Page 104 of Song of Her Siren

Frowning, she shook her head. “I’m not leaving Drae. I don’t trust him in our aunt’s care. She’s already tried to kill him once.”

I inwardly cringed at that. Though I hated to leave her behind, she was right. Considering our aunt’s mercurial moods, Drae and Ash needed someone to advocate for them while we were gone. “I understand. Will you do me a favor and check on Enso and Freya?” I hated to give her more responsibilities, but I needed to know they’d be okay. “The stable boy Falcon is watching them. You can just summon him for updates.”

“Of course.” She smiled. “I’ll check on them myself.” She looked as if she had more to say, but then she froze, her mouth contorting as her eyes fogged over.

“Shiri!” I reached out to her before my world shifted, and I was suddenly tumbling off the back of a wyvern, falling through the darkened sky, flames streaking past me as I roared and shifted into a furry beast. A blur of smoking black feathers flew past me, and I felt the sting of water slap my back like thousands of icy whips. Struggling to reach the surface, I swallowed a salty gulp before reaching the top and gasping for air. Sulfuric air filled my nostrils as dragons roared above me, slicing through hapless wyverns as they fell from the sky like birds striking leaded glass. I thought I spied flickering lantern lights and familiar masts from docked ships before a headless wyvern splashed beside me, causing a wave of water to crash over my head.

I sat up with a gasp, peering at my two non-furry hands. Ember and Aurora gaped at me with wide, terrified eyes.

“Tari!” Helian said, shaking my shoulders. “Tari, look at me!”

A scream died in my throat as I looked into Helian’s eyes.

“Tari, what happened?” he demanded. “Why were you calling for Finn?”

Finn?I mouthed.

Shiri let out a moan, calling out for Nikkos as she sat up beside me.

Nikkos? I remembered a flash of smoking black feathers. Odds were it was Nikkos and not Blaze, since Blaze had the magical gift of speed, and he could dodge the dragon fire in time. Was Finn the furry beast? Why had he fallen from a wyvern, and why were the dragons attacking? My heart rate slowed to a dull thud as my world came to a standstill. Shiri and I had just had a vision of our mates being attacked by dragons.

Heavenly Elements, no!

Helian shook my shoulders again. “Tari!”

I could hardly believe the words that came from my mouth. “Finn and Nikkos were attacked by dragons.”

The girls simultaneously let out childlike howls.

Ugh. Stupid me. Why had I said that aloud?

Panic flashed in Helian’s eyes. “Did they survive?”

The moisture evaporated from my mouth. “I-I don’t know.” I looked to Shiri for confirmation, but she was still in shock, gaping at me with a slackened jaw.

“Where were they?” Helian demanded.

I ran my tongue over my dry mouth, trying to piece together elements from my vision: the water, the lights, the ships. “I saw a town,” I rasped. “I believe Cyrene.”

Helian stood with a curse. “Shiri, what did you see?”

She dragged a hand down her face while releasing a slow breath. “Nikkos was badly burned.” Eyes watering, she gave me a pleading look. “Tari, I don’t know if he survived.”

I jerked when the door to the hall slammed open. Cassandra ran toward her son. “Helian!”

“We know, Mother.” Helian took her elbow, leading her to the sofa. “Tari and Shiri saw it too.” He thanked Ember, who quickly removed a few dolls, so her grandmother could sit.

Cassandra slumped onto the sofa, hanging her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

Helian helped me stand and then strapped on his sword. “We have to get to Cyrene—now.”

I grabbed Shiri’s hand, and she stumbled to her feet.

“Aurora’s never been there,” Shiri said to us.

Helian frowned while buckling the last of his straps. “How close can she get us?”

Shiri chewed her nails, her gaze darting from Aurora to Helian. “To our old cabin in the forest.”

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