Melody of Souls: The Lost Siren, #3

Chapter 1

Iopened my eyes, listening for the voice, but nothing sounded in the dark room save my mates’ even breaths. They were all fast asleep.

Tarin was closest, a possessive arm flung over my waist. I was too hot, and the flimsy nightgown I’d donned prior to climbing in bed stuck to my skin.

I had to get up. I didn’t know why or how, but I did know that ignoring my instincts never turned out well.

Slowly, I eased myself from Tarin’s embrace. Just as I was nearly free, he tightened his grasp and hauled me back to him. I slid there easily over the slippery sheets.

Where do you think you’re going, lass? he asked.

His cock was hard against my hip. If I stayed here, we could kiss and fuck until sleep claimed us once again. A thrill of excitement shot straight to my pussy.

But something was bothering me. It was a thought at the back of my mind. Someone, or something, had called to me through the darkness of my dreams.

The dim room was empty, save the men and me.

Tarin flexed his hips, reminding me of his large, tempting presence.

I can’t right now, I whispered.

He nuzzled my neck. Are you still hurt?

The concern in his voice melted my heart. It had been three days since the Shadow King nearly killed me. Or maybe he had killed me. I was pretty sure I had been dead at the time. But I’d come back. Since then, my mates and I had barely kissed, much less done any of the other fun things we so enjoyed doing together. Mostly I’d taken baths--alone--to help rejuvenate my siren energies.

No, I’m not hurting, I said. For the last time, I’d be happy to fuck one or all of you, any time you’ll get over babying me and actually stick your dick in my--

He covered my mouth with his hand and roughly bit my neck. At the same time, he pressed his cock harder against my hip and squeezed one of my breasts through my nightgown.

Want you so bad, lass, he whispered.

But wait. I had something I needed to do, first.

I pulled his hand from my mouth and said, Not yet. I’ll be right back.

He groaned and let me go. I reluctantly slid from his embrace and climbed over Charles’s legs. My half-siren, half-faerie mate’s eyes were closed for the moment, but I had memorised their beautiful shade of grey. On the other side of the large bed, Lysander and Marek slept. Lysander, a vampire, didn’t sleep heavily very often, so he must’ve been tired. And Marek always slept like the dead, even though, as a faerie prince, he was very much alive.

I loved them all so, so dearly.

Tarin’s gaze met mine in the darkness. He was a wolf shifter, and his amber eyes glowed softly.

I found a robe thrown over one of the chairs, and I pulled it on over my nightgown. Already my skin was cooling--no doubt because so much of the palace had been destroyed during the battle, new draughts seemed to hit the rooms from all new directions.

With a wave at Tarin, I opened the chamber door and stepped into the hallway.

He was at my side in an instant, wearing only his trousers, his broad chest oh-so-tempting.

I looked up at him in surprise. What are you doing?

I thought you just had to visit the loo, he said. But you’re heading out? I’m not letting you wander around this pile of rubble on your own.

That’s fine with me, I said. An unseen force was already tugging me in a direction down the hall. Try to keep up.

Ha, Tarin said, and muttered something unintelligible but might have sounded like cheeky siren.

Up and down the halls we went. To his credit, Tarin didn’t complain or ask me where we were headed. He simply followed at my side, his eyes watchful for any danger.

What are you worried about? I asked.

Without walls, this palace is less secure, he said. Just because we defeated those bloody pale ones doesn’t mean there aren’t more out there, waiting to attack. It isn’t safe here. Especially not at night.

It made sense, and his concern was touching. I stopped walking so I could turn to face him. Cupping his cheek in my palm, I said, Thank you.

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. I wanted it to go on and on, especially when the tip of his tongue teased my mouth, but I couldn’t. There was a task...no, that wasn’t quite right. Not a task. But something that needed to be tended to.

After what felt like a full mile of walking, I finally stopped. Tarin stood expectantly at my side as I stared at an open passageway.

