Page 187 of Song of Her Siren

My mates swore, and I swallowed back bile. How the hell was I supposed to distract that beast without getting killed?

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Shiri

ICARRIED AURORA TOthe battlements while Tari carried Ember. I kept glancing behind me to make sure Teddy followed us. There were no words to describe the scene at the seawall, other than pure chaos. Lightning streaked the sky while dragons swarmed the seven-headed beast that clung to the other side of the wall, water dripping off its scales. It stood upright like a Fae with two arms, talons for fingers, and one long, leathery tail that moved like a whip and ended in a set of about a dozen wicked spikes. Each serpent head had strange, translucent bubbles around their faces that covered the eyes and head but left their snouts and fangs exposed. Odd. What were those things?

Along the beach were at least three dozen long, slimy creatures as big as dragons, though they had no legs or wings and slithered like snakes. They, too, had strange translucent bubbles that wrapped around their necks, covering their ear slits.

“Indus worms,” Tari rasped, her jaw dropping, shock and horror reflecting in her eyes.

“Do you remember seeing those bubbles on their heads before?” I asked.

She squinted at the worms and shook her head. Why would these monsters need invisible shields for just the tops of their heads?

A sickening feeling washed over me when I realized what they were probably for. “I think the shields are to protect them from the siren song.”

“Then we’re screwed,” Helian blurted.

I nervously chewed my lip. “We’ll have to find another way to destroy them.” If I could defeat the undead without my siren, I could fight these monsters, too.

Mages, shifters, dragons, and our two wyverns valiantly tried to fight the worms back as they slithered over the wall dividing Delfi from Windhaven, adding to their numbers, and I feared the supply of worms was never-ending. If they could breach the Windhaven wall, they could scale the castle! Thousands of Fae had been relocated to the castle keep, clinging to each other while war raged around them. They would soon be carrion for the worms if we didn’t stop them.

My breath hitched when I saw Isa and Radnor leading the charge, dodging lightning and all seven slithering heads. Dragons cried out, spiraling toward the water when one of the beast heads bit them.

Isa!I projected to my dragon.

Get Triss out of here!she answered.This beast shoots venom and lightning!

I will, I answered.Please don’t die. I’m coming!

We ran beneath a giant, gray shield, a curse chamber in the shape of an umbrella, held up by Malvolia and a few of her stronger firemages. Drae ran to them, using his magic to help them hold it.

Triss cowered in the corner, her tail wrapped around her legs while she looked at me with frightened, watery eyes. I handed Aurora to Finn and stroked Triss’s neck, trying to soothe her.

We helped Finn load the girls onto Triss. Marius handed Teddy to Finn, and they climbed behind the girls. I waved goodbye to them before they disappeared, teleporting to Abyssus, where I prayed they’d be safe.

My sister gritted her teeth, putting on her warrior face before giving me a tight hug.Don’t die, sister, she projected to me.

You too, I answered, choosing to avoid looking at Helian and Ash. Those two were still on my troll-dung list.

Our mother ran up to us, trying to hug Tari, but my sister waved her aside.

“Get below, Mother,” Tari commanded, signaling to Derrick. “It’s not safe up here.”

Mother gaped at us as Derrick pulled her away.

Then Tari ripped open the air with her hands, creating a portal into what looked like an underground sewer. Raising his sword, Helian went in first, followed by Ash in his upright, monster wolf form as he carried Tari. I gave a start when the portal snapped shut behind them.

“Elements, protect my sister,” I whispered, reluctantly adding, “and her mates, too.” As angry as I was with Helian and Ash, I didn’t want them to die.

“Shirina!” Malvolia shrieked, appearing ready to collapse beneath the weight of the curse chamber while she held it over her head. “Do something! He’s going to smash the wall!”

I gritted my teeth, magic swelling my fingers. “Not if we can help it.”

Nikkos grabbed my arm, panic lacing his words. “We don’t have a plan!”

Blaze snapped open his wings, his eyes hardened with determination. “I’m going to distract him, so you can take him down.”

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