Page 60 of Song of Her Siren

I winced when the dragons’ roars shook the room, causing cups and plates to rattle on the buffet table.

Isa’s thought rang in my head.You are not alone, Goddess. Never forget you have us.

I shook my head.You need to focus on protecting Triss.As a mother, I knew how important it was for Isa to put her child’s safety first. After all, that’s why she’d been hiding on Fallax all this time.

Her dark growl rattled my bones.By protecting the white witches, I am protecting her. If you fall, all Faedom falls.

Wow. No pressure.

Ember climbed off the sofa and shuffled her feet toward us, her eyes downcast as if she’d been caught stealing extra tarts. She tugged on my skirts, looking up at me with glossy eyes. “Are Papa Ash and Uncle Drae going to die?”

“What?” I slipped off Helian’s lap and knelt beside her. “No, darling.” I took one of her hands in mine when she stuck a thumb in her mouth. “They won’t die. Auntie and I will save them.” I gave Helian a pleading look. “We need to unearth that book now. We can’t leave Ash and Drae with demons all night.”

Groaning, Helian sank back against the chair. “Tari, it will be okay. I lived a lot longer than one night with a demon inside me.”

Ember pulled her thumb out of her mouth, her bottom lip quivering. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I’m sorry, Uncle Helian.”

I squeezed her arm, my heart aching when a tear slid down her cheek. “Why are you sorry, child?”

More tears streamed down her face. “I didn’t listen to my friends when they warned me about Wolfy.”

The wheels in my mind came to a slow, grinding halt. Her friends? Did she mean that ghosts had known about the demon inside the dog? “Your friends warned you?”

She nodded before wiping her eyes. “I thought they were being jealous.”

I swallowed back bile, very aware that those friends were probably watching us even now. “Why would they be jealous?”

She loudly sniffled. “Because I spent more time with him than them.”

I swiped a tear from her cheek. “So you thought they were lying to you?”

When she nodded and let out a sob, I took her in my arms. How could I be mad at a four-year-old child for this? It wasn’t her job to protect us from demons. It was my job. I had smelled demons before. I should’ve recognized the scent for what it was—a rotting demon, not a dirty old mutt.

“It’s an easy misunderstanding,” I whispered while holding her tight. “We don’t blame you.” I pulled back, forcing a smile while searching her glossy eyes. “But, next time, please tell us when your friends tell you something important.”

She wiped a trail of snot onto the back of her robe. “Okay.”

“Ember, this isn’t your fault,” I said as I slipped the snot-covered robe off my child, handing it to Cassandra. She quietly folded it and carried it toward the wardrobe. “We adults should’ve realized Wolfy was possessed.”

Aurora joined us, her eyes glossy, too, as she leaned against me. “Is Wolfy going to die?”

“Not if I can help it, darlings,” I said, thanking Cassandra when she handed me a cloth napkin. I dabbed both my daughters’ eyes, my voice thick with emotion. “Tomorrow, Aunt Shiri and I will find the book that teaches us how to send demons back to hell.”

Aurora blinked at me. “What if you don’t find the book?”

I worked hard to unclench my teeth. “We will save Papa Ash and Uncle Drae. Don’t worry, darlings.”

Because even if we couldn’t find the book, I would get those demons out of mine and Shiri’s mates. Even if we had to transfer the demons to wyvern volunteers, we would do it. I was determined to do whatever it took to save our mates.

---