Page 21 of Song of Her Siren

Helian stood at the end of the bed, one hand on the hilt of his sword. “Do you think those chains are enough?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “It depends on what demon is inside him.”

That wasn’t reassuring.

Drae stood over us, frowning down at my father. “We should move him to a cell.”

“Absolutely not,” my mother snapped while shoving in front of Drae. “My mate won’t hurt us.” She plopped onto the bed beside me, brushing a strand of hair out of Derrick’s eyes while lovingly smiling down at him.

Helian cleared his throat, his cheeks turning a deep crimson. “Demons can completely take over their host’s body. I should know.”

My mother glared up at Helian, her eyes flaring. “Or maybe you were just weak.”

“Mother!” Tari stomped up to the edge of the bed, wagging a finger at our mother. “Helian isnotweak. Don’t underestimate these demons.”

Our mother turned up her chin in challenge. “We will double the guards.”

Helian let out a bitter-sounding laugh. “Do you think a few extra firemages will be able to stop him if he can shift into a dragon or worse?”

Drae crossed his arms, pinning his wings behind him. “He must go into the dungeon, at least until he wakes and we can assess the threat.”

Our mother gasped, a hand clutching her throat. “The dark, cold dungeon, where he can die from fever?”

Tari shook her head. “I’ll heal him if he gets sick.”

“And I’m sure we can find a way to make him comfortable,” I added, then scooted back when my mother turned her angry glare on me.

Hands clenched by her sides, she stood, her stony gaze sweeping the room. “No.”

Tari let out an exasperated sigh. “Mother—”

“I said no!” Mother’s face contorted into several different Fae until returning to her original form. For a moment, I’d thought she’d been demon possessed. But, no, she was a rare shape shifter who could take on any Fae or human form, and she sometimes lost control of her magic when she was upset.

“What are you angry about now, Flora?” a familiar smoky voice drawled from the other end of the room.

Wolfy let out a whimper before diving beneath a table, his tail tucked between his legs. The girls crawled under the table with him, offering him comfort while staring up at their frightening great-aunt.

Mumbling a string of curses, Helian pressed into the curtains at his back.

I tensed, slowly rising while making eye contact with my aunt standing in the threshold.

My mother stiffened beside me. “None of your business.”

“Everything is my business,” Malvolia said as she approached us, a trail of black smoke in her wake, “or have you forgotten I’m queen?” She stopped in front of us, pushing back her cape to reveal a tight black gown with a slit up the side, exposing one shapely leg. There was no mistaking the hunger in her gaze as she eyed Helian.

Averting his gaze, he backed farther into the drapes. Tari’s cheeks flushed crimson as she directed eye daggers at our aunt.

My mother made a spluttering noise, but Malvolia ignored her, giving me a pointed look. “I see you’ve brought the dragons, Shirina.”

I refused to be intimidated by her cold stare. “Yes, and a demon-possessed wyvern and Lady Arabella Viggo, who is also demon possessed.”

She arched a thin brow. “Why didn’t you kill them?”

“Because we’re going to get the demons out of them,” I answered matter-of-factly, as if we were discussing something inane like the supper menu.

Black smoke leached from her fingertips and spilled onto the floor. “Why?”

I motioned toward my twin. “For one, we made a promise that we will not break.” Lifting my chin, I reminded myself my magic was stronger than Malvolia’s, that I was a white witch with the siren’s call. So why did my knees still quake like porridge? “And another, it will be good practice.” I nodded toward Derrick. “Since we also need to expel a demon from our father.”

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