Page 6 of Siren's Gift

I huffed out a laugh. "Thanks."

"That’s what little sisters are for." She pulled a nail file from her robe’s pocket and headed for the kitchen, where I knew she would make her evening chamomile tea. Nothing fancy, mind you. We couldn’t afford that. Just a cheap bag dunked in microwaved water. "Now go. You seriously reek."

Leaving her to her nightly primping, I did as I was told, at least on the shower part. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop worrying about what was to come. Withoutworking talismans, our life on land was over. We’d have no choice but to return to the sea.

But where would we go?

We couldn’t go back home, not unless we were willing to give up our freedom. After getting a taste of what freedom truly meant, there was no way Marissa would do that. No way shecould. And I wouldn’t force her to make that decision.

After my shower, I popped into Marissa’s room to feed Finley and say goodnight. He was aluminara axolotl, a rare species of salamander with magical abilities. But he wasn’t just a pet; he was my friend.

In his aquarium tank, Finley’s opalescent scales shimmered like moonlit pearls, and his iridescent skin transitioned through a myriad of colors and intricate patterns. On either side of his head, fringed pink gills fluttered softly in the aquarium’s water and framed his pale blue eyes.

He wriggled up to the surface and chirped in greeting.

Despite the recent dilemma plaguing my thoughts, I smiled. I never got over how ridiculously cute he was. "Well, hello to you, too. I hope you’re hungry."

I laughed as he bobbed his head up and down vigorously, sending splashes of water over the tank’s edge. That little guy was always hungry, especially for crab, even the canned kind.

When Marissa had retreated to her room for the night and I finally turned off the lights, I tossed and turned on the couch. Grim futures played on repeat in my thoughts and, eventually, my nightmares. My heart raced as if each beat echoed the anxiety that consumed me.

The weight of my worries made it impossible to get comfortable, and the couch creaked beneath me with each movement. It was a restless symphony that matched my turbulent thoughts. Scenes of failing and disappointing my sistertaunted me, and the vivid imagery intensified with each passing moment.

But it wasn’t just failing my sister that plagued me. I would lose the life I’d worked so hard to cobble together here, no matter how crappy. Not to mention I’d be forced to marry for political reasons and lose any—however impossible—chance at being with Dominic. Or even just marrying for love.

I longed for the first rays of dawn, hoping that the light would bring an end to the relentless torment. Until then, I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare, unable to escape the clutches of my fears.

CHAPTER 4

Dominic

Seconds crept by in the dark container, but I kept my attention on the cracked open door. There was no way to know if it was Keiko or if the guards were about to get the surprise of their lives.

I stiffened as a small hand wrapped around my mouth.

"Don’t scream," the devil whispered in my ear, amusement in her tone.

Keiko was the only person alive who could sneak up on me like that, and it had more to do with her unique hybrid abilities than her training as an assassin. Although that lethal training certainly helped.

I nodded once to let her know I had heard, and her hand slipped away. We both knew I was more likely to kill than scream when snuck up on.

"They’re changing shifts now," she said quietly as the leopard jumped down to join us. His big padded paws didn’t make a sound. "We’ll meet with the guy as soon as the coast is clear."

As luck would have it, Keiko had run into the man we were meeting tonight at a bar not too far from the warehouse. She’d followed some workers there after their warehouse shifts, andScott had expressed his job frustrations loudly and to any who would listen.

It had only taken a few more drinks and the promise of a hefty deposit to his bank account to get him to agree to meet inside the warehouse. The whole situation had seemed too easy, an obvious setup.

Yet a deep dive into the man’s background suggested otherwise. He had gambling debts he was struggling to pay back, and money always worked wonders in these scenarios. Although I doubted he’d use any of what we gave him to pay back what he already owed. He’d likely owe more before the night was over.

My grandfather’s reach was growing too thin, and now he was being betrayed by a disgruntled, underpaid employee.

It seemed fitting.

"Have you confirmed there have been no changes to the guards on duty?" I asked.

Even in the limited light, I could make out Keiko’s eye roll. "Of course I have. I’m not a rookie."

"No, but we can’t risk uncertainties."

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