Page 84 of Song of Her Siren

“Hunting.” Gordin grabbed a big, beautiful fish out of his pack, tossing it to Damas.

Damas let the fish fall at his feet, fearing he’d lose his limbs if he tried to catch it. “We’re not getting better,” he said with a snarl while stepping over the fish. “A white witch could’ve healed us by now.”

Gordin crossed his arms, his smile a wicked slash on his half-melted face. “Then go to the white witch and ask her to heal you.”

Damas flashed his teeth while the rotting blood in his veins heated with ire. “Get us a better potion from the Mistress. The sinew on this body is barely holding together.” Damas motioned toward one limp and rotting wrist that looked ready to snap off. “It will not withstand a shift.”

Gordin rubbed his chin while walking a circle around Damas. “The potion didn’t work because you’re too far gone. You need a new body.”

Damas shook his head. He didn’t want a new body. He wanted them to fix this one! “Where is there another king?”

“You do not need a king.” Gordin chuckled as he picked up the fish off the floor and dusted dirt off its scales before tossing it onto a nearby table.

Damas was so angry, he fought the urge to thrust his sword through Gordin’s back, though he knew he wouldn’t be able to wield the heavy iron weapon. “My army won’t follow me.”

Laughing like a cackling crow, Gordin tossed his hands in the air. “Your army already deserted you!”

“I will not settle for anything less than a king!” Damas hollered, fearing his bones would break if he threw a fit of rage. He had to be a king, for a king didn’t serve another king. A king served only himself.

“You’re a fool.” Gordin shook his head, scowling at Damas as if he was a lowly demi-demon. “Why is it so important you find a king, anyway?”

Damas averted his gaze, nervous energy rattling his bones. “I already told you I need to be able to command an army.”

“No, you don’t.” Snapping his black, feathered wings open, Gordin closed the distance between them until they were standing nearly toe-to-toe. He wrinkled his nose while scowling at Damas’s rotting skin. “You serve our mistress now.”

“Neither of us will be serving her for long.” Damas’s bones rattled harder, dread turning his decomposed innards to mush. “I will need my own army to defend myself againsthim.”

Gordin arched his one brow, the other side of his face sloping with the movement. “Against whom?”

Afraid to speak even his unfamiliar name, Damas swallowed and looked away. “Y-you don’t know?”

“Tell me.” Gordin’s command came out on a threatening rumble as he tucked his wings behind his back.

“Th-the one they call The Darkness,” Damas stammered, then shrank back, as if the demon king would materialize in this very spot.

Rage flared in Gordin’s eyes as the rest of his features hardened. “He isn’t in this world.”

“If he isn’t, he will be very soon.” Damas took a big step back, afraid Gordin would lash out at him with his fires. “He’s discovered the Mistress’s portal.”

Gordin’s eyes widened. “How?”

Damas took another step back while eyeing Gordin’s hands that had curled into claws. “It was only a matter of time before he found out. The Darkness sees everything. When I left hell, he was gathering demons to accompany him to the Fae realm.”

The color drained from Gordin’s face. “He will punish all of us if he comes here.”

Damas licked his parched lips. “Now you understand why I need an army.”

* * *

Shiri

MY TEARS HAD DRIEDup a few hours ago as I lay in the swinging bed I’d shared with my mates. The sheets still smelled like them, an intoxicating blend of sulfur and spice. I snuggled against the blanket that smelled so much like Drae, with a blend of sage that was all his own. I’d even gathered a few stray feathers to press against my bosom. How I longed for my mates to return to me. I was supposedly one of the two strongest witches in the world, and I couldn’t do this without my mates. I had no idea if Blaze and Nikkos lived, and Drae was lost to me, my magic too weak to save him.

What must he be thinking, trapped inside a body that he couldn’t control? Was he disappointed in me for failing him? Did he believe the demon, that I had a darkness clinging to me? Did he regret bonding with me and curse the Elements for choosing me as his mate? I prayed he was still in there, for the alternative was far worse. What if that demon had already discarded his soul?

Sister.

I cringed when Tari’s voice echoed in my skull. After crawling up the rope ladder into the bed I’d shared with my mates, I’d heard her and Helian and the children in the other room. I’d heard Isa and Radnor stomping around outside too. So far, they had all respected my request for time alone. I blinked in the darkness. The sun had already set, leaving behind a few wisps of pink rays that spilled into my swinging cocoon. It would be supper time soon, but I couldn’t go downstairs and face my family. Not after I’d failed to save our mates.

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