dogs chasing their tails. Ember fell to her bottom with a wail. Her little friend clung to her hand while sitting beside her.

Tears streaming down her face, Shiri jutted an accusatory finger at me. “Look what you’ve done!”

* * *

Tari

ONE MOMENT, I WAS FALLINGthrough space and time, and the next, I was blinded by a painful flash of white.

Who was I? Where was I?

“How easy it was to trap you, Goddess,” a sibilant voice whispered. “Wear out your magic with my disposable army. Let you think you’ve won. Then use your hairbrush and sacrifice my last demonling army to pull you to me. I knew you’d be too confident, too complacent to guard your mind, and now that I have Thorin’s mind-spinning magic, you have no idea who you are.”

Who was that voice? What was happening? Light faded, replaced by shadows, and I could barely make out the form of a strange creature with a long maw, a distended belly, and hooks for fingers.

“I would reshape your mind, fill it with new memories, but why bother when I plan on killing you and taking your magic for myself? Besides,” she added, her keening cry rattling her words. “This will be my revenge after your sister banished my sister. I know Empusa is gone. I heard her cry out before your sister sent her back to hell!”

Long, spindly fingers reached for me, and my heart pounded so wildly, I feared it would beat out of my chest. Not knowing how else to defend myself, I threw out my arms with a shout for help, a tingling sensation spiraling down my fingers.

The creature cried out, and I fell to the ground, unable to see more than shadows as I crawled through mud and hid behind a cool, stone wall. My vision slowly improved, and shadows became more refined shapes. I was in a cavern of sorts, with only a few torches hanging from the walls and thick mud on the floors. The wall I’d believed I was behind was nothing more than a table, a slab that dripped dark liquid—blood, for I smelled the tang in the air. Holding muddy fingers in front of my face, I tried my hardest to concentrate while the creature cried out for help. Though I suspected it went against my nature to kill, I hoped I’d mortally wounded her. If only I knew who I was and how I could escape this place.

I gasped when a set of shimmery eyes blinked up at me and pulled what I thought was a babe from the mud, but, no, it was only a doll. Staring down at the mud-caked doll with the ripped dress and tangled hair, I was struck by a strange vision of a child holding this doll while sucking her thumb. Bethamy? No, that didn’t sound right. Ember? Yes. Ember. I knew a child named Ember. This was her doll. There was another child almost identical to Ember. Aurora. I envisioned her with a slingshot in her hands.

I tensed when a flash of fire lit up the room, and I heard the flapping of wings.

“Mistress, are you okay?” a deep voice boomed.

---