Page 6 of Song of Her Siren

What I saw robbed the breath from my lungs. My big, strong father appeared so vulnerable and weak, his skin an unnatural, sickly gray as he lay as still as a stone upon the bed. Something wasn’t right. He looked and smelled like a corpse. Was I too late?

I pulled back the thick blanket covering him, shocked to see the infected wound on his chest. The putrid smell was so bad, it made my eyes water. Even more shocking than the smell—his wrists were bound in chains. I reached underneath a cuff and pressed my fingers to his wrist, relieved to detect a slight pulse.

Marius cleared his throat behind me. “He was sliced open by a zombie wyvern.”

My stomach roiled and pitched. “I know.” Beau. My loyal wyvern that had died during the blast made from a bomb of my magic, a blast that had almost killed my children. Somehow, the demons had found a way to resurrect his body and turn my sweet Beau into a killing machine. For that alone, I wouldn’t rest until I turned every last demon to dust.

“C-can you save him?” Mother asked as she managed to squeeze onto the bed beside me.

I scowled at her. “Why does he already look dead?”

Mother visibly swallowed, averting her gaze.

Marius cleared his throat. “The priestesses say he’s demon touched.”

“Demon touched?” That explained the guards and chains.

I gave Shiri a hopeless look.Heal him, sister, she said through thought.We’ll figure out how to get the demon out of him.

I swallowed my apprehension and turned back toward our father, grateful for Helian, who stood behind me, a hand on my shoulder. I needed his touch. Just the contact of his skin on mine sent a powerful surge of magic pouring through my veins. I sat on the edge of the bed, fighting the urge to vomit when I placed my hands on the fresh bandages covering Derrick’s wound. His chest squished like mud.

Closing my eyes, I did my best to block out the smell, the chains, my mother’s gentle sobs, and the grotesque feel of the wound, and focused on pouring my healing magic into my father. It took several interminable moments for my magic to manifest. Though I felt the heat of it pressing on my fingertips, my magic felt stuck, swelling my fingers until they ached.

I frowned down at my hands.

“What’s wrong?” Helian asked.

I shook my hands like I was trying to air them out. It wasn’t until Helian sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, that my magic finally manifested. By this time, my fingertips were throbbing as the magic flowed slowly, only picking up speed after I blocked out everyone else.

I was vaguely aware of Helian’s weight lifting off the bed while I placed my hands on my father’s chest. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there. A few minutes? An hour? My head was swimming after I drained every ounce of my magic into him.

My eyes fluttered open as I leaned back against Helian. He took me in his arms and laid me across a sofa, my sister fussing while cleaning my hands in a basin, even though I’d been careful not to touch his blood. I didn’t think I’d ever forget the feel of Derrick’s insides, no matter how much she washed me. I thought I heard my daughters’ squeals carried on the wind while they called to Ash to chase them.

“Did I heal him?” A small voice echoed around me. It took me a moment to realize that voice was mine.

Helian brushed the hair from my eyes. “You did. His color has returned, and his breathing is better.”

“Good,” I murmured before surrendering to the darkness.

* * *

Helian

ISAT BESIDE MY MATEon the sofa, tucking a blanket around her shoulders while she slept. She’d used too much magic in the past few days and needed rest, though I feared she wouldn’t get much with the looming demon war.

Derrick still slept while servants bathed him and changed his sheets. His chains didn’t come off, though, and nobody suggested it. Good thing, because after experiencing a demonic possession, I’d insist they remain on. Nox had given me the illusion that I had some control over my own body, but I knew now that the demon could’ve easily used me to harm my loved ones.

Drae and Blaze had gone to speak to Malvolia’s spymaster. The children played outside with Marius, while Ash went in search of our mother after Flora and Marius had told us she was here. Relief and dread tightened my chest. Though I was happy our mother was safe, I worried our encounter would be tense after the way I’d treated her. I saw now that she’d never deserved my scorn. That she’d been more a victim of my father’s cruelty than I had been, a lonely queen simply wanting to carve a little piece of happiness for herself in a harsh world.

Marius carried the giggling girls inside the sitting room, kissing their cheeks and plopping them down on chairs in front of a small dining table. Shiri served the girls tea and savory tarts, promising them sweet tarts after they finished their lunch. When they pouted, she silenced them with one look. Shiri was a wonderful aunt, and I envied her patience.

Marius knelt beside the sofa, caressing Tari’s brow. “How is she?” he whispered.

“Tired,” I answered. “She’s used a lot of magic.”

“She came just in time.” His words sounded thick, strained as he nodded toward his motionless brother still asleep on the nearby bed. “I don’t think Derrick could’ve held on much longer.”

Flora fussed around Derrick, pulling back his blankets and making enough of a stir that I suspected she wanted him to wake.

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