Page 72 of Siren's Gift

“Why would I?”

“I don’t know, in case you had questions? Or so we didn’t have to keep it a secret from you?”

Frankie made a pfft sound. “I didn’t care. Still don’t. Doesn’t change who you are. But also, you coulda told me at any time.”

As the two continued to bicker, Bree turned her gorgeous ocean-hued gaze on me. “You don’t seem surprised either. Did you know?”

I took her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, enjoying the slight pink that tinted her cheeks. “No, but your secrecy makes sense in hindsight.”

“You’re not weirded out that my dad is a king?” she asked.

“Not in the least, darlin’.” I winked. “The Sato family is a bit like royalty in the Gifted community, and every bit as wealthy.”

Marissa heaved a sigh, drawing our attention back to her and the fae woman. “That reveal was so much more anti-climactic than I’d expected.”

“You mean more than youwanted,” Bree said.

“Same difference.” Marissa brushed her hair off her shoulder, then frowned. “But wait, why did your command work on me?”

“What do you mean?”

“At the bar, you used your siren song to make me sleep. But I’ve tried my entire freaking life to use it on you and it’s never worked.”

Bree smiled, but her eyebrows drew together slightly. “I don’t know. I guess my panic amplified my magic or something.”

She was brushing off the comment, but something about her sister’s question lingered in the back of my mind. There was more to that moment than either of them realized—something I’d file away for later, when we weren’t trying to unravel a black-market conspiracy.

“We know Ateleíotes provides the pufferfish poison to Calypso,” Aaron leaned forward in his chair, steering the conversation back to the problem at hand, “who then provides a mixture to Ichiro—well, provided. That must be the blue liquid we couldn’t identify.”

“Right,” I said, shifting back into mission mode. “But how did Ichiro discover this pufferfish connection to begin with? How did he and Calypso meet?”

“These two ain’t the only fish to walk on land,” Frankie said, tilting her head toward the sisters. “Sirens and the like come and go like anyone else, most’re just more sneaky about it. Usually traders, but I’ve heard mention of a sea witch before. Thought nothin’ of it.”

Marissa pursed her lips. “That had to be Calypso.”

“Probably.” Frankie sat on the arm of an empty chair. “But we don’t know enough to be sure. Maybe she’s workin’ with other witches, landlubbers or otherwise.”

Bree’s frown deepened, forming a cute crease between her eyebrows. “No one ever visited while I was with her, besides Sidon.”

Ah, yes. One of the other sirens I would soon kill.

“No communications with anyone from what I could tell, which sadly doesn’t mean much. I didn’t see most of what she did.” Bree’s expression took on a look of realization. “She must have been checking in on us over the years and somehow connected with Ichiro. That would explain the talismans failing, too.”

Aaron rubbed his chin. “What does she get out of the deal? From what you’ve described, money doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Years ago, before I was born, she attempted a coup and our father banished her,” Bree explained.

“You think she’s out for revenge?”

“Oh, I know she is. Ateleíotes and Zephyrion talked about it. Whatever she’s gotten from Ichiro and now Ateleíotes has made her confident enough to return to Naftes.”

“By herself?” I asked.

“That’s where my knowledge ends and where I could use some help.”

It clicked. “You want to go home.”

“Want? No, and definitely not for good.” She squeezed my hand. “I need to find out what she’s up to and put a stop toit before it’s too late. Besides, my talisman won’t work much longer. I need to find a solution.”

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