The force driving me forward, a force I didn’t even understand or recognize, was coming from the throne room. Tarin and I stopped in the doorway. The room was a wreck, with toppled columns and rubble collected in corners. Torn tapestries fluttered in the night air that came through the ruined stone wall.

And standing before the fallen wall and staring out into the cold, clear night was the King.

He turned at the sound of our footsteps. In a haunting voice, he said, I have a message for you, Avery. A message from the All of the Evermist.

Chapter 2

Iblinked, taking in the King. He was still frail, almost skeletal, but he was standing proud, his shoulders pushed back, his spine straight as a rod. The throne room was dark except for a single ray of moonlight hitting the King’s face. It couldn’t have been more ominous.

What message? I asked when he didn’t say anything further.

You may think that you won, but you didn’t, he said in a strange monotonous voice that made me think it wasn’t quite him who was speaking. Something else was going on. Maybe he was being controlled by some entity, good or bad. While looking as relaxed as possible, I gathered some magic, just in case the force speaking through the King was hostile.

The Mists are decaying, he continued. They won’t hold in the Shadow King for much longer. He’s regrouping as we speak. You don’t have long until he launches his final assault, which will be more terrible than anything you’ve seen so far.

We will beat him again, I said defiantly. We beat him once, we will do so again. I killed his wife. Next time, I’m going to kill him.

But at what cost? Have you felt it yet? The darkness inside yourself? It will grow until it devours your heart. You don’t have much time.

I didn’t know what he was talking about. Darkness? The only thing I felt inside me was occasional pain from my wounds. They were healing fast, but the Shadow King’s attack had been brutal. I was going to need more time to recover fully.

You need allies, King Christophe continued in his lifeless voice. Remember the prophecy.

He gasped, a raspy sound, then dropped to his knees. I ran to him and together with Tarin, I steadied the King, making sure he didn’t fall over. King Christophe blinked at me as if he was waking from sleep.

That was strange, he muttered.

I chuckled. You can say that again. Who was speaking through you?

I don’t know. But what I do know is that you must heed those words. I didn’t sense any malice.

Find the king, no matter the cost, I recited. I knew the prophecy by heart, every single letter engraved deeply into my soul.

And find me you did. I’m not sure why, though. Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly grateful, as I wouldn’t have lasted much longer in the Malevolent Mists. But right now, I’m almost powerless. I doubt giving you this message was what the prophecy talks about. Anyone could have done that. I suppose my weakened mental defences made me an easy target to speak through.

I agreed with him. His role wasn’t over yet. What do you advise we do?

The song has to sound through the lands once more, the Lorelei’s daughter and her mated four.

That’s the prophecy, Tarin stated.

Yeah, thanks, I knew that. I rolled my eyes.

Christophe nodded. If I was in your shoes, I’d do exactly that. Travel the lands of Evermist, go to the people of your mates. Find allies. Sirens, vampires, shifters. Us fae aren’t your only allies. Not that we’re of much use right now. We need to rebuild before we can fight again.

Suddenly, he looked incredibly old. Not just sick, but ancient, like he’d seen war way too often.

Heaving a great sigh, he said, Please, send my sons to me before you leave.

I inclined my head respectfully. Of course. I’ll tell them you want to talk to them.

It would be their choice if they wanted that, too.

As tired as I was, I couldn’t go back to sleep. The guys joined me in our sitting room. None of them had bothered to put on clothes. My mouth watered at the sight. This shouldn’t be allowed. I was tempted to take off my robe and nightgown and turn the tables, but we’d end up in bed and despite the tingles between my legs, I wanted to discuss everything first.

I gave them a quick summary of what had happened with King Christophe. Both Charles and Marek looked clearly conflicted at his request to see them. They’d kept their distance these last few days, using me as their excuse for why they couldn’t go anywhere near the infirmary where their father was recovering.

We should visit the vampires first, Lysander said. We’re your strongest allies.

Tarin scoffed. Wrong. A werewolf is worth two vampires any day.

You’ll see sirens are the most powerful, Charles laughed. Just look at Avery. And me.

