Page 85 of Song of Her Siren

Sister, she repeated.Are you awake?

I rolled onto my side, wiping the grit from my eyes.I want to be alone.

I understand.Her voice dropped to a soothing whisper.But Malvolia sent us a summons. They found Mortimus’s head. The funeral is in a quarter hour.

Ugh. I rolled onto my back, draping an arm across my brow. As much as I loathed our aunt, I knew I couldn’t refuse her. There was enough bad blood between us. To dishonor Mortimus would be criminal in her eyes. I sat up, hanging my head in my hands, bemoaning my life. I didn’t want to leave this bed. Not now. Not ever. I just wanted to curl up in the soft blankets, pretending my mates were here with me and the demon threat was no more.

I gave a start when the bed shook and Tari crawled across the blankets to me. “How did you get up here?”

“My wind.” She frowned at the rope ladder curled up at the foot of the bed. “Want me to help you down?”

I looked away, unable to withstand the pity reflecting in her eyes. “I don’t want to go to the funeral.”

“She expects us to be there.” Tari clasped her hands, her tone imploring as she said, “I don’t want to go without you.”

I nodded as tears pricked my eyes. “I’m afraid my heart is impure, that I’m turning evil like our aunt.”

She scooted beside me, taking my hand in hers. “You’re not.”

I swiped away the tears that fell over my eyelids. “The demon that’s in Drae, he said he can see into my heart.” Shame washed over me as I dropped my voice to a hushed whisper. “He says he can see darkness clinging to me like a cloak.”

“And you believe a demon?”

“He wasn’t lying.” I looked into her eyes, relieved to see no censure there, just shock. “I used my siren on him.”

“So?” She squeezed my hand. “Are you not entitled to feel depressed? To be sad that your mates are gone and your other mate is possessed?” She released my hand and pulled her knees to her chest. “Don’t forget, I, too, was consumed by darkness when I thought I’d lost my mates. I was a negligent mother because of it, but you took over and loved them as if they were your own. That’s not evil. That is pure love from a pure heart.” Her eyes glistened as she grasped my knee. “And now that pure heart is shattered. Don’t confuse darkness with wickedness. We’ve all embraced the darkness. You will find your way back into the light. I promise.”

“Oh, sister.” I couldn’t stop the tears that flowed freely down my face. “You don’t know what your words mean to me.”

I shuddered in relief when she threw her arms around me, kissing my forehead. “I love you.”

I squeezed her tight, so grateful for physical contact now that my mates were gone. “And I love you.”

“Princesses,” a shrill servant’s voice called from below, “the queen awaits.”

“Speaking of the darkness,” Tari said wryly.

It was a struggle to unclench my teeth. I wasn’t looking forward to this, but I knew Tari was dreading it even more. I only hoped my horny aunt kept her hands off Helian during the funeral.

* * *

Shiri

AFTER DRESSING TARI, the girls, and me in black gowns and Helian in a matching tunic, the servants ushered us to a hall at the other end of the castle. Moonlight filtered through the tall leaded glass windows, revealing our three dragons circling above a funeral pyre that appeared to be covered in plants.

The girls ran to the windows, tapping on the glass and waving to the dragons, as if they hadn’t a care in the world. They squealed when Isa’s roar carried down to us.

I tensed and Tari cursed at the sound of clicking shoes. Helian quickly went to the window, pretending to be engrossed in watching the dragons outside. Imagine my surprise when I turned and saw our mother and Father Marius approaching, both also dressed in all black.

Father Marius went straight for me, kissing my cheek, his wingtips tickling my back as he wrapped an arm around me. “How are you faring, child?”

I stepped behind Marius when Mother approached, appearing as if she, too, wanted to kiss my cheek. There was no mistaking the dejection in her eyes. Twenty-three years of wary looks and limited physical contact, and suddenly she wanted to show affection?

“As well as can be expected.” I grasped Marius’s arm, forcing a smile. “You?”

His features fell. “Same.”

“Mother, Father Marius,” Tari said, kissing their cheeks. “What are you doing here?”

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