Page 27 of Song For His Siren
"But you found your mate?"
Khuldruk nodded. "I need to go to her," he said.
"Brother," he started, but Khuldruk hit the end button, hoping it would make his brother disappear, and was pleasantly surprised when it worked.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His whole life was spent serving his clan, and being their leader had been everything. It was his identity and purpose. But once he laid eyes on Calli, that path wasn't as clear as it once was.
He set off down the trail, and the sounds of the fair were already in the air, sounds that would soon be bolstered by his lovely mate singing. He set off, eager to see her on stage again. Still, he was concerned because why would she want to leave all of this and how could he ask her to.
But on the other hand, he didn't belong here. Maybe if he wasn't a chief, he could just stay in this new world with his mate, but he was the chief. He had a responsibility to his people he couldn't just walk away from...but now, he also had a mate he couldn't just leave. He was at a loss as to what his next step should be.
As he came to the fair, he set off to find the stage his mate would be on, following the sound of the fiddle and drum. As it came into view, his little mate was taking the stage. Could he stay here with her if that was what she wanted? As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t. As much as it would rip his heart out of his chest to leave his mate in another realm, he couldn't just steal her from her life here. There had to be another way to save the magic in his realm.
He came to the tent where the Flying Kilts were playing, sitting on the benches towards the back. For just a moment, he allowed himself to dream about what it would be like if Calli did return home with him. She would rule the clan by his side. She would bring his people hope. The bond would prove that the magic was not dead. She would prove that his people could find a place in the ever-changing landscape of the monster realm.
Just then, he caught her attention on stage. As they looked into each other's eyes, she continued to sing, and at that moment, it felt like she was singing directly to him. The rest ofthe world fell away; all he heard was her voice. Was this the magic of the siren or the bond? He didn't know; he just knew she was everything.
He closed his eyes and stood to leave. It was like every cell in his body was screaming to go back to his mate and listen to her song, but he was overwhelmed by the utter need to be in two places: in his realm with his people, and wherever his mate was. Those might not be the same place, and he didn't know what to do about that.
14
CALLI
Calli watched as Dru stood with a look on his face that held weight as he turned to leave. She wanted to run after him, but they were still in the middle of their set. When their eyes had connected moments ago, she felt the entire world fall away. Maybe that was part of the siren magic Bridget spoke of; she was still so confused about what was happening.
She had left the island many years ago. She lived there with her three sisters until she was eighteen; then she left and had only been back a handful of times. It wasn't that she didn't love her sisters. She loved her sisters more than she could say. It wasn't even because she didn't like the island. It had been a great place to grow up. She loved the ocean. She loved her sisters.But there was something inside her that never felt like she truly belonged.
Then, she found the fair circuit. She joined her first band and started touring. This life was easier for her. It kept that feeling of not belonging at bay. It gave her a sense of belonging because she made friends here at the fairs, and that feeling of never truly being at home didn't bother her as much because she didn't really have a home. She had been told she had a traveler's soulmore times than she could say, but something inside her was shifting. She wanted a home. She wanted to belong. And as Dru left her sight, she fought every urge she had ever felt to go get him and bring him back to her. There was something about this whole thing he was not telling her, and she didn't know what it was.
"Calli," Michael whispered harshly behind her.
She looked back at him, and he nodded his head toward the crowd. It was then she realized her mic was down by her side and she had stopped singing.
"Right," she said with a small shake of her head. "Sorry."
She managed somehow to pull it together and get through their set.
After the crowd had left, Michael walked over to her with a concerned look pinching his brow. "Are you okay, Calli?"
"Yeah, why?" she asked, trying to put her carefree nature back into her voice, but she was feeling anything but carefree.
"You just seem off today."
"Yeah... I'm going to go take a walk."
"Do you want company?" he asked, his brow still tight with concern.
"No, I'm good. I'm just going to go get some fresh air."
She was going to look for Dru, but she didn't tell him that. The need to be close to him was something she had never experienced or had any way to explain. She just knew she needed him.
She was walking down the main drag looking for him. He couldn't be that hard to find. He was huge and would be the best-dressed one here. That thought made her smile. Yesterday, she thought he had an impeccable costume...but perhaps he was just in clothes. That thought made her smile.
Then, she saw him, sitting underneath a tree, eating a giant turkey leg. She shamelessly ran to him.
"Hi!" God, she felt like an idiot. She had just run over to this man like a schoolgirl, but she couldn't seem to help herself.
He moved to stand, but before he could, she plopped down on the grass next to him.
