Page 70 of Song of Her Siren

Ember looked above her, then called down, “Follow the smoke.”

My confusion was reflected in Helian’s gaze when I repeated, “Follow the smoke?”

He shrugged. “That should be easy enough.”

“Sorry if I don’t share in your optimism,” I retorted, “but nothing in my life is ever easy.” Swallowing back my fear, I cast one last look at Tari and the girls before descending into darkness.

* * *

Blaze

AFTER FLYING ALL DAYand night and operating on very little sleep, I finally reached the southernmost port of Caldaria, the town of Cyrene. The bustling seaside village was not like I’d remembered. It had only been a few days since we’d flown here, and already the town had doubled in size, with even more shanties and tents surrounding the perimeters. What were they all doing here? Were they refugees from Peloponese? Or perhaps Skullgrove?

I soared low over the town after spotting dragons flying over the shoreline in the distance. Call it a bad premonition, but the hair on the back of my nape stood on end for fear of them spotting me, and I couldn’t get the morbid thought out of my head that the dragons would love to pluck a lone firemage out of the sky.

I landed quietly in a back alley near the local tavern, the smell of freshly baked bread reminding me I hadn’t eaten, though it didn’t mask the tang of blood in the air. Tucking my wings tightly behind me, I did my best to conceal my feathers and hopefully blend in with the crowd, and that’s when I heard the whispers of a darkness spreading over Caldaria. I scanned the skies once more for Nikkos and Finn before ducking into a tavern. Hopefully, they’d arrive soon, for I had a bad feeling whatever these refugees were running from would be soon coming for us all.

Chapter Eleven

Shiri

Ifollowed Helian throughthe dark, cold tunnel that smelled of mold and something oddly familiar, like pungent cheese, cursing my impractical, soft soles while slipping across the mossy stone floor. Every so often, I’d lose my footing, grappling for the shield strapped to Helian’s back to keep from falling. The lights Tari had sent us had already burned out, so we relied on a torch Helian had found hanging on one of the damp stone walls. He balanced the light in one hand and brandished a sword in another, in case that horned flesh eater made his appearance. We listened and looked for any sign of the creature but found nothing.

We hadn’t been able to contact Tari or the dragons through thought. The moment we’d descended into the underground tunnel, their voices were silenced, the bond connecting us feeling severed. It was the strangest and most lonely feeling, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that we were buried in a tomb of Thunderstone.

I heaved a frustrated sigh while rubbing my throbbing temple. The more we wandered, the more my head hurt, the pain causing a fog to settle in my skull.

Smoke.Follow the smoke.That’s what Ember’s friends had told her, yet neither of us scented nor saw any smoke, other than the faint embers coming off our torch.

“Helian,” I whispered urgently while tugging on his sleeve, “we’re going in circles.”

He paused, the torchlight casting an ethereal glow across his chiseled features and long, silvery hair. “We’re not.”

I shook my head, scowling. “I recognize some of the cracks in the stones. And look.” I pointed to the empty bracket hanging from the wall. “The cradle where you found the torch.”

“I don’t understand. How can we be going in circles?” He turned toward me, holding up the torch so that his features were clearer.

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