Page 11 of Song of Her Siren

I nudged Blaze’s side. “Are they fishing?”

He frowned. “Firemages usually don’t fish these shores. Our ships go to deeper waters.”

Drae broke away, flying toward the nearest group of mages who circled the skies above the nets. They spoke for only a few moments before Drae flew back to us. I clung to Blaze, my heart sinking at the haunted look in Drae’s eyes.

“Let’s go!” he gruffly called to us.

After we landed on the wall dividing Delfi from Windhaven, Blaze set me on my feet, latching on to my arm and shielding me from the frigid wind with his wings. This area of the Northern Fae lands was called the Tribus Point, where the three Fae countries converged, their capital cities each a stone’s throw away from one another. We were in Delfi’s capital city, Thebes, looking out at Windhaven’s capital, Ventus. We wouldn’t risk flying to the other side of Ventus to see Caldaria’s capital, Peloponese, for the Caldarian king was now a walking corpse who had turned one of Tari’s favorite wyverns into the demon menace that had attacked my father.

Drae steered us toward a secluded part of the wall with a clear view of the activity below. Workers were repairing the crack I’d made down the middle of the wall dividing Thebes and Ventus by pouring concrete into a mold that held the split together.

My breath caught when I peered beyond the wall and saw the devastation in Ventus. The lush gardens of the once beautiful capital city of Windhaven had been stripped bare of any color, and the roads were littered with bones. Not a creature stirred. The city was nothing but ghosts.

An involuntary shudder coursed through me. “What did that?”

Drae’s hard glare swept over the devastation. “The army of demonlings did the damage before Malvolia smoked them.”

I shuddered again when remembering the thousands of spiders that had chased us yesterday. If Tari hadn’t blasted them, we would’ve all been reduced to bones too. I wondered if Tari and Malvolia had killed them all or if there were more spiders left.

Blaze gave his brother a sharp look while nodding toward the firemages scanning the skies. “What are they doing?”

Drae grimaced. “Dredging the waters for Mortimus’s head.”

I swayed against Blaze, grateful when he wrapped a wing around me for support. “M-Mortimus?” Malvolia’s monster, winged horse and familiar. Goddess, no wonder my aunt was so depressed.

Drae dragged his hands through his long, dark hair. “The wyvern got him.”

Blaze swore, and I couldn’t find my words, my throat tightening with emotion.

Pacing the battlements, Drae tucked his wings behind him.Do you know when the Crimson Tide ended?He projected the question through thought, his voice echoing so that I knew Blaze could hear our telepathic conversation too.

No,I answered while staring out at the devastation. Not even the Windhaven purple flags were flapping in the wind. It was as if an entire nation had been erased.

Drae stopped pacing, pinning us each with a hard stare.The Crimson Tide ended about the time Malvolia found Mortimus.His voice echoed like a warning siren in my ears.

Bile burned the back of my throat. This wasn’t good. I looked to each of my mates, keeping our conversation telepathic, in case one of Malvolia’s spies was listening.She stopped killing because of him?

Drae nodded, then bit his lip as two mages flew past us. He waited until they were out of earshot to speak again. Even though we were speaking through thought, I realized one of the mages could have my magical ability to listen in on telepathic conversations.Some say her familiar calmed her and convinced her to stop the bloodshed,he finally answered.

The irony wasn’t lost on me, considering Mortimus was a flesh-eating monster horse.What will she do now that he’s dead?

Drae took my hands in his, his eyes beseeching.I’m afraid she won’t be stable. I know you’re not afraid to challenge your aunt, but I’m begging you, Shiri, don’t cross her.

Mortimus kept her sane. Blaze protectively wrapped a wing around my shoulder, his voice echoing in my skull.She has nothing to lose now.

Dear goddess.I thought about her behavior today. She wasn’t trying to be discreet while attempting to seduce my sister’s mate.Do you think that’s why she’s after Helian?

Drae shrugged before scanning the skies.Maybe she’s hoping Tari will kill her.

I laughed.Or maybe she’s just a horny old bitch.

Drae gave me a look that would’ve made a lesser witch cower.Her magic might not be as strong as yours or your sister’s, but she’s cunning and vindictive. She won’t hesitate to turn either of you to ash.

I chewed my lip, humbled and unnerved by his warning.I’ll caution my sister.Not that it would do much good. Tari wouldn’t put up with Malvolia’s behavior. I wouldn’t, either, if Malvolia tried to seduce one of my mates. How were we expected to battle our enemies while we were watching our backs for our allies’ blades?

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Shiri

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