Page 36 of Song of Her Siren

I squeezed her hand. “I know you miss it there, sister. Once this is all over, you can return.”

Her smile faltered, and I feared she wasn’t confident in returning. Did she think the demons would defeat us?

Palming a glass of honeyed liquid, Drae sat on a big, easy chair across from us, his wings draped across the back. “Are the bedchambers here as nice as the bedchambers at Fachnan’s castle?”

“I wouldn’t know.” I shrugged, meeting Helian’s eyes. “We weren’t allowed to stay in the castle.” All because Helian’s father, King Fachnan, wanted to punish his estranged wife’s shifter sons for the sin of being born.

Helian jumped to his feet and crossed over to the double doors leading to the balcony, watching the moonlit skies. I realized he hadn’t spent time with Radnor since we’d arrived. Then again, I hadn’t visited with Isa, either. I hoped our dragons didn’t think we didn’t care.

“Yes, the bedchambers there are similar.” Helian finally took his gaze off the sky long enough to answer.

Shiri patted my knee. “You’ll see for yourself once this war is over and you’re Queen of Caldaria.”

Heat flushed my cheeks and chest as Helian and I shared an awkward look. I dared not glance in Ash’s direction as he sat on the floor nearby with the girls. I could feel his wolf’s gaze boring into me, though, and I feared no matter how I answered my sister, I’d upset one of my mates. Back on the Fallax Islands, Helian had told me he wanted to make me his queen, but that was before he agreed to let Ash be the alpha. I couldn’t marry Helian if Ash was my alpha, could I?

The uncomfortable silence that stretched between us was more unnerving than a gong in my ears. I fumbled with my fingers in my lap, trying to think of a way to change the topic.

Shiri’s telepathic thought echoed in my head.Did I say something wrong?

We haven’t discussed marriage yet, I projected back to her while purposely avoiding looking at my mates.

You’re Helian’s mate, too, right?she asked, though her question felt like more of a statement.

I nodded, even as the weight of Ash’s stare made me wilt like a flower beneath the sun’s rays.

Then, why wouldn’t he make you queen?

It’s complicated.I tucked my knees to the side and leaned against the sofa, closing my eyes, pretending I was resting instead of having this conversation with my sister.Ash is the alpha and the heir to Lupine. I’m not sure how he’d feel if I married Helian.

She pressed closer to me, her knee wedged against mine.And how do you feel about it?

I don’t know yet.Hopefully, my mates didn’t realize what my sister and I were discussing.I haven’t given it much thought.It was the truth. How could I obsess over marriage when I had more pressing issues to worry about?

If you don’t marry him, then Helian’s child will be considered a bastard, which will make his claim to the throne harder.

My eyes flew open, then narrowed on my twin. I knew she hadn’t intended to hurt me, but how dare she call my unborn son a bastard? I was so sick of that word, I wished I could strike it from the earth. Children didn’t deserve such hate for the mistake of being born. I curled my hands into claws, thinking of the many times Ash and Finn had been called bastards, even after their fathers claimed them.

Let’s just focus on surviving this demon war. I’ll worry about the rest later, I grumbled, letting coldness seep into my tone in an attempt to get her to drop the subject.

I gave a start when three maidservants wearing starched white aprons over gray dresses came into the room without so much as knocking. The oldest of the three, with graying, dark hair, bowed before me. “If you’d please, Princess Tarianya, the servants have finished your parents’ former bedchamber for you.” She stepped aside, motioning toward the door as if I was supposed to follow.

Shiri’s eyes widened as she shot up, grabbing my hand. “That’s too far from us.”

I agreed, especially since Finn, Nikkos, and Blaze were gone. With three less mates to help protect us, we would need to protect each other. “I don’t want their bedchamber. They’ll need it when we heal Derrick.” I nodded toward Shiri. “I want a bedchamber adjacent to my sister’s.”

The servant’s mouth twitched, annoyance flashing in her beady eyes. “There are no adjacent bedchambers in this wing of the castle.”

Shiri frowned. “I’d rather my sister be close to me.”We need to be together in case demons attack, she said to me through thought.Your magic is slower now, and you’ll need us to help protect you and the children.

The servant folded her hands in front of her, scowling at us as if we were naughty toddlers. “I’m sorry, but we have nothing nearby.”

Shiri waved the servants away. “Then Tari and her mates and children can stay with me.”

The servant’s mouth fell open. “With you?”

“Yes.” Shiri motioned toward the spacious sitting room. “There’s plenty of room here.”

“We can take this room.” Helian nodded toward Ash, the children, and me. “You and Drae can have the room with the bed hanging from the ceiling.”

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