You? Marek snorted. Join me in the training yard and I’ll show you how much stronger a full fae is.

Charles growled. Are you calling me weak?

Stop it, I ordered. We’ll go to the sirens first, both because they helped us in battle and because they’re my people. They expect me to become their Queen. I’ll have to tell them that they’ll have to wait a little longer. The Hevarain, Ligeia, is used to ruling in my place, so she can continue that until we’ve defeated the Shadow King. But most importantly, we have to tell them about the traitor. A siren told the Shadow King and the pale ones that we were taking a portal to rescue Christophe. I don’t know why anyone would betray us this way, but we need to find them.

But after that, we’ll go to the vampires, Lysander teased. I’ll take you to one of our pleasure palaces. And you can wear the most extravagant, revealing gowns before I rip them off your body…

Charles licked his lips. Maybe we should go there first after all. I love ripping off your clothes, love.

My pussy throbbed at the thought. Yes, he really did enjoy that. And so did I. Being a powerful, revered siren was a big advantage when it came to having access to new clothes to replace all my torn ones.

It’s decided then, I said before realising that I’d just overruled them all. Oh well. Maybe I was slowly slipping into my new role after all. First, the sirens, then we’ll see where to go next. If what King Christophe said is true – and I believe it is – then we need to hurry. We’ll leave this afternoon. That’ll give you two time to talk to your father while the rest of us prepare everything else.

Marek gave me a grey-eyed puppy look. Do we have to?

We might regret it if we don’t, Charles said quietly. I talked to one of the healers. He’s not recovering like they’d hoped.

I didn’t know that. Charles hadn’t told me. I wanted to ask him why, but the anguish painted across his face stopped me. This was something the brothers had to deal with themselves.

Let me know if you want me to come with you, I offered. But I also understand if you want to be alone with him.

They exchanged a look and gave each other a short nod. If I hadn’t known better, I’d thought they’d grown up together, knowing each other’s way of thinking.

It’ll be good to have you there, Marek said with a small smile. A neutral person to keep the peace.

I hung back when we entered the King’s receiving room. The space had been transformed into less a receiving room, and more a sick room. King Christophe really was in bad shape. In the full light streaming in through a glass-paned window, I could see every wrinkle on his face, and the way, every now and then, he grimaced in pain.

The sight of Charles and Marek sitting close to him made my heart clench.

My sons, Christophe said.

Marek and Charles wanted me here, but I wasn’t sure what to do. This was an emotionally fraught moment between a family that had been torn apart by time and violence.

But Christophe gestured toward me. Please, Queen Avery, sit with us.

Call me Avery, Your Majesty, please.

Avery, he said, with a gentle smile. My dear girl.

The words sounded awfully formal to be coming from a King to me. I had to remind myself that, as Queen of the sirens, I was his equal.

I doubted I’d ever get used to this new status of mine. Going forward, whenever I felt as if the crown doesn’t belong to me, I would have to remind myself that I didn’t ask for the power, but it was given to me, and I was going to use it to accomplish good in this world.

The King gestured me forward again, so I approached the edge of the bed and stood next to Marek. Charles sat on the other side. The King reached for Charles’s hand, and then with his other hand, he held one of mine and one of Marek’s.

He said, I want to give you my blessing--you three, and the other two you call mates, Avery.

Thank you, Father, Marek said solemnly.

Charles and I echoed the sentiment. My eyes teared up.

I am not one for dramatics, the King said, but it is entirely possible I will not be alive when you return from fulfilling the prophecy. I deeply regret not having more time in which we could get to know each other. But please remember, always, that even when we were separated, my two sons were always in my heart.

It was impossible to keep my tears from falling, so I let them run down my face while I thought about all of the people we’d lost, all of the time we’d lost with those we loved. I had long finished mourning my parents, and yet odd reminders would hit me from time to time like a punch to the chest. Seeing Charles and Marek here with their father was one of those reminders, and my heart twisted painfully.

I would do everything in my power to get us home faster, so that their father wouldn’t die without