Page 7 of Song of Her Siren

Marius fluttered to his feet and quickly crossed over to his mate, pulling her away from Derrick. “Darling, he needs rest.”

She frowned down at her sleeping mate. “But the line is still there.”

I went to the bed, sucking in a sharp breath at the black line that stretched from Derrick’s navel to his heart, as if a dark worm was embedded in his skin. “Tari didn’t expel the demon,” I whispered.

When Flora gave me an accusatory look, I added, “She doesn’t know how.”

“What do you mean, she doesn’t know how?” Flora spat, her words laced with venom. “She’s a white witch.”

Shiri crossed to the other side of the bed, frowning down at her father. “We need to find the spell that expels demons.”

“Do you know where to find it?” Flora asked.

Shiri nodded. “In the rubble that was once Kyan’s Temple.”

Flora pressed a palm to her forehead, as if she was nursing a headache. “What happened to the temple?”

“Malvolia made me destroy it.”

Flora’s jaw dropped. “What? Why?”

“Practice.” Shiri grimaced.

Flora threw up her hands with a curse. “Just when I didn’t think I could hate her more.”

“What did I do this time?”

I sucked in a hiss, my gaze darting to the door to find none other than the queen bitch hovering in the doorway, wearing a short black skirt and tight stockings, as her black cape pooled around her ankles. I glanced away when her expression, aimed on me, turned sultry. How could I forget that, a few weeks ago, she had stripped off my clothes and chained me to a table, forcing me to endure her unwelcome touch? She obviously didn’t care that I was mated to her niece. Horny old whore.

Marius blanched, pressing against the wall, as if he could disappear behind the floral wallpaper.

Flora’s top lip pulled back in a snarl. “What areyoudoing here?”

Malvolia examined the grime beneath her fingernails, giving off the impression she didn’t have a care in the world. “I’ve come to check on Derrick.”

Flora jutted her hands on her hips, impatiently tapping her foot. “You’re not welcome here.”

Malvolia waved away her twin with a laugh as she marched toward Derrick’s bed. “Last I checked, I was queen of this castle.”

I quickly backed away from the bitch, giving her a wide berth, lest her hands started roving again.

Flora crossed her arms, huffing and spluttering while her sister leaned over Derrick. “You made Shirina destroy Kyan’s Temple!”

Malvolia turned toward her twin, one brow raised. “I did.”

Flora’s face turned as red as a dragon’s pecker. “That temple was sacred!”

Malvolia laughed. “It was a relic.”

When Flora balled up her fists, Shiri stepped between her aunt and mother, pushing Flora back while scowling at Malvolia. “It contained the spellbook we need to expel demons.”

Malvolia clucked her tongue. “Ancient tomes written in the old tongue. There’s not a living scribe who could interpret it.”

“I can.”

My heart dropped to my stomach when my mother came into the room, looking as beautiful as ever with plaited dark hair, regal cheekbones, and eyes like mine, blue rimmed with silver. Her lavender robes swirled around her ankles, complementing the crown of amethysts in her hair. She might have been dethroned by my father, but she would always be a queen to me. When I saw her elbow locked with Ash’s, I felt a keen sense of guilt. I should’ve treated her better. She’d once been queen of one of the mightiest Fae countries, Queen Cassandra Avias, a queen for the people, as she’d once been called. And then her world turned on its head when my father discovered my shifter brothers weren’t his spawns. She, Ash, and Finn had fled for their lives, and my father had relentlessly hunted them until the day Ash and Finn had finally gotten their revenge, shredding my cruel father to bits.

She stopped when she saw me, flashing a hesitant smile. I wanted to run to her and beg her forgiveness. Instead, I stood rooted to the spot like a coward, my legs refusing to move.

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